Sony Sony - LinkBuds Clip Truly Wireless Open Earbuds - Review
Sony's LinkBuds Clip are the anti-noise-cancelling earbuds. We found they're incredibly comfy and great for calls, but you sacrifice sound quality to hear the world around you.
The 30-Second Version
The Sony LinkBuds Clip are comfy, secure, and let you hear the world. The sound is just okay and leaks out, but call quality is great. Buy them if you need situational awareness, skip them if you want immersive sound.
Overview
The Sony LinkBuds Clip are a weird pair of earbuds, and that's kind of the point. They're designed to be worn all day, letting you hear your music and your surroundings at the same time. Forget noise cancellation, this is all about staying connected to the world around you while you listen.
They clip onto your ear instead of jamming into the canal, which is great for comfort but a gamble on fit. The open-ear design means sound leaks out, and you won't get booming bass. It's a specific tool for a specific job: being aware.
Performance
Audio performance lands in the 37th percentile in our database, so don't expect audiophile-grade sound. The open design sacrifices bass and isolation for that ambient awareness. The AI-powered call clarity is a legit highlight, though, and the three listening modes (Standard, Voice Boost, Sound Leakage Reduction) are genuinely useful for tweaking the experience on the fly. Battery life is solid at up to 9 hours per charge, with the case extending that to 37 hours total.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Incredibly comfortable for all-day wear.
- Excellent call quality with smart noise reduction.
- You stay fully aware of your surroundings.
- Secure clip design means they won't fall out.
Cons
- Sound quality is mediocre, especially for bass. 9th
- Audio leaks out, so it's not private. 12th
- The fit can be finicky to get just right. 18th
- Not for immersive music listening or gaming. 19th
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Value & Pricing
At around $230, they're not cheap for what you get in pure audio performance. You're paying for the unique open-ear design, the comfort, and Sony's call tech. If your top priority is blocking out the world, this is terrible value. If you need to hear your coworkers, your kids, or traffic while taking calls, the value proposition makes a lot more sense.
vs Competition
Compared to standard earbuds like AirPods, you're trading isolation and sound quality for situational awareness. Against other 'open' buds like the Oladance OWS Pros, the LinkBuds Clip are more discreet and clip-on, but the Oladance often deliver better overall sound. If you want the best of both worlds, you'd need two pairs: one for immersion (like Sony's own WF-1000XM5) and these for all-day ambient wear. They occupy a niche.
| Spec | Sony Sony - LinkBuds Clip Truly Wireless Open Earbuds - | Sony BRAVIA 5 Sony BRAVIA 5 98" 4K HDR Smart Mini-LED TV | LG OLED evo - C5 series LG - 65" Class C5 Series OLED evo AI 4K UHD Smart | Hisense U65QF Mini-LED Hisense - 75" Class U6 Series MiniLED QLED UHD 4K | Samsung Neo QLED Samsung QN800D 75" 8K HDR Smart Neo QLED Mini-LED | Roku Mini-LED QLED 4K - Pro Roku - 55" Class Pro Series 4K QLED Mini-LED Smart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | - | 98 | 65 | 75 | 75 | 55 |
| Resolution | - | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 | 3840x2160 | 7680x4320 | 3840x2160 |
| Panel Type | - | Mini-LED | OLED | Mini-LED QLED | Mini-LED | Mini-LED QLED |
| Refresh Rate | - | 120 | 120 | 144 | 120 | 120 |
| Hdr | - | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG | HDR10+, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG |
| Smart Platform | - | Google TV | webOS | Fire TV | Tizen | Roku TV |
| Dolby Vision | - | true | true | true | false | true |
| Dolby Atmos | - | false | true | true | true | true |
| Hdmi Version | - | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
Common Questions
Q: Do these work with iPhones and Playstations?
Yes, they use standard Bluetooth, so they'll pair with any iPhone, Android phone, or PC. For gaming consoles like the PS5, you'd need to check if your TV supports Bluetooth audio passthrough, as consoles often don't support Bluetooth headsets directly.
Q: Can people around me hear my music?
Yes, to a degree. The open design means sound leaks, especially at higher volumes. The 'Sound Leakage Reduction' mode helps, but in very quiet settings like a library, someone sitting close might hear a faint tinny sound.
Q: Are they good for working out?
The IPX4 rating handles sweat and splashes, and the clip design is secure. However, the lack of bass and noise isolation might not provide the energetic soundtrack some people want for intense workouts.
Who Should Skip This
If you want powerful, immersive sound for music, movies, or gaming, look elsewhere. The audio performance here is middling, and you'll miss the thump and isolation of traditional earbuds. Also skip if you need strong smart features or multi-device connectivity, as our data shows those are weaker areas for this model.
Verdict
Buy these if you need earbuds for all-day wear at work, for walks where you need to hear traffic, or for taking calls where you can't afford to be cut off from your environment. They're perfect for office workers, parents, or anyone who finds in-ear buds uncomfortable. They're a productivity and safety tool first, a music player second.