Between the LinkBuds Open and Pixel Buds A-Series, the LinkBuds Open comes out ahead in battery — buds and spatial audio, while the Pixel Buds A-Series wins on battery — with case and driver size. Overall, the LinkBuds Open scores 69.5 and the Pixel Buds A-Series scores 65.4 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The LinkBuds Open edges ahead on the Mars Score (69.5 vs 65.4), but the 4.1-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
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. The biggest gaps in its favor are battery — buds, spatial audio, multipoint.
Pick the Pixel Buds A-Series if you care most about battery — with case and driver size. Its strongest claims are battery — with case, driver size.
Both ship with comparable active noise cancellation, weight per bud, water resistance, 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 Sony - LinkBuds Open wins
- ▲Battery — buds — 60.00% more. 8 h vs 5 h.
- ▲Has Spatial audio.
- ▲Has Multipoint.
Why Google - Pixel Buds A-Series wins
- ▲Battery — with case — 9.09% more. 24 h vs 22 h.
- ▲Driver size — 9.09% more. 12 mm vs 11 mm.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | openlead | in-ear |
| Weight per bud | 5.1 g | 5.1 g |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IPX4 | IPX4 |
Audio
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series |
|---|---|---|
| Driver sizeⓘ | 11 mm | 12 mmlead |
| Active noise cancellationⓘ | false | false |
| Transparency mode | false | false |
| Spatial audioⓘ | truelead | false |
Battery
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series |
|---|---|---|
| Battery — buds | 8 hlead | 5 h |
| Battery — with case | 22 h | 24 hlead |
| Wireless case chargingⓘ | false | false |
Connectivity
| Spec | Sony - LinkBuds Open | Google - Pixel Buds A-Series |
|---|---|---|
| Bluetoothⓘ | 5.3lead | 5.0 |
| Codecs | AAC,SBC | AAC,SBC |
| Multipointⓘ | truelead | false |
| In-ear detection | false | false |
Frequently asked
Which has longer battery, LinkBuds Open or Pixel Buds A-Series?+
LinkBuds Open lasts 8h per charge vs 5h.
Do LinkBuds Open or Pixel Buds A-Series support multipoint?+
LinkBuds Open supports multipoint; Pixel Buds A-Series does not.
Which has ANC, LinkBuds Open or Pixel Buds A-Series?+
Neither has ANC.
Spec-level deep dives
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