Customer Ratings & Reviews

Great concept. But poor execution. Love Sony. Try again

This is Sony's version of the open-ear clip-on earphones that resemble the kind of earring that Lenny Kravitz would wear. I received the "Greige" color, which is basically taupe. It reminds me of when I had to put band-aids on my daughter's ears to cover her newly pierced ears whenever she had a volleyball game, except these play music. Unlike my many pairs of in-ear buds, the Linkbuds Clip are comfortable to wear all day without fear of them falling out. The anxiety over one slipping out while doing the dishes or shoveling snow is over. A tactile bump on the left Linkbud allows you to easily differentiate between the two. Interestingly enough, the magnets embedded within both the case and the Linkbuds have opposite polarities to prevent you from trying to put the left one in the right's slot in the case. The case itself is a tiny rounded square that opens like a ring box, the top is has a glossy finish while the bottom is matte, so that you don't open the box upside down (although the magnets prevent them from falling out if you do open it the wrong way or if the case opens accidentally in your bag). Lying in bed with them on, however, is less comfortable as there is some pressure on the back of my ears. Under usual conditions, without much ambient noise, playing music through the Linkbuds is enjoyable. Despite the open ear design, the sound stage remains relatively wide. There was definite separation between the instruments and positioning, with those at the edges actually sounding farther away instead of just quieter. As with other brands using this style, I wasn't expecting much bass output. Throwing in a track with known punchy bass, it sounded like the bass was coming from the room next door, still there somewhat but flimsy like a cardboard cutout of the real bass. When the sub-bass breakdown happened at the end of the song, it got so fuzzy even at half volume that I was worried about damaging the drivers. In louder conditions, like waiting at the subway station, the screech of an incoming or outbound train overpowers everything and I could not hear my music at all. Riding on the train was better, especially when my hood was up during the sub-zero cold that my area was going through. I took a call from my dad via video chat while I was watching my daughter's volleyball game. The sound came in nice and clear over the sounds of the game and the relatively small crowd. Even though I was talking softly, he could hear me just fine. There are tap controls on the clip to pause/play and skip tracks on the right Lunkbud. It's 2 to pause/play and 3 to skip, but it can be changed via the app by selecting a different control profile (which doesn't seem to be editable currently). Rewinding can be found in one of the other touch control profiles, which I have set as 3 taps on the left clip. Raising and lowering the volume takes 5 taps on the right and left clips respectively, though it only moves the slider one notch for all those taps. If you tap repeatedly more than the 5 times, it will continue to move the slider while you are tap-a-tapping away. Multipoint is also available, for connecting to multiple devices at a time without having to pair and re-pair between switching. Having one device to listen to both my phone and my tablet is living the dream. You can also change audio profiles through the app (or through a tap gesture by setting up that profile) to boost voices for phone calls or to limit the sound leakage to not annoy your seatmates on the train. At a moderate volume, listening to music for half the time, taking the occasional call, and attending several meetings, I was able to get the Linkbuds to last the entire 8 hours at the office without needing to recharge them. I think that my favorite thing to do with my Linkbuds right now is to use them to listen to a blues backing track on Youtube, then hook up a pair of over-the-ear headphones to my guitar amplifier and jam to my heart's content. It's really great being able to hear both the video and the screeches from my guitar and also not annoy my family or my neighbors with my botched pentatonic scales. My cans fit nicely over my ears even with the Linkbuds on.

These things are so annoying, they sync with my iPhone, and not my iPad, then I sync them with my iPad, and they don’t sync with my iPhone, and the app says that they’re syncing with multiple devices. It should be much easier to set these up, I still don’t have them linked and at a bare minimum have to go to Best Buy to have somebody help me. Honestly, for what they cost I might just return them. The app also won’t let me change the triple tap on the left side, even though there’s a reset button.

These head phones are great. I would recommend these to my friends. I just wish they had more choices of colors. They are worth the money.

