Sony's upgraded LinkBuds family includes two new pairs of earbuds and a first-of-a-kind speaker
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Largely in line with a rumor from a few months back, Sony has taken the wraps off three new LinkBuds products yesterday while leaving its ultra-high-end WF-1000 and WH-1000 rosters of wireless earbuds and headphones untouched.
The unexpected member of this freshly unveiled trio is without a doubt the awkwardly named LinkBuds Speaker (or LinkBuds Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker), which doesn't follow in the footsteps of any existing Sony product. The LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open earbuds, meanwhile, are the more predictable sequels to the LinkBuds S and OG LinkBuds, bringing key improvements in the sound, comfort, and style departments as they try to convince AirPods lovers to give an unconventional design a chance.
These open-ring buds are not cheap!
Originally priced at $179.99 and very quickly marked down to $160 and $130, the 2022-released Sony LinkBuds are followed by a more aptly named LinkBuds Open model available for pre-order in the US in exchange for $199.99.
That looks like a pretty hard-to-stomach price point for a product that many people are bound to continue viewing as experimental and... weird. Of course, Sony insists its decidedly unorthodox open-ring design serves an important purpose, keeping users "naturally connected" to their surroundings with "fully transparent ambient sound."
Active noise cancellation is obviously not possible on the Sony LinkBuds Open, which do at least promise to provide "ultra-clear, noise free calls" with the help of precise voice pickup technology and advanced audio signal processing. A state-of-the-art V2 integrated processor is also present to ensure "authentic high-quality sound", and when you add the up to 22-hour battery life to the value equation as well, that bumped-up price actually starts to make sense.
The first-gen LinkBuds, mind you, didn't exactly shine from an audio performance standpoint while keeping their total battery life rating down to 20 hours at most. The LinkBuds Open also importantly claim to improve your all-day comfort with "newly developed Air Fitting Supporters." What I can say before taking the new open-ring earbuds for an actual test drive is that their revised design seems... less weird at first glance, especially when you also look at the LinkBuds Fit.
Excellent sound and advanced noise cancellation in an ultra-lightweight package
Tipping the scales at 4.8 grams, the LinkBuds S were marketed as the "world's smallest and lightest noise canceling" earbuds at launch. With a weight of 4.9 grams (each), the brand-new Sony LinkBuds Fit are also remarkably small and even more remarkably powerful, packing all kinds of cutting-edge technologies to deliver the best possible sound in any and all environments with minimal outside distraction.
Among others, the LinkBuds Fit come with the same proprietary V2 chip as the LinkBuds Open (and the WF-1000XM5), as well as dual noise sensors and an Auto Noise Canceling Optimizer for top-shelf active noise cancellation, an improved Ambient Sound mode, IPX4 water resistance, and up to 5.5 hours of uninterrupted listening time that you can easily increase to a grand total of 21 hours of battery life with the bundled charging case.
Unlike the LinkBuds Open, which are very clearly meant to replace their predecessor, the LinkBuds Fit seem set to coexist with the stylish LinkBuds S, offering a sportier and arguably less elegant alternative with an increased focus on all-day comfort. Both products are priced at $200 a pair, with Amazon taking LinkBuds Fit pre-orders in black, white, and Olivia Rodrigo-sanctioned violet hues right now ahead of a November 1 release.
Do you want a speaker with your earbuds?
Trying to capitalize on the popularity of a wireless earbuds line to make a Bluetooth speaker happen is not something I've personally seen before, but it sure looks like that's what's happening here. The first-of-a-kind Sony LinkBuds Speaker is explicitly advertised as a companion of sorts for the LinkBuds Fit, LinkBuds Open, and LinkBuds S for those times when you might want to switch your music from your earbuds to a larger and more powerful device anyone can listen to.
In addition to the... interesting Auto Switch feature that will make that possible, the LinkBuds Speaker packs a dedicated tweeter and a woofer for "impressive bass and clear vocals" and an absolutely massive battery capable of keeping your favorite tunes going for up to 25 hours on a single charge.
Described as "best-in class" for "any Sony wireless speaker", this bad boy's call quality may prove to be even more impressive than its overall sound performance, helping justify an otherwise eye-popping $179.99 price tag.
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