Home Wireless Earbuds Sony Wf C500 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

A Review By Comparison of the Sony Wf C500 Vs. Sony Linkbuds S

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   7 min 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

A summary of the review by feature comparison

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 40000Hz 20000Hz
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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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sony LinkBuds S IPX4
Sony WF C500 IPX4

Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection given by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).

Scoring IPX4, the Sony WF C500's rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second number of 4 means 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

For a device to be true wireless it should have no wires linking any part of the device together, Sony WF C500 are true wireless for this case since they don't have wires. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the two earbuds .

Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless because it has no wires linking the two earbuds .

Sweat Resistance

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

Sony WF C500 have sweat resistance

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

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 separate channels on both left and right sides, creating 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 makes use of more advanced kind of tech to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and after inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 which results in a reduced level of noise.

Sony LinkBuds S have ANC allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

The Sony WF C500 sit well in place, creating a sound seal that reduces your environment noise and also prevents the earbuds music from leaking out .

Both Sony LinkBuds S, and Sony WF C500 have passive noise reduction this means that they tone down ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Sony LinkBuds S 5mm
Sony WF C500 5.8mm

The 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 produces 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 , 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.

Lowest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 20Hz
Sony WF C500 20Hz

The Sony WF C500's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device produces 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 both devices can produce equal bass

Highest Frequency

Sony LinkBuds S 40000Hz
Sony WF C500 20000Hz

Sony WF C500's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well a particular audio component generates high human frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.

Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this implies that Sony LinkBuds S can produce 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 using less power to do so. They can help generate music at quite a high sound pressure level, using high magnetic flux.

Sony LinkBuds S have it too, devices with these magnets are lighter and more powerful than those which use ferrite magnets. It is also known that they produce 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 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 Sony WF C500 by 4 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony LinkBuds S 14hours
Sony WF C500 10hours

This is given by the manufacturer, and the Sony WF C500's case is said to have a full charge of 10 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life 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 Sony WF C500 by 4 hours

Charge Time

Sony LinkBuds S 2hours
Sony WF C500 2.5hours

It requires 2.5 hours to fully charge the Sony WF C500's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully 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 Sony WF C500 by 0.5 hours

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

The Sony WF C500 have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the earbuds has a low battery. The battery indicator lights show the charging status of your device and charging case.

Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.

Sony LinkBuds S
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

The Sony WF C500 use USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.

Sony LinkBuds S too have USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current electronics.

Bluetooth Version

Sony LinkBuds S v5.2
Sony WF C500 v5

The Sony WF C500 have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows 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, 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. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.

Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Sony WF C500 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.

Has Ldac

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

The 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

Sony WF C500 have 2 microphones.

While the Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6, more than that of Sony WF C500 by 4 . More microphones record 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 while wearing the earbuds

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

Sony LinkBuds S support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds 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

If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Sony LinkBuds S have a 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 time it takes to fully charge a device.

Sony LinkBuds S support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in thirty minutes.

Has A Mute Function

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

The Sony WF C500 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 unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party talk.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

With the Sony WF C500, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds.

The Sony LinkBuds S too 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 via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.

Sony LinkBuds S also have voice prompts .i.e the device will notify you if the battery is low, and it's time to recharge them.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony LinkBuds S
Sony WF C500

Sony WF C500 come with their own special pouch. Carrying earbuds openly, or putting them in your pockets without a casing can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.

Sony LinkBuds S also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.

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