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Open-ear earbuds have become increasingly popular for people who want music and podcasts without disconnecting from the world around them. Sony takes a slightly different approach with the LinkBuds Clip, using a clip-style design that sits around the outer ear instead of sealing the ear canal. At Rs 24,990 in India at the time of writing, they are no longer quite as expensive as their launch price of Rs 18,990, but they still sit in premium territory. In the US, it is priced at $230.
The LinkBuds Clip come across as a well-executed pair of open earbuds with excellent awareness, strong calling performance, good battery life, and a comfortable design. However, their open construction also brings some unavoidable compromises, particularly with bass, noise isolation, and performance in loud environments. The bigger question is whether those compromises are acceptable at this price.
2Sound is good, but bass is the obvious compromise
For an open-ear product, the LinkBuds Clip sound quite good. The presentation is clear, open, and relatively natural, with a strong midrange and decent spatial imaging. Podcasts, videos, and casual music listening are enjoyable, while the open presentation gives tracks a sense of space that conventional sealed earbuds don’t always provide.
Sony also provides a 10-band equalizer through the Sound Connect app, along with DSEE processing and several listening modes. Standard mode generally offers the most natural sound, while Voice Boost can improve speech clarity for podcasts and videos. I really enjoyed the Voice Boost mode; even while I am traveling, the sound is enhanced.
However, these are still open earbuds, and physics gets in the way of the low end. Sub-bass is particularly weak, and listeners accustomed to conventional in-ear earbuds will immediately notice the lack of deep, punchy bass. Raising the bass through the EQ helps to some extent, but it cannot completely overcome the limitations of the design.
