Earbuds · Model guide · Maker specs
Sony LinkBuds Open
Get Sony LinkBuds Open if you want to keep hearing the world around you: nothing seals your ear canal, and each bud runs up to 8 hours.
Product images
Sony LinkBuds Open, from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get Sony LinkBuds Open if you want to keep hearing the world around you: nothing seals your ear canal, and each bud runs up to 8 hours. It has an 11 mm driver, Sony's Integrated Processor V2, Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LC3, and IPX4 protection that Sony says handles rain and sweat. Skip it if you want noise cancelling or LDAC; LinkBuds Fit has both.
Who it is for
- People who want to stay aware of their surroundings. The open design does the job of an ambient mode: nothing seals your ear, so outside sound keeps reaching you.
- Anyone who'd rather not have silicone tips in their ears. LinkBuds Open uses newly designed fitting supporters instead, and no silicone earpieces come in the box.
- People who stop to talk while listening. Speak-to-Chat lets you hold a conversation with the buds in, and Adaptive Volume Control is built in too.
Who should skip it
- People who need quiet. LinkBuds Open has no noise cancelling, and nothing seals your ear to block sound.
- LDAC users. Sony lists SBC, AAC and LC3; LinkBuds Fit adds LDAC.
- People who like a sealed fit with tips. LinkBuds Fit, the C710N and the XM6 all seal.
What sets it apart
- An open design with newly developed fitting supporters; Sony says it wears better than the previous LinkBuds.
- An 11 mm driver with a high-magnetism neodymium magnet.
- Up to 8 hours of music per charge, or 4.5 hours of calls.
- IPX4 drip resistance that Sony says stands up to rain and sweat.
- LE Audio with LC3, plus Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair.
Caveats
- Sony gives no battery total with the case, and no size or weight for it either.
- It charges over USB through the case, with no wireless charging or quick-charge figure listed.
- Two-device connection isn't spelled out for Open the way it is for LinkBuds Fit; Sony names Audio Switch instead.
- IPX4 means rain and sweat, not swimming.
Key specs
In the same order on every earbuds page, so you can compare pairs.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Open-ear: the ear canal isn't sealed; newly developed fitting supporters, changed from the previous LinkBuds | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Fit / tips / wings | Newly developed fitting supporters, included in the weight; no silicone earpieces in the box | Sony Japan product page and specifications |
| Driver / acoustic architecture | 11 mm driver with a high-magnetism neodymium magnet | Sony Japan specifications |
| Chip / processor | Integrated Processor V2 (as in WF-1000XM5), not QN3e | Sony Japan product page |
| Active noise cancellation | No: one battery rating with no NC on and off split, and no Dual Noise Sensor | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Transparency / ambient | No separate Ambient Sound mode; the open design lets outside sound in | Sony Japan product page |
| Spatial / 360 audio | Sony mentions spatial-audio compatibility; 360 Reality Audio certification not published (LinkBuds Fit has it) | Sony Japan product page and specifications |
| Hearing features | Safe listening feature; no hearing-aid or hearing-test feature published | Sony Japan product page |
| Battery — buds | Music up to 8 hours; talk up to 4.5 hours; standby up to 13 hours | Sony Japan specifications and product page |
| Charging | USB charging through the case, USB cable included; no 5-minute quick-charge figure | Sony Japan specifications |
| Wireless charging | No wireless charging listed; it charges over USB through the case | Sony Japan specifications |
| Water / dust — buds | IPX4 drip resistance; Sony says it handles rain and sweat | Sony Japan product pageNot rated for swimming. |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3, Power Class 1, up to 10 m; 2.4 GHz (2.4000–2.4835 GHz); profiles A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, TMAP, CSIP, MCP, VCP, CCP; SCMS-T | Sony Japan specifications |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, LC3 | Sony Japan specificationsNo LDAC; LinkBuds Fit has it. |
| Microphones / calls | Sony promotes call quality that carries your voice to the other person; mic count not published | Sony Japan product page |
| On-bud controls | Wide Area Tap on the bud or the front of your face around the ear; Quick Access | Sony Japan product page |
| Multipoint / device switching | Audio Switch; two-device connection isn't spelled out as it is for LinkBuds Fit; Fast Pair, Swift Pair and LE Audio supported | Sony Japan product page |
