Sony WF-1000XM4 vs LinkBuds S Truly Wireless: Which Headphones Are Better?

The Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless have a slight edge over the Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless, but it depends on your priorities. The LinkBuds S are more comfortable, thanks to their smaller and lightweight design. Their ANC can block out significantly more ambient sound. However, the WF-1000XM4 are better built and have better overall battery life.

Variants

WF-1000XM4 (Black)
WF-1000XM4 (Silver)

LinkBuds S (Black)
LinkBuds S (Desert Sand)

Review

See Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless Review

See Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Review

Check Price

Black

WF-1000XM4

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Black

LinkBuds S

SEE PRICE

B&H

Silver

WF-1000XM4

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Desert Sand

LinkBuds S

Amazon.com

Earth Blue

LinkBuds S

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Violet

LinkBuds S x Olivia Rodrigo

Amazon.com

White

LinkBuds S

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Notice: Two or more of the products being compared have been tested with different test methodologies. Some of the results aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Threshold

0.10

Neutral Sound

6.5

No major differences between these headphones for neutral sound. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Neutral Sound

6.5

Phone Calls

6.3

Sports And Fitness

8.1

7.9

Travel

7.8

8.0

Office Work

7.1

7.3

Wireless Gaming (In Development)

5.4

5.5

Wired Gaming (In Development)

5.2

5.4

Audio Reproduction Accuracy

7.5

Noise Isolation

8.4

Microphone (In Development)

5.9

Frequency Response Consistency

8.3

Sound

Sound Profile

Preview Graph

Normalization Frequency

700 Hz

Bass Amount

Slightly Emphasized (2 dB)

Bass Amount

0.05 dB

Treble Amount

-5.13 dB

Treble Amount

Underemphasized (-4 dB)

Sound Signature

Warm

Show Text

Frequency Response Consistency

9.2

8.3

Consistency L

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Consistency L

Consistency R

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Consistency R

Std. Deviation

0.16 dB

0.75 dB

Show Text

Raw Frequency Response

Raw FR L

Preview Graph

Raw FR R

Preview Graph

Bass Profile: Target Compliance

8.3

9.5

Bass Profile: Target Compliance

Preview Graph

RMS Deviation From Target

2.12 dB

2.1 dB

Low-Frequency Extension

56.57 Hz

20 Hz

Low Bass

-3.97 dB

1.19 dB

Mid Bass

-1.65 dB

2.38 dB

High Bass

0.08 dB

2.69 dB

Show Text

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance

8.2

9.0

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance

Preview Graph

RMS Deviation From Target

2.43 dB

1.42 dB

Low Mid

0.02 dB

-0.23 dB

Mid-Mid

-2.69 dB

-0.52 dB

High Mid

-3.03 dB

1.58 dB

Show Text

Treble Profile: Target Compliance

2.9

5.4

Treble Profile: Target Compliance

Preview Graph

RMS Deviation From Target

9.62 dB

5.7 dB

Low Treble

-5.84 dB

-2.29 dB

Mid Treble

-12.42 dB

-7.33 dB

High Treble

-10.23 dB

-12.75 dB

Show Text

Peaks/Dips

8.3

7.7

Peaks/Dips Graph

Preview Graph

Peaks

0.91 dB

1.23 dB

Dips

1.7 dB

1.99 dB

Show Text

Stereo Mismatch

8.8

Frequency Response Mismatch

Preview Graph

Phase Response Mismatch

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Phase Response Mismatch

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch

0.24

0.05 dB

Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch

0.89

0.81 dB

Weighted Phase Mismatch

0.92

1.4°

Show Text

Group Delay

8.4

Group Delay

Preview Graph

Weighted Group Delay

0.7 ms

Show Text

Cumulative Spectral Decay

CSD

PRTF

1.1

0.0

PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)

N/A

PRTF Size (Avg.)

N/A

PRTF Distance

N/A

Openness

2.2

Acoustic Space Excitation

2.3

Show Text

Harmonic Distortion

7.9

Harmonics Levels

Preview Graph

THD Ratio

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless THD Ratio

WHD @ 94 dB SPL

0.309

0.17%

WHD @ 104 dB SPL

0.133

0.72%

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Electrical Aspects

Impedance

Sensitivity @1kHz-1V

N/A

Bluetooth Max SPL

103.6 dB

Virtual Soundstage

4.1

Virtual Soundstage

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling

On/Off

Speaker Modeling

On/Off

Room Ambience

Head Tracking

Virtual Surround

360 Reality Audio

Show Text

Test Settings

Firmware

1.1.5

4.2.1

Power

Connection

Bluetooth 5.0

Bluetooth

Codec

SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

Test Instrument

Audio Precision APx517B

EQ

Off

ANC

Tip/Pad

Foam (small)

