When the weather’s shining (and sometimes when it’s not), I like spending time outside. The best way to get around the city isn’t by car, it’s by biking, walking, skating (boards or roller), scooters, or public transportation. But the city isn’t a safe place to be a pedestrian or upstanding member of the bike lane. Instead, you’ve got to keep your wits about you. Either from other people or, more often, from vehicles. Distracted driving, larger SUVs, and lax enforcement have made streets more deadly than ever. The best way to keep your eyes on your surroundings isn’t to use your eyes, it’s to use your ears.
I was a bit disappointed with transparency mode on the AirPods Pro headphones. While it was fantastic for getting a general idea of your surroundings, engaging in conversations, listening for your doorbell, or something like that, it’s terrible for actually paying attention to your surroundings. I found that while outside, I could hear vehicles coming, but if I was also moving pretty quickly, it was hard to judge their location and distance. Lag between the microphones and speakers, the digital processing, and changes in the amplification of sound can ruin your ability to truly capture your surroundings with your ears. For that, you’d need true transparency. You’d need holes in your headphones.
Oh, hey, here’s a set of headphones with holes in them.
Sony’s upcoming “Linkbuds” look completely unique. They have a doughnut shaped hole in the middle instead of a typical silicone plug to form a seal. They may be the perfect tool for cyclists, skateboarders, pedestrians, runners, and anyone else who wants to listen to music without tuning the outside world out completely.
We don’t know everything about these yet, but I already want them.
Linkbuds Leak
We don’t have details from Sony yet, though this leak seems to be production-ready models for the website. The unique headphones may be close to launch. Supposedly they’ll feature active noise cancellation (ANC), which will be difficult considering their passive nature. Unfortunately, this will also drive the price up, meaning it could be too expensive to buy for casual use. Other headphones have managed to have active noise cancellation without a perfect seal, but it’s not as good as the headphones that create a tight seal of the ear canal. Maybe that’s the point. Most headphones do ANC well and transparency mode poorly. These could reverse that. They also feature external microphones for calls and, possibly, touch or pressure sensitive controls.
If these do allow sound in, they could become the best pick for people who like to hear their surroundings. This includes commuters, cyclists, pedestrians, hikers, joggers, and more. The headphones will supposedly launch with the name “Sony WF-L900,” or, “Linkbuds,” if Sony decides to give them an actual name. We don’t know what Sony will charge for it yet, but if it’s reasonable, I think I’ll be first in line.
Sources:
- Jay Bonggolto, Android Central
- C. Scott Brown, Android Authority
- Arol Wright, Android Police