Sony LinkBuds S
I have never been a great fan of “in-ear” headphones since my early experiences listening to John Peel on Sounds of the Seventies under the bed covers on my first pocket transistor radio. Fast forward a few decades, now with tinnitus, I tend to favour “over ear” headphones (corded, FM and latterly Bluetooth).
With all that said: the Sony LinkBuds S have proved a revelation to me.
Getting Started
The QR code on the box took me directly to the on line help guide to set up the device.
I first charged the buds (via the supplied usb cable) next was to select the correct size of silicone loops which fit inside the ear (there are four pairs to choose from SS, S, M, LL attaching/detaching to change size couldn’t be simpler) Small was most comfortable for me, I then popped the LinkBuds S in my ears, paired them to my iPhone and started listening to music and podcasts. I literally forgot they were in my ears until I needed to recharge them over 5 hours later! Then I just popped them in their case to recharge Up to 20 hours on a single charge.
The noise cancellation feature allowed me switch between my own audio world or invite the outside world in Taking a phone call while listening to The Beatles Abbey Road using the “Speak to Chat” function gave me crystal clear sound quality (even when walking the dog on a breezy May afternoon!)
I particularly like the fact that the LinkBuds S are discreet. I see many people wearing buds that draw attention to themselves as they look like Shrek or one of his siblings.
I found the sound balanced, the treble clear and clean, the bass rich without booming. The broad soundstage allowed the mid-range to come through nicely providing a totally immersive sound experience from these lightweight and compact buds. The graphic equalizer accessible via the Headphone Connect app gave me a selection of additional settings and custom modes.
The LinkBuds S ticked all the boxes for me.
