Well, Sony has always taken a lead in the audio technology innovations. It produces products that manage to suit a wide variety of needs. The company’s LinkBuds Speaker is merely another addition to its growing portfolio, but it is designed with a specific purpose in mind. Most portable Bluetooth speakers are designed to be on the move, but not the LinkBuds Speaker; it is meant to sit in the same place as some of Sony’s popular earbuds and headphones. It is designed to enhance your audio experience as you work at your desk, relax at home, or play your music through other means. But then is it worth investing, and how does it rate against competition in the marketplace?
In this review, we’ll be exploring the Sony LinkBuds Speaker in depth-down to the minute detail-and tearing its design, features, audio performance, and price point inside out. So, by the end of it, you will have a perfect idea whether this small speaker is made for your pocket or not.
Introduction to the Sony LinkBuds Speaker
This is a small Bluetooth speaker meant for a static audio setup, to be placed on your desk, beside your bed, or pretty much anywhere you stay relatively stationary. More compact than travel-friendly speakers, this is something that will sit on your desk, bedside table, and anywhere else you might end up loitering around. It fills a niche: a link with Sony’s roster of LinkBuds Fit, LinkBuds Open, and other compatible earbuds for an audio experience.
The unit is designed to be set-it-and-forget it. It’s small, convenient to charge, and syncs up nicely with Sony’s Auto Play routines. That’s great for someone very locked into the Sony ecosystem. On the other hand, there are some limitations that make you want to think twice about it, especially in audio performance and the price.
Design and Build Quality
- Small dimensions; convenient controls
- USB-C backup charging port
- IPX4 rating for water resistance
- Hanging loop for optional portability
Sony LinkBuds Speaker does not come across as especially innovative in the realm of design, but it is practical and minimalist in its build. It’s small and circular with volume and playback controls on top. This makes it easy to adjust your music without having to go to your phone and whatnot.
The USB-C port is only on the back side, and this suggests that it is a supplement to the docking station built into the speaker. As such, the speaker has an IPX4 rating and would not permit full submerging in water, but it is resistant to light splashes and rain. This means it is more of a household device, though you could use it outside comfortably in a covered area.
Sony has included a minuscule loop at the back for hanging the speaker on a hook or carabiner. It provides some sort of portability, but the speaker is essentially meant to be stationery.
Audio Performance: Pea-Sized but Loud
- Bright treble and thumpy sound with the bass quite restrained and mid-range weak
- You get 5-band EQ, and Clear Bass slider from which you can make some settings
- It lacks deep, immersive quality much larger speakers could provide to your ears.
The LinkBuds Speaker offers many great audio elements within it. Located within are an X-balanced woofer, a tweeter, and a passive radiator to aid in giving you that balanced sound. Considering the small size, the speaker is startlingly loud. For podcasts or music while working or relaxing, the volume is more than enough to fill a small to medium-sized room.
However, when it comes to quality of sound, the speaker has a few limitations. In treble, its punchy and bright presentation, the bass is clearly limited and it’s mid-range entirely lacks the wealth of details you might anticipate in speakers in this price range. Such speakers might not be very usable in strong genres of hip hop or EDM.
Sony has tried to resolve this issue with a 5-band EQ and a slider referred to as Clear Bass, on the Sound Connect app. Here you will find the possibility to set up the audio according to your preference. Though such tinkerings make the audio sound a little brighter, it cannot compensate for intrinsic limitations of the speaker completely. For instance, as far as the overall quality of the audio is concerned, if compared with another competitor like the Beats Pill, the LinkBuds Speaker shows decreased audio fidelity.
Charging Dock: Convenience and Efficiency
- Convenient charging dock No cables required
- Low-power mode Uses little energy when off
Another great feature of the Sony LinkBuds Speaker is its charging dock. Instead of plugging in the speaker each time you want to charge it, this makes charging the speaker a lot simpler by letting you have a dock where you can just set down the speaker. It’s a small but significant convenience, especially if you use the speaker a lot.
The dock has its primary connection to the speaker at its bottom through metal contacts, which ensures a strong and good connection. When the speaker is not in use, it automatically goes into low-power mode, saving your battery life without having to completely turn off the speaker.
Auto Play Routines: Making Listening Easy
- The Auto Play routines get synchronized with Sony earbuds for seamless transfer of the transits
- Automatically switches over from a speaker and an earbuds based on use
- Limited to morning and bedtime routines
The most revolutionary experience brought about in the LinkBuds Speaker is its Auto Play routines. It is meant to create specifically favorable experiences when you set specific routines to play music at different times of the day through syncing with your Sony LinkBuds Fit, LinkBuds Open, or other compatible earbuds by Sony. You could really set it to start playing in the morning when you wake up or even to start preparing for bed.
More impressively handled, though, is the way the speaker defaults itself over your earbuds when you put those on, and vice versa, and it does this pretty seamlessly, taking just a few seconds to switch from one to the other, with no lag or interruption, and the volume increases slowly so you don’t get hit in the ears by a blast of sound.
