Sony LinkBuds Fit review: Lightweight, secure fit earbuds for active lifestyles

Sony’s LinkBuds S from last year attempted to rethink the rules via an open-ring design meant for all-day wear and ambient awareness. Its success, the LinkBuds Fit, takes a more conventional ‘fitness buds’ approach, without compromising on comfort or environmental awareness. Worth the price, though?

Compact design, snug fit and IPX4 rating make them workout-ready buds

The buds arrive in pebble-shaped case, with a glossy top for the looks and a matte-textured base for added grip and durability, although it lacks wireless charging capabilities. Available in green, white and black colors, the buds themselves are super light at 4.9g per bud, making them rather comfortable to wear for extended durations.

Each bud comes with silicone tails (Sony calls them air-fitting supporters) that you twist and lock into place in your ears, giving each bud a snug fit with the added benefit of boosted noise cancellation. Once you find the right fit, the buds don’t budge even if you shake your head vigorously, and with the IPX4 rating, they can withstand sweat and light rain.

Sony has kitted the pair with well-considered feature set, from Wide Area Tap to play/pause music or skip tracks, to pausing music when you Speak-to-Chat, all of which work as advertised and leverage the same V2 processor that’s present in the flagship WF-1000XM5. Use the companion app and you can unlock a five-band equalizer or Sony’s High-res audio support via LDAC and multi-point connectivity over Bluetooth 5.3 are par for the course, but good to see, nonetheless.

Switching on active noise cancellation, the LinkBuds Fit fare well enough to drown out the sound of the commute and the general office chatter, although their inherent noise isolation isn’t as good as the flagship XM5 buds, leading to a slight amount of noise to seep in. Sonic performance is strong, with an airy soundstage that leans slightly heavily towards the bass. Even so, vocals come through clearly, and there’s a good amount of instrument separation – all in all, a strongly likeable sound signature that will work across a variety of genres.

Battery life is strong too, with close to six hours of backup on each bud with ANC switched off and the case offering roughly another 14 hours of playtime. Given how comfortable the buds are, it’s easy to leave them plugged in so you’re going to have to take them off for a quick 10-minute charge for an added hour of wear time when they run low. And that’s the draw with the LinkBuds Fit, arguably the most comfortable pair of wireless earbuds across segments. They work well for fitness needs, performance is good for the price, and ANC and battery life are decent, if not class leading.

Rating:8/10

Price: Rs. 18,990