Overall Score 7.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 7 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus | Sony LinkBuds S |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP55 | IPX4 |
weight | 9g | 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 | 9mm | 5mm | |
lowest frequency | 5Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000Hz | 40,000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 110dB/mW | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 7.5hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 12.5hours | 14hours | |
charge time | 2.5hours | 2hours | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.1 | v5.2 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has ldac | ✗ | ✓ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | ✗ | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✗ | |
highest mic frequency | 8,000Hz | ✗ | |
lowest mic frequency | 100Hz | ✗ | |
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 | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
Ingress protection ratings is the level of protection given by a casing, against solids and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (sweat).
Scoring IP55, the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's rating for solids indicates that ingress of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in harmful quantities to interfere with the correct operation or impair safety, and the second number of 5 means that they can withstand medium pressure jet that's 6.3mm diameter, similar to garden hose from any angle for 3 minutes at a distance of 2.5 to 3 metres. In comparison to the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus, Sony LinkBuds S have a rating of IPX4 meaning that
no data available to specify a protection rating
and that of liquids is that,
Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus has a higher liquid rating than Sony LinkBuds S
The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have a weight of 9g . We take in account a lower weight best because lighter devices are easier to transport.
Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g weigh more than the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus with a difference of 0.6g True wireless devices have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus are true wireless for this matter since they don't have wires. This is a major distinction since wireless earbuds have wires linking the 2 earbuds together. Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless since it doesn't have cables linking the pair of earbuds together.
Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus are resistant to sweat Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have stereo speakers, devices with stereo 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 utilises advanced kind of tech to actively counter noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and generates a mirror signal to cancel it out.
Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (counter sound by the device) giving 0 hence "diluting" the noise.
Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background sounds. Sony LinkBuds S too have ANC making both earbuds ideal for plane rides and rush hour commutes.
Each work with different noise cancellation settings, pick the setting that suits your travel or that suites your relaxation time. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus stay tightly in place, this creates a sound seal that tones down your environment sounds and also prevents the earbuds sound from leaking out at the same. Both Sony LinkBuds S, and Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have passive noise reduction this means that they reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus driver unit is 9mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass. The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size dictates the loudness of the earbuds. Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter, which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus by 4mm , a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not mean that they produce better quality sound. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's lowest frequency is at 5Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio device generates low audible frequencies and if it alters the signal while at it. Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that
Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus produce a juicier bass than the Sony LinkBuds S
Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio device makes high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through.
Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this means that Sony LinkBuds S can generate a clearer and crispier treble than the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus The sound pressure level, is the level of pressure of sound, in decibels, dB, Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's measurement is 110dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source. Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's battery life is 7.5 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge.
A device's battery life is usually given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often. Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is less than that of Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus by 1.5 hours . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
This is given by the vendor, and the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's case has a charge of 12.5 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging the case itself. Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours, more than that of Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus by 1.5 hours It requires 2.5 hours to fully charge the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's battery.
It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. Sony LinkBuds S takes 2 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus by 0.5 hours Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights indicate the charging state of your device and charging case.
Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable. Sony LinkBuds S too use USB TYPE-C.
This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current electronics. Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have Bluetooth version of 5.1, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data transfers between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Sony LinkBuds S has a Bluetooth version of 5.2, newer than that of Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth. Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps.
Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus will work fine with your MacBook. If you are planning on using these with Android , 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. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are made to filter out noise from the desired sound.
The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's highest mic frequency is 8,000Hz, high frequencies are better for picking up treble. The highest mic frequency of a microphone is defined as its upper limiting frequency. Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus's lowest mic frequency is 100Hz, low frequencies are better for picking up bass.
The lowest mic frequency of a microphone is defined as its lower limiting frequency. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient noises 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 your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic. When misplaced in a room, or can't be found in your bag, the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus support the find earbuds feature.
The Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature. You can use the device app on your smartphone to play a sound from your earbuds to help you locate them. Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus 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, just that the battery is filling up much faster.
For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just 30 minutes. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have a multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.
The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds. The Sony LinkBuds S also have this function. The mute function means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.
With the Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the earbuds. Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus have voice prompts.
With voice prompts, you receive information through audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection. Sony LinkBuds S too support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you when the battery is low, and you need to recharge them. The Audio Technica ATH CKS30TW Plus come with their own special pouch.
Carrying earphones openly, or placing them inside your bag without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Sony LinkBuds S also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.