Purchase links & other reviews mentioned: Sony LinkBuds S: amzn.to/3PlLb9k Sony WF-1000XM4s: amzn.to/3HtVS7Z AirPods Max: amzn.to/3Ps0NrR Shop all of our recommended products on Amazon: amzn.to/3XhxZFS Sony WF-1000XM4 Review - 6 Months Later: ua-cam.com/video/0L4tO4HDjnU/v-deo.html AirPods Max Review - Revisited!: ua-cam.com/video/1Btpf4QSc24/v-deo.html
Hey, thanks for deleting my comment. Anyway, I'll say it one more time: these headphones have a very bad price-quality ratio. With Redmi Buds 3 pro, on the other hand, it's the other way around. As far as anc is concerned, they are even better than Sony. With much. Sound quality, not much difference. And all this at a third of the price of Sony headphones. Bye
when I first got my Sony linkbuds s, I had put them on and didn't take them off once for hours. They were so comfortable and didnt bother me at all. I wasn't even using them I just thought how cool the noise canceling feature was and that when u spoke it would take in ambient sounds so u could hear the people and things around you.
backgroud noise when in calls, is very annoying, its a pity because the mic has good noise cancellation but the white noise that appears in calls is really annoying
Best earbuds ever if you take everything into account: comfort, size, ANC, and cost. I tried numerous of earbuds from apple, bose, and sony xm4. These work the best!!
I’ve had these for a couple weeks now and am impressed. They’re comfortable and stay in my ears while I’m working out. The noise cancellation is amazing and the transparency mode works great. I actually like the semi-textured feeling of the case and buds. I’m on the latest update and do not have any problems that some others are having. Also, I’m able to control the volume across all apps from the left earbud. Phone calls work great as well. These are a steal if you get them at $150 or below.
@Rana Mustafa Ali they’ve been great. I use them daily and they are my favorite set of earbuds. I have not one single complaint. I still can’t believe how good the noise cancellation is.
Awesome earbuds, I actually fell asleep the first night with in. It was a difficult decision between these and the wf-1000xm4, but ultimately, it came down to size. I am very pleased with the size sound quality and features. I got black. And often miss the case sitting right in front of me it's so small, I'll have to get a red or yellow skin for it, so it's easier to see. I often lay down at the end of the day listening to podcasts or music and asmr for sleep. These are so comfortable you don't really know they are in your ears. At the time of purchase, they were actually $50 more than the wf-1000xm4, but I just knew the size wasn't going to work for my needs. I have small ears and use the smallest tips in the package, I have no problem laying down on either side.
link buds s is very comfortable to wear but backgroud noise when in calls, is very annoying, its a pity because the mic has good noise cancellation but the white noise that appears in calls is really annoying
The fact that these are ipx4 and can be tweak to sound almost like the xm4 - Makes them a unit for everyday use like: walk/runs in rainy/moist weather, sweat (the Gym, Running, etc..). I highly recommend this pair of earbuds, i love them!
Except that "marketing" is nothing but lies. Sweat can totally ruin 1 or both buds. Was using mine while working out, felt the sweat cause my right bud to lose grip and lose its airtight seal. Then when I tried to adjust it, it started squealing in my ear (I'm guessing from feedback). When I pulled it out and put it back in, there was a constant blowing sound in that bud while ANC was on. Never went away. I think a bead of sweat got in them and damaged the ANC mic. I have to use the buds with ANC off unless I want to play wind tunnel simulator. Pisses me off cause these are not cheap ear buds. I'm not alone either. On reddit you'll find dozens of people with the same story. Sony has not made a public statement on the issue cause they like their money cows (us) being kept in the dark.
I’m constantly amazed at how little attention is given to sound quality in these reviews. If they don’t sound good, why own them? Perhaps earbuds should be broken into 2 categories; those for people who care a out music and those who care about bells and whistles.
Not everyone has your priorities when it come to tech. I mostly use Earbuds for pod casts / audiobooks and calls, for 6+hrs a day. So comfort and battery life is what's important. Sound quality doesn't really matter alot. I care about transparency mode more than sound quality. When I do listen to music it'll be on my over the ear headphone or Bluetooth speakers. Music isn't the only thing Earbuds are made for. If you truly cared about music, you shouldn't be using earbuds or Bluetooth.
There are more categories. For me, I care about comfort and ability to block outside noise (whether through design or ANC) Battery life and sound quality doesn't bother me at all.
It’s subjective. And what more can be said about them than good/bad/better than X/worse than Y? He does that. To know more you would need to test them yourself. I need to know that they sound alright, then after that I don’t care, I’m much more interested in features, as that helps compare to other products when considering buying.
The jack connector of my phone is broken, so I just upgraded from cheap (€30) earbuds with wire to these. As someone who sleeps with earbuds and listens to music/audiobooks while cycling 1,5 hours almost every day, I can't wait for them to arrive!
I just got the Sony Link buds S today and also the Sony XM5. I love the XM five and the Sony Link buds S because their features are really really good and the link buds don’t fall out of my ear like the earbuds do. I mean the earbuds from other companies. True being blind and autistic they are really great for my needs. I do not like the rough casing like the rough texture of the casing very much because for me who also has chronic eczema is really uncomfortable in my hand. I’m willing to sacrifice comfort if it means the sound quality is halfway decent and it cancels out noise like it should and doesn’t fall out of my ears. I love the Sony XM fives headphones because they are comfortable and the noise cancellation is so good on them. Also love that they give you a very good stereo effect on the headphones and very good stereo sound. I didn’t like the sound of the link button right out of the package, so I use the equalizer to change it to how I wanted it. I did the same thing with the XM fiveWHXM5 headphones. The headband is really skinny and that’s a good thing because that means it’s more comfortable. Only thing I worry about is I’m falling out of my ears and falling off my head, but so far it’s not a big issue. They actually fit me very well even though I have a differently shaped head. Can’t say enough good things about the Sony headphones. Kudos to Sony for making awesome headphones and earbuds. And for redeeming themselves in some peoples eyes. You guys won’t regret buying their headphones and earbuds. They’re awesome!as a blind autistic person that needs ANC they’re perfect. Not completely perfect but they’re great. They’re great for what they are. Even though they’re not perfect. Amazing earbuds and headphones and for somebody like me who is transitioning from using sound core, which they haven’t sold at Best Buy in forever, this is very very good for replacement. I’m honestly glad I don’t have to return headsets anymore like I did with the beats studio three and studio pros. They weren’t the greatest for me and one of them was making a static noise when I was listening to stuff and then it spread to the other one. I think there was something wrong with them. Don’t know what it was. Beat studio pro? I called him beat studio pieces of shit, don’t mean to offend anybody, but I’m just saying how it is.
