Sony has entered the open earbuds market with the LinkBuds Clip, but how do they compare to their esteemed Bose rival?
Sony recently expanded its LinkBuds lineup with a welcome open-ear addition, the LinkBuds Clip, and they’re the open earbuds I’ve been waiting for.
These latest earbuds build on Sony’s developments with its LinkBuds Open, which launched in 2024. I found the LinkBuds Open’s form factor uncomfortable and ill-fitting for different ears. Sony solves this problem with the LinkBuds Clip by creating a size-agnostic, universally fitting cushion that attaches to the outer ear, with a speaker positioned next to the ear canal for aware listening.
If you’re well-versed in the world of premium earbuds, you might take one look at Sony’s clip-on earbuds and think it’s taking notes from Bose’s Ultra Open clip-on earbuds, as the two earbuds bear several similarities. For one, they have a similar form factor. Additionally, both companies designed the earbuds to deliver immersive sound while keeping listeners aware of their environments – they’re the opposite of noise-canceling earbuds.
Unlike noise-canceling earbuds that distance you from the sounds of your office or the outdoors, open earbuds balance the internal music inside your ears with the external sounds around you, so you can jam out in the park while marathon training and still hear the stampede of cyclists passing you by.
Bose’s Ultra Open came out two years ago, while Sony’s LinkBuds Clip just debuted.
