Sony’s LinkBuds Clip Struggle to Make an Impact

The Sony LinkBuds Clip mark the brand’s debut in the clip-on earbud category, following the innovative LinkBuds and LinkBuds Open. Like their predecessors, these earbuds let you enjoy music or podcasts, take calls, and stay aware of your environment while on the go. The clip design has gained traction recently, but despite their solid build and decent sound quality, the LinkBuds Clip don’t offer anything particularly groundbreaking compared to rivals, especially at a price point of $229.99.

These open earbuds are designed to sit comfortably around your ear helix, resembling an ear cuff. The compact spherical speaker sits just outside your ear canal, connected by a flexible band to a larger capsule-shaped housing that rests on the outer ear. The aesthetic is appealing, featuring glossy enclosures in subtle colors like lavender, green, greige (a grayish beige), and black. While some may prefer a more vibrant style, the green variant I tested was quite attractive. Additionally, you can customize them with five different case covers in colors like black, green, blue, coral, and lavender.

The LinkBuds Clip are meant to sit midway up your ear, but finding the right fit may require some adjustment since ear shapes vary. For me, a slightly lower position worked best. Once you find your comfort zone, putting them on is a breeze, though I found the fit a bit loose. The band lacks the flexibility of the Shokz OpenDots One, which fit more securely. However, Sony includes silicone “cushions” that wrap around the band, providing a more secure fit. These cushions, which match the color of the additional case covers, allowed me to wear the earbuds comfortably for nearly an entire workday, often forgetting I had them on due to their ambient sound design. Those with larger ears might experience some discomfort, even with the cushions.

The sound performance of the LinkBuds Clip has its highs and lows. While I preferred the fit with the cushions, they did affect the sound balance, pushing the speakers slightly away from my ear canal and resulting in diminished bass response. Like most open earbuds, the bass is not particularly strong. There are three listening modes: standard, voice boost, and sound leakage reduction.

Standard mode delivers a natural sound with a clear midrange that doesn’t overshadow the highs. Voice boost enhances vocal clarity, making it great for podcasts, but can feel overwhelming during longer music sessions. The sound leakage reduction mode minimizes high-end frequencies to reduce disturbances for those nearby, but it can make music sound muffled. Fortunately, even in standard and voice boost modes, sound leakage is minimal.

Sony’s Sound Connect app offers presets and a 10-band equalizer for those who want to tweak specific frequencies. For rock tracks like Soundgarden’s “Spoonman,” I boosted the bass and low mids. The app also features Sony’s DSEE technology, which enhances the sound quality of compressed audio.

Where the LinkBuds Clip truly excel is during phone calls. Equipped with a new AI noise-reduction chip and a bone-conduction sensor, they effectively isolate your voice from background noise. During calls while walking through busy streets, my friends reported they could hear me clearly, with only occasional background sounds like wind or sirens breaking through. However, the open design sometimes made it challenging for me to hear them.

Despite their strengths, I was surprised by some missing features in the LinkBuds Clip, especially given the $230 price tag. They offer solid battery life—nine hours per charge and an additional 28 hours with the case—but lack wireless charging. While they support standard SBC and AAC codecs, Sony’s high-res LDAC is absent. Audio sharing, available on other models, is also missing.

The touch controls can be a bit tricky. They rely on multiple taps for different functions—two taps to play or pause, three for the next track, and four to adjust the volume. However, the tapping area has a narrow margin for error, making it difficult to register taps, especially while jogging.

The Sound Connect app allows for scene-based listening, letting you customize the earbuds’ functionality based on your activity or location. You can set specific playlists to start when you begin running or have the app read notifications aloud. This feature is handy for those with established routines who are willing to invest time in setup.

Sony’s introduction of the Clip makes sense, especially since they helped popularize the open earbud trend with the original LinkBuds. The Clip earbuds are stylish, sound decent, and are comfortable to wear. However, at $230, they don’t stand out from other recent open earbuds like the Shokz OpenDots One and EarFun Clip, which are more affordable. If the price drops or they go on sale, they could become a more appealing option. Until then, unless you’re particularly drawn to the LinkBuds Clip’s design, it might be wise to hold off on a purchase.