Overall Score 6.2 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Huawei FreeBuds 5
Overall Score 6.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Sony LinkBuds S | Huawei FreeBuds 5 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | IP54 |
weight | 9.6g | 10.8g | |
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 | 5mm | 11mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 16Hz | |
highest frequency | 40000Hz | 40000Hz | |
has a neodymium magnet | ✓ | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 6hours | 5hours |
battery life of charging case | 14hours | 25hours | |
charge time | 2hours | ✗ | |
battery power | ✗ | 42mAh | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | 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 refer to the rating of protection given by a casing, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value means protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).
Scoring IP54, the Huawei FreeBuds 5'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 of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.
Compared to the Huawei FreeBuds 5, Sony LinkBuds S have a rating of IPX4 meaning that
no data available to specify a protection rating
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a weight of 10.8g . We take in account a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are easier to move with.
Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g
are lighter than the Huawei FreeBuds 5 with a difference -1.2g
True wireless devices have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Huawei FreeBuds 5 are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is an important difference since wireless earbuds have wires connecting the two earbuds together.
Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless since it has no cables linking the pair of earbuds together.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 have sweat resistance
Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices ideal for use while doing sports such as long-distance running, marathons, training in workout bodysuits, etc
Huawei FreeBuds 5 have stereo speakers, what this means is that Huawei FreeBuds 5's speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
The Sony LinkBuds S also have stereo speakers
Active noise cancellation uses advanced kind of tech to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and after generates a mirror signal to counter it. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) then adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make zero which results in a reduced level of noise.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue as you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds.
The Sony LinkBuds S too have Active Noise Cancellation making both earbuds ideal for plane rides and morning travels. Each operate with different noise cancellation settings, pick the setting that suits your commute or that enhances your relaxation time.
The Sony LinkBuds S sit well in place, creating an acoustic covering that tones down background sounds while preventing the device voice audio from leaking out .
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 driver unit is 11mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size corellates with the sound produced by the device.
Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter,
which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 6mm
, 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 indicate that they produce better quality sound.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5's lowest frequency is at 16Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio component generates low audible frequencies and if it alters the signal on its way through.
Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that
Huawei FreeBuds 5 can produce a juicier bass than the Sony LinkBuds S
The Huawei FreeBuds 5's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio device makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this means that
both devices can generate equal treble
The Sony LinkBuds S have neodymium magnets, when used in earbuds produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output using less power to do so. They can help produce music at quite a high sound pressure level, with the use of high magnetic flux.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5's battery life is 5 hours, these last less than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is usually given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.
Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is
more than that of Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 1 hours
. Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing 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 Huawei FreeBuds 5's case has a charge of 25 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows 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 Huawei FreeBuds 5 by 11 hours
It requires 2 hours to fully charge the Sony LinkBuds S's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.
Huawei FreeBuds 5's battery power is 42mAh, battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights indicate the charging state of your earbuds and case.
Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, these enable you determine the charging state of your earbuds, if charged fully, or having a low battery.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 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 laptops, phones, and tablets.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data transfers between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
Sony LinkBuds S has a Bluetooth version of 5.2,
equal to that of the Huawei FreeBuds 5
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.
Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Huawei FreeBuds 5
Sony LinkBuds S support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Sony LinkBuds S will work fine with your iPhone. 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 Huawei FreeBuds 5 support LDAC, a codec developed by Sony
which allows streaming high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz.
It is capable of a very high bitrate of 990kbps, providing high-resolution audio.
Sony LinkBuds S support it as well, LDAC, can automatically adjust to a lower bitrate of 330kbps or 660kbps to increase stability.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have 6 microphones.
While the Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6,
equal to that of the Huawei FreeBuds 5
. More microphones record better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out background sounds.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce noise from the desired sound.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them
The Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, say you’re having a run but still want to hear traffic.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears so that the music is paused.
The Sony LinkBuds S 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, Huawei FreeBuds 5 support the find earbuds feature.
Sony LinkBuds S also have the find earbuds feature. You can use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to help you locate them.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to charge the earbuds.
The Sony LinkBuds S too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery fills up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 support multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint 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.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The Sony LinkBuds S also support the mute function. It means that you can turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
The Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them.
The Huawei FreeBuds 5 support voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.
The Sony LinkBuds S also have voice prompts .i.e the device will notify you if the battery is low, and you need to recharge the earbuds.
Huawei FreeBuds 5 come with their own special case. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them in your pockets without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
Sony LinkBuds S also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.