Sony LinkBuds WF-LS900N review

As we start working out of an office again, the one aspect that we all need to get used to (and fast) is all the hubbub. One of the ways to attain peace and focus on your work is to cancel out all that noise around you. Since you obviously can’t ask all your colleagues to be quiet, the next best option is to use a pair of noise cancelling earphones . Almost on cue with transition back to office, Sony launched its mid-range LinkBuds S noise-cancelling earphones. So just how good are they? Having used it for the past couple of weeks, here’s our Sony LinkBuds WF-LS900N review.

Design
The moment you take out the charging case from the plastic-free-environmental-friendly box, you appreciate its compact-ness. Its rounded edges mean that the case will easily slide in and out of your slim-fit jeans pockets. The buds (and case) come in two colour options – black and white – and both get a nice matte finish.

Also Read: How to clean earbuds like a pro

As for the buds, they look like the younger siblings of Sony’s more expensive WF-1000XM4. The matte treatment continues over to the buds, and there’s a large surface area for the touch controls. The moment you pick them out of the case, the first thing that hits you is just how lightweight they are. Secondly, these might just be the most perfectly fitting TWS in this segment. Sony has bundled different sized silicone tips for you to find the perfect fit, and when you do, the LinkBuds S will stay in your ears till the end of time. At no point during my usage did I feel that the buds would pop out of my ears. They are also very comfortable to wear and rarely did any ear fatigue set in.

Sony LinkBuds S sound

App
It’s easy to set up these truly wireless earbuds with the help of the Sony Headphones Connect smartphone app. Once connected, you get access to the buds’ features via the app, and more. In addition to fiddling with the equaliser, setting touch controls, and firmware updates, the app also allows you to set adaptive sound control. This feature lets you set ambient sound levels based on your location or activities.

Other features like ‘Speak to Chat’ are equally useful wherein the music mutes itself the moment the buds detect that you’re speaking. While it mutes the music almost instantaneously, it takes a bit more than a heartbeat long to resume playback. As with most TWS these days, you can even invoke a digital assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant with one tap. You can even connect two devices to the buds simultaneously (for instance a phone and a laptop), and it seamlessly switches between the two.

Sound quality
This is where the Sony LinkBuds S really shines, offering a rich, finely balanced, and natural sound. It is also really versatile in the way it handles anything from Dire Straits’ Money or Nothing to Hans Zimmer’s music pieces from the movie Interstellar. Dare we say that the LinkBuds S are among the best sounding TWS in this segment and can even be compared to the likes of the AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), which is almost twice the cost.

Also Read: What is anc and how does noise cancellation work

It is a similar case with the buds’ ANC capabilities. It is mighty effective in drowning out your loud colleague’s voice or the loud Mumbai traffic when travelling in an autorickshaw. It handles Teams and regular voice calls quite well and doesn’t let the person at the other end know that you’re speaking through a pair of TWS. Our only grouch is that in transparency mode, your own voice sounds a bit unnatural – almost as if you’re speaking through Darth Vader’s mask.

Sony claims that the LinkBuds S battery life stands at around six hours. And during our usage we consistently got similar battery performance.

Verdict
Sony LinkBuds S verdict

Sony seems to have hit the sweet spot in both – the way its LinkBuds S sound and also the Rs 13,990 price tag. It has all the good bits from Sony’s flagship TWS with just the right amount of cost-cutting to not affect the overall user experience. Sound quality and ANC are top-notch, and the design allows you to wear them for hours without wanting to take them off.