Home Wireless Earbuds Sony Wf C500 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

Sony Wf C500 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S Review

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   7 minute read
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Sony LinkBuds S

Sony LinkBuds S

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Reasons why you might like the Sony LinkBuds S

Overall Score 6.2 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
VS
Sony WF C500

Sony WF C500

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Reasons why you might like the Sony WF C500

Overall Score 5.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Battery Life of 10 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only

Sony Wf C500 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S Review In Summary

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
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Sony Wf C500 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S Review In Detail

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sony LinkBuds S IPX4
Sony WF C500 IPX4

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

Weight

Sony LinkBuds S 9.6g
Sony WF C500 10.8g

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

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Sweat Resistance

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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

Sony LinkBuds S
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Driver Unit Size

Sony LinkBuds S 5mm
Sony WF C500 5.8mm

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.

Lowest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 20Hz
Sony WF C500 20Hz

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

Highest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 40,000Hz
Sony WF C500 20,000Hz

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

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony LinkBuds S
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.

Power

Battery Life

Sony LinkBuds S 6hours
Sony WF C500 10hours

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.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony LinkBuds S 14hours
Sony WF C500 10hours

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

Charge Time

Sony LinkBuds S 2hours
Sony WF C500 2.5hours

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

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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 LinkBuds S
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Bluetooth Version

Sony LinkBuds S v5.2
Sony WF C500 v5

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.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony LinkBuds S 10meters
Sony WF C500 9meters

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

Has Aac

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Has Ldac

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sony LinkBuds S 6only
Sony WF C500 2only

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
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

When misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Sony LinkBuds S support the find earbuds feature.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Has A Mute Function

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Warranty Period

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500 1Years

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.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

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.

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