The LinkBuds weren’t exactly run-of-the-mill earbuds when they were announced in 2022. The earbuds with a ring-shaped driver are truly hear-through, though they came with some fallbacks. Sony has redesigned the LinkBuds Open to bring better design, improved sound, and a longer battery life.
Rather than traditional silicone tips, the Sony LinkBuds line utilize an open ring as the primary driver. A small chassis sits offset to the driver, housing the internals like a processor and battery.
The first LinkBuds brought a small horseshoe-shaped wing to secure the buds into your ear. That design proved to be effective but was a little uncomfortable after a while of use. On top of that, the buds didn’t provide the most amazing bass response simply because that design was a new hurdle, and it was likely difficult to design sound around.
It seems, however, that the company has addressed those concerns in a new model.
Today, Sony announced the LinkBuds Open, which is essentially the second generation in this lineup. The LinkBuds Open brings the same ring-shaped driver into the mix, with a processor and battery housing unit connected in a similar manner to the first generation. The wing, however, has been updated. Sony says these new “Air Fitting Supporters” don’t put as much pressure on certain spots in the ear. That means a longer, more comfortable listening time.
Sony’s driver is 11mm, which is said to improve audio performance, especially in the low ends. Since there is no ANC mode, the LinkBuds can theoretically offer a better battery life in general. While that wasn’t entirely true the first time around, the new model brings an 8-hour playback time with a total of 22 hours when using the case to top off. Sony is also adding a battery save feature that turns unnecessary functions off to conserve power.
The LinkBuds Open are currently available to pre-order at $199. They will start to ship out on October 11.
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