Customer reviews from sony.com
Sony - LinkBuds S True Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds - Black
Average customer rating
4.2
(339 Reviews)
83%of customers recommend this product.
(
260 out of
315)
Customer Reviews for Sony - LinkBuds S True Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds - Black
Posted by: Joeslin
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
I bought this 1 year and 6 months ago. About 7 months into using them I got the wind noise that all the reviews talk about when using ambient or NC mode. I thought I could live with that and just not use those modes, not the end of the world. Unfortunately now the right earbud simply no longer works at all. Since it is 6 months over warranty it cannot be fixed so unless you want to have earbuds that don't work after a year DO NOT buy this item. I will not be purchasing from Sony again
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, October 23, 2024
Hi Joeslin, we're sorry to hear that you have an issue with your Sony unit. When dealing with wind noise, it is recommended to follow this link:
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00278105?utm_source
Please initialize your LinkBuds S to isolate the issue. Press and hold the initialize button of the charging case for about 15 seconds or more. Please check this link for more details:
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541614.html?search=initialize
If you require any additional support with regard to this product, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details: Name: Username: Model Number: Issue: Telephone Number:
~Earl
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00278105?utm_source
Please initialize your LinkBuds S to isolate the issue. Press and hold the initialize button of the charging case for about 15 seconds or more. Please check this link for more details:
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541614.html?search=initialize
If you require any additional support with regard to this product, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details: Name: Username: Model Number: Issue: Telephone Number:
~Earl
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Fits My Needs
on April 18, 2022
Posted by: seximarilyn
Gender:Female
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Sony LinkBuds have a unique and innovative open ring, donut-shaped design that allows you to hear the outside world in addition to your music. Included in the box, are a handful of detachable silicone ear fins of different sizes. After some experimentation, I found the fins that fit my ears best. The lightweight buds feel soft but are still quite durable. Even after several straight hours of wearing, the compact and discreet buds felt very comfortable in my ears. Despite the buds small size, they deliver strong audio quality with a well-balanced, crisp and clear sound. However, the bass could be a bit deeper. The battery life of 5.5 hours on a single charge is good but not great. The voice call quality is suberb with excellent clarity. I love the ear-detection sensors that automatically pause my music when I remove a bud from my ear, and then resumes the music when I put the bud back in my ear. I also appreciate the buds' Wide Area Tap feature which allows me to tap my cheek to control playback. Although, these water-resistant buds don't offer noise cancellation and do allow environmental noise in, I don't mind so much. As someone who for personal safety reasons wants to be extra alert with an increased awareness of my surroundings, these earbuds achieve what they're designed to do and perfectly fit my needs.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, April 19, 2022
Hi seximarilyn, Thank you for the detailed and amazing review of your new Sony Linkbuds! We're glad you like the comfortable open-ring design that naturally blends ambient sound with digital sound, excellent fit that comes with silicone ear fins of different sizes, compact and lightweight design, crisp and clear sound and call quality, and overall features of your new Linkbuds. The LinkBuds provide crystal clear calls with our Precise Voice Pickup technology. Sony’s V1 Processor provides a well-balanced and high-quality sound for an authentic listening experience. The LinkBuds feature an IPX4 splash-proof and sweat-proof design, Adaptive Volume Control adjusting the volume to the environment around you and a battery life is 5.5 hours and up to 17.5 hours with the charging case. LinkBuds are comfortable enough to wear all the time and smart enough to adapt to your life – keeping you connected to the people and entertainment you love. Thanks for choosing Sony! -Sam
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: lowbattery
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
After 1 year of light use, the left earbud can only hold a charge for 20 minutes.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, December 19, 2023
Hi lowbattery,
This is not the experience that we want you to have. For optimum performance, make sure to install the latest software version of the headphones (via the Sony Headphones Connect app). Make sure that the left earbud is placed properly on the case when charging the headphones.
