I tried Sony’s LinkBuds Clip and Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop
I tried Sony’s LinkBuds Clip and Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop
Publish Date: 2026-02-02 17:54:00
Source Domain: www.androidcentral.com
The open earbuds market is gaining more attention, with Sony kicking off 2026 with a revamped pair in the new LinkBuds Clip. They’re immediately going up against options from Bose and Motorola — Bose sells the Ultra Open earbuds, and Motorola’s Moto Buds Loop are powered by Bose sound. The latter two models retail for $300 at full price, while the LinkBuds Clip costs $230.
The first thing I noticed after unboxing the Sony LinkBuds Clip was how similar the earbuds’ design looks compared with the Moto Buds Loop. Motorola’s open earbuds are a bit flashier, especially the colorways with Swarovski crystals. Otherwise, both earbuds clip onto the midpoint of your earlobe with an orb-shaped audio driver resting outside your ear canal.
You may like
Today’s best Motorola Moto Buds Loop and Sony LinkBuds Clip deals
Sony’s LinkBuds Clip are better for everyday wear
(Image credit: Brady Snyder / Android Central)
If you haven’t tried open earbuds yet, they differ from traditional earbuds in a few key ways. For starters, open earbuds place the audio driver outside of your ear canal, increasing airflow and comfort. This makes open earbuds ideal for long listening sessions, as you can hear your tunes without your ears feeling clogged after a few hours. The downsides are obvious: sound quality is poor, there’s no noise isolation whatsoever, and others might hear your music due to sound leakage.
Some people prefer open earbuds for long days at the office, as they can use the microphone and audio drivers for video calls without having earbuds physically inside their ear canals. Others like them for working out, as they can hear ambient noise and reduce sweat compared to traditional earbuds. The smaller, sweatproof design of the LinkBuds Clip make them better suited in this regard.
Sony’s open earbuds are…
