Sony LinkBuds S
See price on AmazonOverall Score 6.2 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Sony WF C500
See price on AmazonOverall Score 5.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Sony LinkBuds S | Sony WF C500 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | IPX4 |
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 | 5.8mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 40,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
has a neodymium magnet | ✓ | ✓ | |
POWER | battery life | 6hours | 10hours |
battery life of charging case | 14hours | 10hours | |
charge time | 2hours | 2.5hours | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | v5 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 9meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has ldac | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 6only | 2only |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✗ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✗ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✗ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
has a mute function | ✓ | ✓ | |
control panel placed on a device | ✓ | ✓ | |
warranty period | ✗ | 1Years | |
has voice prompts | ✓ | ✓ | |
travel bag is included | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
IP ratings is the rank of protection offered by an enclosure, against solids and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (water).
Scoring IPX4, the Sony WF C500's rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.
In comparison to the Sony WF C500, 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
Sony WF C500 have a weight of 10.8g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.
Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g
weigh less than the Sony WF C500 by -1.2g
True wireless devices have no wires linking any part of the device together, Sony WF C500 are true wireless for this case since they have no cables. This is a key difference 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 pair of earbuds together.
Sony WF C500 are resistant to sweat
Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices ideal for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc
Sony WF C500 have stereo speakers, what this means is that Sony WF C500's speakers deliver sound from independent 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 uses more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. How it works, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and adding -1 (inverted noise) to make zero therefore "diluting" the noise.
The Sony LinkBuds S have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to overcome background noise.
Sony WF C500 sit well in place, creating a sound covering that tones down your environment noise and also prevents the earbuds sound from leaking out .
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that they reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
Sony WF C500 driver unit is 5.8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
The driver unit is the component that makes sound in the earbuds, the unit size corellates with the sound made by the device.
Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Sony WF C500 by 0.8mm
, as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yes, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not imply that they produce better quality sound.
Sony WF C500's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio device produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.
Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that
both devices can produce equal bass
Sony WF C500's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component makes high recognizable frequencies and if it adjustments to the signal while at it.
Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this means that
Sony LinkBuds S generate a clearer and crispier treble than the Sony WF C500
The Sony WF C500 have neodymium magnets, when used in audio devices produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help generate music at quite a high SPL, with the use of high magnetic flux.
Sony LinkBuds S have it too, devices with neodymium magnets are lighter and more powerful . It is also known that they have more bass and clearer high notes.
The Sony WF C500's battery life is 10 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. A device's battery life is commonly 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
less than that of Sony WF C500 by 4 hours
. Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is barely 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 manufacturer, and the Sony WF C500's case is said to have a charge of 10 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before recharging the case itself.
Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours,
more than that of Sony WF C500 by 4 hours
It takes 2.5 hours to fully charge the Sony WF C500's battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for long periods.
Sony LinkBuds S takes 2 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of Sony WF C500 by 0.5 hours
Sony WF C500 have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights show the charging status of your device and charging case.
Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.
Sony WF C500 support USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
Sony LinkBuds S too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current laptops, phones, and tablets.
Sony WF C500 have Bluetooth version of 5, 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 Sony WF C500
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
Sony WF C500 have a 9meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.
Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters,
longer than that of Sony WF C500 by 1meters
Sony WF C500 support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Sony WF C500 will work fine with your MacBook. If you intend 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.
Sony LinkBuds S 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 can reach a high bitrate of 990kbps, providing high-resolution audio.
The Sony WF C500 have 2 microphones.
The Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6,
more than that of Sony WF C500 by 4
. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise.
Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
The Sony LinkBuds S 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.
When misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Sony LinkBuds S support the find earbuds feature.
The Sony WF C500 support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge the earbuds.
Also the Sony LinkBuds S too support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes.
The Sony WF C500 have a mute function, they support the feature 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 you can still hear the other party talk.
The Sony WF C500, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
The Sony LinkBuds S also have a control panel on them.
Sony WF C500 have a warranty period of 1 Years, the period of time that warrant free repair and adjustment services in case of a malfunction occurring under normal use that has followed instruction manuals.
Sony WF C500 have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information through audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.
The Sony LinkBuds S also support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you if the battery is low, and it's time to recharge the device.
The Sony WF C500 come with their own special pouch. Carrying earphones without a case, or placing them inside your pockets without a cover can easily damage them.
Sony LinkBuds S also have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.