Sony LinkBuds S review: The better, cheaper AirPods alternative

It’s not every day that I come across something that I might even like a little more than AirPods—the Sony LinkBuds S. But they’re not without flaws.

There are, for sure, better audio quality soft-tipped in-ear buds out there. But if they don’t sit comfortably in my ears, the buds will just rot inside my desk drawers after a while.

I mean sure, good noise-cancelling headphones make a world of a difference. But mixed with it being really comfortable for soft-tipped in-ears, as well as its lightness and great audio quality, the LinkBuds S stands out amongst the few other soft-tipped ones I’ve tried (and that includes the AirPods Pro). And I consider the comfort level a huge part of my general opinion.

However, the buds come in a light and plastic-y case that’s meant to be environmentally friendly—but it feels so cheap. It was hard for me to convince myself that RM929 is worth it for the buds with the cheap-feeling case.

And when it comes to me answering phone calls or when I record audio, the buds’ mic quality for the LinkBuds was far worse than my AirPods. They’re not a complete turn-off, but it does affect your decision if you’re one to go on phone calls or Zoom meetings on your headphones a lot more often.

But if you’re wondering if the Linkbuds trump the flagship XM4s, I’d personally still go for the LinkBuds S rather than the XM4s. I thought the sound and comfort beat what the XM4s had to offer—and they’re also a lot prettier.

The price range is pretty close to XM4’s RM1,099 price. But if you had that amount of money to spend on earbuds, getting the Linkbuds S is a more satisfying purchase if you’re into the Apple aesthetic—but with Sony’s great quality sound. You can even get the Linkbuds S for RM749 right now—so it seems like more of a deal. Additionally, previous sales like 8.8 offered the buds for a mere RM547, which is a heck of a bargain. It might be even more worth it to wait for the next big sale.

Related reading

• Sony LinkBuds S review: Better than AirPods?