Silicone (medium)

Microphone

Integrated

Show Text

Imaging

9.5

Group Delay

Preview Graph

Phase Response Mismatch

Preview Graph

Weighted Group Delay

0.09

Weighted Phase Mismatch

0.92

1.4°

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch

0.24

0.05 dB

Weighted Frequency Mismatch

0.89

0.81 dB

Show Text

Weighted Harmonic Distortion

7.7

Weighted Harmonic Distortion

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Weighted Harmonic Distortion

WHD @ 90

0.309

0.17%

WHD @ 100

0.133

0.72%

Show Text

Design

Style

Design Picture 2

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Design Picture 2

Type

In-ear

Enclosure

Closed-Back

Wireless

Truly Wireless

Transducer

Dynamic

Show Text

Comfort

7.0

7.5

Comfort Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight

0.03 lbs

0.02 lbs

Clamping Force

0 lbs

Show Text

Controls

6.3

7.6

Controls Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility

Not OS specific

Ease Of Use

Good

Feedback

Good

Decent

Call/Music Control

Yes

Volume Control

Yes

Microphone Control

Channel Mixing

Noise Cancelling Control

On/Off

Talk-Through

On/Off

Additional Controls

Voice Assistant

Show Text

Breathability

9.2

Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference

0.8 °C

Show Text

Portability

9.4

9.5

Portability Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Portability Picture

L

1.4" (3.6 cm)

1.2" (3.1 cm)

W

1.1" (2.8 cm)

1.0" (2.6 cm)

H

1.1" (2.7 cm)

0.9" (2.4 cm)

Volume

1.65 in³ (27.00 cm³)

1.18 in³ (19.30 cm³)

Transmitter Required

Show Text

Case

7.5

Case Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Case Picture

Type

Hard case

L

2.6" (6.7 cm)

2.4" (6.0 cm)

W

1.1" (2.9 cm)

1.7" (4.3 cm)

H

1.5" (3.9 cm)

1.1" (2.7 cm)

Volume

4.64 in³ (76.00 cm³)

4.25 in³ (69.70 cm³)

Show Text

Build Quality

8.0

7.5

Build Quality Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Build Quality Picture

Show Text

Stability

7.5

Stability Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Stability Picture

Show Text

Headshots 1

Angled Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2

Front Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Rear Picture

Top

Top Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Top Picture

In The Box

In The Box Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless In The Box Picture

Show Text

Isolation

Noise Isolation - Full Range

7.8

8.5

Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Isolation - Full Range Graph

Noise Cancelling

Yes

Overall Attenuation

-22.5 dB

-22.18 dB

Isolation Audio

Bass

-13.17 dB

-14.69 dB

Mid

-20.01 dB

-24.27 dB

Treble

-34.86 dB

-28.97 dB

Show Text

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios

8.1

Noise Isolation - Common Scenarios Graph

Preview Graph

Airplane Noise Attenuation

-18.56 dB

Airplane Noise Isolation Audio

Office Noise Attenuation

-18.56 dB

Office Noise Isolation Audio

Street Noise Attenuation

-21.04 dB

Street Noise Isolation Audio

Show Text

Noise Isolation - Voice Handling

Female Voice 1

Male Voice 1

Female Voice 2

Male Voice 2

ANC Wind Handling

ANC Wind Handling Graph

Preview Graph

ANC Wind Noise

Show Text

Leakage

8.0

9.3

Leakage

Preview Graph

Leakage Audio

Overall Leakage @ 1ft

33.67 dB

25.17 dB

Show Text

Microphone

Microphone Style

Integrated

Yes

In-Line

Boom

Detachable Boom

Mic

Yes

Recording Quality

5.2

5.4

Microphone Frequency Response

Preview Graph

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Microphone Frequency Response

Recorded Speech

LFE

201.59 Hz

257.68 Hz

FR Std. Dev.

