Between the LinkBuds Open and Ear (a) 2, the LinkBuds Open comes out ahead in spatial audio, while the Ear (a) 2 wins on battery — with case and battery — buds. Overall, the LinkBuds Open scores 69.5 and the Ear (a) 2 scores 74.5 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ear (a) 2 edges ahead on the Mars Score (69.5 vs 74.5), but the 5.0-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the LinkBuds Open if audio quality and feature breadth (ANC, codecs, multipoint) are the lead criteria for your purchase. The biggest gaps in its favor are spatial audio.
Pick the Ear (a) 2 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 — with case, battery — buds, active noise cancellation, among others.
Both ship with comparable driver size, multipoint, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Ear (a) 2 is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Sony - LinkBuds Open wins
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
Why Nothing - Ear (a) 2 wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 90.91% more. 42 h vs 22 h.
- ▲Battery — buds — 25.00% more. 10 h vs 8 h.
- ▲Has Active noise cancellation.
- ▲Water resistance: IP54 (vs IPX4).
- ▲Weight per bud — 0.30 g less. 4.8 vs 5.1.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.1 g | 4.8 glead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IPX4 | IP54lead |
Audio
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 11 mm |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | truelead |
| Transparency mode | false | truelead |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 h | 10 hlead |
| Battery — with case | 22 h | 42 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | false | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Nothing - Ear (a) 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | LDAC,AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | true | true |
| In-ear detection | false | truelead |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, LinkBuds Open or Ear (a) 2?+
Ear (a) 2 lasts 10h per charge vs 8h.
Do LinkBuds Open or Ear (a) 2 support multipoint?+
Both support multipoint pairing.
Which has ANC, LinkBuds Open or Ear (a) 2?+
Ear (a) 2 has ANC; LinkBuds Open does not.
Spec-level deep dives
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