Auto Play routines are slightly less flexible, however. Now, you could only set routines for the morning and the night, but you can really increase the options for customizing your timing throughout the day.
Sound Connect App Integration
- Audio and routine customization through Sound Connect app
- Easy to use with good compatibility with other devices by Sony
Most of the speaker settings are adjustable on the phone using the Sound Connect app. It lets you in addition adjust via the app some other features apart from the 5-band EQ and Clear Bass slider, such as the Auto Play routines, low-power mode, and voice prompts on the speaker.
It is rather intuitive and offers a level of control that many competing speakers do not. Furthermore, the app also serves as an interface for managing other Sony audio devices, which could be very useful if one is already spending money on the whole ecosystem.
Price vs. Value: Worth It?
- It is undeniably expensive at $180 given its size and audio quality
- Convenience features may pay for the cost of the device for some end-users
The Sony LinkBuds Speaker is not particularly something that you would say is cheaply priced with a starting price of $180. Compared to other Bluetooth speakers in the same price range, it lags behind in terms of sound quality, so it competes in a very saturated market. Brands like JBL, Beats, and Anker have offerings in this price range with deeper bass, clearer mid-range, and better overall sound.
Still, where the LinkBuds Speaker really excels is in its convenience features: the charging dock, Auto Play routines, and Sound Connect app. If you think these features are worth a premium in your listening, especially if you’re already using Sony earbuds, then the extra cash may be worth it. If high sound quality, however, is your main requirement, then maybe look elsewhere.
Battery Life and Power Efficiency
- Up to 25 hours on a single battery, if kept at low volume; maximum volume gives up to 6 hours, though the quality gets quite worse at high volumes
- Low-power mode helps to save the battery life while idle.
Of course, the real test would be to see whether these LinkBuds’ claims stand. Sony boasts the maximum 25 hours of runtime from a single charge, but this is only when playing at lower volume settings around level 23 out of 100. For most users though, a more realistic volume setting would be around 60%, and here battery life drops dramatically though it’s still respectable for casual use.
At full volume, the battery lasts approximately around six hours, though its usage beyond 80% volume is not recommended because the audio quality starts to deteriorate, beginning with the treble.
The low power mode stretches the battery length by somewhat saving power when the speaker is on but not currently in use. This is helpful if you tend to leave the speaker running all day without listening for extended periods.
Comparison with Competitors
- Beats Pill and JBL Charge offer superior sound quality at the same price
- Anker Soundcore offers good performance at the low end
- LinkBuds Speaker scores highly because of its unique convenience features.
The Sony LinkBuds Speaker is a one-of-a-kind piece in the world of Bluetooth speakers. Its Auto Play routines, charging dock, and connecting integration with Sony’s earbuds were the only unique features compared to most speakers, but on sound alone, the quality could not be equated when up against JBL, Beats, or Anker.
For example, the Beats Pill produces a far fuller and richer sound with tighter low-end bass and greater mid-range richness. JBL Charge brings similar better sound but in combination with other great features, like being waterproof and rechargeable. Soundcore line by Anker provides excellent audio performance for an extremely small price-to-pay charge compared to LinkBuds Speaker but derailed by the lack of feature convenience.
Pros and Cons of the Sony LinkBuds Speaker
Pros
- The speaker is compact in size and along with a charging dock
- It can be paired readily with other Sony earbuds through Auto Play
- Clear and bright treble sounds especially good for vocals and podcast listening
- IPX4 rating provides splash resistance
- Low-power mode saves battery
Cons
- Bass and midrange performance is extremely poor
- It is very pricey compared to other speakers with better quality sound
- The morning and bedtime routines are only the ones allowed by the Auto Play routines
- It cannot rival other Bluetooth speakers when portability is concerned
Best use cases for the LinkBuds Speaker
- Ideal for indoor applications in the house or office with Sony earbuds
- Good for customers who require convenience features above sound quality
- Not Ideal for outdoor use, such as traveling
It is recommended for users who already have Sony earbuds or headsets and require a speaker that can seamlessly integrate with their audio setup. It is best for home use, particularly in the stationary settings like that of a desk or bedside table. The Auto Play routines are useful for those who enjoy structured listening habits, like having music play automatically when waking up or before bed.
Though, but if you wont carry it around that much-as either to the park or away on a trip then this might not be a great choice for you. Of Course, the speaker is a bit too small and its bass is relatively weak so it cannot be used in outdoor spaces or to fill large areas.
Closing Thoughts and Summary
The Sony LinkBuds Speaker is a very interesting product from the perspective of users already embedded in the Sony ecosystem, especially since it brings some unique features to the table. The device boasts Auto Play routines, charging dock, and integration with Sony earbuds to allow streamlined audio control.
However, in sound quality, the speaker lacks a certain quality. The bass and midrange are quite a letdown, specifically in comparison to competition on the same price level. If ease of use and easy portability is of top importance, you’d probably just have money well spent in the LinkBuds Speaker. But if your priority is audio fidelity, you are well off with alternatives around that price point or even less.
