Sony Electronics Introduces Additional Model to LinkBuds Series, a New Frontier for Headphones - LinkBuds S

LinkBuds S Allows Users to Stay Connected to Their Online and Offline Worlds with Immersive Sensing Technologies for a "Never Off" Experience

SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Electronics Inc. today announced their newest addition to the LinkBuds series: LinkBuds S. The latest model empowers a new sound experience through Sony's sensing technology and partner collaboration, while retaining a "Never Off" wearing experience perfect for staying connected to online and offline worlds due to their ultra-small and lightweight design with natural ambient sound.

By leveraging sensor and spatial sound technology, they deliver new and immersive sound for AR games such as Niantic's game Ingress,¹ for consumers looking for new options for entertainment beyond music and calls. The model also makes music listening easier than ever with a new and unique "Auto Play²" feature. By detecting the listener's environment, such as wearing LinkBuds S, the feature enables their music to play automatically, delivered accordingly to their activity.

LinkBuds S are perfect for streaming content all day long. Consumers can enjoy music, video, or social media content just as the creator intended with Sony's highly acclaimed noise canceling technology and high-resolution capability.

The world's smallest and lightest, noise canceling, Hi-Res Truly wireless headphones³

Sony Electronics has engineered these remarkably small and lightweight truly wireless headphones with comfort in mind. LinkBuds S combine a shape that matches the human ear with an ergonomic design for a more stable fit to avoid discomfort in the ear that gets in the way of entertainment.

Adaptive Sound Control and Auto Play² for seamless music listening

LinkBuds S provide music listeners with the best of both worlds. These headphones combine the LinkBuds' innovative ambient sound concept that lets the listener interact with the world around them, with high-quality noise canceling technology allowing them to focus on the content they love and nothing else. Consumers can step into a coffee shop and quickly order with ease, then just as quickly sit back and enjoy their favorite entertainment distraction-free.

Adaptive Sound Control is a smart function that senses the user's activity, then adjusts ambient sound settings for the ideal experience. With Auto Play, LinkBuds S can automatically play music as soon as the headphones are put on or end a call, auto-triggering music to play based on behavior, such as going on a mood-boosting walk.

Auto Play automatically delivers music and audio notifications right when a listener needs them. Headphone sensors work with a unique algorithm that analyzes activity. For instance, when the listener was wearing headphones earlier, or is on the move after finishing a call, the headphones will resume music from Spotify² or soundscapes from Endel² based on pre-sets configured by the user Additionally, audio notifications can be read aloud without pausing music.

A new sound experience for AR gaming

Sony is collaborating with its partner company Niantic in the area of audio AR by developing an AR game that can be enjoyed both visually and audibly. When playing the game "Ingress" using LinkBuds S, the sensor and spatial sound technology enable players to enjoy a new experience with sound delivered according to the direction they are facing.

Crystal clear calls

Making a call on a noisy street or on a windy day has never been easier with LinkBuds S, thanks to Sony´s Precise Voice Pickup Technology that optimally controls the microphones on both earbuds and with the use of a mesh structure around the microphones. Consumers can enjoy crystal clear conversations, letting them catch up with colleagues and friends no matter where they are.

Immersive sound, authentic music

LinkBuds S create immersive sound and authentic reproduction, so users can enjoy their music, video or social media content just as the creator intended.

With the help of a new 5mm driver unit, these small earbuds pack a punch, producing powerful bass and stunningly clear vocals despite their size, bringing out the best in whatever genre or entertainment you choose. Sony's Integrated Processor V1 improves noise canceling, enhances sound quality, and reduces distortion with less power for distraction-free listening perfect for busy commutes.

These new headphones also allow the listener to experience High-Resolution Audio Wireless⁴, thanks to Sony's industry-adopted audio coding technology, LDAC. All music will be restored back to high range sound with the use of DSEE Extreme™⁵ that upscales digital music files in real time, allowing the listener to appreciate all the fine-details the artist recorded into their most-loved tracks.

Effortless hands-free control

Life should be full of interactions, so with the help of Speak-to-Chat⁶, based on precise Voice Pickup technology, music will automatically pause when the user needs to speak to someone, making it easier than ever to have a conversation when their hands are full.

These new headphones are also Google Assistant and Alexa compatible, helping with everyday tasks for hands-free help on the go.⁷ Users can connect with friends and family, get information, listen to music, set reminders and more, just say "Ok Google" or "Alexa" to activate their preferred voice assistant.

Full control with just a few taps

Thanks to the intuitive touch sensor control panel, consumers can change their sound settings, activate Quick Attention, and even resume Spotify⁷ music playback or Endel⁸ with just a few taps on the earbuds. Endel creates personalized soundscapes that give the body and mind what they each need to achieve better focus, relaxation or sleep while enjoying total sonic immersion.

Easy Bluetooth Pairing with Fast & Swift Pair

LinkBuds S support Google's new Fast Pair feature where users can pair the headphones with their Android device quickly and easily4. Swift Pair makes it quick and easy to pair headphones to Windows 11 or Windows 10 laptops, desktop PCs or tablets via Bluetooth^®. If there are multiple devices to connect, it is simple to automatically switch to a new device with just a tap of the play button⁹.

Next generation Bluetooth audio

These earbuds are ready for LE Audio9 next generation Bluetooth audio that enables ultra-low latency that is ideal for gaming.

