Sony YY2950 Revealed - Might be called LinkBuds S

Here are the first photos of the upcoming Sony YY2950 I wrote about back in November 2021. Snoopytech on twitter is reporting these will be part of the LinkBuds line, LinkBuds S and carry the WF-LSN900 model name. I am inclined to believe them since they were correct on the LinkBuds name of the WF-L900 when that leaked.

So what are we looking at here? While these do appear to be a higher end device than the WF-C500, I do not believe these will be positioned above the WF-1000XM4. Hopefully a more affordable Hybrid NC WF model.

We are looking at 3 colour options, black, white and what could be called gold.

From Snoopytech's tweet, it appears these will have a similar function to the LinkBuds where the user can shift from "ambient sound to advanced noise cancellation". This advanced NC could suggest hybrid ANC using feedback and feedforward microphones like the WF-1000XM4. 

Looking at the design, it is similar in appearance to the WF-1000XM4, but crossed with the WF-C500. Notably absent from the side is a hole for the microphone which could suggest the side could include some touch controls, but it might also employ the "tapping" controls from the LinkBuds. 

Unlike the WF-1000XM4 and WF-C500, the Sony logo here is engraved into the body rather than printed on. From my experience of using wireless headphones and in-ear headphones in general, this logo will be filled with all sorts of dirt and grime pretty quickly if not cleaned regularly. This will be more visible on the black model. I guess a soft dry brush would be ideal to clean it out, and if there is an IPX4 rating, perhaps some water could also be used.

The plastic looks more closer to the WF-C500 in quality than the WF-1000XM4, but this is difficult to judge from the photos. 

Looking closer at the colours, the black seems less black and more gray with only a part of the earbud being actually black. The eartips look to be the same that ship with the WF-C500 and not the foam tips like in the WF-1000XM4. So I will try to use these for a size comparison later on.

Not much is revealed from the photos but we can see some things.

1. Proximity sensor (identical to the WF-1000XM4) and the Linkbuds
2. Hole for equalization the air pressure between inside and outside of the earbuds
3. Charging pins (similar to WF-1000XM4/WF-C500)
4. Mesh - most probably location of feedforward NC (assuming hybrid NC) and voice microphones
   

If the YY2950 will feature hybrid ANC, then the feedforward microphone should be located behind the mesh (#4). It is possible we will also see a voice microphone in this same location since there are no other holes on the exterior surface. The mesh might also have the notification LED since I do not see any other areas it could be, unless there is no LED at all. Although it could be under the main flat surface and blink through the plastic if it is thin enough.

Comparing the size to other models is a bit tricky, but if we use the ear tips as a size reference and make them the same in size between models, we can estimate an approximate size.

YY2950 (L), WF-C500 (C), WF-XB700 (R)

If this size comparison is accurate, then the YY2950 looks to be about the size of the WF-C500. but with the main body angled towards the ear. Overlaying the earbuds on each other gives a better comparison.

The YY2950 seems a bit larger near the eartips but a smaller body. But this smaller appearance is due to the fact the WF-C500 angles outward from the ear while the YY2950 is more parallel with the ear, possibly due to the presence of the proximity sensor. I will mention again, the comparison is an approximation based off the earbud tips, so it might not be accurate.

Finally looking at the charging case, the design seems to have some similarities to the WF-1000XM4 case.

Just like the WF-1000XM4, there does appear to be space at the bottom for wireless charging, so hopefully this is included. I would imagine the device will have at least 1 if not 2 recharges in the case for the earbuds.

There are still some unknowns, like battery life, IPX rating, type of NC, price, and availability. I feel IPX4 is a given, seeing as all of the other WF headsets have an IPX4 rating. Battery life should be comparable to the WF-1000XM4, assuming Sony uses a similar battery capacity (70-75 mAh). 

If the "advanced noise cancellation" from Snoopytech's tweet is accurate, then hybrid ANC should be present with dual microphones. The price is tricky, if too high people might opt for the WF-1000XM4, so I feel we might be looking at either 199 Euros or maybe around 229 Euros. I do not expect them to be less than the LinkBuds but who knows. Finally availability. the FCC short term confidentiality ends on June 21st, 2022, so I think we will see these before then, perhaps end of April, or first week of May.

So that is it, I was hoping the YY2950 were some more premium high end model since it did appear with the new WM1-Series Mark 2 Walkmans, but I guess this is not the case. Thoughts? Comments? Please leave them below.

Update: 

Supposed price will be $199 and they will be announced on May 18th. No teaser yet from Sony, but probably after the WH-1000XM5 announcement.

And now for the rest of the photos.