The voice mic is unimpressive, you can control volume with taps. Might need to update the firmware, but you have to do that for multipoint connection too
Good point about backgroud noise when in calls, is very annoying, its a pity because the mic has good noise cancellation but the white noise that appears in calls is really annoying and Sony seems not interested to fix.
After 2 years, the battery is gone. I didn't use the earbuds frequently, in fat, I stopped using them for more than six months for other reasons, then I figured out the batteries were failing. Maybe if I were using them more frequently, a different story...
Everything was going great after I purchased them. I loved the sound quality, the amazing noise cancelling ability (Sometimes there were people around and I got scared when I turned and looked at them because the ANC is so good that I did not hear them approaching me) and the battery life. I was so happy with my purchase. But, after around 6-12 months (I do not remember the exact time because I have stopped using the earbuds since a long time), my left earbud's battery started draining faster than my right earbud. Now, it drains in about 20 minutes. The right earbud works fine. Recently, I have found out that this has happened with many people and many of Sony's earbuds. I appreciate the Sony teams for bringing this product to market and the incredible work that might have went into creating such a product but I still feel that for a price of around 100$, I expected a longer life from the product. So, if you want a great sounding product with a good ANC and just want it for a year or so, go for it. Maybe, it works beyond a year too.
Tried many buds. These tick more boxes than any of them. More importantly the sound quality, when tweaked via the app is to my ears un matched. Bonus is their weigh and fit capability. Sony have really got the silicon tip shape and rigidity spot on. ANC is as good as any I’ve used. All for $200 AUS!! Bargain. I did have a brief issue when activating the ANC.. wind/white noise in the left bud. It went away next day and hasn’t returned. I wear these buds all day for music and work calls. Battery is all day without ANC which I find no issue because the isolation of the buds means noise cancelling is rarely needed . 4.5 Stars from me.
I actually just recently got these buds. I was supposed to get the Jabra Elite 8s but for some reason my dad insisted on checking out Sony's instead. Told him I was interested in the XM5s but unfortunately they were out of stock in the physical store that we visited but the LinkBuds S were in stock. tested them out and I was surprised about the sound quality they had. I initially thought they would be "worse" than the elite 8s and XM5s but the LinkBuds S can stand their ground against them in terms of sound quality. not to mention the amazing ANC sony offers (better than the Jabras' IMO)
For anyone considering these earbuds, here are my two cents. Battery issues seem to be a common problem with the linkbuds s, as with a few other Sony products. I’ve owned a pair for almost 2 years now, light usage (mostly on weekends for movies) and the battery on the left ear bud has significantly degraded. The right bud lasts a bit longer (30 mins) and I’m pretty sure it’s on its way to issues as well. It might’ve already been fixed though, but it’s just something to look out for.
Hi, i've been experiencing a short battery life problem on my Linkbuds S since i Bought them (a month ago), I just get 3 hours with DSEE extreme on. Have you heard of this before?
i love these headphones because they are so light and the sound quality.. but within about 3 months after barely any use its developed feedback issues in the right earbud... a quick search on the internet and its very common.. im hoping it can be fixed with firmware
I once had some old Sony earphones that came with a small cloth bag stamped with the Sony logo on the side. I no longer have the earphones, but I still have the small bag, which fits my new Linkbuds S perfectly.
Thank you, but can I use the JBL headphones with only one side, right or left, and control the properties, or is there only one main side? Since I own an old version of JBL + Sony, and they only have one main side As I own Samsung bods, and they have the feature to control in either direction
I'm looking for "noise suppression" which nobody seams to talk about. I need people to to not hear the background of a busy starbucks while i'm on a work call. Airpods did this extremely well. Unfortunately airpods are NOT compatible with PC. Suggestions?
*Can* you still enable multipoint audio while still keeping LDAC nowadays? Thanks for this excellent video and doing your research, appreciated. Also, don't think it would hurt to ask about extending Sony's 1 year warranty to a possible 2 year to match that of AppleCare(+)? Especially since there's no "Find My" feature present it seems, or at least it wasn't spoken or exemplified here.
@@SibTiger33 Does multipoint work smoothly? When you change devices does it automatically understand and switches or do you have to do it manually? And how is latency when watching movies on windows pc? I'd like to buy the product but these 2 thing scares me
There is no control for volume from the buds themselves? Please reply coz I was really planning on buying it this very minute but then I saw your video, so I'm having second thoughts.
You can have volume control on the buds but then you have to give up some other controls. For example I have playback controls on the right bud and volume on the left (one tap for volume up and long for down) but then I can't control the ambient sound.
Why no test ever talks about if you can use 1 of the two earbuds independently?? . Is it one primary earbud that drives the other , or does the 2 earbuds can work on their own ?
I'm liking the honesty here. I just need something while at work so I'm going for these more affordable and also more less bulk and weight will make it real comfortable.
I got these on sale for $133, great price, cheaper than AirPods and Galaxy buds for the quality I get, and I love that I can use it on all my devices, iPhone, IPad and my pre-ordered galaxy s23 ultra. I was about to get the pro buds 2 but they are not only more expensive, they also don’t work as well with apple devices (no iOS app), and the link buds s has a better mic from the comparison tests I’ve seen.
