A new frontier, allowing users to stay connected and aware at all times, with access to all worlds, is how Sony promotes the new LinkBuds true wireless earphones. A perfect companion for a range of use cases, including working from home, gaming, listening to music, and more.
The LinkBuds have a unique open ring design that lets users tune into the outside world whenever they want, without compromising the listening experience. The newly-developed ring driver unit features an open central diaphragm for audio transparency, so chatting with friends and connecting to surroundings is easy.
At approximately four grams, these earbuds are small and lightweight, so users can wear them for extended periods of time. Unlike conventional earbuds, the protective surface covering the speaker diaphragm is integrated within the housing, saving space. The overall shape has also been crafted using extensive ear shape data, collated since Sony introduced the world's first in-ear headphones in 1982. "Users will barely notice they're wearing them," Sony states.
The LinkBuds also offer precise voice pickup technology and advanced voice signal processing, combining Sony's noise reduction algorithm - developed with AI machine learning, using more than 500 million voice samples to suppress ambient noise and extract voice clearly. This allows making clear calls even in noisy environments.
Sony also says that, despite their small size and open-air design, the new 12mm ring drivers still deliver impressive high-quality sound. The LinkBuds also feature DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) to restore details from heavily compressed music signals, leveraging the power of Sony's V1 Integrated Processor. And using the Sony Headphone Connect app, users can activate features such as Adaptive Volume Control that automatically optimizes volume based on users' locations. This allows users to enjoy comfortable volume levels in a variety of environments to enhance the open-air listening experience.
For interaction and control, there's no need to touch the LinkBuds, since Wide Area Tap allows users to double or triple tap in front of either of their ears to adjust playback. Speak-to-Chat automatically pauses the music as soon as the user speaks to someone. Once the conversation is over, music starts playing automatically – there's no need to touch any controls. And the LinkBuds also come with hands-free voice recognition to access voice assistants.
This also an updated Bluetooth 5.2 design with SBC and AAC codec support and fast pairing (including for unreliable Android devices) and also featuring the ability to easily locate the LinkBuds with a smartphone - emulating Find My from Apple. For those interested in immersive content (aka spatial audio), the LinkBuds also come with 360 Reality Audio support.
The trade-off from the miniaturization is that the LinkBuds will work for a maximum of 2.5 hours before they need to be recharged. Sony says that its IPX4 design will support up to 5.5 hours of charge in non-continuous use, with up to 12 hours more capacity available from the compact case. A 10-minute quick charge gives up to 90 minutes of play time.
Sony also worked with strategic partners Microsoft and Spotify to offer additional integrations normally missing from Android devices. Swift Pair makes it quick and easy to pair LinkBuds to a Windows 11 or Windows 10 laptop, desktop PC, or tablet, while Quick access, allows users to resume Spotify playback with just a couple of taps without using the smartphone.
The new Sony LinkBuds also provide enhanced capabilities integrated with Microsoft Soundscape, a new augmented audio feature that enables users to hear audio beacons and callouts of buildings or intersections, leveraging the compass/gyro sensors inside the earbuds to detect the direction of a user's head and hear the sound from a destination, without holding a smartphone.
Likewise, Sony announced a new cooperation with Niantic, the makers of Pokemon Go, the first and most successful global augmented reality online game. "Our products — Ingress, Pokémon GO and Pikmin Bloom — use augmented reality and real-world gameplay to inspire fun and wonder for our community," says Archit Bhargava, Director of Product Marketing at Niantic. "Sound is an important part of any entertainment experience, especially ones where users are out exploring. That's why we're so excited to partner with Sony on the launch of LinkBuds to deliver immersive real-world audio experiences to our community."
This is also Sony's first headphones made with recycled materials. The unique earbuds and their charging case are made using some recycled plastic materials and plastic-free packaging. The Sony LinkBuds have a suggested retail price of $179.99 and are available to order now in gray and white.
www.sony.com
