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Sony Announces 'LinkBuds' With Open Design to Let in Ambient Sound
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Sound leakage is actually what makes it natural, IMO, as any active noise cancellation is the opposite of what we hear in real life, where layers of different sounds constantly interact. Very curious to hear how this “ring” design actually sounds.
I don't think they're the same. The Sony's don't have a transparency mode, but rather it just doesn't obstruct outside sounds coming in with that sound coming in through the hole. AirPods transmit outside sound through the microphones and speakers and broadcast the sound from outside. But because there is a gigantic hole in the Sony's, that means there's probably no useful noise cancelation feature either. This is apples and oranges, IMO, no pun intended. A better comparison would be to Apple's AirPods 2 or 3 where there is no transparency nor noise cancelation mode, but rather the outside sound just isn't blocked.
I don't have one, so I can't confirm this, but isn't that what the hole is for... to let outside sound in without any processing?
You're right. They're not even remotely the same. I just read a review of them online and they have absolutely zero noise canceling. These are ear buds that are intended for people that want to hear everything around them as clearly as humanly possible. I really need both ANC and Transparency and although these seem to be even better than the AirPods Pro for transparency, the lack of ANC might be a deal breaker. Maybe I'll wait for the next gen Pro AirPods before making a decision. And yes, the hole is for outside noise to come in as clear as possible.
Sure, if Apple does what is rumored and creates a true lossless wireless standard that doesn't rely on Bluetooth. Rumors are Apple will use the UWB chips in their phones to work with the upcoming AirPods Pro 2 that will give us true lossless support with its up to 10 Gbps bandwidth. If it sounds as good as a wired headphone, that'd be great. If not, then Apple should be panned for it.
I tried another company's TWS (Specifically, Habit TWS) and while sound sometimes might be better, generally the usage was problematic. I decided that saving from using third party TWS is not worth time lost in trying to make a stable connection, pair again, learn new push combinations, etc, all things, which Apple airpods do seamlessly.
In short, Sony and other brands are maybe best for Android phones, with iPhones and Macs Apple headphones work best *(best not in terms of sound quality but overall usage).
In short, Sony and other brands are maybe best for Android phones, with iPhones and Macs Apple headphones work best *(best not in terms of sound quality but overall usage).
I still believe the headphone jack is coming back. It just left to get some cigarettes.
Until then, I’m going to wait by the door and use my iPhone 6S Plus’ 3D Touch capabilities to send the jack a message. Where are you
Did you test it in a room, or at a noisy street outside? I'm genuinely curious as I have a negative perception of open air designs practicality.
The problem with open air design of traditional headphones is that they're pretty much useless unless you are in a silent room. Worse, they will force you to increase the volume (since you're competing with outside noise), resulting in hearing damage over time. They do sound superior in a good environment vs closed design.
The reason the trends are towards earbuds with more noise isolations (physical or through electronics) is to combat outside noise. I'm curious whether this Sony design would actually be practical in real life.
My usage will be while cycling or jogging/running. I usually don't wear earphones at all when doing those, so for me it's just to have some background music while still being "connected" to the outside world.
This is a great and unique design. At first, when i bought my airpods pro, i thought transparency mode was a gimmicky feature but with time, I use it more and more. I became addocted to it. Specially indoors. Watching films with spatial audio made me like it even more. It makes me feel connected to the world around and I often forget I have them on.
Sony really kicked the butt of the whole industry here. It prob is a very comfortable design to wear indoors. Maybe not for music listening but for all the rest of media comsumption we do everyday.
Sony really kicked the butt of the whole industry here. It prob is a very comfortable design to wear indoors. Maybe not for music listening but for all the rest of media comsumption we do everyday.
As someone who a) wears glasses, and b) has ear canals get irritated very easily, this is a very interesting design.
Over-ears create pressure points, and in-ears get itchy and uncomfortable. Having my ear canals open to the air seems like an idea worth trying out.
Over-ears create pressure points, and in-ears get itchy and uncomfortable. Having my ear canals open to the air seems like an idea worth trying out.
The design is optimal for people who talk on the phone a lot or are in video conferences a lot. All previous headphones lead to high humidity in the ear. This can promote inflammation. It is important to ventilate the ears. I will definitely test the Sony headphones.
I’m curious about “spatial audio” which I see no mention of here, but Sony makes great headphones.
The chief advantage of the Airpod series earphones is their deep integration with Apple products. Nothing else comes close in terms of fast and simple connection, switching between devices and convenience (such as voice SIRI commands). You put them in and they just work.
With that said, I have used Sony WF and WH series (currently XM4 for both buds and over-the-ear) whenever sound quality and/or NC takes the front seat, such as long flights, watching movies, or critical music listening. Sony’s NC is far, far superior to APP, the battery life is better and firmware updates are both completely controllable and transparent.
The Sony ‘house sound’ is highly adjustable with the Sony iPhone app, and overall much better than anything from Apple.
So, for NC/SQ, the Sony is miles ahead- but for convenience, Apple has done a fantastic job. Both have their place in terms of my workflow and travel/leisure use.
If I worked in an office environment, this newest Sony would certainly have a place in the toolbox.
However, if I could only choose one single device, Airpods pro offer the best all-around experience with Apple devices. Great at device integration, adequate at SQ, the only place they really fall short is NC in noisy environments, where Sony WH and WF units blow them away.
With that said, I have used Sony WF and WH series (currently XM4 for both buds and over-the-ear) whenever sound quality and/or NC takes the front seat, such as long flights, watching movies, or critical music listening. Sony’s NC is far, far superior to APP, the battery life is better and firmware updates are both completely controllable and transparent.
The Sony ‘house sound’ is highly adjustable with the Sony iPhone app, and overall much better than anything from Apple.
So, for NC/SQ, the Sony is miles ahead- but for convenience, Apple has done a fantastic job. Both have their place in terms of my workflow and travel/leisure use.
If I worked in an office environment, this newest Sony would certainly have a place in the toolbox.
However, if I could only choose one single device, Airpods pro offer the best all-around experience with Apple devices. Great at device integration, adequate at SQ, the only place they really fall short is NC in noisy environments, where Sony WH and WF units blow them away.
I see a lawsuit soon for these from Loop earplugs. This brand only makes earplugs to dampen sound levels based on the inner cone placement. It looks identical to Loop minus the earbud part. I am sure some Industrial Design was taken from them. Loop's Website: https://us.loopearplugs.com/