Sony's latest entrant in the earbud arena is a strange one.

Sony Linkbuds resemble a ring-like device, more than a solid ear piece. There are no ear-tips but instead a hole that sits in the middle of your ear.

Will Sony's radical one-of-a-kind approach change the earbud industry, or will we look back at this as the Zune of wireless headphones? Here's what the reviews say.

The design works

[The Verge]

Depending on your ear shape and how the LinkBuds fit, their signature circular cutout might not be plainly visible to other people. Sony includes four sizes of supporters in the box, with the XS one a barely-there nub and the XL jutting out quite a bit. These arcs are fully removable and have more give than dense, integrated wing tips, so they never became uncomfortable, even after several straight hours of wearing. I ran a couple miles with the LinkBuds, and they didn't come tumbling out of my ears; they also passed the chewing and talking tests, which is where some earbuds can slowly jostle loose.

[The Verge]

Here's a sample of how the LinkBuds microphone performs. First clip is recorded on an iPhone with a Shure MV88. Second clip is all LinkBuds audio. They really do a great job at cutting out loud background noise.

(Yes, I chipped my tooth a couple days ago. Be nice.) pic.twitter.com/hChMpRomZb

— Chris Welch (@chriswelch) February 15, 2022

They're surprisingly comfortable

The squished figure-8 shape is so new and odd that, at first, I had no idea how to put them on. After 15 minutes of trying different angles, I figured it out. The metal circle rests just inside your ear, while a soft, squishy hook in the other half of the earphone anchors the whole contraption. Because everybody has different-shaped ears, Sony includes multiple hook sizes. The LinkBuds are surprisingly comfortable to wear for long periods, since there aren’t any tips jammed into your ear. They’re small and relatively lightweight compared with other headphones I’ve tested. They’re less gross, too—no ear gunk on these buds

[WSJ]

these new Sony linkbuds are the lightest, smallest bud-less earbuds around. they’re full of great ideas but need software refinements — i’d wait for the update. https://t.co/nlAeED7lMO pic.twitter.com/2ScqoqfgU1

— nic nguyen (@nicnguyen) February 15, 2022

The sound quality could be better

How do these sound? They're good, but not as good as the WF-1000XM4. They also fall short of the third-gen AirPods, which offer better sound than their second-gen predecessors. They have a nice, open natural sound, well-balanced with good detail and just enough bass. But like a lot of open earbuds, they just don't deliver the same kind of bass response as a set of noise-isolating buds. For instance, a track like Spoon's Knock Knock Knock, which has a deep bass line, just doesn't have the same visceral impact as it does if you're listening over the WF-1000XM4 buds or even the 2021 AirPods. While there's enough bass, it just doesn't go that deep (even with Bass Boost engaged) or pack a big punch. Some people won't mind that, but if you're into bass, these may not quite cut it for you.

[CNET]

[David Carnoy/CNET]

TL;DR

"Great for $179.99. Yeah they're like reasonable actually," says Linus.