The open earbuds market is gaining extra consideration, with Sony kicking off 2026 with a revamped pair within the new LinkBuds Clip. They’re instantly going up towards choices from Bose and Motorola — Bose sells the Extremely Open earbuds, and Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop are powered by Bose sound. The latter two fashions retail for $300 at full value, whereas the LinkBuds Clip prices $230.
The very first thing I observed after unboxing the Sony LinkBuds Clip was how comparable the earbuds’ design seems to be in contrast with the Moto Buds Loop. Motorola’s open earbuds are a bit flashier, particularly the colorways with Swarovski crystals. In any other case, each earbuds clip onto the midpoint of your earlobe with an orb-shaped audio driver resting outdoors your ear canal.
Sony’s LinkBuds Clip are higher for on a regular basis put on
If you have not tried open earbuds but, they differ from conventional earbuds in a number of key methods. For starters, open earbuds place the audio driver outdoors of your ear canal, growing airflow and luxury. This makes open earbuds supreme for lengthy listening periods, as you possibly can hear your tunes with out your ears feeling clogged after a number of hours. The downsides are apparent: sound high quality is poor, there is not any noise isolation in anyway, and others may hear your music resulting from sound leakage.
Some individuals choose open earbuds for lengthy days on the workplace, as they will use the microphone and audio drivers for video calls with out having earbuds bodily inside their ear canals. Others like them for figuring out, as they will hear ambient noise and scale back sweat in comparison with conventional earbuds. The smaller, sweatproof design of the LinkBuds Clip make them higher suited on this regard.
Sony’s open earbuds are IPX4-certified, that means they will survive sweat or a bit of sunshine rain. In different phrases, they’re workout-friendly. IPX4 earbuds are fairly commonplace nowadays, however oddly, the Moto Buds Loop do not have an IP score in any respect — it is onerous to suggest them for on a regular basis put on or exercise use in consequence.
Another excuse the Sony LinkBuds Clip shines when used out and about is their “sound leakage discount mode.” It is primarily a wise equalizer setting that modifications the sound signature of the open earbuds to restrict components of the frequency spectrum that “leak” out into your atmosphere. Particularly, this mode slashes the mids and highs, which might normally be straightforward for somebody sitting subsequent to you to listen to.
I would not dare hearken to music on a pair of open earbuds or open-air audio system like these you’d discover on good glasses close to others in public. This successfully guidelines out utilizing them throughout a each day commute or within the workplace — anyplace you are in very shut proximity to others, sound leakage is a priority. Sony’s built-in sound leakage discount mode almost solves this drawback in its entirety, and it solely takes two faucets to activate.
Notably, sound high quality is significantly worse when the sound leakage discount mode is lively. This looks like a good trade-off to proceed to have the ability to use your earbuds in dense public conditions, although. Sony’s IPX4 and sound leakage discount mode help are two methods the LinkBuds Clip carry out higher as a pair of on a regular basis earbuds than the Moto Buds Loop.
Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop nail design and sound high quality
By comparability, the Moto Buds Loop work greatest as a pair of secondary earbuds. They lack a correct IP score and do not have a comparable sound leakage discount mode, so it will be onerous for them to move as a pair of on a regular basis buds. With that being mentioned, the Buds Loop are a lot higher sounding than the LinkBuds Clip. Motorola’s open earbuds are marketed as utilizing sound by Bose, and it seems like Bose’s enter actually made a distinction right here.
Every part sounds fuller, richer, and extra detailed out of the Moto Buds Loop. It is not significantly concerning the bass, both — open earbuds do not create a seal in your ear canal, and this makes it nearly not possible for this manner issue to ship sturdy bass. I observed the distinction most in songs with a deep, current piano. For the reason that piano occupies the center of the soundstage, it may well exist within the Moto Buds Loop with out being drowned out by the lows or highs. Listening to the identical tracks with the LinkBuds Clip, those self same sounds weren’t as sturdy.
This might come right down to Bose’s glorious tuning, however it’s probably a facet impact of the Moto Buds Loop providing bigger 12mm drivers. These are on the larger facet for earbuds, and the additional measurement helps the Moto Buds Loop sound fuller and crisper than the LinkBuds Clip, which have 10mm drivers.
The sound high quality distinction is sufficient to make me attain for the Moto Buds Loop over the Sony LinkBuds Clip, however Motorola’s premium design is one other benefit. Sony used shiny plastic for the LinkBuds Clip, and it merely makes the earbuds really feel low-cost. It does not assist that the inventory design will not match effectively for everybody out of the field. Sony consists of silicone becoming cushions within the field for customers so as to add to the LinkBuds Clip for many who do not initially discover the match safe.
I fell into that class, so I wanted to connect the silicone spacers to the LinkBuds Clip. Whereas it did enhance the match as marketed, it was annoying to want an inexpensive piece of silicone to put on the earbuds correctly. I wanted to carry down the silicone cushion each time I placed on the LinkBuds Clip, or I might threat the factor popping off.
All that’s to say that the metallic, unibody design of the Moto Buds Loop is far more snug, and it creates a greater expertise for the wearer. The crystal studs are a little bit of a gimmick, however I might take them over plastic and silicone each time.
The decision: I might purchase the Moto Loop Buds
I would not purchase a pair of open earbuds as my each day drivers — I like utilizing a number of pairs of earbuds every for a particular goal. Whereas the Sony LinkBuds Clip are the higher all-rounders, Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop sound higher and really feel extra premium, and that gained me over.
For those who’re seeking to purchase a pair of open earbuds, it helps that costs for the Moto Buds Loop have cratered. They debuted at $300, however you will discover them underneath $150 proper now, which is an insane value. The present slate of Moto Buds Loop offers make the LinkBuds Clip look overpriced. Sony’s earbuds will probably see offers of their very own in a number of months, however till then, Motorola earns my suggestion.
Superior sound
The Moto Buds Loop are extra premium and sound higher, because of their giant drivers and Bose tuning. Additionally they match extra comfortably in my ears and are cheaper with present gross sales than the Sony providing.
Water resistant design
Sony’s LinkBuds Clip are a bit smaller, sporting a water resistant IPX4 construct that’ll stand the check of time towards sweat and lightweight water drops. This, plus an audio mode that forestalls extra sound leakage, makes the LinkBuds Clip higher for on a regular basis put on.
