As a person who loves to listen to music at home or on-the-go, I’ve only mostly used in-ears or over-ear headphones, so the concept of an open-ear design felt a bit foreign, and I’ve had a lot of reservations. On that note, the Sony LinkBuds Clip was the perfect chance to explore this side of the audio space, and I’ll say it’s very interesting.
Open-Ear Design
The Sony LinkBuds Clip is just one of the many devices under the LinkBuds range. It uses an open-ear clip-style design that makes it look like earrings worn sideways. With the speaker part positioned close enough to your ear. It hugs my ears nicely and does not come off easily even when I’m walking. They also boast IPX4 water resistance, which means it can handle water splashes.
So who is this thing for? It’s for commuters, office workers, creators, basically anyone who wants to enjoy their favorite tunes while still being able to hear what’s going on in their surroundings. The design also answers some of my qualms about some earbuds, which introduce a sort of pressure or cramped up feeling in your ears when worn. I guess that’s the trade-off for the noise cancellation.
The Same Great Audio
While other earbuds offer a transparency mode that lets you hear what’s going on in the background, you get the feeling that it’s a bit artificial. Hearing things naturally is still better.
The Sony LinkBuds Clip uses the same advanced audio technology as the WF-1000XM5 earbuds, a very popular pair. That means you can also expect the same good audio quality, just in a different design – crisp highs, balanced mids, and punchy bass.
If you’ll look at the Sony Sound Connect App, you’ll find that there are four modes that you can play with – Standard, which works for general use, Voice Boost for clearer conversations, Sound Leakage Protection, which means those around you will hear even less, and with the latest firmware, Background Music, which literally projects the sound as if it’s far from you. I usually just keep it to Standard when riding a Grab Car to events, just walking around, and when riding the MRT.
Clear Calls
To improve call quality, the Sony LinkBuds Clip uses a Bone Conduction sensor, paired with AI-assisted noise suppression, allowing it to isolate and amplify voice. That means you still get clear conversations even when in a car, the MRT, or in slightly crowded areas.
While I still prefer to use my phone to control playback and volume, the Sony LinkBuds Clip offers touch controls, which can be customized via the app for ease of use. It can also be paired with up to two devices at the same time, which means you don’t have to disconnect from one and reconnect on the other.
Battery Life
In terms of uptime, it’s 9 hours for the earbuds in a single charge, plus 28 more from the case. That’s already more than enough for my usual city trips, provided that I don’t have to take them off when not in use. Oh, and if you need a quick charge, just put them in the case for three minutes, and you’ll get around an hour of playback.
The Sony Sound Connect app lets you adjust granular settings, which include a 10-band equalizer for a more personalized sound. The out-of-the-box sound is already good for me, but it’s there if you need it. The device comes in various pastel colors, adding a bit of personality and style.
Sony LinkBuds Clip: Pricing and Availability
The Sony LinkBuds Clip is priced at PHP 11,990 and is available at Sony Centers and authorized resellers. We’ll have our full review soon as well, so stay tuned for that.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