LinkBuds Clip. Sony's version of the earbuds that clip to your ear lobes instead of sitting in your outer ear canal. At first glance, they do not appear to be comfortable, but in actuality, I found them to be more comfortable than those that either wedge into the ear canal or wrap around the outside of your ear. They clip on, without being tight, and do stay in place with normal head movement. These ear buds are not sound isolating, nor are they noise cancelling. Ambient noises are not blocked which is a benefit if needing to be aware of your surroundings. Unfortunately, depending on the volume level, those around you will also be able to enjoy what you are listening to. The LinkBuds offer three sound modes, Standard, Voice Boost, and Sound Leakage Reduction. Standard is the normal mode with the EQ enabled. Eight EQ options are available to allow tailoring the sound to suit the user's preference. Sound quality is quite good for a bud that does not seal or sit close to your ear canal. I found the EQ Off setting to be most enjoyable and balance of all the choices. Voice Boost increases the volume slightly but is harsh and tinny and the EQ option is disabled. Sound Leakage Reduction mode lowers the volume but it is muddy. EQ is disabled for this mode as well. The LinkBuds paired quickly with my Android phone once the Sound Connect app was loaded. I also had no difficulty pairing them with my laptop. Tap options, Stop/Play/Skip on the right bud worked as described in the manual, Sound mode selection on the left bud. I was unable to access volume Up or Down using four taps on either bud. I do not know if it is this set or a design issue. A few things to consider if interested in trying these. One, I would suggest picking up one of the less expensive brand's clips to see if they are comfortable, before shelling out the funds for the Sonys. Two, understand that they do not fit tightly in your ears. They do not have the deep base of other types of ear buds and they do not get as loud. The Sony LinkBuds Clips are an interesting option in wireless ear buds, just not what I am looking for.

I've never owned a pair of clip-on headphones before so if you are also new to this type of headphone, there is a slight learning curve to get them on and off and comfortable. Once on, however, they are fairly comfortable and easy to forget they are there. I opened mine with a three hour test drive and enjoyed the ability to have some of my favorite Synthwave music going while I worked, did chores, and took care of my kids. It was nice to have a subtle soundtrack going on in the background as I did regular every day things. I also enjoyed using them for a workout. They are incredibly lightweight and the sound quality doesn't suffer too much for the design. As open-ear headphones, you do lose immersion so I do not recommend them for use on airplanes or video gaming or anything in a noisy environment. They are great for driving because you can stay aware of your surroundings and still get your podcast or music directed right into your ear instead of losing it in the background noise of the car and speakers. I connected them to the SonyConnect app for customization, but was disappointed with my options. You are stuck choosing from a list of prebuilt options and very little customization. There are no "single-tap" options and the app specific options like Spotify were unhelpful. There are EQ options, but these are again lost in the open-ear aspect of the headphones so the change to the sound is minimal. Other earbuds have single tap options or sliding volume control and I missed those quality of life options on these. Overall, they are great for specific uses like driving or parenting, but I wouldn't use them outside of the house or my car.

The Sony LinkBuds Clip is a new entry in the "open earbuds" category. What's in the Box ----------------------- The buds come in a small, simple package. You get your usual charging case, but it doesn't come with a charging cable. I'm not sure how I feel about this: on the one hand, I already have TONS of them, so it's kinda nice to not add another one to the collection; on the other hand, there is no wireless charging...would there be certain customers who would now have to buy and extra cable? Sound ----------------------- Because the buds do not rest inside your eardrum, you're able to hear what's around you. Like other earbuds in this category, I expected the audio from the LinkBuds to be rather shallow; so I was surprised how loud and deep these earbuds got - even to the point where I had to lower the volume to hear some external sounds better. Of course, external sounds were easier to hear when I was listening to a podcast vs. actual music. Yes, these buds produce some bass. Not too much, but definitely more than I expected. Connectivity ----------------------- The LinkBuds show up as a standard bluetooth device, so connectivity is quick and simple. It's even better using the Sound Connect app. Note: You're also able to connect to two separate devices at once, and this is managed within the app. Comfort ----------------------- To me, this is the best feature of the LinkBuds. They are incredibly comfortable to wear. Once I got the hang of clipping them on, the buds simply stay in place, ever-so-slightly hugging the side of my ear. At one point, I even forgot they were there. Controls ----------------------- The LinkBuds have pretty basic controls out of the box, with the same tapping gestures we've all grown accustomed to. Audio is controlled by tapping on the spine of the buds - and it's fantastically responsive! Controls can also be configured in the Sound Connect app. About that... Sound Connect App ----------------------- Yes there's an app, but you don't have to create an account to use it with the LinkBuds. The app allows you to adjust the listening mode, set an equalization and "scene" profiles, configure touch controls and update the software. It's not in the way and is actually quite functional Aesthetics ----------------------- I have the green version of the LinkBuds, and I have to say it's pretty attractive. Seeing pictures online doesn't do it justice. As for how they look on my ears...pretty nice and simple - although I kinda think I look like I've been tagged. My plan is to use the buds heavily while kayaking. One thing's for sure: I have zero worries of them falling off.

These headphones sound great and are very easy to set up. I only have a small gripe but will get to that at the end. First these headphones come out of the box with a charge and ready to pair with your phone. The lightweight design do not make them feel to bulky in your ears as often ear buds do. The battery life was very good as I used them for several hours at a time and made over 10 hours before having to charge. As far as the sound, when listening to podcast these really stood out. The voices were crisp and clean and did not have any feedback. As far as music, these sounded great though the bass was a bit lacking but not reason enough to not use them. You could still hear quite clear the noise around you as to not missing an office phone or someone trying to get your attention while listening. . The touch controls are nice on the side and work pretty well but I personally had a challenge a few times locating them. All in all a very nice pair of ear buds as the integration with Sound Connect app from Sony gives a bit of equalizer customization. My one negative is I have ears a bit on the larger side and I felt the earbud clips were a tad uncomfortable. This didn’t have any negative on the sound and feel I would get use to over time but something to consider.