Great choice not getting the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. I'm changing mine for the Sony linkbuds because the Samsung ones were so uncomfortable and made my ears sore and inflamed. I haven't tried the Sony ones, but by the looks of them, they do not have to fit in your ear with the hole body of the bud :))
Please answer my question I can't/won't use spatial audio/head tracking and wireless charging...and those nodding gestures.... So now , which one should I get ? Link buds s @ (100$) Xm5 @ (200$) I already have Sony xb901n (200$)
i've gone through 2 pairs of XM4's. the first pair had to be replaced becasue when i was trying to put them back into the case, one of the buds fumbled out and a car ran it over. i lost another one the other night because the foam tip came off when i was taking it out of my ear. i hate those foam tips. i could never get a comfortable fit or good seal. it was either a good seal and uncomfortable or bad seal and the bud would eventually fall out. they're great, but looking back i never trully liked them that much. now that i am having to replace them again, i'm not getting a 3rd pair of XM4's, especially since this one is available for cheaper.
My issue was when you do that, you'll loose out on either the ambient sound controls for turning noise cancellation on or off, or playback controls. Ideally, you should be able to do all three functions: playback controls, raise volume up or down by swiping up or down on the buds themselves AND have ambient sound controls with being able to trigger your phone assistant. Apologies if I screwed that up in the video. - Josh
@@6MonthsLater Yes I understand what you mean now. I heard they made a lot of software updates maybe it has been improved since then. I just ordered them because I was not happy about control gestures of the JBL live 2 pro, so if this one has a poor control gestures app too, I will not know to which earbuds to throw myself anymore. Don't hesitate to send me a link of earbuds that has complete control gestures that can be customized, not too big (small ears), multipoint connection, sounds clean for podcasts, and has a good mic quality for phone calls. I am not even caring about the budget anymore at this point. My hands are dirty and busy when I use the earbuds so I want to control almost everything from the buds without touching my phone. If you have links, I am really open to give it a try 🙂🙂
I am using on Samsung galaxy S22 .when I called someone they can't hear me well .we changed them but others were same .I did not expect that. The W 400 was the best
I have the WF-1000XM4 and I had to stop using the foam tips because it irritated my skin, now I have tried various silicone tips and none seem to seal probably.
How do these compare to the Google pixel buds pro? Mainly from a fit/comfort point of view, I have the series A buds and they fit well, but I have issues with other earbuds falling out of my ears
nice to hear ...i am happy with my lower tier wf c700's but good to know theres an upgrade path. There are other good brands but sony has comfort, quality tips and exellent connectivity. For sound I would say that the AKG / samsungs are just as good if not a bit better than mid tier sony's but the sony earbuds are more comfortable, has the best tips since oldschool Audio Technica and have way better battery life. either way I'm eyeing these linkbuds to replace my workout buds and to pair with walkman.
The problem I ran into while wearing this earbuds. More than a year now that I've owned it is the odd and annoying battery life. The problem is left earbud functions completely like normal. The right functions as if it required so much power to function. The right last me a good 20 minutes before dying out while the left works just how it did when I first purchased them. I don't think I can get warranty on them since it's been a year and a half but I'll see if I can try. Maybe they send me new earbuds. I hope this issues gets fixed.
i just bought these after having the xm4s for a couple years and the xm5s for a few months and the linkbuds s are very good for the price but coming from the xm series im bummed
Bought linkbud s but the left side earbud is having touch problem that is the left side touch is not working after connecting later i returned the product and bought a new pair of linkbud s but its also facing the same issue is this a common problem for link bud s
Jabra Elite 10 and Samsung S23 is impressive. Nice features such as battery level in drop down menu on phone. I think they sound a little better than Sony. All subjective, worth comparing. My vote is Jabra 10 elite.
Linkbuds are bad, let me safe you from a mistake you gonna make. They had horrible connectivity, shitty ear tips and many software errors. Now after daily driving them for 2 years the right one has issues with battery drain.
Linkbuds S and XM4s have known defective battery issues. Have both and both batteries dies. Customer service won't admit to known problems written all over the internet. Don't EVER buy Sony earbuds
These things ARE comfortable, and do the job nicely. I cannot tolerate the AirPods Pro for more than a few minutes before pain beginning near the top of the earbud impacting my ear. And unlike the latter, they stay comfortably put inside my ear while thought my day.
So with the assistant activating, when I touch the screen of I've device, it'll switch to that one. And this is on my original Linkbuds. I use the Surface Duo (1st Gen) and the Pixel 7 Pro.
they're good, but they keep falling out of my ears so now I have to put pritt poster buddies in my ears to keep the earbuds in and it's working but I'd like to try something to keep them in my ears. does anyone have any ideas?
@@daanishgupta personally I really like them. Noise cancellation is good, ear comfort, sound is good. I would have bought the WH-1000XM5 but the store ran out of stock. They are much better than the other earbuds i previously used. I give this product my highest recommendation.
The sidetone function during phone calls is really annoying... I don't know why Sony could almost make everything else perfect, but fails to offer you ANC for phone calls and even forces you to tolerate the nearby noises during calls.
Hi! I'm eyeing with this earbuds to get as my first TWS pair. One of my requirements are bluetooth multipoint - I want the earbuds to connect to my phone (Samsung S20FE) and my work PC (Win 10) in the same time, so I can switch easily between the two if needed. As far as I understand, the LinkBuds S have multipoint... but what about latency? I know that a bluetooth head/earphone will always have some latency when connected to a PC, but how noticeable is this? Thanks for the answer in advance!
Since I’ve not used any wireless earbuds before; for what sound applications are these and others actually used for? Can you used them for watching UA-cam videos?
I have had them for about two months with daily usage. Unfortunately, I am uncomfortable wearing them for more than one hour. Although it is updated, I keep getting sound-dropping frequently. I am happy it works for you, but I am returning mine.
@@SibTiger33 just these black memory foam ones off AliExpress. I bought some spinfit replacement ones I don't like quite as much I misplaced my linkbuds s and have beats fit pro because I wanted something more about a look but linkbuds were definitely comfier for me.
How do you guys put these against the Bose Quiet Comfort 2? There's a good discount now putting these Sony around 100$ where I live (and roughly converting values). I know Bose are much more expensive even with discount is more than double the price, but I am now wondering if it is worth the difference for normal use and travelling, and perhaps some outdoor activities. Anyone out there who tried both and can say something about the sound quality and cancelling quality? edit: I see the mic of the sony is much better from the review vid. Please add your comments :)
@@Diogo-tu3ykGood decision. I had the Bose QC 2, they worked for a week before the connection problems started, had to factory reset them 3 times in the following 4 days and they went back to Amazon.