Made with the environment in mind

LinkBuds S aren't only designed to be slick and stylish, but also with the environment in mind. Like the rest of the LinkBuds series, all packaging on the headphones are plastic free¹⁰ and the headphones use recycled materials from automobile parts¹¹ reflecting Sony's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of their products.

Stay connected with others with long battery life

Sony understands how important it is to audiences to enjoy their favorite content on their smartphone without anything getting in the way of their listening experience. Therefore, Sony has packed LinkBuds S with a full working day of charge, up to 6 hours with noise canceling from the headphones and storing another 14 hours in the stylish, compact charging case¹². Even when in a rush, just a 5-minute quick charge offers up to 60 minutes of play time.

Messages from Sony's partners

LinkBuds S connect online and offline worlds and will continue to provide various services for better and new sound experiences. Here are some messages from some of Sony's strategic partners.

"Niantic has a vision of a 'Real World Metaverse,' which means adding the AR digital layers onto the real world," said Archit Bhargava, Director of Product Marketing at Niantic, Inc. "Currently, the AR layers are visual layers, however, we believe that adding a sound layer will create a richer AR experience and it makes the real world more enjoyable and convenient. Sony's LinkBuds series adds the sound layer without compromising the visual and audio information of the real world. When it is used with the various games offered by Niantic, they can create a richer, more enjoyable gaming experience. Ingress, which is celebrating its tenth milestone this year, is going to have a new feature before the summer. We hope players will enjoy the feature with the LinkBuds series. Also, please stay tuned for the AR experience by the combination of LinkBuds series and our Lightship platform, which is the foundation of Niantic's game titles, which shall be available soon."

"At Spotify, we're always working to create the most seamless listening experience for every moment," said Edward Layoun, Product Director at Spotify. "It's one of the reasons we're so excited about our ongoing partnership with Sony. Spotify Tap on LinkBuds S provides an easy way to bring music to your ears without having to reach for your phone. Simply tap to get the music playing right away and tap further to enjoy great recommendations made just for you. We look forward to continuously innovating whilst delivering more seamless experiences together with Sony."

"Our vision is to make wellness accessible to all through the power of sound," said Oleg Stavitsky, Co-Founder and CEO of Endel. "Endel is a science-backed technology that creates personalized, adaptive soundscapes to help people focus, relax, said, and sleep. The integration with Sony's LinkBuds series and sensor technology enables a genuinely seamless functional sound experience for any moment of the day, be it commuting, a relaxation break, a power nap, or a deep work session."

Pricing and availability

LinkBuds S have a suggested retail price of $199.99 and will be available for purchase on May 20, 2022, or for pre-order today in color options White or Black at Sony.com, Amazon and other authorized dealers. Exclusively at Best Buy, a third color option will be available, Ecru.

About Sony Electronics Inc. 

Sony Electronics is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America and an affiliate of Sony Group Corporation, one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses electronics, music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming, robotics and financial services. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Sony Electronics is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets. Operations include research and development, engineering, sales, marketing, distribution and customer service. Sony Electronics creates products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to industry leading 4K and 8K Ultra HD TVs. Visit http://www.sony.com/news for more information.

¹ Targeted release before summer 2022.
² Install the Auto Play app and set up with Sony | Headphones Connect app. Auto Play Android version is now available. Auto Play iOS version will be available in early June 2022. Install the Spotify or Endel app and set up with Auto Play app. Auto Play, Spotify and Endel service may not be available in some countries/regions.
Detailed information is available on Endel website: https://endel.io/
³ As of May 9th 2022. According to research by Sony Corporation, measured using Strategy Analytics guidelines in the Truly Wireless style supporting noise cancelling and compatible with LDAC headphones market. LDAC is a certificated codec of "Hi-Res Audio Wireless"
⁴ Need to set the function to "Priority on Sound Quality" using the Sony | Headphones Connect app. Compatible devices supporting LDAC will be needed.
⁵ Activate the DSEE Extreme™ from the Sony | Headphones Connect app
⁶ Set the function to "ON" from the Sony | Headphones Connect app. To deactivate Speak-to-Chat and return to your music immediately, tap either the left or right touch panel. Otherwise, music will resume playing by default 15 seconds after your conversation ends in Speak-to-Chat mode. This timeframe can be customized using the Sony | Headphones Connect app. In rare cases, Speak-to-Chat may unintentionally start up in response to vibrations caused by devices such as electric toothbrushes, electric massagers and electric shavers, and activities such as brushing teeth, coughing or humming.
⁷ Install the Spotify app and set up with Sony | Headphones Connect app. Spotify service may not be available in some countries/regions.
⁸ Install the Endel app and set up with Sony | Headphones Connect app. Endel service and/or Endel Quick Access function may not be available in some countries/regions. Detailed information is available on Endel website: https://endel.io/
⁹ Feature requires firmware update, available in 2022.These features require connection to a compatible smartphone.
¹⁰ Depending on geographical region. Coating and adhesive materials excluded.
¹¹ Recycled plastic is subject to change.
¹² Up to 6hrs (earbuds) + up to 14hrs (charging case ), total of up to 20hrs when using Noise Canceling and Bluetooth® connection. To fully charge the LinkBuds S, charge for 2 hours. To fully charge the case, charge for 3 hours. Actual performance varies based on settings, environmental conditions, and usage.

SOURCE Sony Electronics, Inc.