Sony LinkBuds Open vs Apple AirPods 4 with ANC: which pair of open earbuds is right for you?

Open earbuds – generally defined as earbuds wherein the earpiece lacks eartips and sits outside the ear canal rather than burrowing directly into it – are becoming increasingly popular. The trend truly began to take off in the last year or so, with the likes of Sony, Huawei, Apple and Bose taking a swing at the emergent design.

We can see the appeal. Not everyone wants sound fired directly into their ear canal, with many users bemoaning the discomfort, instability or even downright pain brought by traditional in-ear models. The benefits – from greater user comfort to increased awareness of external surroundings – are undeniably attractive.

What we have here are two of the finest mid-range exemplars of the open fit style: the Sony LinkBuds Open and the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Despite both being 'open', they are very different designs and offer different features, sound performance and comfort – for the same price.

So which model is the right fit for you? We've tested both pairs extensively and compared them on all of the important factors of design, fit, features (or lack of) and sound quality, so you can make the right choice for your needs.

Price

It's pretty much a deadlock on the price front. The Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) retail at £179 / $200 / AU$349, whereas the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation made their bow at £179 / $179 / AU$299. That's somewhere in mid-range territory as far as wireless earbuds are concerned, and as these are still relatively new pairs to the market, discounts don't exactly abound right now.

That said, the AirPods 4 with ANC have a few marks in their favour. Firstly, they're cheaper in the USA, so if you're reading this in the States, congratulations! Second, they've been around for a little longer than the LinkBuds, meaning we have seen a few tentative discounts dropping their asking price by £10 / $10 here and there. Hey, it all counts.

*Winner: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC*

Build and design

Apple has stuck with the ‘open’ design of its standard AirPods line here, with the fourth-gen buds sporting none of the removable silicone ear tips found on the impressive Apple AirPods Pro 2. Apple’s assurance that it has used thousands of ear samples and over 50 million data points to map the best fit is certainly believable. With shorter stems, a more contoured head and a narrower nozzle, not to mention a lighter feel in our ears, most of our reviews team find this generation of buds to be comfortable, unobtrusive and uncannily secure.

That said, a one-size-fits-all approach is never going to fit all, and while some users will find the AirPods 4’s fit to be heaven, others will simply find it one hell of an ordeal to get them to stay in place. Some on our team attain a snug, secure fit immediately, while others can barely wear them at all – as we advised in our review, try them before buying if you can.

The LinkBuds do things rather differently. Instead of the solid-backed, single-unit configuration of their Apple rivals, the LinkBuds Open have two distinguishing features: doughnuts and wings. That’s nothing to do with your favourite takeaway combo, with the doughnuts referring to the open ‘ring’ design which, sitting on the ear rather than burrowing into it, lets sound enter and exit the earbud more freely. The stabilising wings, meanwhile, are described by Sony as ‘Air Fitting supports’, taking the form of small, air-filled protrusions which nestle under your ear's inner ridge for greater security as you move.

Those two features make for a great combination, and for runners who want a comfortable, rock-steady fit combined with excellent awareness levels thanks to the buds’ impressive sonic passthrough, the Open are a fine choice. Sony has also been generous with its selection of supporting tips, offering five sizes – XS, S, M, L and XL – to suit your needs, whereas an IPX4 waterproof rating should keep the buds safe from sweat and drizzle. That rating, on the subject, isn't quite as impressive as the IP54 certification of the Apple alternatives.

Do note that the Open are a lot leakier than the AirPods 4 with ANC, as while that hollow ring may be great for letting sounds in, it is also adept at firing them back into the outside world – office workers and commuters, you have been warned.

Both sets of buds are touch capacitive, even if they pick their own respective paths on how they choose to implement their tech. You can pinch the stems on the AirPods 4 with ANC to control music playback, accept or reject calls and summon Siri, as well as long-pressing the stems to change the noise modes. We found the AirPods to be responsive and alert to our commands, though we remain disappointed that there’s no volume control as found with the AirPods Pro 2. To adjust the level of your music, you still have to use your phone or ask Siri to do it for you.

