Sony LinkBuds S

Rich, expressive sound ; Impressive noise cancellation for the price ; Good comfort levels ; Compact, lightweight design

Average battery life ; Mixed call quality performance

Small in size and available at a more accessible price than the WF-1000XM4, if you’re after a more affordable pair of true wireless buds with good sound, extensive smarts and impressive noise cancellation, the LinkBuds S tick those boxes.

Small and light Very good sound quality Excellent noise canceling Handy transparency features Wear sensors IPX4 water resistance

Mediocre battery life Quirky control options No wireless charging No Bluetooth Multipoint

“Excellent ANC and unique features make these earbuds an intriguing new option.”

Balanced sound ; Solid bass ; Good noise-cancelling

Dynamics can be bettered ; Lack of drive to the sound

Sony’s built a reputation for great wireless earbuds and the LinkBuds S aren’t short of positives, but neither are they a runaway sonic success.

Remarkably light, small and comfortable ; Open, informative sound ; Good control options, great app

Lots of very capable rivals ; Strangely matter-of-fact sound ; Ordinary look and feel

Well-specified, easy to wear, and with some real sonic talent, the LinkBuds S make sense in a lot of ways. But they’re a rather dispassionate listen, and they have rivals at every turn – not least from Sony itself.

Sony’s most comfortable earbuds to date ; Good voice call quality ; LDAC support

$200 and no wireless charging? ; New software features are a mixed bag ; ANC and sound quality are a step below the 1000XM4

Sony’s LinkBuds S are the company’s most comfortable earbuds to date thanks to their lightweight design. They also include active noise cancellation, an ambient sound mode, and IPX4 water resistance.

Comfort and fit ; Lots of software functions ; Sound great

Touch response can be a little slow ; Not the loudest

The Sony LinkBuds S are a great set of headphones offering a many of the features of the 1000X, but in a more affordable package. Comfortable and compact, they offer good sound quality but could be a little louder. There are a wide range of features...