A few months ago we reported that Sony was rumored to be developing new versions of its popular Linkbuds wireless earbuds. And now a new report says we can expect not one, but two new versions: the LinkBuds Open and the LinkBuds Fit.
The report comes from The Walkman Blog (via What Hi-Fi?), which says that the two previously rumoured models YY2964 and YY2975 are due to be released very soon, and the new names instead of letter and number combinations are part of a new naming strategy that will hopefully trickle down to other Sony products, whose (to consumers) largely meaningless names are often a pain to research when looking at reviews and comparisons. We love the Sony WF-C510, but did you really know that they're a completely Different and newer product than the Sony WH-C520?
So far, we have no concrete information on a release date and, as the same blog recently reported, at least one of the models has been delayed a bit: Sony has asked the FCC regulator to dismiss its application for certification of the LinkBuds Open. But a late 2024 launch for both earphones still seems likely.
What to expect from the next generation of Sony Linkbuds
We described Sony’s original 2022 Linkbuds as “the weirdest wireless earbuds we’ve ever seen” due to their open-ear design, but praised their wide soundstage, clever controls, and impressive sound quality. The Linkbuds S, released later that year, are more traditional, but again, they sound good and are compact, lightweight, and comfortable for long listening sessions—we rate them among the best earbuds for smaller ears.
From the name alone, it seems likely that the Linkbuds Fit are a fitness-focused pair, so water and sweat resistance will likely be a key selling point.
What we don't yet know is how the two models will differ, though previous leaks suggest the sound quality won't be too far off that of the superb Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds – likely because they'll share the same chipset. The Walkman Blog suggested earlier this year that the new Linkbuds will “push the boundaries of audio innovation” with some form of noise cancellation, as well as an improved audio system.
Sony makes some excellent earbuds, but the recently updated AirPods Pro 2 and new AirPods 4 have raised the bar: at $179/£179/AU$299 for the AirPods 4 with the active noise cancellation version, the AirPods 4 are exceptional value for money for active noise cancelling earbuds. However, the new Linkbuds, with improved specs but a similarly low price to the current versions, could mean Sony has another hit on its hands – especially for Android users.
