Sony has officially presented the LinkBuds S, a variant of the LinkBuds that we met a few months ago and that have a clear objective: to establish themselves as an interesting and affordable alternative to the WF-1000XM4 that reign the catalog of true wireless headphones with active noise cancellation of the brand.
These LinkBuds S, unlike their brothers, have silicone pads . That is to say: they are in-ear. They also have active noise cancellation, are extremely light (only 4.8 grams) and store in a fairly small case.
Obviously, the performance of these LinkBuds S is not exactly the same as the WF-1000XM4 that received so much praise after its launch in 2021, but they are not eons away either. These are positioned on a lower rung, closer to the standard consumer both in price and performance. They are, in a certain way, the mid-high range of Sony's true wireless.
On the outside, yes, they are more attractive and smaller than the aforementioned WF-1000XM4. They have a rounder, friendlier shape. And, in addition, they are available in various colors: white, black and ecru.
The LinkBuds S, like other brand headphones, are compatible with the LDAC codec that allows audio to be transmitted via Bluetooth without loss –or almost without loss–. It is also compatible with DSEE Extreme technology, which rescales music in real time to capture details that may have been lost in intermediate compression processes.
On the other hand, the LinkBuds S are compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Swift Pair and Fast Pair. These last two systems allow the headphones to be linked to Microsoft or Google accounts and simplify the pairing process with Windows, Android or Chrome OS devices.
As far as cancellation is concerned, the LinkBuds S have the V1 processor , the same one found in other headphones of the brand. These are responsible for processing noise cancellation, improving sound, etc. The LinkBuds S, on the other hand, have a 5mm driver that promises to accurately reproduce all sounds and, in addition, incorporate the Speak-to-Chat function, which detects when we start talking to cancel noise cancellation and, in that way, way, being able to communicate without having to remove the headphones from our ears.
How much do the Sony LinkBuds S cost?
Sony's LinkBuds S will arrive in stores at the end of May for a price of 200 euros, a notable reduction compared to the RRP of the WF-1000XM4 of the Japanese brand. Compared to other competing products, such as Apple's AirPods Pro, they also have a very interesting price.
