Sony Announces new LinkBuds Line featuring LinkBuds Open, Fit and a Wireless Speaker
Sony's updated LinkBuds line has been revealed, it includes the LinkBuds Open, LinkBuds Fit, and the LinkBuds Speaker. Both earbud models will be priced at $199 USD/€199/£179/$299 CAD, with the wireless speaker coming in at $179 USD/€159/£139. I am surprised Sony has priced both earbud models the same, considering they are not equal in terms of specs and features. Availability will be from early to late October depending on your region. It seems that the LinkBuds Speaker will not be available in all regions, like Canada or Australia for example. Would love to see how Sony came to this decision. So time to dive in and examine this new LinkBuds line.
LinkBuds Open
Let us start with the LinkBuds Open. We already knew the new model would follow a similar open design thanks to the leak earlier in the year, but now with the reveal, we can see that the rest of the design is pretty much an evolution of the first gen. This not necessarily a bad thing, especially if the design works. Even though we have a new model name, LinkBuds Open, the model code is a continuation of the previous model, WF-L910.
The new model's specifications are very much similar to the outgoing one. We have the same Adaptive Volume Control, multipoint connection, DSEE, wide area tap, IPX4, and automatic pause and play thanks to the built in proximity sensor.
The new model does improve upon a couple of things. The Bluetooth SoC has been upgraded to Sony's V2 (Mediatek MT2833) found in the WF-1000XM5 earbud, smaller improved 11mm driver, and the battery life is also improved, with playback up to 8 hours, previously 5.5 hours. The charging case now provides 14 hours of extra battery life, up from 12 hrs. Quick recharge provides up to 60 minutes of playback with 3 minutes of recharge, compared to 90 minutes with 10 minutes quick charge. The increased battery life is partly due to the new SoC, and possibly a larger battery.
While the new earbuds are heavier, 5.1g versus 4.lg, this with the fitting supporters attached. The charging case is 30.6g, about 3.4g lighter than the old model. There is no wireless charging. Size wise, both models are pretty much identical as we can see in the photo comparison below.
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| Sony LinkBuds versus LinkBuds Open |
The Bluetooth version is 5.3 (up from 5.2) with AAC, SBC, and LC3 codec support. There is no LDAC support on the LinkBuds Open. I am sure the headset could support LDAC, but not sure the if the battery life hit would be worth it in open earbuds.
Sony has included an exploded view on the product page, so we can compare the new model to the old.
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| Sony LinkBuds (top) vs Sony LinkBuds Open (bottom) |
The basic design and layout of components seems to be similar in both models, but there are differences. The driver is now smaller at 11mm without any extending connecting pins. It also appears a tiny bit thicker, which is confirmed by an AV-Watch article. The thicker size helps reproduce lower frequencies better. The main housing has more curves and less sharper edges, this should help with comfort. In the old model we had 2 PCBs, where as now, we only have a SiP (system in package). Then we have the wireless antenna, and finally the main cover.
FCC Teardown
Luckily we do not have to wait for the internal photos to be revealed as they are already available. While we wait for a detailed teardown, these 4 photos will reveal some of the internal design.
In this first photo, we can see the battery takes up most of the internal space, with the SiP (top), and antenna the rest.
The second photo shows that Sony has again used a ribbon cable and flex PCBs like in other recent Sony earbud models. The battery and driver connections are soldered to the main flex cable. The battery is a Zenipower Z35FH. The LinkBuds used the Zenipower Z32H (3.85V 0.12Wh).
Removing the entire SiP and flex cable assembly from the main section, we can see Sony has minimized the design extensively. We can see the name of the SiP as well, GSBR-003, version 3-3. This is the third SiP from Sony, with the first 2 found in the LinkBuds S (GSBR-001) and WF-1000XM5 (GSBR-002). The GSBR-001 uses the Mediatek MT2822, where as both the GSBR-002 and GSBR-003 use the Mediatek MT2833 Bluetooth SoC.
The small chip at the bottom might be related to power management as this is beside the 2 charging pins.
Flipping to the other side, we can see the MEMS voice mic at the top, and the proximity sensor (red arrow) in the middle. The SiP is attached to the flex cable using a connector. The FCC teardown does reveal a lot of the internal design. Unfortunately, we do not have photos of the Bluetooth SoC in the filing. but we know it is the MT2833 from other certifications and Sony's own product page (Sony V2).
Customisable Style
The new model offers a new way to customize the appearance with various colours of case covers and fitting supporters. Five colours are offered for both the supporters and case:
- Ash Pink
- Ash Green
- Ash Blue
- Ash Violet
- Pure Black
The case covers (HAC-L910C) will cost twice as much as the fitting supporters (HAC-L910S). The accessories are a nice touch, and will definitely appeal to younger buyers. The white colour also has a marble pattern on the case. which I suspect is again targeted at some specific demographic.
