The open earbuds market is gaining more attention, with Sony kicking off 2026 with a revamped pair in the new LinkBuds Clip. They're immediately going up against options from Bose and Motorola — Bose sells the Ultra Open earbuds, and Motorola's Moto Buds Loop are powered by Bose sound. The latter two models retail for $300 at full price, while the LinkBuds Clip costs $230.
The first thing I noticed after unboxing the Sony LinkBuds Clip was how similar the earbuds' design looks compared with the Moto Buds Loop. Motorola's open earbuds are a bit flashier, especially the colorways with Swarovski crystals. Otherwise, both earbuds clip onto the midpoint of your earlobe with an orb-shaped audio driver resting outside your ear canal.