Noise cancellation to me has been about equal, though id maybe give a slight edge to the linkbuds because their tips go further into your ear canal, giving you a better seal. The Pixel Buds Pro, unlike the previous generation of Pixel Buds, sit a bit further outside your ear canal (at least for me, so it doesn’t feel quite as good of a seal, but their noise cancellation is still very good. For sound, I actually think it’s a bit of a toss up. The Pixel Buds I think their sound is detailed in the highs, and mids sound ok, but I can get the linkbuds to overall sound more full and have better mids and bass(though i can get there by adjusting their EQ). I’m having an issue on my pixel though getting to all settings for the pixel buds pro atm, so I’ll update once i can make sure they’re adjusted correctly. In the meantime, hope that helps! - Josh
@@6MonthsLater thanks. I received my Pixel Buds Pro last week. It took a long time to choose between them, Sony Linkbuds S and WF-1000xm4. I enjoyed my previous Google Pixel Buds, and their case was amazing...so it influenced my choice more than any review or my experience with own X1000m3. But your reviews are always interesting, thanks!
They made my ears hurt so much, and the batery lasted like 3 hours with anc on. Bought them and returned them a week later because of this. The noise canceling was great tho.
Anyone seeing this comment: please don't buy Sony Linkbuds S. I was thinking that they are the great earbuds, based on review, but I have to say it is a piece of crap. Eveyone is saying that micrphone/call quality is top-notch, but it is actually the worst part of the earbuds. Immediately after starting the call, they automatically turn on Sidetone (like an ambient mode) and you can barely hear the other side due to wind/white noise + ambient sound around it. That makes them unsable in any environment except its own quiet room. It is imppossible to use them in train / open office / coffee shops / running...so please stay away from them and buy way better earbuds in the same price range: Nothing Ear 2 or Anker Libert 4 (4 NC) or similar price range Jabra models...
12 Months later: Firmware 4.0.0 comes along, overcharges your batteries, you no longer can hold a charge lasting more than 5 minutes, and then Sony ghosts you on their warranty.
😂😂 man I've seen your other feedbacks for buds and you don't spare anyone. I'm literally buying this one as this one was spared atleast, also getting these for 91 dollars.
Man, it's simple, if these buds had wirelss charging too, then probably most of the people would ditch their top notch product, I dont find it weird and its honestly something thats not really necessary, so I dont even see it as a downside, personally. Thankfully I'm still not lazy enough to compain about having to plug a cable to charge things, nothing it will take like double the time at the very best, since most devices anyways dont go over 10w wireless charging Also uh, I can set the volume woth them, so maybe it was a recent update, like the douple point connection, don't know about that
Purchase links & other reviews mentioned:
Sony LinkBuds S: amzn.to/3PlLb9k
Sony WF-1000XM4s: amzn.to/3HtVS7Z
AirPods Max: amzn.to/3Ps0NrR
Shop all of our recommended products on Amazon: amzn.to/3XhxZFS
Sony WF-1000XM4 Review - 6 Months Later: ua-cam.com/video/0L4tO4HDjnU/v-deo.html
AirPods Max Review - Revisited!: ua-cam.com/video/1Btpf4QSc24/v-deo.html
Hey, thanks for deleting my comment. Anyway, I'll say it one more time: these headphones have a very bad price-quality ratio. With Redmi Buds 3 pro, on the other hand, it's the other way around. As far as anc is concerned, they are even better than Sony. With much. Sound quality, not much difference. And all this at a third of the price of Sony headphones. Bye
when I first got my Sony linkbuds s, I had put them on and didn't take them off once for hours. They were so comfortable and didnt bother me at all. I wasn't even using them I just thought how cool the noise canceling feature was and that when u spoke it would take in ambient sounds so u could hear the people and things around you.
backgroud noise when in calls, is very annoying, its a pity because the mic has good noise cancellation but the white noise that appears in calls is really annoying
Best earbuds ever if you take everything into account: comfort, size, ANC, and cost. I tried numerous of earbuds from apple, bose, and sony xm4. These work the best!!
Any battery drain issue?
Linkbuds S have the same battery issues as XM4s. Don't buy Sony earbuds.
I’ve had these for a couple weeks now and am impressed. They’re comfortable and stay in my ears while I’m working out. The noise cancellation is amazing and the transparency mode works great. I actually like the semi-textured feeling of the case and buds. I’m on the latest update and do not have any problems that some others are having. Also, I’m able to control the volume across all apps from the left earbud. Phone calls work great as well. These are a steal if you get them at $150 or below.
@Rana Mustafa Ali they’ve been great. I use them daily and they are my favorite set of earbuds. I have not one single complaint. I still can’t believe how good the noise cancellation is.
@samsondees that’s awesome!
@@user-lf9dg1ni2mThe wind noise is a problem for many earbuds. And the battery life is amazing
$99 right now@ Newegg
Thanks-I needed this comment about the buds remaining in place while working out-really helpful
Awesome earbuds, I actually fell asleep the first night with in.
It was a difficult decision between these and the wf-1000xm4, but ultimately, it came down to size. I am very pleased with the size sound quality and features. I got black. And often miss the case sitting right in front of me it's so small, I'll have to get a red or yellow skin for it, so it's easier to see.
I often lay down at the end of the day listening to podcasts or music and asmr for sleep.
These are so comfortable you don't really know they are in your ears.
At the time of purchase, they were actually $50 more than the wf-1000xm4, but I just knew the size wasn't going to work for my needs.
I have small ears and use the smallest tips in the package, I have no problem laying down on either side.
link buds s is very comfortable to wear but backgroud noise when in calls, is very annoying, its a pity because the mic has good noise cancellation but the white noise that appears in calls is really annoying
how long do they last before you need to charge them
The fact that these are ipx4 and can be tweak to sound almost like the xm4 - Makes them a unit for everyday use like: walk/runs in rainy/moist weather, sweat (the Gym, Running, etc..).
I highly recommend this pair of earbuds, i love them!
Except that "marketing" is nothing but lies. Sweat can totally ruin 1 or both buds. Was using mine while working out, felt the sweat cause my right bud to lose grip and lose its airtight seal. Then when I tried to adjust it, it started squealing in my ear (I'm guessing from feedback). When I pulled it out and put it back in, there was a constant blowing sound in that bud while ANC was on. Never went away. I think a bead of sweat got in them and damaged the ANC mic. I have to use the buds with ANC off unless I want to play wind tunnel simulator.
Pisses me off cause these are not cheap ear buds. I'm not alone either. On reddit you'll find dozens of people with the same story. Sony has not made a public statement on the issue cause they like their money cows (us) being kept in the dark.
I’m constantly amazed at how little attention is given to sound quality in these reviews. If they don’t sound good, why own them? Perhaps earbuds should be broken into 2 categories; those for people who care a out music and those who care about bells and whistles.
Not everyone has your priorities when it come to tech. I mostly use Earbuds for pod casts / audiobooks and calls, for 6+hrs a day. So comfort and battery life is what's important. Sound quality doesn't really matter alot. I care about transparency mode more than sound quality. When I do listen to music it'll be on my over the ear headphone or Bluetooth speakers.
Music isn't the only thing Earbuds are made for. If you truly cared about music, you shouldn't be using earbuds or Bluetooth.
If you really care about sound quality, you don’t use earbuds..
There are more categories.
For me, I care about comfort and ability to block outside noise (whether through design or ANC)
Battery life and sound quality doesn't bother me at all.
The sound quality is very good, and you can hear music for 6+ hours without hurting your ears.
It’s subjective. And what more can be said about them than good/bad/better than X/worse than Y? He does that. To know more you would need to test them yourself. I need to know that they sound alright, then after that I don’t care, I’m much more interested in features, as that helps compare to other products when considering buying.
The jack connector of my phone is broken, so I just upgraded from cheap (€30) earbuds with wire to these. As someone who sleeps with earbuds and listens to music/audiobooks while cycling 1,5 hours almost every day, I can't wait for them to arrive!
I just got the Sony Link buds S today and also the Sony XM5. I love the XM five and the Sony Link buds S because their features are really really good and the link buds don’t fall out of my ear like the earbuds do. I mean the earbuds from other companies. True being blind and autistic they are really great for my needs. I do not like the rough casing like the rough texture of the casing very much because for me who also has chronic eczema is really uncomfortable in my hand. I’m willing to sacrifice comfort if it means the sound quality is halfway decent and it cancels out noise like it should and doesn’t fall out of my ears. I love the Sony XM fives headphones because they are comfortable and the noise cancellation is so good on them. Also love that they give you a very good stereo effect on the headphones and very good stereo sound. I didn’t like the sound of the link button right out of the package, so I use the equalizer to change it to how I wanted it. I did the same thing with the XM fiveWHXM5 headphones. The headband is really skinny and that’s a good thing because that means it’s more comfortable. Only thing I worry about is I’m falling out of my ears and falling off my head, but so far it’s not a big issue. They actually fit me very well even though I have a differently shaped head. Can’t say enough good things about the Sony headphones. Kudos to Sony for making awesome headphones and earbuds. And for redeeming themselves in some peoples eyes. You guys won’t regret buying their headphones and earbuds. They’re awesome!as a blind autistic person that needs ANC they’re perfect. Not completely perfect but they’re great. They’re great for what they are. Even though they’re not perfect. Amazing earbuds and headphones and for somebody like me who is transitioning from using sound core, which they haven’t sold at Best Buy in forever, this is very very good for replacement. I’m honestly glad I don’t have to return headsets anymore like I did with the beats studio three and studio pros. They weren’t the greatest for me and one of them was making a static noise when I was listening to stuff and then it spread to the other one. I think there was something wrong with them. Don’t know what it was. Beat studio pro? I called him beat studio pieces of shit, don’t mean to offend anybody, but I’m just saying how it is.
Loving your 6 month later channel. Keep it up
I got mine from an NEX for $114 during their Memorial Day sale and I'm very happy with them still after 1.5 years
The voice mic is unimpressive, you can control volume with taps. Might need to update the firmware, but you have to do that for multipoint connection too
I really like his scripts and how he presents it. Kinda feel like talking to a well informed friend
Good point about backgroud noise when in calls, is very annoying, its a pity because the mic has good noise cancellation but the white noise that appears in calls is really annoying and Sony seems not interested to fix.
Does your linkbuds S randomly disconnect from iOS device or loose connection during a call? I am facing this issue post the multipoint update.
What about the battery draining that lots of people seem to experience after 6 - 12 months? I'm looking to get these but I need to know!
After 2 years, the battery is gone. I didn't use the earbuds frequently, in fat, I stopped using them for more than six months for other reasons, then I figured out the batteries were failing. Maybe if I were using them more frequently, a different story...
Everything was going great after I purchased them. I loved the sound quality, the amazing noise cancelling ability (Sometimes there were people around and I got scared when I turned and looked at them because the ANC is so good that I did not hear them approaching me) and the battery life. I was so happy with my purchase. But, after around 6-12 months (I do not remember the exact time because I have stopped using the earbuds since a long time), my left earbud's battery started draining faster than my right earbud. Now, it drains in about 20 minutes. The right earbud works fine. Recently, I have found out that this has happened with many people and many of Sony's earbuds. I appreciate the Sony teams for bringing this product to market and the incredible work that might have went into creating such a product but I still feel that for a price of around 100$, I expected a longer life from the product. So, if you want a great sounding product with a good ANC and just want it for a year or so, go for it. Maybe, it works beyond a year too.
For only one year the battery failed. i do not recommend this.. i already bought two and still same issue
DON'T BUY SONY EARBUDS! My XM4s and Linkbuds S both experienced battery drain issues.
Tried many buds. These tick more boxes than any of them. More importantly the sound quality, when tweaked via the app is to my ears un matched. Bonus is their weigh and fit capability. Sony have really got the silicon tip shape and rigidity spot on. ANC is as good as any I’ve used. All for $200 AUS!! Bargain. I did have a brief issue when activating the ANC.. wind/white noise in the left bud. It went away next day and hasn’t returned. I wear these buds all day for music and work calls. Battery is all day without ANC which I find no issue because the isolation of the buds means noise cancelling is rarely needed . 4.5 Stars from me.
