Sony Linkbuds Open WF-L910 review: Reimagine perfect audio with this ‘link’ to the world

's back for round two with the Linkbuds Open. Priced at Rs 26,999, these aren't your typical noise-isolating buds; they're designed to let the world in, making them a unique choice for those who want to stay aware of their surroundings while enjoying their tunes.

We spent some time with the Linkbuds Open, putting them through various situations to see how they compare to the competition and their predecessors. Let's dive in and see if these doughnut-shaped open-ear buds hit the right note and deliver on their promise?

Design

Sony Linkbuds Open are available in three colour variants: Violet, White, and Black. The earbuds' design is unique, yet the case has a compact and familiar look. The square-shaped case has USB-C charging and is easy to carry in pockets. However, the case doesn’t support wireless charging. Opening and closing the lid, even removing the earbuds from the neodymium magnet latch and putting them back in the case, is a satisfactory feeling.

Opening the case reveals the open-ear earbuds, which have a distinctive design with a bulbous head and a doughnut-shaped part that houses the circular 11mm driver just outside the ear canal. The earbuds are attached to a removable silicone cover (that comes only in one size) with an ear fin, which Sony calls an “Air Fitting Supporter.”


Placing the earbuds is simple and can fit all types of ears. This small rubber ear fin also ensures a snug fit to different kinds of ears while the soft and flexible material offers comfort without putting excessive pressure on the ear.

The design of the Sony Linkbuds Open may concern users about the earbuds falling off their ears. However, they only displaced a little once placed in the ear properly. During our testing, we found them stable during various activities, including runs, without feeling like they were plugging out of our ears.


We even tried making rapid head movements to check if they tend to fall out of our ears, but that didn’t happen. Sony also says that the earphones come with an IPX4 splash resistance certification, making them suitable for workouts and extended usage.

Audio and connectivity

Now let’s address the elephant in the room — how the earbuds sound in real-life scenarios. Just like any other OWS earbuds, Sony's latest Linkbuds Open, are targeted towards those who want to enjoy music without completely shutting out the world around them. However, this open design comes with a trade-off in audio quality, as is often the case with these earbuds.

Well, these earbuds are designed to be tiny personal speakers that don't disturb others, but, in the case of the new Sony Linkbuds Open, the audio bleeding was a concern. Every time we tried cranking up the volume for our favourite hits, people around us were also able to identify the songs that we were listening to. This issue may not be a deal breaker, however, it can expose your musical taste or may even be disturbing for your colleagues at work.


In terms of audio quality, the Linkbuds Open deliver a decent listening experience for open-ear buds, but audiophiles may find them lacking, particularly in the bass department.

For example, while listening to bass-heavy songs like “Starboy” by The Weeknd and Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” the sub-bass often sounded nonexistent in the default settings. The companion app offers multiple customisation options but we’ll talk about that later.


While listening to rock hits like “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” by Pink Floyd and Nirvana’s “Heart Shaped Box,” the bass was often impacted in a way that can sometimes make the treble sound comparatively louder. For instance, some snare hits sounded really “off” while some of the highest parts of the sound were quite loud.


If we ignore these nitty gritty, the overall sound of the Linkbuds Open powered by Sony’s integrated V2 processor is quite smooth and easy on the ear.

We tried listening to various genres of music on these earbuds — ranging from Bollywood to Jazz and Indian classical to electronic, and all of them sounded balanced enough for most users. However, it does the job for which it's designed — to keep the user connected to their surroundings.


As expected with open-ear buds, noise isolation is minimal. While some high-frequency sounds might be slightly softened, the Linkbuds Open are designed to let ambient noise in. This makes them ideal for activities where situational awareness is crucial but less suitable for noisy environments.


Connectivity-wise, the Linkbuds Open use Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC, AAC, and LC3 codecs. The inclusion of LC3 is a welcome addition, as it enables the benefits of LE Audio, such as reduced latency on Android devices.


For those who frequently switch between devices, the Linkbuds Open support Bluetooth Multipoint, allowing for seamless transitions without constant re-pairing. For us, the Sony LinkBuds Open were able to smoothly switch between music and calls when it was connected to our phone and laptop.

To unlock the full potential of the Sony Linkbuds Open, you'll need the Sony Sound Connect app. This gives you access to a host of equaliser modes and other customisation options.

The "Background Music Effect" in the app tries to offer spatial audio effects, creating the illusion of listening to speakers in different environments. While this feature works well, the overemphasis on high frequencies felt a little concerning at higher volumes.

Call quality is decent, but the real-world performance varies across surroundings. The app offers additional features like 360 Reality Audio (but for that, you need supported content from a separate app), head tracking, call controls with head gestures, and adjustable Wide Area Tap sensitivity. LE Audio can be toggled for reduced latency on compatible devices.

One of the standout features is the "Wide Area Tap" control which has to be activated from the app. This allowed us to control playback by tapping on the cheek near the earbuds, which is incredibly convenient during runs or when touch controls are hard to locate. It worked flawlessly for us, with no accidental touches or misinterpretations.

Battery

Sony claims these Linkbuds Open can last for a solid 8 hours. Now, that's not blowing any minds in the true wireless world, especially since fancy features like noise cancellation that usually drain the battery faster are absent on these earbuds.


In our real-world usage, they landed on the radar of the advertised time, which is always a plus. It offered enough juice for us to get through a workday or a long flight, with no problem.


The charging case added some extra mileage and gave us a little more than three cycles in total before we needed to plug in. However, the second edition of Sony Linkbuds Open still doesn’t have wireless charging but that is not an absolute deal breaker as it can be charged using a USB Type-C cable.

Verdict

The "open ear" thing, means you can hear everything around you while still jamming out. It's a cool idea, and it works – we could rock out to our playlists and stay aware of our surroundings

But yes, you may not find music that is immersive considering it is not surround noise-proof. However, if you value staying aware of your surroundings – like when you're biking or walking around a busy city – then these are a solid pick.

The battery life is decent, enough to get you through a day of casual listening. And the controls are pretty intuitive (once you get the hang of tapping on your cheeks to change tracks).

Overall, the Linkbuds Open priced at Rs 26,990 are a niche product. But if you want a pair of earbuds that let you stay connected to the world around you, these are worth checking out.