So when it comes to Sony products & I've always appreciated them a bit more when they add a little bit of that Japanese authenticity to them.  The Sony LinkBuds do this quite literally. Because these earbuds and charging case are encapsulated in unique material made from recycled Japanese car parts and natural stone. 

The end result is a soft-touch hardshell with a unique speckled pattern. And it kind of has this organic feeling to it, like a smooth stone that washed up on a sandy seashore. Because of this eco-friendly manufacturing process, no two sets of Sony LinkBuds will have the exact same pattern… Which makes each and every set of link buds unique, and this is good cos you don't want to be like everyone else, do you?

It's also good because Sony is recycling cars that are no longer on the road to pave the companies road to a zero environmental footprint by 2050… which could mean the PlayStation 8 might look like a piece of Origami. And of course, Sony's eco mindedness carries over to the packaging as well. It is 100% free of plastics and even 8% smaller in volume compared to the already incredibly eco-friendly XM4 earbuds packaging.

And you might be thinking, this is unlike Sonys. What's with the name? Surely these should be called the WF 1156 OEB 1 million and 5 or something…but they’re not. The thought process behind the name link buds is that these earbuds are designed to link between your online world, to your offline world.

That's enough back story. Let me tell you what sets the Linkbuds apart from pretty much every other true wireless earbuds on the market today.

Sony has created what I believe to be the worlds first open-back earbuds. The innovative ring drivers used in the Linkbuds are 12mm, nearly double the size of the drivers used in Sony WF1000XM4s… and those XM4's sound amazing, in my opinion… and I will tell you how these compare to those, so stick around.

In a way, the link buds are the opposite of The XM4's. You see, the XM4s are designed to block out the noise of the world around you with class-leading active noise cancelling. Whilst the link buds are designed to keep you aware of the world around you… allowing you to engage in conversations and daily tasks without ever taking them off. And they've been given an official IPX4 rating, so little light rain shouldn't be a problem.

True story, I jumped in the car on one occasion and was driving for ten minutes before I realised I was still wearing them.

Sony has done an excellent job designing the linkbuds to fit seamlessly into your daily life… and almost go unnoticed when not in use. Sony describes the linkbuds as a marvel of miniaturisation…and rightly so.

The Linkbuds are around 50% smaller in volume than the XM4's and approximately 45% lighter. So when you're wearing them, it's almost like they're not there. This is precisely what you'd want in an always-on set of earbuds… which Sony calls these.

Now 'always on' isn't 100% accurate because you will need to charge them at some point. And on that topic, let's talk about power. The earbuds themselves have 5.5hrs of playback time, with the case adding an extra 12hrs of power. You could, of course, double playback time by using them one at a time, like an old school handsfree headset if you wanted to.

You can get an hour and a half playback with a quick 10min top-up in the case. And the case is also reduced in size by 26% compared to the XM4s, which means it easily passes the cowboy pocket watch pocket test. So what's it actually like to use them? Well, I've been lucky enough to have tested the Sony linkbuds out for a couple of weeks now. 

The fit in the ear is unlike anything else I've ever seen before. Sony says they've been analysing ear-shapes since 1982, and this data has been used to shape the Linkbuds. This must undoubtedly be another world's first… I've never seen anything quite like.

There are five different sized supports in the box.. which are kind of work like elastic springs. It is up to you to find the right size for your ear. When you eventually find the correct sized support, it should ping into place inside your ear. I would recommend using a mirror to help you do this because it is crucial. Once you get this right, the linkbuds are very comfortable and easy to wear.

My personal opinion on the fit is it's kind of a loose fit because the ring driver is only really being held in by gravity and the shape of your ear and a little bit of support at the top with the elastic spring support…thing. so I'd say these aren't ideal for vigorous workouts… however, they'll be ok for weightlifting or cycling machines and stuff like that…

I don't think sports was Sony's primary use case in mind for the linkbuds. With the increase in demand for wireless headsets for conference calls. It does seem like Sony have created these for productivity scenarios. For example, office environments or maybe work from home setups.  

This takes nice onto mic quality. (Watch the video review for the mic test ). The great thing about the Linkbuds is you can engage in the online meetings whilst still being able to clearly hear what's going on in your surroundings… thanks to the unique ring driver design.

When it comes to voice pick up, Link buds use an AI learning to pinpoint your voice and eliminate background noise…and Sony says this machine learning algorithm has access to a database of over 500 million voice samples used to isolate your unique more clearly. Let me know how it sounds.

When it comes to sound quality and how they compare to the Sony Xm4's. It's actually a different kind of feeling you get from them. This kind of airy clarity shines through as the LinkBuds real strength. Vocal clarity is impressive and instrumental details and nuances are present in a quiet environment, but if you're looking for heavy bass & louder volumes… the XM4's are better in those areas.

With that said, I've found a way to get much better bass performance from these. And you do by twisting them into your ear in an anti-clockwise motion. If you do this, it literally doubles the bass output, but the problem is they're not going to be that's secure in your ear.

And do you know what takes the linkbuds to the next level? It is the software combined with Sony's V1 chip and onboard DAC. To this day, I believe Sony's headphone app is the best one out there. It brings in features such LDAC for hi-res playback & DSEE for upscaling compressed audio. There is also a new adaptive volume control feature exclusive to the Sony Linkbuds.

Also, the speak to chat is a handy feature. As soon as you start speaking, your music stops when you stop talking, it's switched on again. Which is ideal for work environments.

And the Linkbuds aren't just about work. Sony has partnered with Microsoft on their Microsoft soundscape platform and a Nintendo with their Pikmin and Pokemon games. So these can be used as an augmented reality devices... If that sounds like something you'd like to see a video on, let me know in the comments.

So can I recommend the Sony Linksbuds to you? Yes, if... 

• You are looking for lightweight, compact earbuds that don't make your ears sweat.

• You don't need noise cancelling. In fact, you need the opposite you need to hear what's happening around you

• Voice call quality is a priority

• And you prefer sound clarity over heavy bass and high volumes.

If these are things, you need from a pair of earbuds. Then the Sony LinksBuds are easy to recommend.