Sony may have had the stones to launch its risky, open-back Linkbuds but it seems that was enough risk for the company. The latest leaks, courtesy of Jon Prosser, include a price and release date for the Linkbuds S. It might sound like these in-ears are sequels to the Linkbuds but the previously leaked design says otherwise.
According to Prosser, we’ll be hearing more about the Linkbuds S from Sony on 18 May. They’ll apparently cost $200 (R3,200), a whole $20 (R320) more than their hole-bearing brothers.
More true wireless options
The whole open-back, totally transparent thing is nice, but most people don’t want to be subjected to that at all times. Sony has apparently reverted to a closed-back design with a vented canal that will allow sound to pass through. At least that’s what it looks like from these images.
Sony LinkBuds S/WF-LSN900
Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds
-Seamlessly shift from ambient sound to advanced noise-canceling and enable automatic playback that learns from your behaviour. pic.twitter.com/eZs595rLnE— SnoopyTech (@_snoopytech_) April 21, 2022
With the WF-1000XM4s still available, plus the open-back Linkbuds, and the closed-back Linkbuds S, consumers have a difficult choice to make. And that’s without looking beyond what Sony is offering. Apple and Google have a few options to choose from, and there are interesting in-ears from most audio brands to muddy the waters further.
Read More: Sony LinkBuds review – Trying something new sometimes pays off
If you’re looking for something a little more ear-encompassing, you should probably wait for the WH-1000XM5s. Details and pics of those were seen last week, in their retail packaging. They might not feature 40-hour battery life, as was initially expected, but the design probably won’t be the only thing Sony has improved on. We should be hearing a little more about those from Sony on 12 May 2022. They might well land at a reported retail price of $400 (R6,500).
Source: Jon Prosser via Twitter