Bluetooth: 5.3
Codec support: AAC, SBC
Noise cancelling: Yes
Battery Life: 4 hours (with ANC on), 5 hours (with ANC off), 30 hours (total with charging case)
Finishes: x 1 (white)
Weight: 4.3g per bud
The Apple AirPods 4 with ANC are an impressive pair of open earbuds. They sound detailed, clean and agile, work beautifully with iOS devices and manage remarkable active noise cancelling while retaining their open form.
For
- Cleaner, more powerful sound than the LinkBuds
- Boast impressive ANC which the Sony lack
- Compact, lightweight and comfortable design
- Extensive feature set that borrows from flagship model
- Works more seamlessly with iOS devices than Sonys
Against
- In-bud battery life lags behind LinkBuds
- Fit won’t suit everyone
- Need more dynamic subtlety, solidity and punch to be class leading
Bluetooth: 5.3
Codec support: AAC, SBC, LC3
Noise cancelling: No
Battery Life: 8 hours (earbuds), 22 hours (total with charging case)
Finishes: x 3 (white, black, violet)
Weight: 5.1g per bud
You're more likely to buy the LinkBuds Open for their design than for their sound. The AirPods 4 with ANC comfortably outperform them sonically, but we completely see the appeal of the Sony buds' clever, comfortable configuration.
For
- Arguably more comfy and and secure design than AirPods 4
- Balanced midrange reproduction
- Open design lets in external sounds for greater awareness
- Lots of features, better in-bud battery life than AirPods
Against
- AirPods have ANC, LinkBuds do not
- Sonically outperformed by AirPods 4
- Open design leaks sound and also lets in unwanted noise