I have the same white noise in the right bud with ANC. Dealbreaker. Hopefully it goes away like yours
Thanks! And I think they watched your video since there are some of the things you noticed that they upgraded! I'm very happy to use them actually.
I actually just recently got these buds. I was supposed to get the Jabra Elite 8s but for some reason my dad insisted on checking out Sony's instead. Told him I was interested in the XM5s but unfortunately they were out of stock in the physical store that we visited but the LinkBuds S were in stock. tested them out and I was surprised about the sound quality they had. I initially thought they would be "worse" than the elite 8s and XM5s but the LinkBuds S can stand their ground against them in terms of sound quality. not to mention the amazing ANC sony offers (better than the Jabras' IMO)
I have both Linkbud S and WH-1000MX5. Out of my expectaion, I enjoy Linkbud S much more than MX5.
For anyone considering these earbuds, here are my two cents.
Battery issues seem to be a common problem with the linkbuds s, as with a few other Sony products. I’ve owned a pair for almost 2 years now, light usage (mostly on weekends for movies) and the battery on the left ear bud has significantly degraded. The right bud lasts a bit longer (30 mins) and I’m pretty sure it’s on its way to issues as well. It might’ve already been fixed though, but it’s just something to look out for.
I actually adore the original Linbuds! I always have an issue with in-ear devices coming out and these stay in all day.
Hi, i've been experiencing a short battery life problem on my Linkbuds S since i Bought them (a month ago), I just get 3 hours with DSEE extreme on. Have you heard of this before?
Uneven battery drainage is a problem for me too
@@plaknas_ chale :(
I'm not sure that last two years ago. It won't adjust by tapping control. but now software update. it could do it
My Link Buds S ANC broke after 1.5 months of use. I am not satisfied with the quality of Sony products considering the price.
i love these headphones because they are so light and the sound quality.. but within about 3 months after barely any use its developed feedback issues in the right earbud... a quick search on the internet and its very common.. im hoping it can be fixed with firmware
How would you compare the anc to the bose quiet comfort 2? Great review by the way
I once had some old Sony earphones that came with a small cloth bag stamped with the Sony logo on the side. I no longer have the earphones, but I still have the small bag, which fits my new Linkbuds S perfectly.
What do you mean by separation?
Do you prefer google bud pro ? Or those ones??
Thank you, but can I use the JBL headphones with only one side, right or left, and control the properties, or is there only one main side?
Since I own an old version of JBL + Sony, and they only have one main side
As I own Samsung bods, and they have the feature to control in either direction
The dealbreaker is the wind noise during call that can't be turned off. I believe It might be deal breaker for many
same
Same, it is insane. It cannot be fixed, right? I really like Linkbuds S, but the hissing is insanely annoying.
How is it with wind noise during listen to music? Is the wind noise loud when on bike?
You mean actual wind or do the earphones make windy noise?
I thought I was going insane when I connected them to my pc and right when I used my mic the background noise came up...
Can you lisen to them with ownly your left ear and the right bud inside the case?
I'm looking for "noise suppression" which nobody seams to talk about. I need people to to not hear the background of a busy starbucks while i'm on a work call. Airpods did this extremely well. Unfortunately airpods are NOT compatible with PC.
Suggestions?
Try using a noise suppression app on your pc
*Can* you still enable multipoint audio while still keeping LDAC nowadays? Thanks for this excellent video and doing your research, appreciated. Also, don't think it would hurt to ask about extending Sony's 1 year warranty to a possible 2 year to match that of AppleCare(+)? Especially since there's no "Find My" feature present it seems, or at least it wasn't spoken or exemplified here.
Apple care is a paid warranty....
Yes u can have ldac and multipoint now since a recent update
@@SibTiger33 Does multipoint work smoothly? When you change devices does it automatically understand and switches or do you have to do it manually? And how is latency when watching movies on windows pc? I'd like to buy the product but these 2 thing scares me
HE ANSWERED THIS, YES.
There is no control for volume from the buds themselves? Please reply coz I was really planning on buying it this very minute but then I saw your video, so I'm having second thoughts.
You can have volume control on the buds but then you have to give up some other controls. For example I have playback controls on the right bud and volume on the left (one tap for volume up and long for down) but then I can't control the ambient sound.
You can tap repeatedly on either side now for volume up and down
Why no test ever talks about if you can use 1 of the two earbuds independently?? . Is it one primary earbud that drives the other , or does the 2 earbuds can work on their own ?
They can work on their own
I'm liking the honesty here. I just need something while at work so I'm going for these more affordable and also more less bulk and weight will make it real comfortable.
hi, did they fix the app, can you change tap control behaviour now? thanks!
I got these on sale for $133, great price, cheaper than AirPods and Galaxy buds for the quality I get, and I love that I can use it on all my devices, iPhone, IPad and my pre-ordered galaxy s23 ultra. I was about to get the pro buds 2 but they are not only more expensive, they also don’t work as well with apple devices (no iOS app), and the link buds s has a better mic from the comparison tests I’ve seen.
Great choice not getting the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. I'm changing mine for the Sony linkbuds because the Samsung ones were so uncomfortable and made my ears sore and inflamed. I haven't tried the Sony ones, but by the looks of them, they do not have to fit in your ear with the hole body of the bud :))
@@adepuscas6501did you like the sony ones? i just bought them
Please answer my question
I can't/won't use spatial audio/head tracking and wireless charging...and those nodding gestures....
So now , which one should I get ?
Link buds s @ (100$)
Xm5 @ (200$)
I already have Sony xb901n (200$)
i've gone through 2 pairs of XM4's. the first pair had to be replaced becasue when i was trying to put them back into the case, one of the buds fumbled out and a car ran it over. i lost another one the other night because the foam tip came off when i was taking it out of my ear. i hate those foam tips. i could never get a comfortable fit or good seal. it was either a good seal and uncomfortable or bad seal and the bud would eventually fall out. they're great, but looking back i never trully liked them that much. now that i am having to replace them again, i'm not getting a 3rd pair of XM4's, especially since this one is available for cheaper.
Do you think they could get spatial audio or that's a hardware requirement?
What do you mean you can't change the volume from a tap on the earbuds? Change the control gestures in the app and you'll be able to do it
My issue was when you do that, you'll loose out on either the ambient sound controls for turning noise cancellation on or off, or playback controls. Ideally, you should be able to do all three functions: playback controls, raise volume up or down by swiping up or down on the buds themselves AND have ambient sound controls with being able to trigger your phone assistant. Apologies if I screwed that up in the video. - Josh
@@6MonthsLater Yes I understand what you mean now. I heard they made a lot of software updates maybe it has been improved since then. I just ordered them because I was not happy about control gestures of the JBL live 2 pro, so if this one has a poor control gestures app too, I will not know to which earbuds to throw myself anymore. Don't hesitate to send me a link of earbuds that has complete control gestures that can be customized, not too big (small ears), multipoint connection, sounds clean for podcasts, and has a good mic quality for phone calls. I am not even caring about the budget anymore at this point. My hands are dirty and busy when I use the earbuds so I want to control almost everything from the buds without touching my phone. If you have links, I am really open to give it a try 🙂🙂
@@6MonthsLater and thank you so much for your reply ! I love to see when youtubers care 😀
Would you recommend the Google pixels over these
I am using on Samsung galaxy S22 .when I called someone they can't hear me well .we changed them but others were same .I did not expect that. The W 400 was the best
is it okay to charge the linkbuds with a fast charger?
How about THE SOUND QUALITY ?!
I have the WF-1000XM4 and I had to stop using the foam tips because it irritated my skin, now I have tried various silicone tips and none seem to seal probably.
Multi taping either earbud makes sound go up or down depending on the side
LinkBuds S or The Pixel Buds Pro ....What to buy , please suggest ?
Priority is multipoint and mic quality for calls
I have the exact same question
Can we use single earbud while other ones remains in charging box?
Yes
Would these be good active pair? I'm a runner and looking for active ear buds with optional ANC. Considering this or the Jaybird vista2
How do these compare to the Google pixel buds pro? Mainly from a fit/comfort point of view, I have the series A buds and they fit well, but I have issues with other earbuds falling out of my ears
nice to hear ...i am happy with my lower tier wf c700's but good to know theres an upgrade path. There are other good brands but sony has comfort, quality tips and exellent connectivity. For sound I would say that the AKG / samsungs are just as good if not a bit better than mid tier sony's but the sony earbuds are more comfortable, has the best tips since oldschool Audio Technica and have way better battery life. either way I'm eyeing these linkbuds to replace my workout buds and to pair with walkman.
If i manage to get them for 90 bucks is it worth it ?
How they are for the sport
anyone know if the sony linkbuds s got an update? the update for the wireless charging in the case
Great Video and great music choice. Love Seth
The problem I ran into while wearing this earbuds. More than a year now that I've owned it is the odd and annoying battery life. The problem is left earbud functions completely like normal. The right functions as if it required so much power to function. The right last me a good 20 minutes before dying out while the left works just how it did when I first purchased them. I don't think I can get warranty on them since it's been a year and a half but I'll see if I can try. Maybe they send me new earbuds. I hope this issues gets fixed.
The same bc battery drain issues as the 1000XM4s. There should be a class action lawsuit for Sony's negligence.
How's the ANC for sleeping?
i just bought these after having the xm4s for a couple years and the xm5s for a few months and the linkbuds s are very good for the price but coming from the xm series im bummed
Bought linkbud s but the left side earbud is having touch problem that is the left side touch is not working after connecting later i returned the product and bought a new pair of linkbud s but its also facing the same issue is this a common problem for link bud s
Here in may 2024, wondering between these and jabra elite 10.? Any suggestions?
Jabra Elite 10 and Samsung S23 is impressive. Nice features such as battery level in drop down menu on phone. I think they sound a little better than Sony. All subjective, worth comparing. My vote is Jabra 10 elite.
Linkbuds are bad, let me safe you from a mistake you gonna make. They had horrible connectivity, shitty ear tips and many software errors. Now after daily driving them for 2 years the right one has issues with battery drain.
Link buds s or galaxy buds 2 pro?? For sound quality..please answer
Linkbuds S and XM4s have known defective battery issues. Have both and both batteries dies. Customer service won't admit to known problems written all over the internet. Don't EVER buy Sony earbuds
@RT-sj9cs thanks brother
These things ARE comfortable, and do the job nicely. I cannot tolerate the AirPods Pro for more than a few minutes before pain beginning near the top of the earbud impacting my ear. And unlike the latter, they stay comfortably put inside my ear while thought my day.
So with the assistant activating, when I touch the screen of I've device, it'll switch to that one. And this is on my original Linkbuds. I use the Surface Duo (1st Gen) and the Pixel 7 Pro.
Is this more comfortable than Pixel Buds Pro?
Substantially
they're good, but they keep falling out of my ears so now I have to put pritt poster buddies in my ears to keep the earbuds in and it's working but I'd like to try something to keep them in my ears. does anyone have any ideas?
Great buds except for the annoying feedback when the ANC is activated.
What about the battery issues? Is it fixed?
Not on mine lol I have two pair, they both have battery issues. Only actual downside imo, and it's worth considering
What is the connection range?
This or soundcore liberty 4?
Which did you go for
I just bought these today. prior to this i used : airpods, Jabra 65t, Jabra Elite 3.
What's your opinion on them?
@@daanishgupta personally I really like them. Noise cancellation is good, ear comfort, sound is good. I would have bought the WH-1000XM5 but the store ran out of stock. They are much better than the other earbuds i previously used. I give this product my highest recommendation.
They actually can change the sound
The sidetone function during phone calls is really annoying... I don't know why Sony could almost make everything else perfect, but fails to offer you ANC for phone calls and even forces you to tolerate the nearby noises during calls.
YES to that !
Thx for the review
Do they have wireless charging? Are they usb-c?
this earbuds no wireless charging and the case with usb-c
Is there a battery/charging issue?
yes
Can anyone confirm if they have wind reduction in the ANC app section like the WF-1000XM4?
They have no wind reduction setting
I'll see if they won't fall from my ear during calisthenics traning
These are far more comfortable, and the sound is great compared to the xm4.
