Sony LinkBuds Fit review: Snug as a bug

Sony has been a bit like OnePlus lately. OnePlus produced Android smartphones for many years. In the recent past, though, the company faltered for many reasons— it lacked that great in-hand feel, the camera wasn’t up to par, and software development was left in the mud—until it came roaring back with the OnePlus 12 series in 2024 and the OnePlus 13 series in 2025. The same has happened with Sony in the audio space.

Sony has been one of the best in the business since the company was established in 1946. In recent years, however, there has always been one flaw, one drawback, or one misstep that has prevented their audio products, especially their truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, from being an instant recommendation. Take their flagship WF-1000XM series: the sound quality has been top-notch, and the active noise cancellation is among the best in the industry, but the fit of the earbuds rubbed the wrong way. That was until the WF-1000XM5 came out and blew everyone away.

That one little tweak to the fit of the earbuds completely changed the game. The same R&D has been applied to their latest LinkBuds Fit, seemingly a direct competitor to Beats’ Fit Pro earbuds. The LinkBuds Fit, as the name says, prioritise comfort. These lightweight and compact earbuds are designed for all-day comfort without being flashy or sticking out of your ear.

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Priced at ₹18,990, the LinkBuds Fit from Sony are entering a competitive market. They aren’t going to blow you away in any one category, but can they be a jack of all trades, with the ‘Fit’ being their USP? Let’s dive in.

These earbuds have a bud-style design that is meant to stay in your ears. They have an IPX4 water resistance rating, meaning they are sweat and rain-proof. The wings (support fins) are swappable and help keep the earbuds in place at all times. The case is one of my favourite things about the LinkBuds Fit. Its square format is compact and has rounded corners for a better grip. I, for one, am a fan of the marbled effect, but I understand that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

A sound profile that’s fun to listen to

All of this doesn’t matter if the sound quality disappoints, right? Well, I’m happy to say that the sound is rich and rewarding. You’ll get a warm audio signature with a tilt towards the bass. It’s energetic and puts you right in the centre of a concert. It’s bold and has detailed sound. Sony’s Dynamic Driver X and the V2 chip shine bright.

The kind of vocal clarity needed in a song like DNA by Kendrick Lamar comes through on the LinkBuds Fit. Switch to a jazz tune like Dave Brubeck’s Take Five or Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk, and it passes the instrument separation test with aplomb. The voice of the singer pierces through with clarity amidst the bright and roaring sounds of the various instruments.

The LinkBuds Fit are perfect for your morning walk, evening jog, daily commute on the Metro, or gym workouts. The LDAC codec helps the LinkBuds shine, but it is only available when paired with an Android device.

ANC is good; noise isolation isn’t the best

ANC on the Sony LinkBuds Fit is quite good. The other day, I was at a bar, and the table next to me was cheering with beer after beer and talking loudly. The high-pitched human voices seeped through while everything else around me was silent. I didn’t even notice the screeches of tires and the constant honking sounds while I was zipping through Delhi traffic on a bike. I’d chalk up the ANC for doing a good job. On the other hand, thanks to the shallow ear tips and the semi-in-ear format, there is less passive isolation. Since the ear canal is less obstructed, more ambient noise is let in. That’s the trade-off for a more comfortable fit.

Battery life

Sony claims the LinkBuds Fit's battery life is 5.5 hours (with ANC on) and 8 hours (with ANC off). The case provides an additional 21 hours when the case is included. Your mileage may vary depending on whether the optional features are enabled (LDAC, speak-to-chat, voice commands, DSEEE upscaling). With 100% charge, wear detection on, ANC on, 50-70 percent volume and paired to an Android smartphone, I got just above 5 hours of listening time.

Sony also has an Auto Battery Save option. This option shuts down all of these extras except LDAC when battery life reaches 20 percent.

Tap controls just didn’t work

With the LinkBuds Fit, you can access Sony’s Wide Area Tap feature. This uses accelerometers to detect tap gestures. Basically, you can tap on your cheek, next to your ear, for the touch controls, and also while you are using gloves, as no capactivity touch is needed. The benefit here is that there are no unwanted commands or inadvertent pausing.

But Sony’s Wide Area Tap feature was very frustrating for me. I just couldn’t get it to work consistently. I tried with different fingers, multiple fingers, and at different points on my cheek. Nothing worked, neither indoors nor outdoors.

The only thing I managed to do was raise or reduce the volume, which I did by constantly tapping on the left or right earbud.

Competition

- Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 retail for ₹24,900. If you own an iOS device, these are a no-brainer.

- Sony’s flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds are available for ₹24,990 and have better ANC and an overall superior soundstage.

- The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are slightly more expensive, at ₹27,500, and on the heavier side. Nonetheless, the sound quality and ANC are unmatched.

- The nearest competitor, Beats Fit Pro, costs ₹22,900. They look similar and fit well but lack ANC. The Beats Fit Pro 2 should also be launching soon.

- The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 is a pair I have personally recommended to many friends. It’s currently discounted to ₹18,990. They provide a clean sound signature focusing on instrument separation and vocal clarity, along with a bold, rich sound that suits a wide variety of genres.

Verdict: Who should get the LinkBuds Fit?

The Sony LinkBuds Fit are a charming pair of TWS earbuds with a lightweight and compact design, IPX4 dust and water resistance, and all-day comfort. You won’t get audiophile levels of sound signature, but these do a good job with an energetic sound profile for the price.

There’s no wireless charging present, passive isolation isn’t great, and the Wide Area Tap feature is a hit or miss (for me, it was a massive miss). Nonetheless, the LinkBuds Fit are well suited to Android users prioritising fit and something that works as intended. They are definitely worthy of being on your 2025 shopping list.

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