Olivia Rodrigo’s Sony LinkBuds S Are a Promising Alternative to Apple AirPods
With SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo practically established herself as the queen of marketing—SOUR Prom, Sour Patch Kids and more. She's not letting down because, to accompany the release of GUTS, she's partnering with Sony to release an exclusive colorway of their best-selling LinkBuds S.
Their team was kind enough to let me try out the new product. Continue reading to see my completely honest review of the headphones.
Where Can You Purchase It?
The Olivia Rodrigo x Sony LinkBuds S are available for $199 on the Sony website, Olivia's website, Best Buy and Amazon.
Also read about: Here's the Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS Track You Are, Based on Your Zodiac Sign
What Are The Features?
The LinkBuds S have been a loved pair of earbuds for a while.
They have a quick charging time of two hours, which can last up to more than six hours of playtime. More than likely, you won't be using these headphones for more than a couple of hours at a time, so you can extend the battery life across a few days.
These earbuds have a quality noise-canceling feature and "natural ambient sound." If you've ever used the Dolby Atmos spatial audio feature in Apple Music, you'll discover the sound of the LinkBuds S is similar.
Each of these buds is manufactured with sustainable materials, including factory-recovered plastic from water bottles, which creates the marble effect, according to the product description.
What makes these LinkBuds different than the others is that Olivia designed a custom EQ to deliver "optimal listening." Just like the promo ad says, you can "listen like Olivia." And, of course, it wouldn't receive an Olivia stamp of approval without her signature purple color scheme.
My Experience
The setup was extremely easy. You have to download the Sony Headphones app and pair them—just like any Bluetooth device.
I tried wearing my LinkBuds in two settings: while lounging at home and at the gym.
When I was practically doing nothing, I enjoyed wearing these headphones. I don't think the noise-canceling effect or volume was as good as my AirPods, but I thought the general sound quality was better. The voices were clearer, and I noticed pieces of the songs' productions I hadn't heard prior.
During my workout, I struggled to tune out the background chatter. It got the job done, but usually, I'm trying to drown out the sounds of the machines and others talking. I've had trouble with earbuds staying in my ears in the past, and these felt like they were sliding out as I exercised. However, I struggled with getting them into a comfortable position simply because I've never used headphones in this shape.
Also read about: Everything to Know About Olivia Rodrigo's Partnership With Glossier
Bottom Line
When deciding between the Olivia Rodrigo LinkBuds and another pair of headphones, you must consider your goal with your headphones.
If you're at home, taking it easy, these headphones are an extremely viable option. Your listening experience will be drastically unlike anything you've heard before. And don't forget the novelty of it all—they're purple headphones with Olivia Rodrigo branding. That alone satisfies me and has me reaching for them.
For any gym rats, they might not be the most optimal option, but they are by no means terrible. I would've loved it if Sony offered an over-the-head design, too, because those are typically the only kinds I can wear in that environment.
Most days, I'm not seeking complete quiet. I enjoy hearing nature from my home alongside my music, and it's surely enough to keep me alert while I'm walking around in public.
As an Apple user, you might not want to go the extra mile to download the app and have to use a separate interface. It's easy to use Apple products because they're embedded in the software. But I didn't mind having the app on my phone, and it's nice to play with features like Olivia's EQ.
That said, if you have any other type of phone, I think there's no reason not to purchase these. If anything, these are the only earbuds you should consider buying, but especially if you are a fan of Olivia's.
Can't get enough of Olivia Rodrigo? Read HERE for 42 instantly iconic lyrics from GUTS to use as the caption to your next Instagram post.