TL;DR
- Sony’s new LinkBuds Clip are open-ear earbuds that clip onto your ear rather than sit inside it.
- They’re designed so you can hear your surroundings while listening, with three sound modes to suit your environment.
- Pricing starts at $229.99 in the US and $299.99 in Canada.
Sony is back with another entry in its LinkBuds lineup, and this one is a slight departure from the traditional earbud design. The new LinkBuds Clip are open-ear earbuds that don’t sit in your ear canal or hook over your ear. Instead, they clip onto your ear like a cuff, with the idea being that you can listen to music while still hearing what’s going on around you.
In its press release, Sony says the always-open design is meant to make these better suited to all-day use. The idea is you’ll be able to hear traffic, announcements, or someone talking to you without pausing playback or pulling an earbud out. The LinkBuds Clip sit on the outer ear using a C-shaped frame, which Sony says helps reduce ear fatigue, especially when worn for long stretches. They also include removable fitting cushions to help keep them stable across different ear shapes.
Sony isn’t the first company to adopt this clip-style design. We’ve already seen similar open-ear approaches from the likes of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop, both of which use ear-cuff-like designs that clamp onto the ear. Sony is clearly keen to give its fans the same variation in design.
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Sony is leaning on software to make the open-ear approach more practical. There are three listening modes: a Standard mode for music, a Voice Boost option that’s meant to make speech clearer in noisy places, and a Sound Leakage Reduction mode for quieter environments. You also get a 10-band EQ, DSEE upscaling, multipoint Bluetooth, and tap controls, all handled through Sony’s Sound Connect app.
On call quality, Sony says the LinkBuds Clip combine a bone conduction sensor with AI-based noise reduction to keep your voice clear, even if you’re taking a call somewhere loud. Battery life is rated at up to 37 hours with the charging case, and a quick charge can deliver around an hour of playback from just three minutes plugged in. The earbuds are IPX4 rated, so sweat and light rain shouldn’t be an issue.
The LinkBuds Clip are available now in black, greige, green, and lavender, with a $229.99 price tag in the US and $299.99 in Canada. That’s not cheap for open-ear earbuds, but it is fairly typical for Sony’s audio lineup. You can get them from Sony.com, Amazon, Best Buy, and other authorized dealers.
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