Sony LinkBuds Fit review: Lightweight, feature-rich, and built for movement

The Sony LinkBuds Fit are a rare blend of minimalism, intelligent audio features, and fitness-friendly design. Priced at ₹18,990, these true wireless earbuds position themselves in the premium mid-range bracket. Sony isn’t trying to outmuscle the ANC kings here (read: its own WF-1000XM5 or Bose’s QuietComfort series), instead, it’s carving out a niche for those who value comfort, smart features, and a bass-friendly listening profile in a featherweight build.

Design & Comfort: Featherlight and Fuss-Free

The LinkBuds Fit are tiny, not just in how they look but in how they feel. At 4.9 grams per earbud, they’re practically invisible when worn. That’s a blessing for fitness users and long-haul listeners alike. The “air-fitting supporters” flexible wing tips that nestle into the folds of your ear do a great job of keeping the buds stable without applying pressure. Even during a 10K run and a few gym sessions, they never slipped, and more importantly, they never distracted.

The case mirrors this simplicity. Compact and pocketable, with a soft rubberised base and glossy top, it’s stylish without screaming for attention. The IPX4 rating adds peace of mind for sweaty workouts and rainy commutes, although the case itself isn’t water-resistant.

Smart Features That Actually Work

Sony has packed the LinkBuds Fit with features typically found in its high-end models. The Wide Area Tap functionality lets you tap near your ears, not on the earbuds, to control playback. It feels gimmicky at first, but once you find the right tap zone, it’s surprisingly effective. For those with gloves or sweaty fingers, this is a clever touch.

You also get gesture control via head movements (a subtle nod to how we naturally interact), plus voice assistant support for Alexa and Google Assistant. The sensors auto-pause your music when you remove the buds and resume when you put them back on — standard for the segment, but reliably implemented.

Audio Performance: Sony’s Signature Bass in a Sporty Shell

The LinkBuds Fit are tuned with a clear bias: bass. Powered by 8.4mm dynamic drivers and Sony’s Integrated Processor V2, these earbuds thrive on low-end punch. If you listen to hip-hop, EDM, or heavy pop, you’ll love the warm, thumpy signature. But what makes the sound profile more appealing is that mids, particularly vocals, don’t drown under all that bass.

Treble is clean, if a little muted at higher volumes. The five-band EQ in the Sony Headphones Connect app lets you tweak profiles, and the DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) upsamples compressed tracks, giving Spotify streams more bite and body.

High-res audio is supported via LDAC, and the earbuds can switch between AAC, SBC, and LC3, depending on your source. Multipoint pairing allows seamless connection between, say, your phone and laptop, a welcome addition for remote workers or students.

Noise Cancellation & Ambient Sound: Not Class-Leading, But Smart

ANC on the LinkBuds Fit is good but not great. It cancels out lower-frequency hums, such as air conditioners and distant traffic, but it doesn’t match the sheer silence of Sony’s XM5s. That’s partly due to the physical design; passive isolation is only average, and the buds let in a bit more environmental noise than expected.

What’s impressive, however, is the Auto Ambient Sound mode. It uses built-in mics and AI to adapt to your environment, allowing relevant sounds like voices or announcements through while filtering out background noise. In practice, it works well, particularly useful in urban settings or offices where total silence isn’t desirable.

Battery Life: Just Enough

Sony claims 5.5 hours of playback with ANC on, and around 7 hours without. Add the case, and you get just over 21 hours total. In real-world testing with mixed use (some calls, ANC on, occasional ambient mode), the earbuds consistently delivered around 4.5 hours per charge. Fast charging gives you an hour of playback from a 5-minute top-up, which is handy.

While the battery life isn’t class-leading, it’s fair for the size and weight. Still, competitors like the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro or even Jabra Elite 5 offer longer runtimes.

Call Quality: Clear Enough

Equipped with AI-enhanced noise reduction trained on 500 million samples, the LinkBuds Fit performs well on calls. Voices sound crisp, and background noise is kept in check, not completely removed, but reduced enough for outdoor or café conversations. Callers on the other end didn’t complain, even with wind and light traffic in the background.

Verdict: For the Fit-First Audiophile

Sony’s LinkBuds Fit aren’t trying to be everything for everyone and that’s precisely why they work. They prioritise comfort, mobility, and smart usability over brute-force noise cancellation. For gym goers, commuters, and casual listeners who want dependable sound with intelligent extras, these are among the most comfortable earbuds you can buy under ₹20,000.

Sure, the ANC isn’t best-in-class, and battery life could be better. But when you factor in the thoughtful design, stable fit, customisable sound, and host of smart controls from auto-play/pause to ambient awareness, the LinkBuds Fit offer more than most mid-range earbuds can manage.