| Sensors | Speak-to-Chat and Adaptive Volume Control; sensor list not published | Sony Japan product page |
| Weight — one bud | About 5.1 g × 2, with fitting supporters | Sony Japan specifications |
| Finishes | Black, white | Sony Japan product page |
| Phone / OS compatibility | Any compatible Bluetooth device; Sony Sound Connect app; Fast Pair, Swift Pair, LE Audio and Audio Switch | Sony Japan product page |
| Find / Fast Pair / UWB | Google Fast Pair; Microsoft Swift Pair; Find Device isn't named for Open as it is for Fit. No UWB | Sony Japan product page |
| Companion app / firmware | Sony Sound Connect, with DSEE and EQ | Sony Japan product page |
| US launch price | ¥28,600 at Sony Store Japan, tax included; no US price published | Sony Japan product page and Sony Store |
| Price band | Upper-mid (by its Japanese price) | Based on Sony Store Japan's ¥28,600 |
| Availability | Sold in Japan as of 19 September 2026; ¥28,600 including tax at Sony Store Japan, which advertises same-day shipping | Sony Store Japan |
Sony LinkBuds Open extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated Processor V2 | Integrated Processor V2, the processor name Sony also uses for WF-1000XM5 | Sony Japan product page |
| DSEE | DSEE, not DSEE Extreme; Sony says it restores the high frequencies that compression loses | Sony Japan product page |
| LE Audio | Supported: TMAP, CSIP, MCP, VCP and CCP profiles, LC3 codec | Sony Japan product page and specifications |
| Speak-to-Chat | Lets you hold a conversation without taking the buds out | Sony Japan product page |
| In the box | USB cable and warranty card; no silicone earpieces | Sony Japan specifications |
| Sony Store Japan price | ¥28,600 including tax, with a 3-year Sony Store warranty | Sony Store Japan |
With nothing sealing your ear canal, LinkBuds Open lets you hear your surroundings the whole time, which is why it has no separate Ambient Sound mode. The flip side is that there’s no noise cancelling either: it won’t block noise out, and Sony gives a single battery rating with no noise-cancelling split. Each bud weighs about 5.1 grams with its fitting supporters.
Sound and codecs
An 11 mm driver with a high-magnetism neodymium magnet does the work, run by Integrated Processor V2, the processor name Sony also uses for WF-1000XM5. Sony fits DSEE rather than DSEE Extreme and says it restores the high frequencies that compression loses; DSEE and EQ are both in the Sound Connect app.
Codecs are SBC, AAC and LC3, so there’s no LDAC. Sony mentions spatial-audio compatibility but doesn’t list 360 Reality Audio certification, which LinkBuds Fit has.
Battery and charging
| Mode | LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|
| Music | Up to 8 hours |
| Talk | Up to 4.5 hours |
| Standby | Up to 13 hours |
| With case | Not published |
Charging is over USB through the case, using the cable in the box.
Controls, calls and conversation
You can tap the bud itself or, with Wide Area Tap, the front of your face around the ear. Quick Access and Adaptive Volume Control are built in, and for calls Sony promotes how well the buds carry your voice to the other person.
Phones and apps
Bluetooth is version 5.3, Class 1, reaching up to 10 m. Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair, LE Audio and Audio Switch are supported, and Sony’s Sound Connect app handles settings.
Price in Japan
In Japan, stores set their own price for LinkBuds Open. Sony’s own store charges ¥28,600 with tax; buying there gets you a 3-year warranty, and Sony advertises same-day shipping. Without a US launch price to go on, compare a few US retailers before buying. It comes in black or white, with a USB cable and a warranty card in the box.
Sources
- Amazon listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Sony Japan — LinkBuds Open product page — accessed 2026-09-19
- Sony Japan — LinkBuds Open specifications — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Does LinkBuds Open have noise cancelling or LDAC?
Neither. The ear canal stays open and Sony lists no noise cancelling, and the codecs are SBC, AAC and LC3. LinkBuds Fit has both.
Can I hear what's around me while wearing LinkBuds Open?
Yes. That's the point of the open design: sound from around you comes straight in, with no Ambient Sound mode needed.
Can I wear LinkBuds Open in the rain?
Yes. Sony rates it IPX4 and says it handles rain and sweat, but it isn't rated for swimming.
How is LinkBuds Open different from the original LinkBuds?
Sony points to newly developed fitting supporters and says LinkBuds Open wears better than the previous LinkBuds, the ring-shaped first-generation model.
How many hours do I get per charge?
Up to 8 hours of music or 4.5 hours of calls, with up to 13 hours on standby.
Official product page: Sony LinkBuds Open. Tech specs: Sony LinkBuds Open specs.