Unsponsored open-ear review
Sony LinkBuds Clip Review
My first clip-style earbuds turned into a quiet soundtrack around the house. The bass could be better, and finding the right fit took some trial and error.
Steve's verdict
I liked having music playing quietly while still being able to talk to everyone around me. The LinkBuds Clip work well for that, but I still reach for AirPods Pro 3 or Sony WF-1000XM6 when I want stronger bass, better sound, and noise cancellation.
Best for
Listening to music, podcasts, or videos around the house while staying aware of conversations and everything happening nearby.
Skip it if
You want deep bass, strong noise cancellation, or earbuds for flights, a noisy gym, or public transportation.
Best use
Quiet background listening
Main tradeoff
Light bass and no ANC
Fit
Try the included cushions
What I like
- Quiet background music without interrupting conversations
- Very comfortable without the fitting cushions in my ears
- Little sound leakage at my normal listening volume
- Strong battery life during long work sessions
- Reliable multipoint switching between my iPhone and PC
What to know
- Light bass and thinner sound than my other earbuds
- They slid down, which reduced the volume
- Fitting cushions improved stability but added pressure after a few hours
- Tap controls sometimes needed several attempts
- No ANC, automatic pause, or wireless charging
What I tested
Real-world use, not just the spec sheet
- Long listening sessions with and without the Air Fitting cushions
- Fit during movement and while wearing sunglasses
- Music, podcasts, and videos in quiet and noisy settings
- Sound leakage with family sitting beside me
- Multipoint switching between my iPhone and PC
- Microphone samples in my office and beside a busy road in the video
Specs that matter
Design
Open-ear clip
No active noise cancellation or automatic wear detection.
Rated battery
Up to 9 / 36 hours
Sony's earbud / total-with-case ratings quoted in the review.
Charging
USB-C
No wireless charging; rated quick charge is about one hour from three minutes.
Water resistance
IPX4 earbuds
The charging case isn't water resistant.
Getting the fit right
These were my first clip-style earbuds, and I wasn't sure where they were supposed to sit at first. Once positioned correctly, they felt secure during walking, bending down, and shaking my head. They also stayed clear of my sunglasses. Without the cushions, there were times I forgot I was wearing them. But they gradually slid down my ears, moving the speakers away from my ear canals and lowering the volume.
The cushions help, with a tradeoff
The Air Fitting cushions are tucked inside the packaging, so don't overlook them. Adding them kept the earbuds in place and made the volume more consistent. They also made the earbuds more noticeable, and after a few hours I felt some pressure around the outside edge of my ear canal. That was my experience; your ear shape may give you a different balance of comfort and stability.
Clear voices, lighter bass
Podcasts, audiobooks, and YouTube videos sounded clear. Music was thinner, with less bass weight than AirPods Pro 3 or Sony WF-1000XM6, and even the open-fit AirPods 5 sounded fuller to me. Trying the EQ presets didn't fix that. I preferred the default sound with EQ switched off. If I'm sitting down specifically to listen to music, I still choose my regular earbuds.
My own background soundtrack
What made these useful was turning the music down and leaving it quietly in the background. I could work, walk around the house, and talk to people without pausing or lowering the volume. I also used them to watch Instagram reels during TV commercials without disturbing the family. At the volume I enjoyed, people sitting beside me couldn't hear the audio. They could hear it when I raised it to about 80%, so sound leakage still depends on volume.
What changes in noisy places
There is no active noise cancellation and very little passive isolation. Around traffic, appliances, and other background noise, I had to turn spoken audio up to follow it. That open design is useful when I want to hear the room, but it isn't what I'd choose for a plane, noisy gym, or public transportation. AirPods Pro 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6 make more sense for those situations.
Controls and the Sound Connect app
Tapping the flexible bridge or the larger body doesn't push the speaker into my ear, which I like. The controls weren't always responsive, though, and I sometimes needed to slow down and try again. The Sound Connect app offers control groups, a 10-band EQ, updates, and listening modes. Standard was my favorite. Voice Boost made speech clearer but thinned the bass further, while Sound Leakage Reduction made the audio quieter and duller. Removing an earbud doesn't automatically pause playback.
Battery, charging, and switching devices
Sony's ratings quoted in my review are up to nine hours from the earbuds and up to 36 hours including the case, with about an hour of listening from a three-minute quick charge. Battery life wasn't a concern during my long work sessions. Multipoint switching between my iPhone and PC was reliable too. The case charges over USB-C, has no wireless charging, and felt noticeably thicker in my pocket than the AirPods 5 case.
Would I buy them?
At the roughly $229 price discussed in the video, these felt expensive considering the lighter sound and missing features. I'd be more comfortable with them around $200. Still, I enjoyed a listening experience I don't get from my sealed earbuds: music quietly playing while I remain part of the room. If that sounds useful to you, they're worth considering. If sound quality and shutting out noise come first, I'd choose something else. This review wasn't sponsored.
Questions before you buy
Are Sony LinkBuds Clip comfortable for long sessions?
Without the fitting cushions, they were so comfortable that I sometimes forgot I was wearing them. But they slowly slid down my ears. The cushions fixed that for me, while adding pressure around the outside edge of my ear canal after a few hours. Fit depends on your ears.
Do Sony LinkBuds Clip have noise cancellation?
No. The open-ear design lets surrounding sound reach you. I liked that around the house, but preferred AirPods Pro 3 or Sony WF-1000XM6 around loud background noise.
Can other people hear what you are listening to?
At my usual low listening volume, family sitting beside me couldn't hear the audio. They started hearing it when I raised the volume to about 80%. That is my testing experience, rather than a guarantee for every room or volume.
Watch the full review