Sony Announces 'LinkBuds' With Open Design to Let in Ambient Sound

Sony today announced the launch of the LinkBuds, which are the company's latest true wireless earbud product. The LinkBuds have a unique open air design that's not quite like any other earbud on the market.

sony linkbuds 1
Available in black or white, the LinkBuds have a donut-shaped earpiece that goes in the ear. As with the AirPods 3, there are no foam or silicone tips included with the LinkBuds, with the naked earpiece fitting directly inside the ear.

The hole in the LinkBuds, which is an open ring driver, lets users listen to music while also hearing the ambient surroundings, which is similar to other headphone products like sound-equipped sunglasses and bone conduction options.

sony linkbuds 2
Because Sony's LinkBuds do not obstruct ambient sound, they are ideal for situations where listeners might need to be aware of their surroundings, like walking, running, biking, and riding public transportation.


The earbuds are held in place by a secondary bulb that has a little fin, and Sony describes them as ultra-small, light, and able to stay in the ears. They are IPX4 splash and sweat proof, plus an Adaptive Volume Control feature optimizes music to the sound in the ambient environment. The battery in the LinkBuds lasts for 5.5 hours, and there is a charging case that provides a total of 17.5 hours of listening time.

Sony's LinkBuds can be purchased from Amazon for $178.

Tag: Sony

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

iPhones Could Cost Up to $2,300 in the U.S. Due to Tariffs, Analyst Says

Friday April 4, 2025 9:30 am PDT by
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that steep tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple, as the company assembles the majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff. iPhone prices could increase by up to 43% in the U.S. due to the...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Is Now the Time to Upgrade Apple Devices Before Tariffs Lead to Price Increases?

Friday April 4, 2025 3:41 pm PDT by
If you have an older Apple device that you've been considering upgrading, you're probably wondering how the newly announced tariffs might impact prices going forward, and whether it's worth buying now before there's a price hike. Given analyst and economist responses to the tariffs, market panic, and Trump's stance on the current financial chaos, the answer is that making a purchase...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro: New 48MP Telephoto Lens May Change How Zoom Works

Thursday April 3, 2025 5:11 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the Telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Pro, and while it may seem like a step back on paper, the change could actually improve real-world usability, if one leaker's claims are anything to go by. According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature a new Telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, up from the current 12MP sensor found in the iPhone 16...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Tuesday April 1, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Apple has released iOS 18.4, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new things your ‌iPhone‌ ...

Top Rated Comments

Chrjy Avatar
41 months ago
I was fortunate enough to test these and to be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting too much but was more than pleasantly surprised. After just 5 minutes I completely forgot I was wearing them and was shocked by how good the audio was and how the external environment sounds hardly any different to when not using earbuds. The design is very clever and I'd suggest giving them a test run if you think you'd find them useful in your activity. WAY WAY better than bone conduction or similar.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cmukuk Avatar
41 months ago
I will buy ANY headphone or speaker that is NOT apple branded... Thank you for posting this... Apple will get my buck when they give us the headphone jack. Until then... NEVER!!!!
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AtomicDusk Avatar
41 months ago

I will buy ANY headphone or speaker that is NOT apple branded... Thank you for posting this... Apple will get my buck when they give us the headphone jack. Until then... NEVER!!!!
Weird flex. I'm all for voting with your wallet, but you're saying you'll buy any non-apple branded wireless headphone before AirPods because Apple removed the headphone jack in what... 2018? Earlier?

Are you also boycotting Samsung for removing the jack on some of their phones? Does the fact that iPads and MacBook Pros, iMacs and MacMinis still have headphone jacks matter?

Personally I love the convenience of not having a cable running from my ears to my pocket. These seem interesting, but my AirPods are totally serviceable so I'm not sure I'd make the swap.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bigboy29 Avatar
41 months ago

I will buy ANY headphone or speaker that is NOT apple branded... Thank you for posting this... Apple will get my buck when they give us the headphone jack. Until then... NEVER!!!!
Is it weird that this is a comment related to earbuds that do not have a cable connection with a headphone jack? ?‍♂️
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gaximus Avatar
41 months ago

I will buy ANY headphone or speaker that is NOT apple branded... Thank you for posting this... Apple will get my buck when they give us the headphone jack. Until then... NEVER!!!!
Exactly, I will buy ANY laptop or desktop that is NOT apple branded... Thank you for your comment... Apple will get my buck when they give us the floppy drive. Until then... NEVER!!!!
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
41 months ago
Hmm waiting for somebody trying to clean his ears with cotton swabs while having them on.
Interesting design…
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)