After a week of “eating and sleeping” with LinkBuds Fit, below is a detailed review of this headset from the perspective of an audio enthusiast who always seeks perfection in every experience.
Design: extremely pleasant and comfortable wearing feeling
The first highlight of LinkBuds Fit, and also the factor that impresses me the most, is the ergonomic design. Far different from traditional in-ear headphones, LinkBuds Fit has a compact, soft rounded housing, combined with thin silicon “Air Fitting Supporter” wings, hugging the natural contours of the ear. .
This design not only brings a unique and personal appearance but is also the “key” to outstanding comfort. During the experience, I wore LinkBuds Fit continuously for many hours, from working on the computer, traveling to exercising without feeling any discomfort, pain or discomfort. This is definitely one of the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever used.
To get maximum comfort, Sony had to adjust the design to make the headphones shallower than traditional in-ear headphones. This has a slight impact on passive soundproofing, allowing sound from the outside environment to penetrate. This design will probably be suitable for those who do not need absolute soundproofing but give more priority to wearing comfort.
Besides the design, the control system is also a new point on LinkBuds Fit. Instead of using the method of directly touching the headset, Sony equips its products with “Wide Area Tap” technology – controlled by touching the cheekbone area near the ear.
Perhaps because the control method is so new, sometimes I have to tap a few times or use more force than necessary, which is not as convenient as traditional touch control. Hopefully after a period of experience, control using “Wide Area Tap” technology will be gradually improved and optimized.
The design of the charging box is also very unique. It’s round, porcelain-like lid looks nice and feels premium. This case is significantly thicker than charging cases like those of AirPods. Therefore, those who are skinny jean fans may feel uncomfortable when stuffing the LinkBuds Fit charging box into their pocket.
Still a “muscular” sound quality
In terms of audio experience, LinkBuds Fit makes an impression with powerful bass. Headphones tend to favor a dynamic sound experience, delivering strong bass and good vibration. This can work for genres like rock, hip-hop, and electronic music.
The focus on bass dominates, affecting the remaining sound ranges. With the midrange, vocals sometimes sound a bit back and instrument separation is only moderate. The high range is present but the extension and detail are not high. Additionally, there are some tracks that have a slight sibilance phenomenon.
With the LDAC codec, the headphones can reproduce a wider frequency range from high-quality music files. Sony’s DSEE Extreme technology is integrated to improve the sound quality of compressed music files and it has a certain effect. In general, LinkBuds Fit possesses sound quality that favors power and dynamics, and will be suitable for the energetic music genres that have been the strength of Sony headphones.
LinkBuds Fit has active noise cancellation (ANC). The ANC function on this headset works more effectively with low-frequency and steady sounds such as vehicle engines and airplane noises. But the headphones still let in voices and high-frequency sounds.
Perhaps the ergonomic design with the housing being shallower than traditional in-ear headphones has affected the noise canceling effectiveness. In return, Transparency Mode works well, allowing users to perceive surrounding sounds naturally, with the ability to automatically adjust the level of transparency based on the noise level of the environment. .
Sound Connect app and battery life
The accompanying “Sound Connect” application has been redesigned by Sony, providing a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. Through the application, users can customize many parameters and features of the headset, including an equalizer to fine-tune the sound according to personal preferences, and customize functions for touch operations. Multipoint connection allows simultaneous connection to two devices, very convenient.
In particular, the “Find My Fit” feature will guide you to find the most suitable way to wear headphones. In addition, the “Auto Switch” feature is also an interesting highlight, allowing to automatically switch audio between compatible LinkBuds headphones and speakers. When you remove the headphones and place them in the charging case, the sound will automatically switch to being played through the speaker; and vice versa, when you take the headphones out of the box, the sound will be transferred back to the headphones. This feature worked smoothly during my actual experience.
In terms of battery life, LinkBuds Fit provides about 5.5 hours of use with ANC turned on, enough for basic needs during the day. When ANC is turned off, usage time can be up to more than 7 hours. The fast charging feature is also quite useful, allowing an additional 1 hour of use with just 5 minutes of charging. It’s a pity that the headset’s charging box does not support wireless charging.
Summary
Overall, Sony LinkBuds Fit is a product that brings many new and interesting experiences to users along with explosive sound quality. Unique ergonomic design, focus on comfort along with many smart features are big plus points. However, the comfort of LinkBuds Fit also comes at the cost of design adjustments, reducing sound insulation.
Who should buy LinkBuds Fit?
- Users who value comfort are looking for a design that fits well and is comfortable to wear for a long time, especially when exercising lightly.
- Those who love uniqueness and novelty and want a different and unique headphone design.
- Users love experiencing the many features, customizations, and connections with other Sony products.
Who should consider?
- Need a headset with effective noise cancellation in many environments, especially noisy places.
- Don’t want to waste time getting used to new controls.