Sony might not have got its footing in the smartphone industry but it is a whole different player in the world of audio accessories. The Sony WF-1000XM5 is often considered to be the best wireless earbuds there is! So, it's a great deal when the Japanese company comes up with a new hearable — which they just did. Let's look at the freshly announced Sony LinkBuds Fit and speculate what its price in Nepal might be.

Sony LinkBuds Fit Overview

Audio

I have already highlighted the Leviathan Sony is in the audio market. Given that, in no way would the company pump something out that wouldn't maintain its reputation. The Sony LinkBuds Fit is equipped with Dynamic Driver X and has the same diaphragm structure as the WF-1000XM5! Additionally, there is LDAC support on these earbuds, which is hailed as the holy grail of codecs with a maximum bitrate of up to 990kbps, and was pioneered by Sony itself! On top of that, these earbuds use AI to upscale compressed music files to bring out the best listening experience. Furthermore, these hearables offer 360 Spatial Sound complete with head tracking as well. Users can enjoy these effects with AR games like Ingress and BRAVIA TVs. Similarly, you can Background Music Effect too which fades the music you are playing such that it feels as if it's buzzing somewhere in the background. This allows you to focus on the task at hand and not let the loud playback distract you as the songs won't feel like they are playing in your head.

Noise Cancelling

The LinkBuds Fit houses the Integrated Processor V2, the same engine as Sony's heaviest hitter. This processer optimises noise cancellation, adapting as the environment around you changes. The noise cancellation carries on during calls as well. At the same time, the Precise Voice Pickup Technology focuses your sound such that the receiver on the other end hear you clearly. Then there is the Speak-to-Chat feature as well which pauses whatever you are listening to as soon as you speak to someone.

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Design

The Sony LinkBuds Fit comes in a stemless design with in-ear fitting and a soft fin on the top that helps secure the grip onto the user's ear. It is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Buds FE, only to some extent though. Sony utilises recycled plastic to build these earphones, and boasts IPX4 water resistance. By default, you can get the Sony LinkBuds Fit in Black, Green, and White. However, there is an option to play around with colours and customise one for extra money. There is also a violet version of these earbuds, which is a special edition collab with famous musician Olivia Rodrigo. This SE variant also gets two custom EQs devised by the artist and her producer so that you can listen to her GUTS and SOUR album as intended by them!

Features

The Sony LinkBuds Fit are RICH in features as well! Firstly, they come with Bluetooth v5.3 for a stable connection with your primary devices. Then for seamless connectivity with Android and Windows devices, these earbuds support Fast Pair and Swift Pair respectively. Moreover, there is the “Multipoint Connection” feature which lets you connect both devices simultaneously! Likewise, you get the Auracast feature allowing you to broadcast whatever you are listening to others nearby. There is also an in-ear detection feature which pauses the music when you pull the earbuds out from your ear and continues playing once you put them back in. These were relatively regular features, now moving on to more premium features. The Sony LinkFit Buds support “Wide Area Tap” with which these earbuds understand and perform a command even when you tap at the front of your ears. This means you don't have to tap on the earbuds and feel all uncomfortable fiddling with touch controls. They do have touch controls as well. For even more flair, the latest Sony offerings are voice-activated too — able to trigger voice assistants and carry out commands. You can also control these buds with gestures such as nodding and shaking your head sideways, which answers or declines calls respectively. To tap into further functionalities, you can install the Connect app. Lastly, you also get an ecosystem feature with LinkBuds Speaker that immediately picks up and continues playing whatever you were listening to in the earbuds once they are placed into the charging case.

Sony LinkBuds Fit Specifications

• Design: In-ear fit, stemless, IPX4-rated
• Dimensions:
  • Case: 47.20 mm x 47.20 mm x 32.60 mm
• Weight: 4.90 grams (Buds), 41.00 grams (Case)
• Sound Driver: 8.40 mm Dynamic Driver X
• Noise Cancellation: Adaptive ANC + Precise Voice Pickup Technology for calls
• Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.3
• Codecs: SBC, AAC, LC3, LDAC
• Playback: Up to 5.5 hours (with noise cancellation), Up to 8 hours (without noise cancellation), Up to 21 hours combined
• Charging: Via USB Type-C, 5 minutes charging = 60 minutes playback
• Features: Touch controls, Wide Area Tap, Gesture control, Voice control with Alexa or Google, Spatial Audio, Head tracking, Tailored sound with behaviour learning, DSEE Extreme music upscaling, Seamless auto switch to LinkBuds Speakers, Auto Play, In-ear detection, Speak-to-chat, Background Music Effect, Multipoint connection, Fast/Swift Pair, Auracast, Ultra-low latency for gaming
• Companion App: Sound Connect (Android | iOS)
• Colour Options: Black, Green, White, Violet (Olivia Rodrigo collab), Customisable

Sony LinkBuds Fit Price in Nepal and Availability

These earbuds went up for pre-orders starting on 2 October 2024 for a price of USD 199.99. The Olivia Rodrigo collab version also costs the same money while customising the colours cost a minimum of USD 209.98. There is a chance that these buds might make their way here and if they do, we expect the Sony LinkBuds Fit price in Nepal to start at NPR 32,249.

• Meanwhile, check out our Sony WF-1000XM5 review video: