Sony Linkbuds S Review: the most comfortable earbuds available?

Sony currently offers a range of earbuds, from the cheaper WF-C500 to the top of the range WF-1000XM5. The Linkbuds S are a crucial link in Sony’s arsenal that provide a wonderful balance of sound, features, comfort and value. In this Sony Linkbuds S review, I take a closer look.

The original Linkbuds were somewhat controversial. Some loved them, some did not. They were intended to act as a link between the real world and your music, and featured hoops around the outside that could let in ambient noise.

The Linkbuds S take a different approach. They are more conventional earbuds and the link part is handled by microphones and software. They retail at £140 / $180, though they can be found for less on sale.

I tested these earbuds over two weeks across our usual metrics of comfort, features, and sound.

I found the Linkbuds S to be comfortable and intuitive. The ability to switch between Active Noise Cancellation and ambient noise is seamless and highly effective. I like the sound of the Linkbuds S. It’s more neutral than I’ve come to expect from Sony, but allows for a more relaxed experience with plenty of room to customize the EQ to make them punchier. Read the full review below for the details.

Our rating: 8.8/10

Sony Linkbuds S Review: Overview

Pros

Easily switch between Active Noise Cancellation and ambient noise.
Sound: clean, versatile and warm.
Comfort: one of the lightest and most comfortable earbuds on the market.

Cons

No wireless charging.

Who are the Sony Linkbuds S for?

I would recommend them for anyone that wants to wear them for extended periods of time. They exude comfort. I’m able to wear them for hours, even when lying on my side on a pillow. They also allow you to quickly change the ambient noise control setting so you can switch between Active Noise Cancellation and being able to hear the world around you through the microphones on the earbuds. You only really need to take them off to charge them.

Who are the Sony Linkbuds S not for?

I like the sound of these earbuds, but if you want a bigger, fuller, more lively sound. You might want to save a little more for the WF-1000XM5 or even the WF-1000XM4. The sound of the Linkbuds S is a bit more mellow and neutral, but not in a bad way.

Sony Linkbuds S sitting in their charging case.

Design and Comfort

Each earbud weighs less than 5g, you won’t find many lighter or lower profile than these. Part of the appeal of the Linkbuds S is that you can leave them in your ears for long periods, switching between noise cancellation and ambient sound as needed. Therefore, you might expect that the Linkbuds S are designed with comfort in mind. Indeed, they are very comfortable!

Once you have them in your ears, apart from physically feeling the ear tips against your ear canals, it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them. They are much lighter than the WF-1000XM5 which significantly reduces ear fatigue.

Once they are in, there’s not much protrusion from the ear, so they are also low profile and, in fact, I’m even able to lie on my side whilst using them.

There’s a bit of a knack to getting them in your ears properly, but once you do they feel secure.

If comfort is your priority, I don’t believe you can go wrong with the Sony Linkbuds S.

Earbuds sitting on a desk with drawing equipment.

Features

As mentioned at the beginning of this Sony Linkbuds S review, these buds are intended to immerse you in your audio whilst still having the option to remain connected to the outside world. You can seamlessly switch between Active Noise Cancellation and microphone-amplified ambient noise.

Ambient Sound

With ambient sound mode on, you can hear everything around you along with your music. The click of turning the kettle on, cars whizzing past you, people talking.

It all sounds terrible on paper, why would you want to hear everything? The benefit is that you remain connected to the outside world without it greatly affecting your music listening experience.

It’s oddly comforting.

Have you ever had headphones on but were worried you wouldn’t hear the doorbell? That’s where this feature comes in. That said, at one point I forgot ANC was still active and I actually did not hear the door, despite being 5m away from it.

Controls

The touch controls are intuitive. You can play and pause along with the usual functions. You can also toggle between ambient sound and noise cancellation along with holding the right earbud to temporarily activate the mic so you can hear what’s around you. Useful if someone comes over and wants to talk to you.

Speak-to-chat and Auto-pause

The Linkbuds S support Speak-to-Chat, which pauses the music and activates ambient noise when they detect you talking. Once they detect that the conversation is over, they start the music again. This feature works well and as intended, but bear in mind if you ever sing along to your music or talk to yourself you will accidentally activate it.

The buds have sensors that pause the music when removed and then resume when reinserted. Auto power off allows them to turn off automatically when removed from the ear for an extended period of time.

Are the Sony Linkbuds S waterproof?

The earbuds themselves are IPX4 water resistant and can handle light water splashes but not full submersion in water. This provides some peace of mind if you are exercising with them or using them in the rain.

Do the Sony Linkbuds S support wireless charging?

Sadly, this is one area the Linkbuds S fall short. The case does not support wireless charging and instead uses USB-C.

Battery Life

Battery Life for the Linkbuds S is decent, not the best but not the worst. You get 20 hours total: 6 hours in the earbuds and 14 hours from the case.

You can comfortably sleep in the earbuds, but beware you are limited by the battery. They need recharged in the case after around 6 hours of use.

I have read reports online from users who have experienced asynchronous battery drain from the earbuds, that’s to say the right or left drains faster than the other side. This seems to be less common than the same issue with the XM4 earbuds, but it’s something to bear in mind.

I’ve had no issues with the battery over the short time I’ve been using them, but will update the review if anything comes up. It only seems to affect some users and after owning them for a while.

Sony earbud charging case and packaging box.

Active Noise Cancellation

Active Noise Cancellation on the Linkbuds S is excellent, especially for the price.

They filter background noises such as fans, air conditioning, and public transport nicely and the earbuds provide a relaxed, isolated listening experience with the ANC turned on.

You will still hear little traces of background noises along with more dynamic, changeable noises when the audio volume is low. However, they are beaten only by more expensive products and in this price range they’re among the best. The vast majority of people will be very happy with the ANC.

Sound Quality

The Sony Linkbuds S have a more unique sound profile compared to Sony’s other headphones.

Whilst most of their offerings are bass-heavy and lively, the Linkbuds S are more neutral. Emphasis on more neutral. There’s still plenty of bass there, it’s just a bit tighter and more refined out of the box. The treble is also dialed back a fair bit, even compared to buds from other brands.

These buds have amassed a variety of different opinions on their sound. Some love the sound, some describe them as flat.

I would describe them as being warm, mellow, clear and customizable.

I think the sound compliments them perfectly. They are designed to be worn over long periods and to seamlessly fit into your life. The sound profile of these reduces ear fatigue and provides a more relaxed listening experience.

The Sony Connect app allows you to adjust the EQ if you do want a bit more oomph. I found myself shamelessly pumping the treble and adding a little to the bass. The Sony Connect app is excellent and makes this easy.

Adding a bit more treble makes them sound a bit more typical. The drivers in these earbuds are only 5mm, despite that the bass potential when adjusting the EQ is excellent and you can get some solid bass out of them.

Clarity is good, they also support Sony’s LDAC for near lossless Bluetooth listening. Call quality is decent, they sound clear when using them at home and people can understand me easily. Out and about, call quality is a bit more muddy if there’s a lot of ambient noise. However, for earbuds they perform well enough.