Sony’s unconventional LinkBuds are already deeply discounted in ‘like new’ condition

by techlowdown · 19 May 2022

Known among audiophiles primarily for its impossibly named WF-1000XM and WH-1000XM families of noise-cancelling earbuds and over-ear headphones respectively, Sony took us all by surprise with the February announcement of the first-ever LinkBuds.

In addition to their much simpler and catchier name, these decidedly unusual true wireless earbuds attracted quite a bit of attention with a… unique design, looking basically like little musical donuts, complete with large holes (given their overall size) meant to help wearers stay “authentically connected to everyday life” while listening to their favorite tunes.

Of course, it’s not entirely clear how much of that attention (or should we say curiosity?) translated into actual sales, but especially after the introduction of the more “normal”-looking, higher-end, and just slightly costlier $200 LinkBuds S, we’re definitely not shocked to see the non-S model score a hefty eBay discount.

Bargain hunters can currently get both the gray and white versions at a measly $99.99 a pair, thus saving a whopping 80 bucks compared to the regular price of brand-new units. Unsurprisingly, said discount applies to “seller refurbished” copies guaranteed to “function like new” while showing “minimal if any signs of wear.”

That sounds pretty enticing, and given the very young age of the first-gen Sony LinkBuds, it’s probably an accurate description of the cosmetic and working condition of these extremely affordable products sold by top-rated eBay merchant Secondipity.

Keep in mind that the LinkBuds do not offer state-of-the-art active noise cancellation technology (for fairly obvious reasons), promising instead to “naturally blend ambient sound with digital sound” while keeping your tunes going for up to 5.5 hours between charges, boosting that battery life rating to 17.5 hours when taking the charging case into consideration, protecting you from splashes and sweat, and staying nice and secure in your ears for the lengthiest possible audio listening sessions.

The best true wireless earbuds in the world these bad boys are not, but they may well be the quirkiest, and we certainly don’t mean that in a bad way.