Engadget Logo Engajet Japanese version Sony announced Linkbuds, an earphone that does not block his ears.Full wireless, the minimum and lightest in history

Sony has announced a completely wireless headphone product "Linkbuds" (Linkbars).The feature is a driver unit with holes like a donut.

It is a product that proposes a new listening style to enjoy music and audio content while listening to the surrounding sounds naturally without blocking the ears like earplugs.

In addition, from its own shape, about 4 of the minimum and lightest for Sony's complete wireless earphones..It is 1G.

Sony Link BUDS WF-L900 Gray (Amazon) Sony Link Buds WF-L900 White (Amazon)

A new earphone that does not block your ears!Speaking of which, his Xperia Ear Duo in the same Sony Group also listened to a ring -like part.

However, Xperia Ear Duo put a large body and driver behind the ear and transmitted to the ear hole with a sound conductor like a brass instrument, while the Linkbuds was a 12mm diameter driver itself.There is a hole in the middle of a general driver, and the diaphragm and magnet are donut.

Easy mounting feeling that does not block the ears and does not insert it into the ear hole

The advantage of a driver is that the surrounding sounds sound natural.

Some earplug -type earphones have a transparent mode / environmental sound mode / outer sound import mode for when you want to hear the surrounding sounds, but they are a mechanism that regenerates the sound picked up with the microphone, so depending on the product.Although it changes greatly, the way you hear it is different from the naked ear (?).

Linkbuds, on the other hand, is really open and does not block the ear holes, so it sounds naturally.

The advantage of not blocking your ears is that you will notice when you are spoken, and you can hear your voice as it is, so you can use something while eating things when you listen to the conversation while listening to music and listening to music.However, the chewing sound does not bother with the ears, the ears are not stuffy, and the long time wearing does not burden the ear hole.

It's a mystery how to wear it because the appearance is strange, but here is the easy -to -understand figure.It feels like putting a ring on the ear hole without inserting it into the ear hole like a canal type.

On the other side of the driver is a soft wing part (fitting supporter), which is fixed by fitting into the dust in the ear.

It seems that it is easy to fall because it does not insert it into the ear hole, but in fact, if you replace it with the size of this fitting supporter, the soft and elastic supporter will be tight from above, so once.If you wear it, you will not be able to remove it immediately with your finger and it will fit enough to be confused.

Because the size is small and the height and the protruding part are small, it is important to always wear it because it is stuck and hard to fall.

Fitting supporters are included in 5 sizes from the beginning so that they can be easily replaced.

"Wide area tap" without discomfort

The interesting thing about the driver with a hole is the "wide area tap" function that allows you to pick up and operate not only the main body but also the surrounding face.

In conventional complete wireless earphones, there are many things that use vibration sensor to tap the body and operate, but there was a structural problem that the sound resonated because the one inserted in the ear hole was hitting.In a bad product, there is noise cancellation and a microphone of outer sound capture in the position where it is hit by naturally tapping and directly hits, so you do not know how it was sold.

Linkbuds does not sound even if the body is tapped because it does not insert it in the ear hole structurally, and it can be operated by just touching the face near the ear, so it is comfortable to use.

(The judgment is only a double tap or triple tap. The single tap is not picked up to hold down the false detection.)

As a basic performance as a complete wireless earphone, the continuous playback time is 5 by earphone..5 hours, 12 hours with charging case together.

Rather than "earplugs to wear when you want to listen to or shut out the outer sound", the concept of "listening" earphones that are always used for various content and communication with always putting it on is 5..Can you only listen to 5 hours?However, this is the number that continues to play.The standby time with Bluetooth connection is about 11 hours longer.(However, continuous calls are up to 2.5 hours.Sometimes it seems that charging is required in the case).

In addition, a stable connection by the left and right simultaneous transmission method, the drip -proof structure of IPX4, the DSEE that complements the high range of the compression sound source, the adaptive volume control that automatically adjusts the volume according to the surrounding sounds, the wearer starts to talk.It also has a speak toe chat to mute the sound during playback.

Bluetooth codecs are supported to AACs used in many products, such as Apple devices, in addition to the basic SBC.Although it is a Sony product, it is not compatible with LDAC because it is not a concept that focuses on sound with high resolution.

Compatible with voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.In iOS, you can call Siri by assigning "Voice Assistant Start" into tap operations.

One unfortunate point is that it does not support hands -free operations (Hey Siri or OK Google) using a wakeword like AirPods Pro.If it is a concept that is always worn, it will be more convenient if you can send a message to someone, ask for time, day of the week, and schedule, specify songs and play it.

360 Reality Audio and "sound AR" compatible

In addition, the head tracking with the built -in gyro sensor supports the Sound AR that reproduces the direction of the sound.

For example, in the Locatone app, where you can enjoy various audio content depending on the location information, you can not only hear when you walk to this point, but also to hear it from this direction.It also supports Microsoft's 3D audio map app Microsoft Soundscape.

The Linkbuds release date is February 25, and the estimated market price is 23,000 yen.The body color is white and gray.

Impression that I tried in a short time.While trying a lot of active noise canceling compatible wireless earphones, I felt that there was still an AirPods Pro, but the other companies were still following.Linkbuds is up at a level that does not compete with "nature".Because there is really a hole, it is not "sounding like" but it is just sounding.

I think that "anxious if you can't hear the surrounding sounds" and "your ears hurt when you wear it" as the reason for repelling earplugs, but Linkbuds abandoned how to use them as earplugs, but in these two.Is almost perfect.

Regarding the sound leaks that are worrisome as an open type of holes, elements such as the surrounding environment, the content to be played, the volume, and the distance of the opponent that may have discomfort, so it is "not leaked or does not leak".It is hard to write, but the impression that the driver sticks to the ears may be surprisingly not leaked.

In principle, the sound leaks from the hole, but with the environment and distance of the general office, it is unlikely that if you do not have a loud volume, you will probably be noticed and angry.Above all, you will notice immediately if you leak the sound without knowing it and hit the opponent with your tongue.

This is a concept that meets the demand for "listening" that you want to listen to and spend your time wearing it, but it is a product that is meaningful for users who use noise canceling and use earplugs.

In particular, if the external sound import function is slightly difficult to hear and is inconvenient, or when you are talking to you, or when you are in a hurry in front of the cash register, the earplug type is always worn as "earning the ear function".It seems that it is particularly convenient to use it when the surroundings are noisy or when you want to listen to it.

Linkbuds | Headphones | Sony