Between the AirPods Pro 3 and LinkBuds Open, the AirPods Pro 3 comes out ahead in battery — with case and active noise cancellation, while the LinkBuds Open wins on multipoint and weight per bud. Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 scores 69.5 and the LinkBuds Open scores 69.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are evenly matched on the broad strokes, with the decision sitting on which individual spec advantages weigh more for your use.
Pick the AirPods Pro 3 if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — with case, active noise cancellation, water resistance.
Pick the LinkBuds Open if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. Its strongest claims are multipoint, weight per bud.
Both ship with comparable battery — buds, driver size, spatial audio, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why Apple - AirPods Pro 3 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 36.36% more. 30 h vs 22 h.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Water resistance: IP57 (vs IPX4).
Why Sony - LinkBuds Open wins
- ▲Has Multipoint.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.20 g less. 5.1 vs 5.3.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | in-ear | openlead |
| Weight per bud | 5.3 g | 5.1 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP57lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | truelead | false |
| Transparency mode | truelead | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 8 h |
| Battery — with case | 30 hlead | 22 h |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods Pro 3 | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | false | truelead |
| In-ear detection | truelead | false |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, AirPods Pro 3 or LinkBuds Open?+
LinkBuds Open lasts 8h per charge vs 8h.
Do AirPods Pro 3 or LinkBuds Open support multipoint?+
LinkBuds Open supports multipoint; AirPods Pro 3 does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods Pro 3 or LinkBuds Open?+
AirPods Pro 3 has ANC; LinkBuds Open does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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