Sony was an early entrant into the open wear stereo (OWS) earbuds market with its original LinkBuds back in 2022 and its latest addition takes a different stylistic approach. The LinkBuds Clip arrive on the scene with the trendy clip-on design alongside claims of refined audio quality and up to 37 hours of continuous usage between the bud and its case.
Let’s take a closer look at what comes with the LinkBuds Clip.
They are packaged in the typical recycled cardboard box that you get with all recent Sony headphones and earbuds. You’re greeted by the charging/carrying case, which houses the LinkBuds Clip inside. There’s not much else inside the box apart from the usual set of manuals and a warranty card.
Taking a closer look at the LinkBuds Clip, they are made entirely from plastic and feature a C-shaped design with the speaker on one end connected to a bean-shaped module that goes behind your ear helix.
They come in a wide array of colors, and we have the Black and Lavender options with us.
LinkBuds Clip were designed to fit a wide array of ear shapes, and we’ve previously tested several options utilizing a similar design approach. We can testify that it does indeed fit different ear shapes and offers all-day comfort.
LinkBuds Clip are light and easy on the ears, and we generally have no complaints in terms of fit. The buds stay attached without putting unnecessary pressure. The connecting cable between the two halves of the earbuds is quite flexible and easy on the ears.
This is how the LinkBuds Clip look on ear
In terms of specs, the LinkBuds Clip feature 10mm drivers with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. You get support for the SBC and AAC codecs, as well as Sony’s DSEE upscaling algorithm and 360 Reality Audio, aka spatial audio. These also feature multipoint pairing and a fully customizable 10-band equalizer inside the Sony Sound Connect app.
Sony LinkBuds Clip
$230 at Amazon US €200 at Amazon DE £180 at Amazon UK
LinkBuds Clip have three listening modes – standard, voice boost and sound leakage reduction. Sadly, Sony did not add wear detection sensors, so when you take the buds out of your ears, they don’t automatically pause media playback. This feature is common on most entry-level earbuds, so it’s weird not seeing it on a pair of earbuds with a price tag of $230/€200/£180.
Battery life is rated at 9 hours from the buds, and it extends to 37 hours via the charging case. The buds are IPX4 rated for splash resistance, while the case does not feature any ingress protection.
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