The Sony LinkBuds series has always been a special one among the brand because it also brings some innovations. Be it the open-loop design of the headphones or something else, the company always tries to offer something unique with its LinkBuds series. Now, to continue that legacy, we introduce the all-new Sony LinkBuds Fit, a new mid-range wireless earbuds focused on fitness-centric users. The latest earbuds feature Sony’s signature sound quality and a lightweight, premium design priced at Rs 18,990. So, does it make sense to buy these new headphones when the competition is pretty stiff? Let’s find out in this review.
Sony LinkBuds Fit Design and Features: Compact and Comfortable
- Dimensions – 21 x 19 x 15 mm (buds); 47.2 x 47.2 x 32.6 mm (casing)
- Weight – 4.9 g (per bud); 41 g (with box)
- Waterproof and dustproof – IPX4 (Buds only)
- Colors- green, white and black
The first thing you notice about the headphones is the unique mini hamburger-shaped casing. It looks compact and easier to carry around. I like the fact that the case mixes a smooth top to give it a premium look and a rubber base for added grip. There’s a USB Type-C port on the back, along with a button for resetting settings, while there’s a small LED light on the front to indicate pairing and charging status.
The Sony LinkBuds Fit is available in three colors: white, black, and green.
The headphones are available in green, white and black colors. I chose the black option for my review, and I must say it does look minimalist, although the glossy surface can be easily scratched.
Open the lid and you will see one of the most comfortable earbuds in India. Weighing only 4.9 grams per earbud, these earbuds are among the lightest in the industry. It also comes with what Sony calls Air Fit mounts, which allow you to twist and lock the headphones into your ears.
The tails are softer and more pliable than most of the plastic spots found in other sports earbuds, but they’re still very sturdy. So even if you run, shake your head or do somersaults, the LinkBuds Fit won’t fall off.
The earbuds have an IPX4 rating, making them sweat-resistant during workouts.
Interestingly, the headphones also come with an IPX4 rating, which means they can easily withstand sweat and light rain. The earbuds also come with gesture controls, but they’re not exactly accurate to be honest. They are equipped with a wide-area click function, which allows users to control the earphones by clicking in front of the ear in addition to clicking directly on the earphones.
The feature looks interesting, but it also has quite a few flaws. Sometimes the earbuds fail to register tap gestures. That said, you can customize gesture controls from the app, but you’ll still have to go through a learning curve to figure out the best places to use them.
Sony LinkBuds Fit app and specs: Easy-to-use interface
- Driver – 8.4mm
- Companion App – Sony Sound Connect
- Gesture Control – Yes (click)
The Sony LinkBuds Fit comes with a companion app that allows you to control multiple functions. The Sony Sound Connect app is available on Android and iOS platforms, which is nice. The app interface is very easy to use and you can get important information like battery percentage, noise cancellation options, and more right on the home screen.
You can also easily access the equalizer, voice chat, background music effects, and device settings from the home screen. The app gives you full control to change equalizer settings, set up 360 Reality Audio, measure the earbuds to ensure a secure fit, and more. You can also customize gesture controls using the app. By default, a double tap on the left earphone switches between ANC and ambient sound, while repeated taps lower the volume. Likewise, a double tap on the right earphone lets you play/pause music, a triple tap to change songs, and a repeated tap to increase volume.
You can adjust the five-band EQ through the app or choose from Sony’s presets, such as bright, soft, vocal, relaxed, exciting, treble boost, bass boost, voice, and more. It also supports Sony’s DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine), which helps upscale low-resolution audio files for a clearer listening experience.
As far as specs go, the Sony LinkBuds Fit offers some flagship-level features. The earbuds feature 8.4mm Dynamic Drivers X and offer advanced noise cancellation. It also comes with an automatic ambient sound mode that adjusts the level of noise cancellation based on the environment. The headset is also equipped with Sony’s integrated processor V2, which is also used in the flagship Sony WF-1000XM5. Plus, you get High-Resolution Audio certification. Sony LinkBuds Fit also supports SBC, AAC, LDAC and LC3 audio codecs. The earbuds come with Bluetooth 5.3 and multipoint connectivity.
Sony LinkBuds for Performance and Battery Life: Strong Bass, Reliable Battery
- Codec support: SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3
- Charging – Wired (USB Type-C)
- Bluetooth – 5.3
Let’s start with the noise-canceling performance of the Sony LinkBuds Fit. The earbuds come with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), which is very effective, and you can use three different modes: Noise Cancellation, Ambient Sound, and Off. Noise cancellation works well for the most part, but if you’re looking for Bose or Apple-like levels, these don’t just exist. Once on, the earbuds are able to easily cancel out lower frequencies. However, the noise isolation effect is not as good as that of Sony WF-1000XM5. Even with ANC turned on, you can still hear sounds near the dining table or the clatter of cutlery. This isn’t because of the ANC quality, but because of poor isolation.
Sony Linkbuds Fit feature 8.4mm dynamic drivers and offer high-resolution audio.
In terms of performance, the Sony LinkBuds Fit offer a clear and powerful soundstage, but are a bit bass-heavy. The bass is strong and dominant, but doesn’t overwhelm the mids and treble. As a result, the headphones provided good sound separation when playing Eminem’s “The Way I Am.” Vocals are clear and loud, with just the right amount of bass. Thanks to Kendrick Lamar’s allegiance, the earbuds handled the bass quite well during the chorus.
The mids and highs are both good, although they can’t replicate the similar output we saw in the Sony WF-1000XM5. The mids feel slightly recessed. The treble is clean but lacks the airiness you might find in higher-end models from Sony or Bose. I also like the company’s support for different codecs, which makes it easier to adapt to listener needs. For example, with AAC, you can play the highest quality audio from your iPhone.
The wireless earbuds also come with good microphone quality.
The battery life of the earbuds is also good. The company claims you can get up to 21 hours of backup with the case and up to 7 hours of backup per earbud. During testing, I found that the headphones provided nearly four hours of backup with ANC turned on. With ANC turned off, each earphone gets nearly 6 hours of backup time.
The playback time of the charging box is close to 20 hours. In terms of charging speed, it can be fully charged in 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours. Additionally, a 5-minute charge provides one hour of playback.
Sony LinkBuds Fit is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and supports multi-point connections.
Call quality is also very good. The microphone on the Linkbuds Fit was adequate to capture my voice and filter out unwanted background noise.
Sony LinkBuds fit determination
All in all, the Sony LinkBuds Fit are one of the most comfortable wireless headphones in this price segment. The lightweight design makes it comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The silicone tips and tails are comfortable and you won’t feel any discomfort while wearing these earbuds. This also makes the entire exercise process enjoyable. Plus, with an IPX4 protection rating, you don’t have to worry about sweat or light rain while exercising.
The earphones are on sale at Rs. 18,990.
The performance is worth the price. The sound profile is brisk and punchy. These earbuds put a heavy emphasis on bass, but they also manage the mids and trebles effectively, though not as well as we saw in the Sony WF-1000XM5. To be honest, the active noise cancellation (ANC) is great, but the noise isolation isn’t that great. Battery life is decent, if not great. So, if you are one of those people who likes to listen to music while working and want a comfortable pair of earbuds, then you can consider these.