I have been trying out the new Sony Linkbuds Clips. There are several colors but the black is universal. There are several things I like and a couple I don't. They fit great and get as close to your ear canal as possible for open ear buds. Battery life is excellent. The case is pretty standard. 2 toned highlights give it some flair. Phone call quality is excellent. The sound is also good with nice midrange and highs and average lows as expected. The phone application is standard also with several sound settings and options to adjust touch controls and update the software. It's a tough product to put a rating on. Sony did everything right. They are fun, sound good, super comfortable and have a long battery life but that price. There are no standout features. The touch controls work well but can still be finicky and they have products in this range like the regular linkbuds which are better in my opinion although they lack the bluetooth multipoint pairing. Overall they check every box but a sale price of $199 would be more in line for what these should sell for. With that being said they are still great at what they are intended to do and they will go on sale at some point.

There are two things that stood out to me immediately with the Sony LinkBuds Clip. The first is fitment. I had to double check if there were additional size clips or if I was putting them on wrong. They just don’t fit as the instructions say. I had my wife try them on and it fits her way better. I guess I have big ears. I have to position the clip more towards the bottom of my ear. It does not completely seal the ear hole but it does an okay job. The second is I could not find a charging cable. It has USB-C port. While, I have plenty of cables I just want to mention that. The charging case is very lightweight. These do not come lose. I have tried jumping up and down, run, shake my head. The best thing about these is I can lie down on my side and these are comfortable against my pillow. They also sound great. The settings I use for music is Listening Mode: Standard, Equalizer: Heavy. For Youtube videos I switch between Standard and Voice Boost with Equlizer: Clear. On the app, it shows I can connect up to two devices. You can connect it to your phone and a tablet or even a TV if your TV is capable. The app also displays the battery life of each link buds plus the rechargeable storage case. These are great buds. Even though it does not fit perfectly, they are still comfortable and lightweight. I have to mention it again, I can wear these lying down on my side. These the first pair I do this with and it does not come loose.

Not good fo phone connection cant get a good connection when on call

The new Sony Linkbud Clips are a really good open earbud type option with all the latest bells and whistles. At a mid to high price point Sony doesn't disappoint..too much here. The case is one of the smallest earbud cases I've ever owned and I have had over 20 or more pairs through the years. USB-C charging but a big miss is no wireless charging. At this point ppl expect that standard and seems like a big miss not to include it. Battery life is decent but watch out for the DSEE, i found there to be significant drain with this focus on lossless sound. Most of the time I found my battery life less than the 9 hours advertised at less than half volume most of the time. I will say the case charged them very fast so you were not out of the game for long. Earbud fit I wasn't in love with how they felt on my ears. I won't say they caused pain after extended wear but they weren't as comfortable as I had hoped. They also felt like they slid up and down a bit on my ears not staying in place well. I did not do any crazy running or exercising with them either just casual wear around the home and office. Touch controls were really really bad on these, like to the point I would almost call it unusable. The app has a feature to make the touch controls extra touch sensitive but even that did not help. These were the worst part of the earbuds by far for me, would have much preferred a mechanical button somewhere, but the touch controls were really a miss here for me. Sound quality was really good actually but you got three listening modes depending if you want to focus on a louder sound or preventing on sound leakage to the outside world. I will say on the vocal boost you get a lot of sound leakage so you need to be aware of your volume level around others in public. The call quality was really good some of the best actually with the microphones in here, you aren't getting anything ground breaking with noise cancellation on the microphones but I think most ppl expect this with these open type earbuds. In conclusion they are decent sounding but for that price point the fit just wasn't as comfortable as I hoped and the touch controls being as bad as they were make these not my front runners on open earbuds. Especially at the moderately high price point these are entering the arena, coupled with no wireless charging. Make the choice that's right for you.

