Sony wants a slice of the wireless wearable audio pie with its LinkBuds Clip earbuds

We’ve already covered new open earbud launches from the likes of JBL, Huawei, and Shockz in the last couple of months, and now it’s time for Sony to throw its hat into the ring with the launch of the LinkBuds Clip.

As you can probably tell from the model name, these wireless earbuds use a clip or ‘cuff’ design to secure themselves to your ear, with the main tip resting just outside your earhole and firing sound into it.

This open design allows outside noise in, so you’re less isolated compared to when using a conventional, burrowing in-ear design.

Sony has already had a couple of stabs at open earbuds before, first with the original LinkBuds, the WF-L900 and then the LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) in 2024. But this is the first time we've seen a clip design from the brand.

Interestingly, the LinkBuds Clip also come with what Sony calls ‘fitting cushions’, which claim to give the buds a more secure fit around the ear. The cushions attach to the connector band, which runs between the two parts of the earbud. It's an interesting design detail which we haven't come across before.

Inside each earbud, you’ll find two mics for taking calls, and the Sonys also use bone conduction tech to help isolate your voice on a call. They work with dedicated AI Noise Reduction processing, and the result should be that you come through loud and clear to the person on the other end of the line.

To help cope with the demands of different outdoor environments, Sony has included three sound modes to choose from: Standard, Voice Boost and Sound Leakage Reduction.

Standard does what it says on the tin, while Voice Boost claims to raise vocal clarity and volume for busier environments. Sound Leakage Reduction reduces the amount of audio that leaks out of the earbuds – think listening in quiet spaces such as an elevator.

According to Sony, this mode “removes some high frequencies”, so it wouldn’t be the recommended mode for normal listening. For that, you’d stick to the standard sound mode.

The headphones also feature Sony’s DSEE sound enhancement engine to boost low-quality music files, a ten-band EQ, and a more user-friendly ‘Find your equaliser’ setting, which you’ll find in the Sony Connect app.

Battery life is claimed to be nine hours per charge, with total battery life, including the case, topping out at 37 hours. The LinkBuds Clip also include touch controls for playback and switching sound modes, and they are also IPX4 splash-resistatnt, so they could be an option for the gym or running outdoors.

Sony’s claiming a “natural, expansive sound” from its new buds, and, given its recent form in the wireless earbuds market, we're hoping for big things. Could they be the first pair of open earbuds we've found worthy of five stars? You'll be the first to know.

The Sony LinkBuds Clip go on sale this month for £180/€200 and are available in four finishes: 'greige', black, lavender and green.

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