The Sony LinkBuds S are noise canceling earplugs with a very compact design. Despite this small size, ambient noise is very much attenuated. Only I find the bass reproduction a bit too dominant.
Compact design
When I unpack the earplugs, I immediately notice how small they are. According to Sony, they are the smallest noise canceling earplugs on the market and I believe that. Due to their small size, they are also very lightweight. I hardly notice that I have earplugs in my ears.
noise canceling
Despite the size of the earplugs, they are able to attenuate ambient noise very well. In the train and in the office I hardly hear anything from my surroundings anymore. This way I stay focused on my work and I don't turn the volume up unnecessarily. Of all the noise-cancelling earplugs that I've tested, I don't think this one is inferior to the top models from, for example, Apple and Bose in terms of noise canceling.
Ambient sound
Not only the noise canceling convinces me. The ambient sound mode, where ambient sound is amplified instead of muffled, convinces me just as much. Where I find this function disappointing with many earplugs, it is the opposite here. With the volume low, I can still hear a lot of my surroundings. When I have the earbuds in my ears without playing music, I can easily have a conversation with someone.
Powerful bass
The LinkBuds S deliver a powerful sound, especially the low tones stand out. I often don't mind this, but with this model I sometimes find the bass sound too dominant and shrill. I would have liked a little more detail in the low tones. Fortunately, I adjust the sound in the Sony Headphones Connect app completely to my own taste. This allows me to choose the most appropriate sound for each genre.