Sony’s effort in this regard is solid, even if it’s not quite up to the level of the AirPods. The rounded exterior surfaces of the LinkBuds Open are touch-capacitive and reasonably responsive, but they’re not quite as snappy and quick to heed our requests as their Apple rivals. Still, we’re pleased to see that we’re able to adjust the buds' sensitivity levels using the app, with Sony’s reassuringly in-depth platform offering impressive levels of customisation for each touch control’s given command, Be aware that the LinkBuds employ a system built around double and triple taps rather than single presses, something you may find just a touch wearing after a time.

This one feels like a matter of preference and, to an extent, luck. The AirPods have a great fit for some wearers but are incompatible with others, while the LinkBuds offer an attractive alternative to more traditional in-ear models. Both sets are appealing in the right context, but we do feel that the LinkBuds Open will be the buds that, in terms of fit, will be compatible with most people most of the time.

*Winner: Sony LinkBuds Open*

Features

Rather pleasingly considering these are mid-price buds we're dealing with, neither set leaves you feeling short-changed. We're not quite in flagship territory, but you won't be left feeling bereft of usability benefits whether you pick the Sonys or take a chance on the AirPods.

The major point of differentiation is a big one: active noise cancellation. Long story short, the AirPods 4 with ANC have it (as you might have already guessed), and the LinkBuds Open do not. That's a dealbreaker for some, as we understand that a big part of the AirPods' appeal for prospective buyers is their blending of an open design with some eminently respectable ANC capabilities.

Thanks in part to their harnessing of Apple's latest H2 chip and the same microphones as found in the flagship AirPods Pro 2, the noise-cancelling on display is startlingly effective from a pair of buds designed without an in-ear seal. To quote from our review: "Toggle on noise-cancelling and you’ll hear those low-level sounds immediately melt away. The rumble of engines on the road, the grinding hum of trains, the exhaust fan in the kitchen – it all disappears." Some noises will get through, especially those at higher frequencies, yet it's hard not to be impressed by how well the AirPods perform given their open design.

The various ANC sound modes are nicely implemented, too. Adaptive Audio mode works well, dynamically adjusting the level of sound blocking depending on your surroundings. Transparency mode is also onboard to put you more in the picture if you need more environmental awareness, though it does feel a little redundant in an open design as you can generally hear everything when ANC is turned off anyway.

Let's give Sony a chance and get back to more universal territory. Both pairs of buds offer hands-free voice calls, impressing with their respective performances, though we find that it's the LinkBuds that are the better of the contenders; while the AirPods suffer from a little background hissing, the LinkBuds Open are clear, natural and strikingly effective at isolating human speech.

Sony has further tricks up its sleeve. We’re impressed to see the inclusion of Auracast with the LinkBuds Open, the Bluetooth protocol which allows for wireless streaming from a near-limitless number of compatible source devices. Auracast hasn’t quite become a mainstream prospect just yet, but we're impressed that Sony is looking to the future with a potentially transformative technology. Add in Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity, head gesture controls and auto play/pause whenever the buds are removed from or restored to your ears, and you have a very well-rounded set of wireless companions.

Both sets have spatial audio support, with the AirPods 4 supporting Dolby Atmos tracks and feature dynamic head-tracking, while the LinkBuds Open make use of Sony's own (and more niche) 360 Reality Audio capabilities. The AirPods 4 offer Conversation Awareness which detects your speech and lowers your music's volume accordingly, whereas Sony has boosted the usability of its own buds with the likes of Bluetooth Multipoint, auto/play pause and head gesture controls.

Let's take a chance to remind you that the AirPods 4 with ANC are designed to work within the iOS ecosystem, whereas the Sony buds are agnostic in their approach. The current Sony Sound Connect app is remarkably in-depth and customisable (and works perfectly with your iPhone), whereas the app-less AirPods 4 have many features that are wedded to your iOS interface. Beware that Android users won’t get the full complement of iOS and Siri-specific features or an app to access their controls, so unless you're only using the AirPods for listening to music, Android users will have to look elsewhere.

This one can go either way, depending on your source device and what you prioritise. The big selling point for the AirPods is their effective, adaptive ANC alongside seamless iOS integration. The LinkBuds Open, meanwhile, don't have noise cancelling but do have a raft of reliably effective features that work for everyone.