Hi! I'm eyeing with this earbuds to get as my first TWS pair. One of my requirements are bluetooth multipoint - I want the earbuds to connect to my phone (Samsung S20FE) and my work PC (Win 10) in the same time, so I can switch easily between the two if needed. As far as I understand, the LinkBuds S have multipoint... but what about latency? I know that a bluetooth head/earphone will always have some latency when connected to a PC, but how noticeable is this? Thanks for the answer in advance!
You shouldn't notice the latency at all. Most bluetooth headphones nowadays have very little latency, even budget ones.
Curious as to what the voice quality (wearer) is for phone call - seems the XM4 speech quality is 💩💩
Is the quality on the LinkBuds S better?
i came from wf 1000xm3, this is really comfortable compared to the xm3...
Since I’ve not used any wireless earbuds before; for what sound applications are these and others actually used for? Can you used them for watching UA-cam videos?
They can play any audio from your phone, but their most popular use cases are listening to music, podcasts, UA-cam videos… Etc.
Linkbud S is at $128 now and XM4 is at $178. At the price point which one would you recommend?
If all you care about is anc and you want wireless charging, the latter, if not, the price difference is not worth it, go with the linkbuds s
I have had them for about two months with daily usage. Unfortunately, I am uncomfortable wearing them for more than one hour. Although it is updated, I keep getting sound-dropping frequently. I am happy it works for you, but I am returning mine.
After I replaced the tips I could listen on them until batteries went out
@@ch0ice what tips do u use?
@@SibTiger33 just these black memory foam ones off AliExpress. I bought some spinfit replacement ones I don't like quite as much
I misplaced my linkbuds s and have beats fit pro because I wanted something more about a look but linkbuds were definitely comfier for me.
❤❤❤❤qq❤
❤
How do you guys put these against the Bose Quiet Comfort 2? There's a good discount now putting these Sony around 100$ where I live (and roughly converting values). I know Bose are much more expensive even with discount is more than double the price, but I am now wondering if it is worth the difference for normal use and travelling, and perhaps some outdoor activities. Anyone out there who tried both and can say something about the sound quality and cancelling quality? edit: I see the mic of the sony is much better from the review vid. Please add your comments :)
Bose products are in general overpriced junk. Sony is a respected audio brand. Bose is not.
@@hepphepps8356 ended up buying sony, super happy with them, sound clear and good to me and were fsir priced 😊😊
@@Diogo-tu3ykGood decision. I had the Bose QC 2, they worked for a week before the connection problems started, had to factory reset them 3 times in the following 4 days and they went back to Amazon.
Linkbud S vs Jabra Elite 8?
Do you hear some difference between Sony linkbuds s and Google Buds Pro? Noice cancellation and sound quality?
Noise cancellation to me has been about equal, though id maybe give a slight edge to the linkbuds because their tips go further into your ear canal, giving you a better seal. The Pixel Buds Pro, unlike the previous generation of Pixel Buds, sit a bit further outside your ear canal (at least for me, so it doesn’t feel quite as good of a seal, but their noise cancellation is still very good. For sound, I actually think it’s a bit of a toss up. The Pixel Buds I think their sound is detailed in the highs, and mids sound ok, but I can get the linkbuds to overall sound more full and have better mids and bass(though i can get there by adjusting their EQ). I’m having an issue on my pixel though getting to all settings for the pixel buds pro atm, so I’ll update once i can make sure they’re adjusted correctly. In the meantime, hope that helps! - Josh
@@6MonthsLater thanks. I received my Pixel Buds Pro last week. It took a long time to choose between them, Sony Linkbuds S and WF-1000xm4.
I enjoyed my previous Google Pixel Buds, and their case was amazing...so it influenced my choice more than any review or my experience with own X1000m3. But your reviews are always interesting, thanks!
@@MikeKosulinhy didn't choose sony linkbuds s?
@@user-EARROR no. Bought Google Buds Pro. They works so great! Multipoint is awesome.
I use them with my iPhone, iPad, MacBook, Pixel 3 :)
The transparency mode kicking in on a phone call is completely annoying I'm returning mine.
There is no option to turn off this feature ?
Link buds s have an issue with wind noise
They made my ears hurt so much, and the batery lasted like 3 hours with anc on. Bought them and returned them a week later because of this. The noise canceling was great tho.
Anyone seeing this comment: please don't buy Sony Linkbuds S. I was thinking that they are the great earbuds, based on review, but I have to say it is a piece of crap.
Eveyone is saying that micrphone/call quality is top-notch, but it is actually the worst part of the earbuds. Immediately after starting the call, they automatically turn on Sidetone (like an ambient mode) and you can barely hear the other side due to wind/white noise + ambient sound around it. That makes them unsable in any environment except its own quiet room. It is imppossible to use them in train / open office / coffee shops / running...so please stay away from them and buy way better earbuds in the same price range: Nothing Ear 2 or Anker Libert 4 (4 NC) or similar price range Jabra models...
I have the same issue when I connected them to Windows and tried to use the mic. The white noise was insane.
I have the same issue ! There should be an option If i like to listen ambient noise while in a call !
Buds without volume control is not buds even if they put all the functions in the world... volume is an important function..
How do I sing while music is on without cutting out
Turn off speak to chat
@@6MonthsLater Thanks it worked 👍
How do you deal with the constant instructions/advice every time you get a notification?thats the deal breaker for me.
12 Months later: Firmware 4.0.0 comes along, overcharges your batteries, you no longer can hold a charge lasting more than 5 minutes, and then Sony ghosts you on their warranty.
They did exactly the same on wfxm4
😂😂 man I've seen your other feedbacks for buds and you don't spare anyone. I'm literally buying this one as this one was spared atleast, also getting these for 91 dollars.
Man, it's simple, if these buds had wirelss charging too, then probably most of the people would ditch their top notch product, I dont find it weird and its honestly something thats not really necessary, so I dont even see it as a downside, personally. Thankfully I'm still not lazy enough to compain about having to plug a cable to charge things, nothing it will take like double the time at the very best, since most devices anyways dont go over 10w wireless charging
Also uh, I can set the volume woth them, so maybe it was a recent update, like the douple point connection, don't know about that