Sony has entered the crowded clip-on earbud market with the $230 LinkBuds Clip, following Bose's lead. These open-fit earbuds attach to your ear without blocking the canal, offering comfort for all-day wear. However, the design follows a familiar formula that's now common across brands like Anker and JLab.

The review finds the LinkBuds Clip lack key Sony features like speak-to-chat and wear detection. Their audio performance struggles with bass-heavy genres, a typical trade-off for open designs. While calls are clear thanks to AI noise reduction and bone conduction, overall sound quality doesn't match sealed competitors like AirPods Pro.

Battery life is a strong point, with nine hours per charge and 37 hours total. But the clip-on category is now crowded with cheaper alternatives from Soundcore and JLab. Sony's entry feels competent yet unremarkable, failing to stand out in a market Bose pioneered and others are aggressively pricing.