The LinkBuds and WF-1000XM4 are two of the best wireless headphones from Sony in 2022 — but which pair is the better choice for you? True wireless earbuds are everywhere you look these days. Apple has AirPods and Beats, Samsung's Galaxy Buds lineup is constantly growing, and there are regularly new models from Google, OnePlus, and other companies. To say there's a lot of competition is a massive understatement.
Another company that's found solid footing in the earbud niche is Sony. Sony's never been a stranger to audio gadgets, and most recently, its had a strong focus on true wireless earbuds. In 2022, two of its best models include the Sony LinkBuds and Sony WF-1000XM4. The former are available for $180, the latter cost $280, and each pair has very distinct pros/cons.
Without a doubt, the biggest difference between the LinkBuds and WF-1000XM4 is the design. For their part, the WF-1000XM4 are very traditional-looking earbuds. They form a tight in-ear seal, come with multiple ear tips to get the perfect fit, and have capacitive touch areas on the back of each bud for controlling your music. By comparison, the Sony LinkBuds seem like they're from another planet. They go inside your ear like normal earbuds, but they rest in the shape of your ear rather than forming a seal in your ear canal. There's also a noticeable hole in the earbuds (more on that below) and a unique twist on playback controls. Instead of touching the earbuds themselves, a feature called Wide Area Tap allows you to tap the area in front of your ear to control them. In other words, you get to control music playback by touching your face. This unique design also means the LinkBuds are incredibly lightweight — weighing 1.2 oz compared to 1.45 oz for the WF-1000XM4.
More Differences Between The LinkBuds & WF-1000XM4
But that's not the only thing this unique design impacts. The holes on the Sony LinkBuds make them function just like open-backed headphones. This means the LinkBuds don't block ambient sound while wearing them, but instead allow you to hear the world around you as if you weren't wearing earbuds at all. This makes the LinkBuds an incredible choice for wearing earbuds around the office or your house, but far less idea if at a noisy coffee shop or aboard an airplane. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are the exact opposite. Along with forming a passive seal, they also have some of the best active noise cancellation on the market — blocking out annoying ambient sound so you can focus on your music. The WF-1000XM4 also feature a transparent mode for more easily hearing those sounds, but it's nowhere near as natural as the LinkBuds.
Outside of the radical design difference, other aspects of the earbuds are pretty similar. Both the LinkBuds and WF-1000XM4 have Google Fast Pair, Google Assistant and Alexa integration, 360 Reality Audio, DSEE audio upscaling, and Sony's Speak to Chat feature (allowing you to automatically pause music playback whenever you start talking). The earbuds also share an IPX4 water resistance rating and Bluetooth 5.2. That said, the WF-1000XM4 come out ahead in a few key areas — specifically, supporting LDAC files and wireless charging (two things not present on the Sony LinkBuds). The WF-1000XM4 also have longer battery life, clocking in up to 8 hours of continuous listening and another 16 hours with the charging case. By comparison, the Sony LinkBuds get 5.5 hours of continuous listening and store another 12 hours in their charge case.
While the LinkBuds and WF-1000XM4 both come from Sony, it's obvious that each pair is made for very different users. The LinkBuds are for someone who wants a pair of earbuds unlike anything else on the market. They have relatively short battery life and no ANC, but they make up for that with a wholly original design, a lower price, and a listening experience that's perfect for staying in tune with the world around you. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are bigger and more expensive, but they also have more premium audio, excellent noise cancellation, longer battery life, and wireless charging. That comes at a cost of $100 over the LinkBuds, but depending on what you want out of your earbuds, the WF-1000XM4 may very well be worth it.
Source: Sony