The best option as a wireless earphone for the economy and IT sub.Sony "Linkbuds"

The idea is that you want to hear the surrounding sounds without putting it on.

Sony has announced the unprecedented type of wireless earphones "Linkbuds".You may think it's good because you already have wireless earphones, but it's completely different from the other.According to Gizmodo's Andrew Liszewski reporter, which has been used for a while before the release in the United States, it is not positioning directly with existing wireless earphones, so what is it?The following is a reporter Liszewski.

Sony has a history of experimenting with strange products in a good way.Some experiments are smooth, and sometimes they can be really convenient, clever and innovative.The newly released Sony Linkbuds is definitely the latter.It is not something to completely replace the earphones so far, but if you actually get it, you may end up using this most.

Five years have passed since the wireless earphones were transformed into an affordable mainstream product by Apple's AirPods, unless the manufacturer launched any new elements, there would be no replacement.However, in most cases, the "new element" was an update that improved the sound quality, the extension of the battery life, and the improvement of no -can.But Linkbuds has not made any such detailed improvements.

What Sony thought was that when the user was using wireless earphones, work, subway, in the city ...As a result, we have created a new design that makes it easy to hear the surrounding sounds, and to listen to music and podcasts.It may sound like a niche product, but I am surprised that the workmanship is wonderful and I use it unexpectedly.

Sony Linkbuds

What is this?: Open -style wireless earphones that make it easy to hear the surrounding sounds while wearing

Price: $ 180 (about 21,000 yen)

Favorite place: Surprising high sound quality, light and comfortable, "wide area tap" function is wonderful.

I don't like it: I want a little more battery life because the price is a little high and I can wear it for a day.

New approach to listen to the sounds around you

Until now, there were two approaches to make it easier to hear the surrounding sounds while wearing earphones.One is the outer sound import mode, which is like a hearing aid that picks up the surrounding sounds with an earphone with a built -in microphone and hears the sound.The other is a bone conduction earphone, which is a mechanism that conveys the sound by vibration through bones, so there is nothing to block the ears and the external sound comes in.

Sony realized in Linkbuds in the third solution.Instead of a speaker driver that sticks into the ears, a ring -shaped driver with a diameter of 12mm was created.

Most earphones are devised so that the outside sounds do not come into your ears, but Linkbuds is made easily.So, even if you don't remove the earphones, you can talk with your surroundings, listen to the bicycle bell coming from behind, and listen to music and podcasts.However, this is a premise that the sound to be played is not too loud.There is a hole in the Linkbuds, but the sound is made at the entrance of the ear canal, so if you increase the volume, you will not be able to hear the surrounding sounds.

Small earphones, loud sounds

Except for holes, Linkbuds also stands out.It's definitely the smallest and lightest I've tried so far.

Which wireless earphones are easy to wear?When asked, I often recommend Apple's third -generation AirPods.This is because it does not fit too deep into the ear hole, and stops into the outer depression.However, in the case of AirPods, some people are difficult to stabilize in the ears, so if such people are looking for wireless earphones with emphasis on comfort, Linkbuds will be a good candidate.

Linkbuds is fixed to the ears, as shown in the image above, a silicon ring attached to the dome type.The ring has a elastic protrusion and is firmly held by fitting in the shrimp in the ear.This ring comes with 5 sizes, so you can choose the right size, which does not hurt even if you wear it for a long time.

If you attach a silicon ring that suits you, Linkbuds is light and stable, and you can jump during exercise, a comfortable fit.It is very important as a wireless earphone to wear all day.In the dome type part, 5 with one charge.There is a 5 hour battery.17 if the charging case is included.It is a 5 -hour battery life.

However, 5.5 hours is less than the third generation AirPods.Linkbuds can be charged for 90 minutes if you put it in the case for 10 minutes, but it is a little bigger and heavy, so I feel that the battery is better.

The position of Linkbuds is not an alternative to the conventional wireless earphones, but a specific usage, for example, an office for office for office.Regarding the sound quality, it is not as good as the sound of the earphones I use to taste music, but I am still surprised by the very good sound.

The sound of Linkbuds is clearly clear, and there is no distortion even if the volume is raised so loudly.The balance between the treble and the bass can be taken properly in the default settings.The sound profile can be customized with preset or manual EQ using the Sony Headphones app.I think it's superior to AirPods in this regard, but the Linkbuds is completely lacking in that bass.The bass is certainly heard, but I can't feel it.I guess that is probably the biggest sacrifice paid by Linkbuds.

New form of tap operation

Although it is a function for other SONY earphones, Linkbuds has a mechanism that is useful to wear all day.For example, "Speak to Chat".This means that when the user starts speaking, the music playback is automatically paused, and after a certain period of time, the playback resumes.It's very good and I want to use all other earphones.

And the function I personally like is "wide area tap".There is a risk that the earphones that can be operated with taps will come off your ears by touching the body.I have tried this kind of tap function and various earphones, but I did not use it personally, but it was a smartwatch to make it a remote control.

But it changed with the Linkbuds wide area tap.Instead of tapping the Linkbuds itself directly, tapping somewhere around the ear, Linkbuds detects it.Shortcuts can be set with the Sony Headphones app, but the double tap in front of the left ear increases the volume, the triple tap is down volume, and the tap around the right ear is playback control.The detection accuracy of the tap is high, both in front, above, and below, and is detected even if it is a karuku pong.Anyway, it is a function that can be used properly, and this function may be more uri than the design of the main unit.

Rather than buying a new one, whether to buy

So it's almost time to write whether to replace Linkbuds.However, with regard to Linkbuds, Sony himself does not sell for replacement demand.

Like the SHOKZ bone conduction wireless earphones, it is a position to use it with AirPods and other earphones.The sound is surprisingly good, but it is not that much compared to other earphones, and there is no active no -can.Linkbuds can be done by someone who is tired of having to remove the earphones every time someone talks, or not an artificial sound like a common external sound import mode, but the surrounding sounds.To be able to hear.

Linkbuds has fulfilled what you are doing, and I want you to have a function like a wide area tap in other products.However, the most caught price is the price of around 23,000 yen.If this is about the first half of the 10,000 yen range, it will be easier to recommend as a secondary wireless earphone.However, I am at home now, but if I work in the office, I think I will use Linkbuds more often than my favorite earphones.So Sony may be better for such people to show that Linkbuds is the main and existing earphones are secondary.