Sony LinkBuds Clip vs Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Which open-ear earbuds should you buy?
Open-ear earbuds are gaining popularity as more listeners choose awareness over isolation. Sony and Bose are both leaning into clip-on designs that look similar at a glance. They’re chasing the same goals, but the details make the difference. I’ve tested both side by side, so let’s break it down in this Sony LinkBuds Clip vs Bose Ultra Open Earbuds article.
How has this article been updated?
This article was originally published on February 3, 2026, and this is the first version.
What’s it like to use the Sony LinkBuds Clip compared to the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds?
Using the Sony LinkBuds Clip feels a bit like wearing tiny speakers clipped to your outer ear. They attach to the middle part of your ear with a flexible band, and while they initially feel like they might fall off, they stay secure once you’re used to them. I enjoyed using the LinkBuds Clip at home and during light outdoor activity because they don’t cover the ear canal at all, making them easy to forget after a while. The IPX4 rating also makes them suitable for running or biking, though the case is fairly boxy and can be awkward in tighter pockets.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds also use a cuff-like clip-on design, but the fit feels more secure during physical activity. In my testing, they stayed firmly in place while cycling and moving around, and the physical buttons on each earbud made controls more predictable than Sony’s tap-on-the-tragus approach. That said, the sensation of wearing something clipped to your ear is more noticeable with the Bose earbuds, and even after extended use, I was always aware they were there. Like the Sony earbuds, they carry an IPX4 rating, making them safe for sweat and light rain.
Do the Sony LinkBuds Clip or the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have more features?
Sony clearly leans into features with the LinkBuds Clip. Through the Sound Connect app, I can switch between multiple listening modes, including standard, voice enhancement, and leakage protection. Support for 360 Reality Audio, scene-based listening, voice cues, notification reading, and a guided “find your equalizer” tool makes these earbuds feel very feature-rich for an open-ear design. There’s also quick-access integration with services like Spotify and Amazon Music, which adds convenience if you’re already in those ecosystems.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are more minimal by comparison. The Bose Music app offers a basic 3-band EQ, shortcut assignment, device switching, and access to Immersive Audio. While Immersive Audio is an interesting idea, I found it further reduced bass strength, which limits its usefulness outside of watching video content. Overall, the Bose earbuds focus more on simplicity and physical controls, while Sony packs in more software-driven extras.
How do the Sony LinkBuds Clip and Bose Ultra Open Earbuds connect?
Both earbuds connect over Bluetooth 5.3, but their codec support differs. The Sony LinkBuds Clip support SBC and AAC, and while they allow pairing with multiple devices, true multipoint isn’t listed on the spec sheet. In my experience, the connection felt stable, but these earbuds clearly aren’t aimed at spec-chasers.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds also use Bluetooth 5.3 but support a wider range of codecs, including SBC, AAC, Snapdragon Sound, and AptX Adaptive. A firmware update added multipoint, which makes switching between devices far more seamless if you regularly juggle a phone and a laptop.
Is battery life better on the Sony LinkBuds Clip or the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds?
In our standardized battery tests, the Sony LinkBuds Clip lasted 7 hours and 10 minutes on a single charge. The charging case tops them up for multiple cycles but relies solely on USB-C, with no wireless charging support.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds perform better in this area, lasting 8 hours and 53 minutes in our testing. They also support fast charging, with a 10-minute charge providing up to 2 additional hours of playback. If battery life is a priority, Bose has the edge here.
Do the Sony LinkBuds Clip or the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds block noise better?
Neither product blocks noise in any meaningful way. Both are fully open-ear designs with no active noise cancelation and minimal passive attenuation. In practice, this means you hear everything around you, from traffic to conversations, which is exactly the point of these earbuds. Transparency modes aren’t relevant here because awareness is always on.
Do the Sony LinkBuds Clip sound better than the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds?
Overall, both earbuds make the same fundamental tradeoff: awareness comes at the cost of bass depth and isolation. In my testing, the Sony LinkBuds Clip sound bright, with missing sub-bass and an emphasis on higher frequencies. Quieter details often get lost unless the volume is pushed higher, and the sound can feel more like listening to small speakers near your ears than traditional earbuds.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds deliver a similarly compromised presentation. Bass depth is largely absent, and the frequency response shows a sharp emphasis in the upper midrange. In busy environments, the sound can feel thin and distant, with treble becoming dominant as outside noise competes with the music. Again, this is just the reality of the open ear design.
Objective Measurements
Both earbuds have very little bass strength or bass depth, which is the inherent trade-off of an unsealed, open-ear design. Relative to the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve, they line up well in the mids, giving guitars, snares, and vocals solid midrange strength and good presence. Both also boost treble above our target, but the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds push treble much harder. That extra emphasis makes them sound noticeably bright and can become fatiguing over longer listening sessions.
How would most people rate the sound from 1 to 5?
What do the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores mean?
- Timbre (MOS-T) represents how faithfully the headphones reproduce the frequency spectrum and temporal resolution (timing information).
- Distortion (MOS-D) represents non-linearities and added noise: higher scores mean cleaner reproduction.
- Immersiveness (MOS-I) represents perceived source width and positioning: how well virtual sound sources are defined in three-dimensional space.
The MDAQS scores lean in Sony’s favor overall, largely thanks to a stronger Timbre score that reflects a more balanced sound. Sony also comes out ahead in Overall, which suggests fewer tradeoffs across the board. The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds land in a similar spot for Immersiveness, but their much lower Timbre score lines up with the heavy treble boost we see in the measurements. Bose does well in Distortion, but Sony’s steadier performance across Timbre, Distortion, and Immersiveness makes it the more cohesive-sounding pair overall.
Do the Sony LinkBuds Clip or the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds have a better microphone?
Sony LinkBuds Clip vs Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: Price and availability
The Sony LinkBuds Clip retail for $229.99, while the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are more expensive at $299.99. Both are widely available, but the price gap is significant given their similar limitations.
Should you get the Sony LinkBuds Clip or Bose Ultra Open Earbuds?
If you want open-ear earbuds with lots of software features and a lower price, I find the Sony LinkBuds Clip easier to recommend. Sound quality is inherently compromised with this unsealed, open-ear design, but within the category, Sony strikes a better balance of features and overall value.
The Bose Ultra Open Earbuds make more sense if you prioritize a secure fit, longer battery life, physical controls, and Multipoint connectivity, and you’re willing to pay a premium for those features. Like Sony, their sound quality is limited by the nature of the design, so the decision really comes down to which extras matter most to you. Their higher price and weaker microphone performance make them harder to justify unless those specific strengths are at the top of your list.
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