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Sony

Sony LinkBuds S

Name: Sony LinkBuds S
Brand: Sony
SKU: B0BB5VBFRF
Price: 158.00 USD

This donut-less follow up is a much more reliable product than the LinkBuds, but it's also pretty anonymous.

Current price · Amazon US

$158

Check Price on Amazon

Price last checked 1d ago

Noise Isolation / ANC

8.5/ 10

8.5

0.010.0

A 8.5 puts its noise isolation / ANC in the top 10% of wireless earbuds we've measured.

Measured on 133 of the 271 we've cataloged.

Key specs

Battery Life Earbuds

6 hBelow average

6 h

3 h16 h

below average for wireless earbuds — based on 243 of 271 we've cataloged.

Battery Life With Case

20 hBelow average

20 h

7 h60 h

below average for wireless earbuds — based on 245 of 271 we've cataloged.

IP Rating

IPX4Most common

IPX433%IP5516%IP5415%IPX512%

IPX4 is the most common — on 33% of the 244 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 271).

Noise Cancellation Type

ActiveMost common

Active61%Passive14%None9%Adaptive8%

Active is the most common — on 61% of the 172 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 271).

Battery

Battery Life Earbuds: 6 h
Battery Life With Case: 20 h
Charging Method: USB-C
Full Charge Minutes: 120 min
Battery Life Anc On: 6 h
Battery Life Wireless: 9 h
Fast Charging: Yes

Build

IP Rating: IPX4
Sweat Resistance: Yes
Water Resistance: Yes
Material Case: Plastic
Material Chassis Primary: Plastic

Sound

Noise Cancellation Type: Active
Ambient Levels: 20 levels
Ambient Mode: Yes, adaptive transparency
Anc Depth: 35 dB
Anc Modes: Off, ANC on, transparency
Driver Count: 1
Driver Size: 5 mm
Driver Type: Dynamic
Frequency Response: 20-20000 Hz
Frequency Response High Hz: 20000 Hz
Frequency Response Low Hz: 20 Hz
Frequency Response Signature: Neutral
Adaptive Anc: Yes
Impedance: 16 Ω
Passive Isolation: 20 dB
Sensitivity: 98 dB/mW

Connectivity

Bluetooth Version: 5.2
Bluetooth Codec: SBC, AAC, LDAC
Bluetooth Range: 10 m
Connection Type: Bluetooth
Headphone Jack: No
Latency: 40 ms
Multipoint Devices: 2 devices

Design

Earbud Form Factor: In-ear
Case Dimensions: 42.8×60×27.6 mm
Color Options: Black, ecru, white
Ear Tip Material: Silicone
Ear Tip Sizes Included: 4 sizes
Wearing Style: Deep insert
Weight Per Earbud: 4.8 g
Weight With Case: 35 g

Features

Certified For: Made for iPhone, Google Fast Pair
Companion App: Yes
Control Type: Touch controls
Eq Customization: Yes
Auto Connect: Yes
Auto Pause: Yes
Fitness Tracking: No
Mono Mode: Yes
Spatial Audio: Yes, head tracking
Voice Assistant Support: Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa

Identity

Model Number: WFLS900N/B

Microphone

Count: 2
Wind Noise Reduction: Yes
Noise Reduction Type: Active
Type: Dual microphone

Release

Date: 2022-05-18
Msrp Usd: 199 USD
Year: 2022

SoundGuys review

Read the full review ›

SOUNDGUYS rating

7.8/ 10

Recommended

Reviewed bySam MooreReviewed September 2022

Noise cancelling8.1

Isolation8.5

Battery life6.0

Comfort & fit8.0

Connectivity8.0

Design5.5

The verdict

The Sony LinkBuds S follows a deeply flawed, but unique pair of true wireless earbuds. It's a lot more reliable, but also a lot less distinctive. This is a solid pair of noise canceling earbuds, but it doesn't handle the very specific use cases of the original LinkBuds as well.

✓What we like

✓Noise canceling

✓Sound quality

✓Sealing the ears means isolation is possible

✓Comprehensive app

✕What could be better

✕Anonymous design

✕Under-emphasized highs

✕Design picks up dirt very easily

Read the full SoundGuys review →

Lab data

How we test ›

Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.

Compare with

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0 of 4 overlay slots used

Sony LinkBuds SSoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve

Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.

Frequency response — measurement data

Sony LinkBuds S: frequency response, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Response (dB)
20	1.1
25	1.6
32	2.1
40	2.3
50	2.2
63	1.8
80	1.3
100	0.6
125	-0.2
160	-1.2
200	-2.0
250	-2.9
315	-3.7
400	-4.3
500	-4.3
630	-3.8
800	-2.0
1000	0.0
1250	1.5
1600	3.6
2000	6.7
2500	6.6
3150	6.0
4000	2.8
5000	1.9
6300	-1.0
8000	-8.5
10000	-5.6
12500	-18.8
16000	-16.7
20000	-24.1

Sony LinkBuds S

Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.

Passive isolation — measurement data

Sony LinkBuds S: passive isolation, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Attenuation (dB)
21	5.5
26	6.1
33	7.5
41	7.5
52	8.1
65	8.7
82	8.8
103	7.7
130	7.9
163	9.0
205	10.4
259	9.8
325	9.9
410	12.5
516	19.4
613	17.0
772	17.9
972	22.5
1220	25.5
1540	26.3
1940	25.2
2440	28.5
3070	31.5
3870	35.1
4870	34.2
6130	31.1
7720	32.6
9720	29.0
12200	26.9
15400	26.4
19400	42.3

Sony LinkBuds S

Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.

Noise cancelling — measurement data

Sony LinkBuds S: noise cancelling, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Total attenuation (dB)
21	2.5
26	6.2
33	16.7
41	19.6
52	22.7
65	24.3
82	27.9
103	27.0
130	24.9
163	28.6
205	32.5
259	26.8
325	20.6
410	10.9
516	17.5
613	21.9
772	19.0
972	22.9
1220	27.0
1540	26.2
1940	27.5
2440	26.9
3070	26.7
3870	27.2
4870	30.2
6130	30.5
7720	32.9
9720	28.7
12200	26.8
15400	26.4
19400	42.2