Between the AirPods 4 with ANC and LinkBuds Open, the AirPods 4 with ANC comes out ahead in active noise cancellation and weight per bud, while the LinkBuds Open wins on battery — buds and battery — with case. Overall, the AirPods 4 with ANC scores 58.3 and the LinkBuds Open scores 69.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The LinkBuds Open is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 11.2 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the AirPods 4 with ANC if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are active noise cancellation, weight per bud, water resistance.
Pick the LinkBuds Open if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. Its strongest claims are battery — buds, battery — with case, driver size, among others.
Both ship with comparable spatial audio, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the LinkBuds Open is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC wins
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.80 g less. 4.3 vs 5.1.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
Why Sony - LinkBuds Open wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 60.00% more. 8 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Battery — with case — 10.00% more. 22 h vs 20 h.
- ▲Driver size — 10.00% more. 11 mm vs 10 mm.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | open | open |
| Weight per bud | 4.3 glead | 5.1 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP54lead | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 10 mm | 11 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | truelead | false |
| Transparency mode | truelead | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | Sony - LinkBuds Open |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 5 h | 8 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 20 h | 22 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | truelead | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - AirPods 4 with ANC | 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 4 with ANC or LinkBuds Open?+
LinkBuds Open lasts 8h per charge vs 5h.
Do AirPods 4 with ANC or LinkBuds Open support multipoint?+
LinkBuds Open supports multipoint; AirPods 4 with ANC does not.
Which has ANC, AirPods 4 with ANC or LinkBuds Open?+
AirPods 4 with ANC has ANC; LinkBuds Open does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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