Im gonna say something a little controversial: I dont really care if my headphones have noise canceling.
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What makes them so unique?
Theyre also made for people who dont like the sensation of sticking a plunger into your ear.
Why not just use ambient modes on noise-canceling headphones?
The problem is, the transparency mode on most headphones usually isnt very good.
Dont get me wrong; Im grateful the feature exists on many headphones.
It usually does do at least the bare minimum, allowing you to hold conversations and hear your environment.
Even the standard AirPods provide alittlebit of attenuation, especially if you have smaller ears.
The LinkBuds should allow virtually everyone to hear their surroundings with full transparency.
Sony even has a feature that will pause music automatically when the LinkBuds detect youre having a conversation.
Those earbuds dont create a strong seal either, but use active-noise canceling to offer some isolation.
How do they fit?
I find the LinkBuds both comfortable and stable; they felt secure while working out and riding my bike.
On the plus side, that plastic is made from recycled automobile parts, which is pretty cool.
The carrying case is also absolutely tiny, so you wont have an awkward bulge in your pocket.
Are the controls good?
Sony gotsomuch right here, but there are some decisions that drive me a little nuts.
It works remarkably well; better, in fact, than the touch controls on most earbuds.
Better yet, the LinkBuds are one of the few earbuds with full-fledged hotword detection for the Google Assistant.
Unfortunately, the LinkBuds controls suffer from a serious lack of customization.
This makes no sense the entire reason for using the Google Assistant is for hands-free controls.
What do they actually sound like though?
Theres good news and bad news here.
They dont audibly distort even with the bass turned up at max volume.
On the other hand, the sound quality is a bit inconsistent.
With the LinkBuds, its easy to notice sound change subtly with positioning, the bass output in particular.
The bigger problem for some will likely be that the LinkBuds just dont get very loud.
I often found myself pushing the earbuds deeper into my ears to get extra volume while riding the subway.
Anything else I should know?
So who are these for?
As popular as noise-canceling headphones are, theres a place for, ahem,anti-noise-canceling headphones too.
At $180, the LinkBuds feel fairly-priced as an AirPods competitor with a few tricks up its sleeve.
The LinkBuds are not headphones you buy for pure sound quality.
You might want to have a second pair of headphones for when youdoeventually need better sound isolation.
Theyre certainly not headphones Id recommend to everyone.
