Overall Score 6.2 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Ultimate Ears Drops
Overall Score 6.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Sony LinkBuds S | Ultimate Ears Drops |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | ✗ |
weight | 9.6g | ✗ | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
wingtips included | ✗ | ✓ | |
sweat resistance | ✓ | ✓ | |
is dust proof and water-resistant | ✗ | ✓ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✗ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 5mm | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 40000Hz | 20000Hz | |
sound pressure level | ✗ | 110dB/mW | |
has a neodymium magnet | ✓ | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 6hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 14hours | 9hours | |
charge time | 2hours | ✗ | |
has wireless charging | ✗ | ✓ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | v4.2 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has ldac | ✓ | ✗ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✗ | ✓ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 6only | 2only |
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 is the rank of protection given by a casing, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value represents protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).
Having a value of IPX4, the Sony LinkBuds S'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.
Sony LinkBuds S have a weight of 9.6g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
True wireless devices have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Ultimate Ears Drops are true wireless for this matter since they have no wires. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the pair of earbuds together.
Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless since it has no cables linking the two earbuds together.
Ultimate Ears Drops have wingtips, these are commonly used for workout earbuds and are usually an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.
Ultimate Ears Drops have sweat resistance
Sony LinkBuds S's resistance to sweat makes both devices fit for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc
The Ultimate Ears Drops are both dustproof and water-resistant.
Ultimate Ears Drops have stereo speakers, what this means is that Ultimate Ears Drops's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both Sony LinkBuds S and Ultimate Ears Drops have stereo speakers
ANC uses more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (inverted noise) to make zero hence "diluting" the noise.
The Sony LinkBuds S have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background sounds.
Ultimate Ears Drops stay tightly in place, creating a sound covering that tones down your environment noise while preventing the earbuds music from leaking out at the same.
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this means that they limit ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
Ultimate Ears Drops driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass.
A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size dictates the sound produced by the device.
Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 4.2mm
, many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they produce better quality sound.
Ultimate Ears Drops's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component generates low recognizable frequencies and if it alters the signal on its way through.
Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that
both devices make sound with equal bass
Ultimate Ears Drops's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well an audio component makes high human frequencies and if it adjustments to the signal on its way through.
Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this means that
Sony LinkBuds S can produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Ultimate Ears Drops
The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, in decibels, dB, Ultimate Ears Drops's measurement is 110dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
The Sony LinkBuds S have neodymium magnets, if used in audio devices 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 Ultimate Ears Drops's battery life is 6 hours, these last longer 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 have to charge the device less often.
Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is
equal to that of the Ultimate Ears Drops
. 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.
This is given by the manufacturer, and the Ultimate Ears Drops's case is said to have a full charge of 9 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before having to recharge the case itself.
Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours,
more than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 5 hours
It requires 2 hours to fully charge the Sony LinkBuds S's battery. It is recommended to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.
The Ultimate Ears Drops, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you simply place down on a compatible charging pad.
Ultimate Ears Drops have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights indicate the charging state of your earbuds and case.
Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, if charged fully, or having a low battery.
Ultimate Ears Drops have 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 is part and parcel of most current electronics.
The Ultimate Ears Drops have Bluetooth version of 4.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement 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 Ultimate Ears Drops
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Ultimate Ears Drops have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.
Sony LinkBuds S have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Ultimate Ears Drops
Ultimate Ears Drops support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Ultimate Ears Drops will work well with your iPhone. 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.
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.
Ultimate Ears Drops support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).
Ultimate Ears Drops have 2 microphones.
The Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6,
more than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 4
. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise.
The Ultimate Ears Drops support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound so that they can still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
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, for example when you’re having a jog but would still want to be able to hear traffic.
The Sony LinkBuds S have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears so that the music is paused.
If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Ultimate Ears Drops support the find earbuds feature.
Sony LinkBuds S also have the find earbuds feature. Use the device app on your phone to play a sound from your earbuds to help you locate them.
The Ultimate Ears Drops support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge the earbuds.
Sony LinkBuds S support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in 30 minutes.
Ultimate Ears Drops support multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
Ultimate Ears Drops have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The Sony LinkBuds S also have the mute function. The mute function means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.
The Ultimate Ears Drops, so you can 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.
Ultimate Ears Drops support voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection.
The Sony LinkBuds S also have voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you if the battery is low, and you need to recharge the device.
Ultimate Ears Drops come with a special case. Carrying earphones openly, or putting them in your bag without a cover can easily damage them.
Sony LinkBuds S also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.