If neither colour or customization is not to your liking, Sony does offer a special violet colour in collaboration with Olivia Rodrigo. The accessories can also be used to customize here as well, adding even more style. The violet version will be priced the same as the standard model.
Overall, the new LinkBuds Open do seem like a decent upgrade over the old model, but the higher price is not justified in my opinion, and they should be less expensive then the LinkBuds Fit, as they lack ANC, and LDAC support. I say wait for a price drop before upgrading to the new model.
LinkBuds Fit
The LinkBuds Fit (WF-LS910N), new generation, new name, and a completely new design with new colours, ear tips, and features. The main body is elongated with shorter ear tip connectors, and the addition of fitting supporters. Perhaps the future WF-1000XM6 could adopt some of these changes.
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| Sony LinkBuds Fit new ear tips |
New changes includes a switch to the Sony V2 (MT2833), the larger 8.4mm driver from the WF-1000XM5 (Dynamic Driver X), Bluetooth 5.3, and no touch sensor. The weight has increased by 0.1g to 4.9g per earbud. A change some might not appreciate is the addition of an auto NC optimizer found in the WH-1000XM5. Will be interesting how it affects the NC.
When comparing the size, the new model does look a bit bigger, but then we also have the fitting supporters, so not an equal comparison. One thing I noticed in this side comparison is the location of the feedforward NC mic hole. Before it was located towards the front and bottom of the ear, where as in the new model, the mic location has moved up and back.
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| Sony Linkbuds S versus LinkBuds Fit |
Battery Life
While not always a given, most new models improve upon the battery life, even if by a small amount. But according the online manual, stated battery life is the same (LDAC) and in some cases less (AAC, SBC, and LC3). This could be down to the larger driver, but we also have a newer SoC, so perhaps these balance each other out and we get zero net gain of battery life. I am aware many people will not listen straight for 3 or 4 hours, so it might not be an issue.
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| Sony LinkBuds S battery life |
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| Sony LinkBuds Fit battery life |
For those wondering if the FCC teardown reveals the battery, no it does not, but the manual does. And unfortunately Sony has kept the Zenipower batteries for the new model. The battery type is Z35FH, like in the new LinkBuds Open. Previously Sony used a Zenipower Z52H (3.85V 0.21Wh). We do not have a capacity for this new battery though. Checking Google for any details for this new battery yields no results. I tried contacting Zenipower in the past but received no replies, so that idea is out the window.
FCC Teardown
There are not many photos in the internal documents, but they do reveal some details not shared by Sony.
In this first shot, we can see the battery, which is enclosed in a plastic housing. The battery does appear user replaceable in this photo. but this is misleading. We can see shorter tip connector (#1). and what I believe to be the feedforward NC/voice mic (#2). I say believe as we have no other angles showing the mic in situ. Sony has one photo on their website showing the driver, and we can see the mic, but it is difficult to get a sense of the position of the mic.
The photo shows the Dynamic Driver X, but we have no expanded/exploded view on the product page, and the YouTube reveals nothing either. Additionally we have no Sony Engineer interview on Sony Japan, which is unfortunate.
This photo shows the main battery and SiP removed from the top of the driver. We can see a few details. First, the battery (#1) does look like it has some tape adhesive with foam on one side, so it is would be save to assume the other side has it as well. The battery is also soldered to a flex PCB, meaning these connections would have to be de-soldered before the battery could be replaced. The next component, #2, is the feedforward NC/voice mic, more on this later. The driver connections are also soldered (#3). The charging pins are soldered to small flex PCB as well (#4). Finally #5 is the antenna contact, which connects to the underside of the antenna piece (see photo below).
The red arrow points to where the antenna contact touches. For comparison, the LinkBuds S (right) and the 2 contacts on the underside, one for the wireless antenna, and the other for the touch sensor, which is absent on the new LinkBuds Fit. Really wondering why Sony removed the touch sensor here. Removing features and keeping the same price is a pretty bold move.
Looking at the main SiP and ribbon cable assembly, the design is again minimized, with the PCBs being of the flex type only. Starting off with #1, this is the feedback NC mic, #2 is the feedforward NC/voice mic, with #3 the proximity sensor. The driver contacts are #4 with the opposite side, the contacts for the charging pins. #5 are the battery contacts, which are soldered as we saw in earlier photos. And finally #6 is the gyroscope IC, a similar chip is found in both the LinkBuds S and WF-1000XM5 as well.
Bigger MEMS Microphone
Something not mentioned by Sony in their press release or product pages, is that the feedforward NC/voice mic is 2x larger than the feedback NC mic. Previously in the LinkBuds S, both mics were the same size (see above photo insert). But the question now, did the voice mic get bigger or did the feedback mic shrink? The only way I could compare is to use the gyroscope IC as a reference, assuming it is the same size across Sony's earbuds.
