Sony Linkbuds review: is a half-step the right idea?

The real question is how specialised do you want your headphones?

Sony Linkbuds
(Image: © Josh Ross)

Cyclingnews Verdict

Better sound and more convenient than bone conduction. If you want to ride your bike while listening to music the Sony Linkbuds work well, but off the bike there are better options.

Pros

  • +

    Preserves spatial awareness

  • +

    Won’t fall out even when sweaty

  • +

    Earbuds click into the case and won’t fall out if dropped

  • +

    Better sound quality than other options that preserve spatial awareness

  • +

    Enough wing size options to help you find a fit that works

  • +

    Comfortable to eat without removing the earbuds

Cons

  • -

    Using both ear buds independently depends on not assigning a voice assistant

  • -

    Short battery life

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Listening to music while riding a bike is a surprisingly divisive subject. If you are riding indoors on a trainer music is almost a requirement to get through the effort. Outside though there's a lot of worry about spatial awareness and if it makes sense to ride with headphones. The reality is that there are a lot of use cases and it's for that reason we put together a list of the best headphones for cycling.

As I look to evolve that list, something I continue to investigate are headphones that preserve spatial awareness. There are a lot of different ways that modern technology looks to solve this problem but Sony has managed to do something completely unique with the Sony Linkbuds. A pair of true wireless headphones that don't seal the ear canal is an intriguing idea so I set out to see if it works. Having spent time testing in a variety of situations I am ready to share what they do well, and what could use some rethinking. If you are considering headphones for riding a bike keep reading to see if the Sony Linkbuds are the best option for you.

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Testing scorecard and notes
Sound qualityBetter than the Shokz but they completely lack bottom end and that reduces the overall presence.5/10
ComfortNot having your ear sealed feels better after a while but they are still hard plastic against your ear.7/10
Companion AppIt works well but there’s lots of unnecessary pieces as well as a lot of things that are only going to work for some people. The classic choice of options you can’t use vs no options. 8/10
FeaturesConsider that increased spatial awareness is as important as any other feature.10/10
ValuePricing moves around a little but Sony tends to price these just slightly higher than the competition and they are somewhat specialised. 8/10
OverallRow 5 - Cell 1 76%
Josh Ross

Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes. Height: 5'9" Weight: 140 lb. Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx