Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless portable earbud model provides acceptable sound. Its non-isolating design doesn't muffle outside sounds so you'll be able to hear that door bell ring, train announcement, or car horn when you are wearing these earphones.
Additional features include:
Has integrated volume control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect control. Either earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Free Sony Sound Connect app download for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features and software updates.
Sound quality:We found the LinkBuds Open delivers sound quality that falls in the acceptable range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound. The sound of these earphones is very dependent on how they sit in the ears, and it takes some fiddling to position this model so it provides its best sound quality. With the Sony Sound Connect app set with the Equalizer off (as received state of the earphone) and the earphones positioned so they provide their best sound quality the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact but doesn't go deep. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even however, the upper midrange is a bit prominent, somewhat congested (think sonic traffic jam) and grainy, a bit hazy and a touch sibilant and plasticky. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended, but a bit prominent, sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying) and smeared. The sound also has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears and does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Neutral to coolish character. The overall sound can best be summarized as fairly even and somewhat congested. When these earphones are not positioned to provide their best sound quality the bass is very subdued, the midrange is very thin, and the volume is very low. The Sony Sound Connect app eq controls had a noticeable effect on the sound.
Comfort and Fit:This is a unique ear bud design - the earpieces are supported by the ear bowls like a typical ear bud model, but they have a doughnut-shaped driver assembly that has an actual hole through the center so it does not block the ear canal and does not muffle ambient sounds. The earphones can be controlled via touch sensors on the earphones themselves and by tapping the face in the area just in front of the ears.
Small
Users with small earbowls might find that the earphone body feels bulky in their earbowl and that they stick out too far and feel like they may lever out of place, that they have to fiddle a bit to find the position that provides the best sound quality, that the most stable fit does not provide the earphone orientation the produces the best sound quality, and the earphone orientation that produces the best sound quality does not provide a secure, stable fit even for casual use.
Medium
Users with medium sized ear bowls may find that they have to fiddle a bit to find the position that provides the best sound quality, that the earbowl support size that provides the most stable fit does not provide earphone orientation the produces the best sound quality, and the ear bowl support size that allows the earphones to produce the best sound quality does not provide a secure, stable fit even for casual use, some may also find that the earphone body feels a bit bulky in their earbowl.
Large
Users with large sized ear bowls may find that they have to fiddle a bit to find the position that provides the best sound quality, but once found they will stay in place during casual use and are stable even during vigorous head movement, some may also find that the earphone body feels a bit bulky in their earbowl.
Incidental contact with the touch controls on the earphone can cause unintentional playing or pausing.
