Latency and Microphone Quality
The LinkBuds S offer excellent recording quality for a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, with voices in quiet environments sounding very good and only a hint of a lisp from the noise reduction in the background. The quality is good enough to be mistaken for an entry-level wired headset microphone, which is a testament to their performance. Even in noisier environments, the LinkBuds S still perform well, with the algorithm effectively filtering out background noise once you start speaking. While your voice may suffer a bit and not sound as good as it does in a quiet room, it is still perfectly audible.
The only issue we had with the LinkBuds S was that while they do pass through some outside noise while you are speaking, it is not enough to make you hear your own voice clearly, which can make it awkward to speak. I found it much easier to speak with the ambient sound mode enabled, as it amplifies your voice before sending it through.
In terms of latency performance, the LinkBuds S offer decent performance, with minimal lag when watching videos on a phone or using latency-sensitive apps with AAC or LDAC at 330kbps and 660kbps. When paired with a PC using SBC, the LinkBuds S offer mostly fine latency performance, although there is a slight delay that is noticeable. Overall, the LinkBuds S offer decent latency performance that should be sufficient for most users.
Software and AI Features
The LinkBuds S can be controlled through Sony’s Headphones Connect app. This app has a ton of features, some of which are useful and others not so much. It can be slow to load and a bit confusing to navigate. However, one of the more useful features is the ability to activate multi-device pairing, which allows you to see all connected devices and previously linked devices in the app. Even if one of the devices is a PC, you can still control it through the app as long as it’s open on the second device.
The app also lets you adjust the ANC settings. Unlike before, you can’t control the strength of the ANC – it adjusts automatically. However, you can change the ambient sound level and enable voice-only attention mode. When you start talking, the Speak to Chat function automatically lowers the volume and activates ambient sound mode.
