Sony LinkBuds S

The LinkBuds S are incredibly light and comfortable with noise canceling that's among the absolute best right now. But a widespread battery degradation issue after a year or two is a major red flag, dragging down an otherwise excellent experience. Buy them on a deep discount, but don't pay full price.

The ANC here is top of the charts, landing in the 97th percentile of our database. It handles airplane rumble and coffee shop chatter with ease. Sound quality is a strong point too, with a clean, detailed presentation that most people will really enjoy, though it's not quite the absolute best for critical music listening based on its 64.6 music score. The transparency mode is one of Sony's best, sounding natural. Call quality, however, is a weak spot. Despite Sony's claims, the mic makes voices sound processed and mechanical, and it falls to a mediocre 65th percentile in our rankings.

Stacked against the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, the LinkBuds S are lighter and more comfortable for all-day wear, but Bose wins on call quality and has a more premium build. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro offer a more feature-rich experience if you're in the Android ecosystem, with better water resistance. And while the Apple AirPods Pro are the no-brainer for iPhone users with their seamless integration, the LinkBuds S beat them on pure noise canceling. The Technics EAH-AZ100 are a strong alternative if sound quality is your top priority, edging out the Sony in that department.

Pricing is all over the place, with a spread from $80 to $248 across different vendors. At the low end, these are a steal for the noise canceling and comfort alone. But at full price near $250, that looming battery issue and the mediocre call quality make them a much tougher sell. If you can snag them closer to the $80 mark, the value proposition flips completely and they become a fantastic deal, just know you're rolling the dice on long-term battery health.

Sony's LinkBuds S are basically the WF-1000XM4 shrunk down into a ridiculously light 4.8-gram package. They pack the same great noise canceling and a very similar sound signature into a body that genuinely disappears in your ears. If comfort has been the thing keeping you from Sony's flagship buds, this is the fix.

But there's a catch, and it's a big one. A lot of owners are reporting serious battery degradation after a year or two of use, with one earbud dying way faster than the other. It's a frustrating flaw on an otherwise excellent set of earbuds, and Sony's support doesn't seem to have a good answer for it.

Skip these if you need reliable battery life for years to come or if you take a lot of calls. The long-term battery drain issue is a real gamble, and the call quality is a letdown. If you're a music purist, the 64.6 music score means there are better-sounding options out there for the same money.

The Sony LinkBuds S are a fantastic pair of earbuds for comfort and noise canceling that are held back by a ticking time bomb of a battery. If you prioritize a barely-there fit and top-tier ANC for travel or commute, and you can find them at a discount, they're worth a look. Just go in with your eyes open about the long-term reliability concerns that have clearly frustrated a lot of buyers.