Sony LinkBuds Clip review: Open-fit benefits aren't enough to stand out

I vividly remember when Bose announced the Ultra Open Earbuds. While I applauded the company for trying something different, I wasn’t sure if the clip-on design would take hold. Well, here we are almost two years later and most earbud makers now have something akin to Bose’s fashion experiment. You can now count Sony among those as the company revealed its LinkBuds Clip ($230) open-fit earbuds today.

These aren’t the first open-wear earbuds in Sony’s LinkBuds lineup. The company has two generations of the LinkBuds Open (originally called just LinkBuds) under its belt, giving users a more traditional earbud fit with donut-shaped drivers that let ambient sounds in. Now Sony is taking a cue from Bose and others with a clip-on design that attaches securely and comfortably to the ear while leaving the ...