It is part the revamped LinkBuds lineup, which is built around theLinkBuds Fitand LinkBuds Open wireless earbuds.
What dont we like?The call quality, current price, and scarce feature set.
Only two colors are sold: black and white/gray.
Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Design
Sonys LinkBuds Speaker looks clean and is well built.
Size-wise, it is tiny enough to bring anywhere and rests handsomely on any surface.
There is a built-in rubberized lanyard to latch the speaker onto objects with a carabiner.
The bundled charging dock with marble design is chic.
It will spice up your home or office decor, plus it makes for a more convenient charging solution.
On a more positive note, the speaker has an extensive control scheme to enable numerous functions.
This includes call management, digital assistance, playback, power/pairing, volume, and Auto Play activation.
Each button produces solid tactility and responds to single/multi-press commands with precision.GoogleAssistant andSirigrant reliable voice assistance.
Its 360-degree design projects lively audio from all angles.
Listening at max volume wont create any distortion, making for a pleasurable listening experience.
Salsa tracks were a standout.
The instrument separation on orchestral masterpieces like Tito Puentes Mambo Gozon was phenomenal.
I was loving the infectious bop created by the catchy piano notes and disco-y synths.
That says a lot about the speakers exceptional midrange.
The boom levels on trigger the Jewels Out of Sight werent as energetic as I would have liked.
Nonetheless, I was still satisfied with the punchy lows that radiated through the speaker grilles.
Im also digging the LinkBuds Speaker as a desktop speaker.
The 5-band EQ is mediocre and the Clear Bass slider below it to increase/decrease bass doesnt work well.
In addition, the Find Your Equalizer setting that tailors sound to your hearing test barely enhances the soundstage.
I would have preferred Sonys preprogrammed presets that complement many music genres.
There is no bass-boosting mode.
Loud volume and special features decrease it by about 3 to 5 hours.
That is enough for a weeks worth of moderate listening.
Quick charging is promoted on the LinkBuds Speakersproduct page, but no specifications are shared.
My testing saw the speaker gain close to 1.5 hours of listening time on a 10-minute charge.
Both charging solutions (dock, USB-C cable) provide the same charging time.
Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Call quality and connectivity
Speakerphone functionality was disappointing.
Wireless performance is some of the categorys best.
Connectivity holds up well when your audio source is within 40 feet of the speaker.
Stepping out of range creates unwanted stutter.
That’s par for the course with Bluetooth 5.2.
The feature operates without a hitch, so points to Sony there.
Sonically, its better balanced than any UE Wonderboom model and has wider frequency range.
Just dont expect the head-rattling bass response that other Sony speakers deliver.
Unfortunately, extended functionality isnt the LinkBuds Speakers greatest strength.
The good news for Sony is that a price drop will fix some of the issues mentioned above.
