Sony’s first clip-style buds sound fabulous, but is that enough to justify their price?

Sony’s no stranger to the open-ear category — its original LinkBuds were one of the first you could buy — and yet the company remained content to stick with an in-ear shape, even while brands like Shokz and Soundcore were enjoying success with earhook and clip-style designs. The LinkBuds Clip are, finally, recognition that maybe one size (or shape) doesn’t fit all.

They’re still not perfect — or priced as low as the competition — yet the LinkBuds Clip make a compelling choice in the still-evolving open-ear category.