Sony LinkBuds Clip Announced

Sony announced the LinkBuds Clip today. Much of the information and design was already revealed thanks to the leaks, but now we have all the details from Sony. If you want to read the press release, check Sony Europe Press.

The new Clip model is a bit late to the game, but better late than never right? Sony has the LinkBuds and LinkBuds Open, which feature an open-air design, but the design is obviously different. I suspect user feedback might have prompted Sony to introduce the Clip model, as there are many competitors already on the market. My question is, will Sony discontinue the Open model in favour of the Clip in the future?

Here are the specifications summarized:

3 listening modes

Standard Mode
Voice Boost for podcasts & conversations
Sound Leakage Reduction for crowded areas

Driver size: 10mm
DSEE
Bluetooth v5.3
Codec support: SBC, AAC
Dual microphones
Bone conduction sensors
AI noise reduction
10 band EQ
360 Reality Audio support
Background music effect (firmware update March 2026)
Fitting cushions
Battery life up to 37 hours total

9 hours earbuds (AAC) + 28 hours case
Earbud battery: 54 mAh

Quick Charge: 3 min = up to 60 min of use
IPX4 splash proof (earbuds)
Multipoint connection (2 devices)
Adaptive volume control
Quick Access & Voice Assistant
Weight

earbuds - 6.4 g
case - 42 g

Colours: Black, Greige, Green, Lavender
Price ~ 200 Euros, $299 CAD, $229 USD, 29,700 JPY
Availability - End of January, early February (JP)

The clip design intrigues me, and I would not mind testing a pair to test how they sound and perform when compared to in-ear earbuds. The new model is a but expensive, at least here in Canada, priced at $299 CAD before tax. There are less expensive models on Amazon, but there are also more expensive models, like Bose's Ultra Open Earbuds which retail for $379 CAD. Granted the Bose model features a 12mm driver, and 11 different colours. Still the price in Canada is less than US pricing, which is shocking. converting the US pricing, we get $318 CAD, which is about $20 more than the pricing in Canada. I do not remember the last time pricing in Canada was less than the US.

Price aside, here are my gripes with the new model.

Codec Support

Why is there no LC3 support? Both the Linkbuds Open and Fit have LC3 support. So why is it missing on the Clip sibling? Is the absence of LC3 due to the Bluetooth SoC, or just a decision from Sony. The other benefit for LC3 support would be the call quality, it would much improved when compared to AAC/SBC.

And what about Sony's own LDAC? It is debatable whether one could even hear the difference with LDAC and open-ear design, but the bigger concern would be battery life. Using LDAC would cut the battery life practically in half, and probably one reason why Sony did not include it.

Wireless Charging

Is it necessary? Maybe for some, and perhaps Sony could have included it. If not on the case, then perhaps a case cover with wireless charging like Bose has. I am confident reviewers will be mentioning the lack of wireless support in their reviews. For me, I do not use it with my WF-1000XM5, so its absence is of no concern.

Shinny Plastic

The shiny surface of the earbuds looks identical to the Sony WF-1000XM5 surface. I really dislike the shinny surface, as it makes the XM5 earbuds very slippery when taking them out of the case or when putting them on. Perhaps the different design of the clip thanks to the flexible band will make it easier to hold and handle.

I cannot think of anything else at the moment, but these are the 3 things that stand out. In Canada, no charging cable is included in the box, and looking at other regions, I suspect this may be the case globally.

Here is the Help Guide from Sony, it includes a lot of good tips, so make sure to check it out if you pick up a pair.

The FCC internal documents are supposed to be available on Friday. If there are enough photos for a standalone post, I will make one, otherwise I will just update the next section below.

Teardown

Sony does have an exploded view of the earbuds, and it provides some clues about the internal design.

The overall construction does not seem that complicated at first glance, we will see if I am correct when we get a proper teardonwn, maybe this upcoming Friday. Here is what I can see so far:

Wireless antenna with pin on PCB (printed onto the plastic piece)
10mm driver
Internal battery, coin cell (supposedly 54 mAh)
Accessory PCB with hole for microphone
Mesh for second microphone
Charging contacts

I suspect there is a cable (flex PCB) connecting the 2 PCBs, but this is not shown in the photo above. I am not sure if we will see a normal Bluetooth SoC, or a SiP found in the other LinkBuds models. The newest LinkBuds use Sony's V2 SoC (MT2833), but there is no mention of the chip in the press release or on any product pages.

The 2 voice microphones are located in these positions (red arrows). The top one has to be pointing towards the back, as the driver is located in the front.

For anyone wanting to pre-order, the LinkBuds Clip are available on Amazon. The pre-orders should ship either this week or next. Below are affiliate links, meaning I will earn a tiny amount if you order from Amazon. This goes towards domain and cookie costs, with anything left over going towards future purchases for reviews.

Sony Canada - $299.99 CAD

Amazon Canada LinkBuds Clip - Black

Amazon Canada LinkBuds Clip - Greige

Amazon Canada LinkBuds Clip - Green

Amazon Canada LinkBuds Clip - Lavender

Amazon UK - £149

Amazon UK LinkBuds Clip - Black

Amazon UK LinkBuds Clip - Greige

Amazon UK LinkBuds Clip - Green

Amazon UK LinkBuds Clip - Lavender

Amazon Germany - 167 euros

Amazon DE LinkBuds Clip - Black

Amazon DE LinkBuds Clip - Greige

Amazon DE LinkBuds Clip - Green

Amazon DE LinkBuds Clip - Lavender