The Sony LinkBuds S offer detailed sound and a comfortable fit. They don’t stand out like the original LinkBuds, but they still appeal in more ways than one
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A combination of good sound quality and comfort? Sign me up. Getting excited about true wireless stereo (TWS) headphones is hard these days. When Sony announced that the WF-LS900N (better known as LinkBuds S globally) was coming to town, I jumped out of my seat.
It was in September that the Sony LinkBuds landed on Indian shores. It was the last time I was really impressed by a pair of TWS headphones. It wasn’t because they were the best in the business (that title is reserved for Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro), far from it. It’s because they dared to do something that no other manufacturer had done before. The original LinkBuds let the outside world in and let it blend in with your music. It makes you more aware of your surroundings and therefore safer. They can do this thanks to their unique open ring design.
When you hear the name WF-LS900N (LinkBuds S), you’d assume they’d have a similar design at a cheaper price. Well, it’s not like that at all. Sony might try to convince you that the WF-LS900N belongs in the same family as the LinkBuds, but they’d never succeed. In fact, the box prominently says LinkBuds S, but the company will only refer to them as the WF-LS900N in India, and they’re available for a launch price of ₹13,990.
The WF-LS900N headphones are closer to Sony’s WF-1000XM4s. The WF-LS900N has a more traditional closed earpiece. While they still let in outside noise (thanks to a vent and some mic tech), they’re more about active noise cancellation (ANC) and audio performance. Sony touts them as a “never shut off” experience and I can see why. The WF-LS900N have a smaller, more compact design that makes them much more comfortable to wear for longer periods than the original LinkBuds.
The LinkBuds S support Google’s new Quick Pair feature, which means you can pair the earbuds with your Android device quickly and easily. (Sony)
A family approach
The WF-LS900N is ergonomically shaped and comes with four different sizes of ear tips. The headphones are made from recycled plastic parts from old cars (two thumbs up for that).
Thanks to the sealed design, the user gets two direct advantages over the original LinkBuds. First, you may not be able to hear your surroundings as well, but you can really hear music (bass and tempo) with decent instrument separation. Second, you don’t need to go full volume just to drown out the sounds around you.
If you’ve used a Sony audio product before, you’ll feel right at home. Just download Sony’s “Headphones” app, turn on Bluetooth and pair the TWS headphones with your smartphone. The “Headphones” app may not be mandatory, but it’s definitely useful.
Within this app, you can check the battery levels of each earbud and the case (on a side note, the charging case gives a very satisfying snap when closed). You can also adjust noise cancellation or switch to ambient noise, play with the equalizer, and some features like spatial sound optimization, among other things.
Having a smaller footprint means they are easier to fit into the ear canal. They are small, light and very comfortable. The headphones are available in black, white and beige. This is one area where Sony didn’t have to be careful. The more color options, the merrier, I say (including the extravagant ones).
It seems as if Sony’s main goal with the WF-LS900N is to be worn comfortably throughout the day. In this sense, they have succeeded with flourish. I took them out for an hour walk and a couple of hours at a coffee shop and didn’t feel the need to take them off every now and then just to give my ears a break. The WF-LS900N does an impressive job of staying inside your ears. Even with vigorous head movement, the headphones did not fall out.
Do they sound better than the original LinkBuds?
The answer is a resounding yes. There is good, detailed sound coming out of the WF-LS900N. There’s also well-defined bass (which was almost non-existent on the original LinkBuds) and the sound is natural, while there’s good clarity to vocals. The fact that these little headphones pack a punch says a lot. Not many TWS headphones of this size can match the sound of the WF-LS900N. Yes, they’re nowhere near the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or even Sony’s WF-1000XM4, but they still hold their own.
The ANC is not as clear as with the WF-1000XM4. While you can tell the difference between noise canceling and ambient sound modes, it’s very subtle. I took the WF-LS900N and went to a noisy street outside the Kalkaji Mandir metro station in Delhi. I switched between the ambient sound and noise canceling modes several times and didn’t notice any difference. Even though the horn would have turned down while the ANC was on, I could still hear the buses honking every few minutes.
For the most part, I had little to no complaints when listening to music, as the bass was solid (though not enough to stimulate a live concert stage), vocals were clear, and phone calls sounded great on both ends of the call.
As a bonus, the WF-LS900N includes multi-point support. This means they can be paired with two Bluetooth devices at once for added convenience.
Having a smaller footprint means they are easier to fit into the ear canal. They are small, light and very comfortable. The headphones are available in black, white and beige. (Sony)
Very responsive touch controls, shaky Bluetooth, average battery life
The WF-LS900N, however, is far from perfect. There were two different areas where I had trouble. The external touch-sensitive surface may be large, but it is also very sensitive. I noticed this while walking home from the subway station. I touched some leaves hanging from a tree and my music randomly stopped. At first, I dismissed this, but then it happened again and again. That’s when I was fully convinced that the WF-LS900N touch controls are very responsive.
The other problem I had was with the Bluetooth connection. There were several times that the left earbud (yes, the left one in particular) would not respond to any touches. For several minutes I was trying to change the ambient mode and it didn’t work. I had to take it out and put it back in my ear a couple of times to get it to work. There was also, on one occasion, when the phone told me the left earbud was connected, but I couldn’t hear any music. A quick second on the case fixed everything. Perhaps a future software update will help stabilize the Bluetooth connection.
With ANC on, battery life is six hours per charge. With ANC turned off, battery life extends to nine hours. During the time I tested the WF-LS900N, I got about 5 hours and 45 minutes before I had to put them in the box. Sony is on point and these headphones can be used for almost a whole day without any issues. The charging case adds 14 hours of charge for a total of 20 hours. These are only average, and again, far from the best.
The WF-LS900N is ergonomically shaped and features four…