*Winner: Draw*

Battery life

What about battery life? The LinkBuds Open offer eight hours from the buds on a single charge and a total of 22 hours with the case, while the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC grant more time in total at 30 hours with the case, but can only manage around four or five hours from the actual buds.

We found that because the AirPods 4's buds themselves hold less battery life (even less when ANC is turned on) we needed to charge them up more frequently and this in turn drains the charging case battery more noticeably. No one likes running out of charge when on the go or in the middle of a long podcast or extra-long playlist, so the in-bud battery life here makes a substantial difference. A win, then, for the Sonys.

*Winner: Sony LinkBuds Open*

Sound quality

Let’s start with the Sony LinkBuds Open. Straight from the block, we have to tell you that these aren’t the greatest sounding Sony headphones you can buy, or indeed the most sonically sophisticated LinkBuds you’ll find, but we’re happy to make concessions given that we’re dealing with a truly open design – adjust your expectations accordingly and the Open do a reasonable sonic job.

Where they excel is in the midrange. Piano tones and guitar strums are where the buds feel comfortable, with softer, simpler tracks such as Elliott Smith’s Needle In The Hay playing to the LinkBuds Open’s strengths. If you do stray from this midrange comfort zone, the LinkBuds Open have a slightly tougher time of it. Heavy, bassy tracks suffer from understandable limitations thanks to the Open buds’ lack of sonic weight, and while that may be a dealbreaker for some, we find the bass reproduction here to be weightier and punchier than that found with the original 2022 LinkBuds.

Instead, spaciousness, general clarity and that appealing midrange are the cards held by the LinkBuds Open. Softer songs possess a pleasingly open, unobtrusive character thanks to the buds’ airy, non-committal approach, but the trade-off here is a lack of sonic weight and punch.

As we noted in our review, the Sony LinkBuds Open are outperformed by their fourth-gen Apple counterparts. The AirPods 4 with ANC deliver an impressive sonic showing, bringing in lavish helpings of body, punch and muscle that the Sony buds tend to lack. They’re more agile and comprehensive-sounding, too, with an appealing presentation that feels akin to the route taken by the flagship AirPods Pro 2 – never a bad thing.

Instrumental textures sound clear, precise and tactile, whereas voices and harmonies are relayed with more insight through the AirPods 4. When playing Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 1 through the Apple buds, we notice the depth of texture and detail makes the performance feel more physically real as the AirPods communicate the weight of each piano key press. The LinkBuds are spacious and airy, but the AirPods 4 deliver a similarly large, full-scale presentation, with pleasing levels of space between voices and instruments, all while digging out those key details and putting plenty of meat on those proverbial audio bones.

The AirPods 4 with ANC aren’t quite perfect. We’d like more punch and greater subtlety to the way that our music’s dynamics ebb and flow, and while they have a great deal more punch than the LinkBuds Open, they still don't quite give as much authority as we've heard from conventional earbuds with eartips. Still, those are minor criticisms, and we’d reiterate our assertion that, across the spectrum of sonic capabilities, the fourth-generation AirPods confidently surpass the pleasing but limited levels reached by the LinkBuds Open.

*Winner: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC*

Verdict

If sound quality is top of your agenda, the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC are the buds for you. They're punchier, more dynamic and more detailed than the LinkBuds Open, and while the Sony are strong through the midrange and make a decent fist of their performance, they're not in the same league as the Apple buds. Plus, they have solid noise cancelling, and we know that's non-negotiable for many modern users.

Why, then, would you choose the Sony buds? Well, for reasons aside from sonic performance. Many (but not all) of our test team find their comfortable, secure fit to be superior to the slightly idiosyncratic AirPods 4, while others are attracted by their excellent awareness levels thanks to that 'passthrough' design. The AirPods 4 with ANC are, of course, also more welded to the iOS ecosystem, so if you want an agnostic pair of wireless earbuds, the feature-packed Sonys might also make a lot more sense.

MORE:

2024 was the year of open wireless earbuds: but are they just a gimmick?

These are the best wireless earbuds we've tested

Best AirPods: from wireless earbuds to premium over-ears