TLDR: Bluetooth open air clip on earbuds which work with 2 source devices, allow AI helped noise reduction, easily switched voice boosting or for use in very quiet environments. 9 hours per internal charge & 37 hours using the battery case charge function. Moisture resistant and an app allows adjusting audio equalization bands. What: They are Open Air design which means a user will hear music or phone calls but also hear other real world sounds for safety. They clip to the user's ears and are very comfortable in use. I never felt any squeezing or pinching of my ears. By tapping the earbuds, the user is about to control both music and phone calls. Of course reading the instructions and trying the taps allows full control. Battery: Battery life is 9 hours with the inside battery and a total of 37 hours by using the battery case to recharge the earbuds. Sony says a short 3 minute recharge from the case gives 1 hour of use. Mine arrived seemingly fully charged; they utilize any USB-C phone charger. Sony supplies no charger nor a USB cable. Sound: Sony makes a Sound Connect App available to allow adjusting bass, treble and midrange audio, tweaking how the controls work, and other “advanced features” seen in the app. I installed the app, adjusted the sound to my preferences, and it works. A feature it has is 3 listening modes for Voice Boost for noisy areas, a Sound Leakage Reduction for very quiet areas (such as libraries or in offices) and a Standard mode for not for the other 2 needs. It has an Adaptive Volume control which listens to the background level and adjusts the volume and sound to avoid having to use the volume control. The buds include 2 microphones and noise reduction utilizing AI Artificial Intelligence to enhance the user’s voice, and reduce the background noise. This happens while a speech vibration sensor also detects the user’s voice via bone conduction. I tested with several friends in noisy stores, streets and once while waiting for a car inspection and the air compressor kept powering on and off with a loud noise. The LinkBuds work well to mask noise. Survivability: The earbuds are IPX4 water resistance rated and will resist sweat and water (such as rain) but no claim of underwater use is stated. It is winter now so no one is sweating outside nor jogging in single digit temperature. How: Two Bluetooth source devices, such as a phone and a computer, can be paired with the buds and if a call arrives the streaming music from the computer will be paused and the call is enabled. Once the phone call ends the other source picks up via bluetooth. This feature worked well and is something other current Bluetooth devices are also providing. I enjoy using these Sony LinkBuds and feel they are a useful device although being that it is Sony, the price is higher than it needs to be. Sony has that pricing power. Nonetheless, they are worth the price.

I’ve been using the Sony LinkBuds Clip mainly at the gym, and they’ve been a refreshing change from the typical earbuds I’ve struggled with. I’ve always hated those little earbuds that just sit in your ear — every time you move, bend, or start sweating, they pop out in some direction. I’m constantly adjusting them mid-set, which gets old fast and kills the flow of a workout. The clip-style design on the LinkBuds completely fixes that issue. Instead of relying on your ear canal to hold them in place, they clip on and sit just outside it. Once they’re on, they stay put. I’ve used them during weight training, cardio, and longer sessions, and they never shifted or felt like they were going to fall out. Comfort is a big win here — no pressure, no soreness, and no constant readjusting. Sound quality is solid for an open-style earbud. You’re obviously not getting deep bass or total isolation, but the audio is clear and balanced. Music still has enough energy to keep me motivated, and podcasts and vocals come through clean. I actually like being able to hear what’s going on around me at the gym — announcements, people nearby, or someone trying to get my attention — without having to pause my music. At the same time, there are definitely workouts where I wish these had noise cancellation and heavier bass. On loud days or during heavy lifts, I sometimes want to completely zone out and feel the low end hit harder. If Sony ever releases a noise-canceling version of this same clip design with real bass, it would honestly be close to perfect. The comfort and stability are already there — it just comes down to how immersive you want your sound. Another big advantage is airflow. Because they don’t seal your ears, they don’t trap heat or sweat like traditional in-ear earbuds, which makes a noticeable difference during longer or more intense sessions. Battery life has also been reliable. I’ve been able to get through multiple workouts without worrying about charging, and the case makes it easy to top them off between sessions. Overall, the LinkBuds Clip feel designed for people who move a lot and hate dealing with earbuds slipping out. They’re not meant to replace noise-canceling earbuds, but if comfort, stability, and practicality matter more than isolation, they’re a great gym-friendly option.

So this is me giving open ear buds another try, and I have to say it's about the same for me. Let me explain. First the cons for me have not changed with this type of earbud, and here they are. Price: These are a little to high in price, based on the sound quality they offer and the way they feel in your or I should say ON your ears. They don't hurt, they are just so weird for me, it's hard to love them. The clipping portion is sometimes hard to get right, and they do not just slip right on. Comfort: These are not the best feeling ON earbuds you can get these days, but they aren't the worst either. I think they are cool looking, but in the end with long use I get annoyed with them on my ears. Pros: Sound is pretty good, but you have to get them in your ears JUST right to get the best sound from them. A person with very small ears, would probably say these are amazing for open earbuds. I don't have the biggest ears, but for sure not the smallest. The sound is just not there, compared to other open earbuds on the market. I honestly don't think I could recommend these to very many people, because I workout daily and these just don't cut it for me. For casual listening, maybe...but the price is just too high to compete in my honest opinion.

I love them ,the way they fit is great but, I couldn't get them to pair to anything I have. All my stuff is to old.