Home Wireless Earbuds Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Linkbuds S Review

Last updated on Aug 18, 2024   15 minute read
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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

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Reasons why you might like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Overall Score 7.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Sony LinkBuds S

Sony LinkBuds S

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Reasons why you might like the Sony LinkBuds S

Overall Score 7 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Sony Linkbuds S Review In Summary

Category Features Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Sony LinkBuds S
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4 IPX4
weight 10.6g 9.6g
has no wires or cables
sweat resistance
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 11mm 5mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 20Hz
highest frequency 20,000Hz 40,000Hz
POWER battery life 6hours 6hours
battery life of charging case 24hours 14hours
charge time 1hours 2hours
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY has usb type-c
bluetooth version v5.3 v5.2
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
has ldac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 6only 6only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
has find earbuds feature
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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Ingress protection ratings is the level of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating means protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (sweat).

Having a value of IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s rating is read as, the first number of X denotes that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second value of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes. Compared to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), Sony LinkBuds S have a rating of IPX4 meaning that we are not yet certain of their rating with solids (dust) and that of liquids is that, they both have the same rating against liquids Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a weight of 10.6g . We prefer a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.

Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g are lighter than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by -1g True wireless devices have no cables linking any part of the device together, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are true wireless for this matter since they don't have cables. This is an important distinction since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the pair of earbuds . Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless because it doesn't have wires linking the two earbuds together. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have sweat resistance Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers, what this means is that Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.

The Sony LinkBuds S also have stereo speakers ANC makes use of advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and after inverts the soundwaves to counter it. In simple terms, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 resulting in a reduced level of noise.



Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears as you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background noise. Sony LinkBuds S too have Active Noise Cancellation making either of the earbuds ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. Each operate with different noise cancellation settings, pick the setting that suits your travel or that enhances your relaxation time.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) stay well in place, this creates an acoustic seal that reduces your environment sounds while preventing the device voice audio from leaking out at the same. Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this implies that both reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass.

A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the earbuds, its size determines the loudness of the earbuds. Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter, which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 6mm , as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not indicate that they deliver better quality sound.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal while at it. Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that both devices produce equal bass Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well a particular audio component makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this implies that Sony LinkBuds S produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge.

A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings. Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.

The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case has a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before recharging the case itself. Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 10 hours It takes 1 hours to fully charge the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery.

It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been in storage for long periods. Sony LinkBuds S takes 2 hours to fully charge the battery, more than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 1 hours The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply place down on a compatible charging pad.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights indicate the charging state of your earbuds and charging case. Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Sony LinkBuds S has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, older than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Newer versions provide faster data transfers. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.

Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.



Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will work fine with your iPad. If you are planning on using these with Android you need to pay even closer attention to codec support for if they only have AAC they won't provide the best audio quality possible, ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well. The Sony LinkBuds S support AAC as well.

Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones. While the Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . More microphones result in better sound quality and help the device to filter out noise.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to reduce noise from the earbuds' sound. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them The Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music while being aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but would still want to hear traffic. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears so that the music is paused.

The Sony LinkBuds S too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life. If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a find earbuds feature. The Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature.

Simply use the device app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to help you find them. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to fully charge the earbuds.

Sony LinkBuds S too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a mute function, they have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.

The Sony LinkBuds S also have this function. It means that you can turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party talk. With the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.

The Sony LinkBuds S too have voice prompts meaning the earbuds will notify you if the battery is low, and you need to recharge them. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with their own special case. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them in your pockets without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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