Sony LinkBuds Fit review

When it comes to earbuds, fit is king, and Sony seems to have taken that to heart. The LinkBuds Fit come with these nifty "Air Fitting Supporters" and soft ear tips, designed using a mountain of data on ear shapes. The result? These earbuds sit snugly in your ears, feeling light as a feather – we’re talking a mere 4.9 grams each! You might even forget you're wearing them, which is a big win in our book.

The supporters have a soft, hollow tail to reduce pressure, while the bit that hooks into your ear is nice and firm to stop them from falling out. Even the earbud tip shaft is made of soft silicone, adding to the overall comfort. We wore it for runs and gym sessions, this thing sticks in only if the fin hooks into your ear size. For my ears, the fin hooks weren’t big enough and the fins only come in one standard size so if they don’t sit in your ears properly, you’ll never be able to fit them.

The case is another strange design choice. It’s shaped like a mini burger which makes it too fat for your trouser pockets. Your loved ones are definitely going to ask if you’re happy to see them or if it’s just the Sony LinkBuds Fit in your pocket.

Under the hood, the LinkBuds Fit boast the same Integrated Processor V2 as their top-of-the-line WF-1000XM5, which means you get advanced noise cancellation. It might not be as efficient as the XM5 but they’re damn near close. Traffic noise? Gone. Chatty colleagues? Not so much. Doorbell, pet, fan and aircon? Silenced thanks to the two microphones on the LinkBuds Fit. This clever bit of kit adapts to your surroundings in real time, blocking out distractions whether you're in a busy café or on a noisy train. But sometimes you need to hear the world around you, and the LinkBuds Fit features top-notch ambient sound tech. It doesn't make voices sound tinny or robotic. You will hear everyone as naturally as possible. Passive isolation is not the best though and you’ll barely notice the difference between Ambient and ANC off modes.

There is also a Background Music Effect which I love. It makes the audio feel like it’s coming from behind you like you’re sitting in a cafe or your room. Surprisingly it helped me focus on my work but I assume everyone might not prefer listening to music like this while working.

The Sony LinkBuds Fit definitely sound a bit forward than Sony’s own WF-1000XM5. The cymbals in Waste a Moment by Kings of Leon sound a wee bit sibilant. However, the overall presentation is perfectly judged for the price. The LinkBuds Fit’s focus on the midrange, especially on vocals gives it a bit of a smooth character in the sound presentation until the peaks on the higher end leave you with a faint sting, as noticed while listening to Leadfoot by Crown Lands. However, it doesn’t ruin the flavour of what the LinkBuds Fit have to offer. The texture and resolution on these are fantastic. Yurei Zanmai by TEKE::TEKE has perfectly timed bass with clarity and punch from the drums which helps deliver Maya Kuroki's haunting vocals in the most 90s rhythm. The LinkBuds Fit scores full marks for energy, presentation and clarity in our books.

However, you might lose some of that texture and detail if you listen to these with an iPhone. These support LDAC which isn’t losses but it’s surprisingly better than Apple’s AAC. Our Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus supports LDAC but the buds don’t support LHDC which is widely compatible with Android smartphones.

Sony's thrown in a bunch of handy features to make your life easier. Auto Play lets you transfer your music from the buds to the LinkBuds Speaker which is currently not available in India. Besides that, you also have Quick Access for quickly jumping into Spotify or Amazon Music from a double or a triple tap, and Wide Area Tap lets you control your music and calls by tapping in front of your ears. It uses an accelerometer to detect vibrations in front of your ear and registers a tap. It works sometimes. You have to get into the app and change the sensitivity to High to get it to work but I much rather use the buds for touch controls. Which, too, is not very perfect compared to stem-based TWS.

They’ve also included Multipoint Connection, so you can connect to two devices at once, and even head gesture controls like AirPods.

Battery life is a solid 21 hours of total playback with the case and 5.5 hours on a single charge per bud, with a quick 5-minute charge that gives you an hour of juice. Plus, they're IPX4 water-resistant, so a bit of rain or gym sweat won't ruin your day.

Sony's new Sound Connect app lets you tweak the LinkBuds Fit to your heart's content. You can adjust the equalizer, customize settings, and even keep track of your listening habits. You can even enable a Multipoint connection from here.

The Sony LinkBuds Fit earbuds prioritize comfort with their ‘Air Fitting Supporters’ and soft ear tips, ensuring a snug fit for workouts and extended wear. They deliver commendable audio with a focus on midrange and clear vocals, but the highs can sometimes be sibilant.

The noise cancellation is effective, but passive isolation is lacking and features like Wide Area Tap can be unreliable. The earbuds offer a Multipoint Connection, head gesture controls, and decent battery life. For those who value comfort and a secure fit and are willing to adjust settings in the app, the LinkBuds Fit are a good option. Make sure you try them before you buy them though.