Listening to music while riding a bike is a surprisingly divisive subject. If you are riding indoors on a trainer music is almost a requirement to get through the effort. Outside though there’s a lot of worry about spatial awareness and if it makes sense to ride with headphones. The reality is that there are a lot of use cases and it’s for that reason we put together a list of the best headphones for cycling.
As I look to evolve that list, something I continue to investigate are headphones that preserve spatial awareness. There are a lot of different ways that modern technology looks to solve this problem but Sony has managed to do something completely unique with the Sony Linkbuds. A pair of true wireless headphones that don’t seal the ear canal is an intriguing idea so I set out to see if it works. Having spent time testing in a variety of situations I am ready to share what they do well, and what could use some rethinking. If you are considering headphones for riding a bike keep reading to see if the Sony Linkbuds are the best option for you.
Design and aesthetics
The packaging the Sony Linkbuds arrive in is a tiny cube just a bit bigger than the headphones themselves. Everything inside is as tight as possible and while there’s a printed outside the box uses an unbleached paperstock with an embossed logo. The small size means less material needed, and less fossil fuels used for transportation too, while the unbleached paper means a greener production process.
The Sony Linkbuds are the first Sony earbuds to use recycled plastic construction. The colour options reflect this with a choice between a soft speckled white or a darker gray with the same speckles. There is, of course, no requirement that recycled plastic look this way but it’s an obvious outward nod to the sustainability story that Sony is looking to tell.
Even if you don’t believe Sony is being genuine with that story, the Linkbuds are tiny so there’s not much need for extra packaging. The case is 41.4 x 48.5 x 30.9mm and only weighs 39 grams even with the earbuds included. The downside of the small case is that the battery is small as well and you can see that borne out in the specs. Sony gives a 5.5 hour listening time rating to the earbuds and the case is good for an extra 12 hours. Ten minutes in the change case will add an extra ninety minutes of listening…
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