Sony’s open-ear LinkBuds now come in a clip style

Sony was one of the first companies to champion the idea of open-ear earbuds when it released its first LinkBuds model in 2022, an in-ear design with a distinctive donut-shaped speaker module. Since then, it has stuck to this formula — with a small tweak to 2024’s LinkBuds Open — while most open-ear competitors like Shokz, Bose, and Soundcore have chosen earhook and clip-style designs.

Today, that changes with the debut of the Sony LinkBuds Clip ($229.99), available now in four different colors (lavender, black, green, and greige). At the time of writing, the earbuds are available at Amazon and directly from Sony.

The LinkBuds Clip, as its name suggests, follows in the footsteps of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Shokz OpenDots One, with a U-shaped clip design that wraps around the side of the ear instead of sitting inside it.

I got to briefly try the new Sony LinkBuds Clip at a demo ahead of their launch, and I've got all the details on these new wireless earbuds.

Sony embraces a new design for the LinkBuds

Sony says its research revealed that fit and comfort are among buyers’ top concerns in choosing open-ear earbuds. And while Sony stopped short of saying that users found the LinkBuds and LinkBuds Open uncomfortable, the LinkBuds Clip seems like an acknowledgement that not everyone was able to get a comfortable fit with the company’s in-ear models.

A soft, flexible band connects the in-ear speaker pod with a battery module that sits behind the ear. Sony includes a set of small silicone “air fitting cushions” to help users with smaller ears get a secure fit. Like the rest of the LinkBuds family, the new Sony LinkBuds Clips have an IPX4 splash-proof rating.

As with the LinkBuds Open, Sony will sell accessory silicone top and bottom covers (with ring carabiners) for the charging case in the same five colors as the earbuds. The tops come with a color-matched set of air cushions, and you’ll be able to mix and match top and bottom colors. They cost $24.99 for a set and will only be available on Sony’s website.

Speaking of the charging case, its size and shape are nearly identical to the LinkBuds Open, with a clamshell design that unfortunately lacks wireless charging.

What else is new with the Sony LinkBuds Clip earbuds?

Sony says it has upped the battery life on the LinkBuds Clip by an hour versus the Open model, claiming a 9-hour per charge play time, and a total of 37 hours when you include the case’s capacity. A fast-charge system promises an additional one hour of play time after just three minutes of charging.

Sound-wise, Sony has added a new voice mode that attempts to keep spoken audio content clear and intelligible in noisy environments, while a sound leakage mode works to prevent your music and voice calls from being heard by others.

The company also says that a future firmware update will bring adaptive volume control, which will sense the noise level of your surroundings and boost or lower the LinkBuds Clip’s volume to match.

The Clips support Bluetooth Multipoint, along with SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, but unlike the LinkBuds Open, you don’t get LC3 codec support. Perhaps more disappointingly, Sony has no plans to add Bluetooth Auracast.

The earbuds use tap controls instead of physical buttons, but Sony hasn’t included the wide-area tap feature from the LinkBuds Open, which lets you tap near the earbuds instead of directly on them. Moreover, customization of the controls with Sony’s Sound Connect app will be limited to a set of pre-configured control groups.

Call quality, which has always been a big selling point for open earbuds, could see a significant improvement on the LinkBuds Clip. Sony says it has leveraged AI-powered noise reduction, combined with a new bone-conduction sensor, to eliminate background noise during calls. During my briefing, Sony played some example recordings to illustrate the difference these new technologies make, and if they prove to be as effective in real life, the Clips should be excellent for calls.