striking design (but are they as good as the AirPods 3?)

The Sony LinkBuds stand out for their striking design with a hole, but are they as good as the AirPods 3? iPhoned tells you!

Sony LinkBuds: earbuds with a striking design

The new earbuds from Sony have a very striking feature and that is the design. It seems a bit like each of the two earbuds got their own wheel or donut.

Sony calls this design ‘ring driver’, this allows ambient noise to pass through and you will always hear the sound around you. You can compare this with the ‘transparency mode’ of, for example, the AirPods Pro.

In addition, the LinkBuds are IPX4 water resistant (just like the AirPods 3), which protects against splashing water. The price is also comparable to the AirPods 3. The Sony LinkBuds cost 179 euros and are therefore an interesting alternative to the AirPods 3, which are now also for sale around this price. But are they as good as the AirPods?

Sony LinkBuds vs AirPods

The biggest difference with the AirPods is the built-in transparency mode (which is always ‘on’). This is useful (and safe) when you use the earplugs a lot in traffic, for example. The AirPods 3 do not have that function, and close a bit more. AirPods Pro do have a transparency mode (and noise canceling), but they are also a bit more expensive.

Having an always-on transparency mode has both advantages and disadvantages. Due to the open design of the Linkbuds, you really hear the sound from outside and not just through the microphone or speaker, as is the case with the transparency mode of the AirPods Pro.

This is also a disadvantage, because the Linkbuds do not close completely. So you will always hear the background noise. Is there loud music playing in the background? Then you generally suffer from this more than with the Airpods 3 or the AirPods Pro.

Furthermore, the bass sound of the AirPods has a bit more power. With the AirPods 3 (and especially the AIrPods Pro), the bass is more present. With the equalizer in the Sony headphones app of the LinkBuds you can boost the bass a bit. But whether you like this, we’ll leave it up to you.

Controls: tap your face

The controls are also strikingly different from the Sony earbuds. With the AirPods 3, you can pause by tapping the sensor in the stem once. With the Linkbuds, you tap in front of your ear (i.e. on your skin). You can then set what should happen next in the Headphones app. Just like with the AirPods, you have different types of tap options here.

Battery life: AirPods 3 just a bit better

The earbuds from Sony have a total battery life of 17.5 hours. This is 5.5 hours of playback on a single charge of the earbuds and an additional 12 hours with the case. By charging the earplugs for 10 minutes, you have another 90 minutes of listening pleasure.

The battery life of the LinkBuds is somewhat less than the AirPods 3. The Apple earbuds last up to 6 hours on a full battery charge. If you put them in the box for five minutes, you can listen to music for another hour. The charging case can charge wirelessly as standard (also via MagSafe) and offers up to 30 hours of listening time.

With the AirPods Pro you can listen to music for up to five hours on one battery charge. When the active noise reduction is switched on, you have a battery life of four and a half hours. With the charging case you have enough power to provide the AirPods Pro with power for a total of 24 hours.

Automatic switching: only with AirPods

However, the AirPods (3) have a big advantage that the LinkBuds from Sony do not have. If you also have an iPad or a Mac in addition to your iPhone, you only have to link the earbuds to your Apple account once. Your AirPods will then automatically switch to the device you are currently working on. The Sony LinkBuds do not have this feature. But do you only have an iPhone that you will use the earbuds on? Then the lack of this function is not an issue.

Conclusion: AirPods vs LinkBuds

The Sony LinkBuds are an interesting alternative for fans of earbuds with a transparency mode. Are you going to use the earplugs a lot in traffic? And do you only have one Apple device that you use them on? Check whether you like them, because that is also important. The battery life is slightly less than the AirPods, but still long enough to listen to music almost all day (with enough sleep).

However, if you have multiple Apple devices, you can hardly avoid choosing the AirPods. If you still want a transparency mode, the AirPods Pro are the earbuds for you. And are you still unsure which AirPods to take? We have compared all AirPods with each other. Also check our AirPods 3 price comparisons and AirPods Pro price comparisons for the best price!

Buy Sony LinkBuds

Are you a fan of the ‘always on’ transparency mode and do you want to buy the Sony LinkBuds? The earplugs with open design are available from various providers. We have already looked up the best prices for you!

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