2.87 dB

4.44 dB

HFE

1,317.51 Hz

7,896.12 Hz

Weighted THD

6.721

1,274.475

Gain

13.46 dB

-46.22 dB

Show Text

Noise Handling

6.5

6.3

SpNR

Preview Graph

SpNR

25.22 dB

31.81 dB

Noise Gate

Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling

6.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample

Speech + Subway Noise Handling

6.5

6.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample

Show Text

Active Features

Battery

8.0

7.3

Battery Type

Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life

10.3 hrs

7.1 hrs

Additional Charges

2.0

2.3

Total Battery Life

30.9 hrs

23.4 hrs

Charge Time

1.3 hrs

1.7 hrs

Power-Saving Feature

Auto-Off Timer

Audio While Charging

Yes

Passive Playback

Charging Port

USB-C

Show Text

App Support

8.0

App Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless App Picture

App Name

Sony| Headphones Connect

iOS

Yes

Android

Yes

macOS

Windows

Equalizer

Graphic + Presets

ANC Control

On/Off

Mic Control

Room Effects

Playback Control

Yes

Button Mapping

Yes

Surround Support

Yes

Show Text

Connectivity

Wired Connection

0.0

Cable Picture

Compare High-Res

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio

USB Audio

Detachable

Length

N/A

Connector

No Wired Option

Latency - Analog

N/A

Latency - USB

N/A

Recorded Latency

N/A

Recorded Latency Connection

No Wired Audio

Show Text

Bluetooth Connection

8.4

7.9

Bluetooth Version

5.2

Multi-Device Pairing

2 Devices

Quick Pair (Android)

Yes

Quick Pair (iOS)

Line Of Sight Range

291.99 ft (89.00 m)

233.92 ft (71.30 m)

Latency - SBC

259 ms

304 ms

Latency - aptX

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (High Quality)

N/A

Latency - aptX Adaptive (Low Latency)

N/A

Latency - LDAC

258 ms

255 ms

Recorded Latency

Recorded Latency Codec

SBC

LDAC

AAC Support

Yes

Show Text

Wireless Connection (Dongle)

0.0

Line Of Sight Range

N/A

Latency - Dongle

N/A

Recorded Latency

N/A

PC Compatibility

Analog

Wired USB

Non-BT Wireless

Show Text

PlayStation Compatibility

PS4 Analog

PS4 Wired USB

PS4 Non-BT Wireless

PS5 Analog

PS5 Wired USB

PS5 Non-BT Wireless

Xbox Compatibility

Xbox One Analog

Xbox One Wired USB

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless

Xbox Series X|S Analog

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless

Base/Dock

2.2

Type

Charging Case

USB Input

Line In

Line Out

Optical Input

RCA Input

Dock Charging

Yes

Power Supply

USB-C

Show Text

Check Price

Black

WF-1000XM4

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Black

LinkBuds S

SEE PRICE

B&H

Silver

WF-1000XM4

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Desert Sand

LinkBuds S

Amazon.com

Earth Blue

LinkBuds S

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Violet

LinkBuds S x Olivia Rodrigo

Amazon.com

White

LinkBuds S

SEE PRICE

Amazon.com

Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless

Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless

Comments

Comparison

• Posted 1 year ago

Sony WF-1000XM4 Truly Wireless vs Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless: Main Discussion

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Sony WF-1000XM4 vs LinkBuds S Truly Wireless

Which Headphones Are Better?

Products

Our Verdict

Variants

Review

Check Price

Main Differences for Neutral Sound

Threshold

Neutral Sound

Full Comparison

Neutral Sound

Phone Calls

Sports And Fitness

Travel

Office Work

Wireless Gaming (In Development)

Wired Gaming (In Development)

Audio Reproduction Accuracy

Noise Isolation

Microphone (In Development)

Frequency Response Consistency

Sound Profile

Sound Profile

Normalization Frequency

Bass Amount

Bass Amount

Treble Amount

Treble Amount

Sound Signature

Frequency Response Consistency

Consistency L

Consistency R

Std. Deviation

Raw Frequency Response

Raw FR L

Raw FR R

Bass Profile: Target Compliance

Bass Profile: Target Compliance

RMS Deviation From Target

Low-Frequency Extension

Low Bass

Mid Bass

High Bass

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance

Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance

RMS Deviation From Target

Low Mid

Mid-Mid

High Mid

Treble Profile: Target Compliance

Treble Profile: Target Compliance

RMS Deviation From Target

Low Treble

Mid Treble

High Treble

Peaks/Dips

Peaks/Dips Graph

Peaks

Dips

Stereo Mismatch

Frequency Response Mismatch

Phase Response Mismatch

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch

Weighted Frequency Response Mismatch

Weighted Phase Mismatch

Group Delay

Group Delay

Weighted Group Delay

Cumulative Spectral Decay

CSD

PRTF

PRTF

PRTF Accuracy (RMS Deviation)

PRTF Size (Avg.)

PRTF Distance

Openness

Acoustic Space Excitation

Harmonic Distortion

Harmonics Levels

Main Differences for

Neutral Sound