Sony LinkBuds Speaker

Package contents and hardware

Weighing 520 grams and measuring a compact 8.4 × 11 × 9 cm, the Sony LinkBuds Speaker is discreet whether placed on a desk or shelf. Apart from the underside, the small Sony is wrapped in fine acoustic fabric. On the top are four control buttons; on the back, you’ll find a carry ring, the main power switch, and a USB-C port hidden behind a protective flap. On the bottom are the Bluetooth pairing button, a service button for battery status, and the contact point for the included charging dock. A USB-A to USB-C cable over one metre long is also supplied.

Sound comes from a 16 mm tweeter and a 48 × 56 mm X-Balanced Speaker Unit woofer, supported by passive radiators. The Sony LinkBuds Speaker has IPX4 protection, making it resistant to splashes or light rain.

Bluetooth specifications

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, the Sony LinkBuds Speaker supports Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair for quick and easy pairing. Multipoint is included, and audio streaming is encoded using SBC and AAC. Auto Switch is a convenience feature that hands over playback between a compatible headphone and the speaker (and vice versa) seamlessly. If you own two LinkBuds Speakers, you can pair them as a true stereo set. Bluetooth Standby allows the device to be powered on remotely via the Bluetooth menu on your device or through the app.

Functions and controls

Directly on the Sony LinkBuds Speaker, you can control volume, play/pause/skip, and use the Quick Access button to launch Spotify, Amazon Music, or Endel – depending on which service you’ve preselected and installed on your device. This is set up in the Sound Connect app, which is essential for accessing the 5-band EQ with Bass Boost.

While there are no instant-access presets, two EQ profiles can be saved. If you’d like guidance on tuning, you can choose from various sound suggestions, each applying a specific setup.

In the System section, you can assign the Quick Access button, configure Auto Switch, and toggle Bluetooth Standby – useful but a small drain on battery life. The Scene section lets you schedule playlists to play at specific times: for example, a focus playlist starts at 9 am when you sit at your desk, and a bedtime playlist kicks in automatically at 9 pm. Sony’s development team clearly enjoys experimenting, giving you plenty of ways to customise and tweak your experience.

Sound quality

Placed right beside you on a desk, the Sony LinkBuds Speaker produces impressively dense and surprisingly voluminous sound. Even from a shelf at slightly higher volume, it offers a solid, room-filling performance with sufficient bass, well-defined mids, and good highs. Sony uses extensive DSP processing and its DSEE enhancement to upscale compressed audio for the best possible impression. Up to medium-high volume levels, the tuning works well; at maximum loudness, bass does diminish noticeably. Still, the overall sound quality, depth, and punch are impressive for such a small speaker – and easily fine-tuned via the EQ.

Call quality

Sony claims the LinkBuds Speaker offers its best-ever call quality in a wireless speaker. Callers reported clear, understandable voice reproduction, though slightly boxy and metallic in tone – acceptable overall. Staying close to the mic and avoiding interruptions helps improve clarity.

Conclusion

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker impresses with great sound quality in a very compact body – ideal not for large halls but perfectly suited to living rooms, offices, and bathrooms. Practical features like Quick Access, Auto Switch, and Bluetooth Standby highlight Sony’s blend of functionality and design, making this an excellent everyday companion with an understated yet appealing look.