Resetting and initializing the headset may also help resolve the issue. Please refer to the steps on these links:
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541613.html
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541614.html
Hope this helps. If still not resolved, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
Or contact our product support team via phone call or chat through this link:
https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Sincerely,
-Ralph
This is not the experience that we want you to have. For optimum performance, make sure to install the latest software version of the headphones (via the Sony Headphones Connect app). Make sure that the left earbud is placed properly on the case when charging the headphones.
Resetting and initializing the headset may also help resolve the issue. Please refer to the steps on these links:
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541613.html
https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541614.html
Hope this helps. If still not resolved, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
Or contact our product support team via phone call or chat through this link:
https://us.esupport.sony.com/support/s/support-contact?language=en_US&category=headphones
Sincerely,
-Ralph
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
1
Disappointed in lifespan of Sony Linkbud S earbuds
on January 17, 2024
Posted by: mcyfnk
Verified Purchase:Yes
These were decent earbuds for about a year and a half. The audio quality and microphone for calls was good. I chose these for the price and because they're smaller than a lot of other options (my ears are small). I had connection issues occasionally, but I was able to look past this for the price. However, 18 months in, they have suffered Sony's inevitable and premature earbud battery failure. The left bud will not fully charge and only lasts about 20 minutes. Because they were past the one year warranty, Sony offered me nothing. It's ridiculous that consumers are expected to invest in a new product every 18 months. Don't buy these -- it's a waste of money. Sony, please consider standing by your product and extending the warranty.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, January 19, 2024
Hi mcyfnk,
We are sorry to hear that about the battery and connection issues you are having with your LinkBuds S. This is definitely not the customer experience we want you to have. To isolate the battery issue, you can consider the suggestions from this link: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541590.html. Please make sure to update the firmware of your LinkBuds S to further isolate and hope fully resolve these issues: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-headphones/linkbuds-s/downloads.
We take all user input seriously and will make sure your comments reach the appropriate person. Should you need further assistance or if you are still having the same issue, ou can email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Sony website Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
Sincerely,
Vincent
We are sorry to hear that about the battery and connection issues you are having with your LinkBuds S. This is definitely not the customer experience we want you to have. To isolate the battery issue, you can consider the suggestions from this link: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541590.html. Please make sure to update the firmware of your LinkBuds S to further isolate and hope fully resolve these issues: https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-headphones/linkbuds-s/downloads.
We take all user input seriously and will make sure your comments reach the appropriate person. Should you need further assistance or if you are still having the same issue, ou can email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Sony website Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
Sincerely,
Vincent
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: caznaran
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
NOTE - This is a review for the product "LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds - Teams Certified Version - Model: LinkBuds UC". The model does not exist at the time I registered the product on the Sony US site, so I had to register it as a random WF-L900 headset.
This product did not have a single review at the time of purchase, so I decided to take a "leap of faith".
Disadvantages:
- They do not feature noise cancellation. But I didn't choose them for that but wanted them to have the best ambient noise possible since I would be using them to commute to work.
- They do not have volume up/down buttons or gestures. THIS IS IMPORTANT!
- Microsoft Teams functions can only be activated on the left earbud. You can't change what this headset does, so if you want to customize any gestures, you can only do it on the right earbud, and options are limited.
- If you activate the voice assistant, it doesn't read notifications to you automatically, you will have to ask it from time to time.
- Battery time is low, compared to similar cost options.
- They do not feature noise cancellation. But I didn't choose them for that but wanted them to have the best ambient noise possible since I would be using them to commute to work.
- They do not have volume up/down buttons or gestures. THIS IS IMPORTANT!
- Microsoft Teams functions can only be activated on the left earbud. You can't change what this headset does, so if you want to customize any gestures, you can only do it on the right earbud, and options are limited.
- If you activate the voice assistant, it doesn't read notifications to you automatically, you will have to ask it from time to time.
- Battery time is low, compared to similar cost options.
Advantages
- By design, they have the best ambient noise you can ask for, it is simply the best choice if you want to be aware of your surroundings while commuting to work.
- The integration with Microsoft Teams is natural and very useful when you use the USB dongle. Too bad you don't have the same experience when using it on your cell phone with the same application. No mute/raise hand features when using Teams on your smartphone.
- By design, they have the best ambient noise you can ask for, it is simply the best choice if you want to be aware of your surroundings while commuting to work.
- The integration with Microsoft Teams is natural and very useful when you use the USB dongle. Too bad you don't have the same experience when using it on your cell phone with the same application. No mute/raise hand features when using Teams on your smartphone.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, March 17, 2023
Thank you for sharing your review of the LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbuds. It's great to hear your thoughts on the product, and your feedback will be helpful for others who are considering purchasing these earbuds.
It's good to know that the ambient noise feature is excellent for commuting, and the integration with Microsoft Teams is helpful with the USB dongle. However, it's unfortunate that there are limitations to the customization of gestures and the lack of volume control.
May we contact you to help? If so, please email the below information to socialsupport@am.sony.com
Apologies if you disclosed some of this information in your review and to customer service, we just want to ensure that we have your accurate details at the time of communication.
Full Name:
Sony.com Username:
Telephone Number:
Model Number:
Issue:
Regards,
Carl
It's good to know that the ambient noise feature is excellent for commuting, and the integration with Microsoft Teams is helpful with the USB dongle. However, it's unfortunate that there are limitations to the customization of gestures and the lack of volume control.
May we contact you to help? If so, please email the below information to socialsupport@am.sony.com
Apologies if you disclosed some of this information in your review and to customer service, we just want to ensure that we have your accurate details at the time of communication.
Full Name:
Sony.com Username:
Telephone Number:
Model Number:
Issue:
Regards,
Carl
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: dmdoull43
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
I was incredibly happy with these earbuds for the first year - very comfortable, easily the strongest noise cancelling I've ever heard, great battery life, and the sound quality was fantastic. After about 11 months I started to hear weird wind noises when i used noise cancelling or ambient mode. I submitted a request for an exchange (which was approved by sony) but the problem went away a day later so I didn't send them back. Turns out that was a mistake, because 3 months later (past my warranty period) the problem returned and the noise cancelling and ambient modes completely stopped working - they only create wind noises. I still use these occasionally but only with NC/ambient turned off. I've seen plenty of experiences from others online with the same complaints so my guess is that there's some bad engineering in this model
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support, July 12, 2024
Hi dmdoull43,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. While we're glad that you're happy with the very comfortable fit design, long-lasting battery life, and superb performance of your LinkBuds S, we sorry if you're experiencing an issue when using the noise cancelling or ambient sound mode function. This is certainly not the news we'd like to hear from you. We want to make sure you’re taken care of and help check on your LinkBuds. May we contact you directly to get more information so we can best assist you? If so, please email the below information to socialsupport@am.sony.com.
Sony Case Number:
Full Name:
Sony.com Username:
Telephone Number:
Model Number:
Issue/Concern:
We value you being a Sony customer. Sorry for the inconvenience and hope to speak directly to try to resolve this matter.
Thank you for choosing Sony.
Sincerely,
Romeo
Sony Social Support
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. While we're glad that you're happy with the very comfortable fit design, long-lasting battery life, and superb performance of your LinkBuds S, we sorry if you're experiencing an issue when using the noise cancelling or ambient sound mode function. This is certainly not the news we'd like to hear from you. We want to make sure you’re taken care of and help check on your LinkBuds. May we contact you directly to get more information so we can best assist you? If so, please email the below information to socialsupport@am.sony.com.
Sony Case Number:
Full Name:
Sony.com Username:
Telephone Number:
Model Number:
Issue/Concern:
We value you being a Sony customer. Sorry for the inconvenience and hope to speak directly to try to resolve this matter.
Thank you for choosing Sony.
Sincerely,
Romeo
Sony Social Support
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Posted by: ZbLog
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
Satisfied with everything but the lifespan. After 21 months, a charge doesn't even last an hour.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Estefany, Sony North America Customer Support, October 16, 2025
Hi ZbLog,
We sincerely apologize that the battery life on your LinkBuds S has dropped off so significantly. We're ready to help and would be happy to walk you through some troubleshooting steps.
1. Fully reset the earbuds. You can find the instructions here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541614.html
2. Always make sure the firmware is completely up-to-date. https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-headphones/linkbuds-s/software/00278796
3. Make sure the charging contacts on both the earbuds and inside the case are clean and dry.
If you've tried these steps and the issue persists, your next step would be to look into a repair.
For official Sony repair service, we recommend reaching out to Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, which is our authorized service partner. You can find their repair services information here: https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
If Encompass is unable to assist with the repair, you may also look into other options. Check your local Yellow Pages business directory for other electronic repair services near you that might be able to help.
Thanks for considering Sony and for bringing this to our attention.
Sincerely,
Estefany
We sincerely apologize that the battery life on your LinkBuds S has dropped off so significantly. We're ready to help and would be happy to walk you through some troubleshooting steps.
1. Fully reset the earbuds. You can find the instructions here: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbudss/v1/en/contents/TP1000541614.html
2. Always make sure the firmware is completely up-to-date. https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/wireless-headphones-bluetooth-headphones/linkbuds-s/software/00278796
3. Make sure the charging contacts on both the earbuds and inside the case are clean and dry.
If you've tried these steps and the issue persists, your next step would be to look into a repair.
For official Sony repair service, we recommend reaching out to Encompass Supply Chain Solutions, which is our authorized service partner. You can find their repair services information here: https://sony.encompass.com/parts-accessories/Sony-Repair-Services
If Encompass is unable to assist with the repair, you may also look into other options. Check your local Yellow Pages business directory for other electronic repair services near you that might be able to help.
Thanks for considering Sony and for bringing this to our attention.
Sincerely,
Estefany
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
3
Nice design
on April 25, 2022
Posted by: ARLEAL
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The design aspect is different and nice, however I feel the sound quality is lacking. Packaging was minimal and a great way to reduce waste of extra paper packaging. The charging case is compact and has a quality feel. Sound falls flat and Bluetooth connection is unstable quite often.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from sony.comBy Sony North America Customer Support , April 25, 2022
Hi ARLEAL,
We're sorry if you're not satisfied with the sound quality of the headphones. Please allow us to help you and turn this into a better experience. If the headset is not worn properly in your ears, it could affect the overall performane of the unit. If you feel the size of the fitting supporters does not fit your ears, change the fitting supporters to another size that fits your ears better.
More details: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbuds/v1/en/contents/TP1000456408.html
Also, If the headset is not worn properly in your ears, tap operations or Speak-to-Chat speech detection may not work correctly, or you may not obtain the correct sound qualities or call performance. If the part of the headset where sound is output is not oriented correctly toward the ear canal, the sound quality may sound poor or the left and right sound localization may sound misaligned.
For us to better assist you, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Sony Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
Regards,
David
We're sorry if you're not satisfied with the sound quality of the headphones. Please allow us to help you and turn this into a better experience. If the headset is not worn properly in your ears, it could affect the overall performane of the unit. If you feel the size of the fitting supporters does not fit your ears, change the fitting supporters to another size that fits your ears better.
More details: https://helpguide.sony.net/mdr/linkbuds/v1/en/contents/TP1000456408.html
Also, If the headset is not worn properly in your ears, tap operations or Speak-to-Chat speech detection may not work correctly, or you may not obtain the correct sound qualities or call performance. If the part of the headset where sound is output is not oriented correctly toward the ear canal, the sound quality may sound poor or the left and right sound localization may sound misaligned.
For us to better assist you, please email us at socialsupport@am.sony.com with the following details:
Name:
Sony Username:
Model Number:
Issue:
Telephone Number:
Regards,
David
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com