If the gyroscope IC is the same, then the LinkBudS S mics are about half the size of the chip, where as on the LinkBuds Fit, the feedback NC mic is half the size similar to the LinkBuds S, and the feedforward NC/voice mic is about 25-30% larger. The WF-1000XM5 in comparison has 3 mics, all the same size, with the mics about 85% the size of the gyroscope IC. Of course all of these comparisons go out of the window if the gyroscope chip size varies between the models.
All of the mics in the LinkBuds Fit are Bottom port variants. According to a video from STMicroelectronics, a bottom port MEMS mic helps improve the SNR, which lowers the noise on the mic. From what I have read, this should eliminate any hiss from the mic.
I would think that a larger MEMS mic would have some advantages, and considering Apple mentions larger mics on their Beats Studio Buds + earbuds, I think this supports such a theory. If there were no benefits, I do not believe Sony would have used a larger mic.
That being said, looking at some early reviews, the noise cancellation dose not seem as good as the WF-1000XM5 but not sure they compared the ANC to the old model. But the voice mic does seem to over really good performance with minimal background noise. Perhaps this is thanks to the larger mic?
And finally here is the System in Package (SiP). We cannot see the Bluetooth SoC name, but the FCC document shows it is a MT2833 (V2). Also note the name of the SiP, GSBR-004. This is different to the LinkBuds Open which use the GSBR-003. I would presume that like previously, this SiP, and the rest are built by Goertek Microelectronics. See my post here for more details.
4 Colours and Customization
Just like the LinkBuds Open, the Fit also have customizable covers and fitting supporters. Again a nice feature which should help extend the appeal to more buyers. There earbuds themselves are available in 4 colours, black, white (marble effect), green, and violet.
So is the new model an improvement? On one hand, we have new colours, customizable addons, bigger driver, and a larger voice mic. But on the other hand, battery life is the same, no touch sensor, and no wireless charging. I suspect the new Fit model is geared more towards casual listeners rather than music lovers. I think the price is a bit high for they offer, so I would say wait until a sale after they are released.
LinkBuds Speaker
Sony will not be offering the wireless speaker in all regions. I have no idea how Sony came to this decision, since markets like Canada, Australia or Hong Kong are not small. Perhaps Sony will still offer the speaker in the future.
So what is special about this speaker? Well it has Auto Switch, which is automatically switches the music from your earbuds to the speaker when the put the earbuds away, and vice versa. This is definitely a cool feature. Here are some of the main specs:
- Two colours: Black and Light Gray
- USB type-C charging
- DSEE and Equalizer support
- Multipoint connection
- Weight: 520g
- SBC and AAC codec support
- Stereo pair function
- Up to 25 hours of battery life
- IPX4 rating
All in all, a decent portable speaker. You can connect a second speaker for stereo sound, which is neat. I believe there is a button on the bottom to active this function. But Sony does mention there may be a latency issues when watching video. The auto switch feature is great, assuming you listen to your music on your smartphone only.
I am not sure if when listening to Spotify on your phone, the speaker switches to your Spotify service when you take the earbuds off. Would great if it did. Anyone know? The speaker can be used for calls as well, with the microphone positioned at the top and is "acoustically isolated from vibrations and other interference to ensure crystal-clear pickup". The speaker can be used anywhere on battery or placed on its base without needing to worry about charge.
But the speaker is not perfect. There is no LDAC or LC3 support, and at 520g, it is a bit heavy for a portable speaker. I am also not sure how long the provided USB cable is. If it is like all other Sony USB cables they bundle, then it will be too short for any real world use.
Unfortunately, there is no FCC filing, so no teardown photos, I mean, at least I cannot find it on the FCC. I also checked the other manufacturers on the FCC for Sony's speakers, but nothing. Perhaps 52Audio will post a teardown, assuming it will even be offered in China. The speaker is not offered in Hong Kong, so perhaps there will not be a release in mainland China either. With Sony offering a LinkBuds speaker, perhaps they will release a higher end premium model to accompany their 1000X line next year.
And with that, this finishes the post. Sorry it took this long to get a post up, been a bit busy. Seems that availability for many regions can vary. Some countries have the Open model already available, while others do not, and in some cases availability is in November for the Fit model. Any potential price drops may be either by Black Friday/Cyber Monday, or just before the Holidays. I would highly advise against paying full price for the LinkBuds Open, as they are not worth the same price as the Fit. Same goes for the Fit, hold off paying full price.
It will be interesting if any of the changes we see in the LinkBuds Fit will make their way to the WF-1000XM6. Personally, I would like to see the larger MEMS mics if it improves voice and ANC performance, but not sure if I want to see the new ear tips or fitting connectors.
So anyone tempted to upgrade their old model to the new one? Or does Sony keeping the Zenipower battery put you off? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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