Best Open Ear Earbuds · head-to-head

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds vs Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910)

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) is cheaper at $199.99. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds or Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910)?

On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) is the cheaper at $199.99.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices verified at capture; live price may differ.

Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec Bose Ultra Open Earbuds Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910)
US price $299 $199.99
BrandBoseSony
Released2024-022025-01
Msrp usd 299 199.99
Fit style cuff open-ring
Driver size (mm) 11
Battery buds hours 7 8
Battery total hours 27 22
Bluetooth version 5.3 5.3
IP rating IPX4 IPX4
Weight per bud grams 5.1
Wireless charging No No
Multipoint connect Yes Yes

Sources — Bose Ultra Open Earbuds: bose.com (verified 2026-06-27). Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910): sony.com (verified 2026-06-27).

What's the difference between the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds and Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910)?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (4 of 10). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Msrp usd: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 299 vs Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) 199.99
  • Fit style: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds cuff vs Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) open-ring
  • Battery buds hours: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 7 vs Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) 8
  • Battery total hours: Bose Ultra Open Earbuds 27 vs Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910) 22

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

All four whitelisted outlets (SoundGuys, What Hi-Fi, TechRadar, Engadget) reviewed this exact model hands-on. All four praise the comfortable clip-on open fit that stays put during workouts and all-day wear. Three (SoundGuys, What Hi-Fi, TechRadar) explicitly flag the $299 / £299 price as high. They split sharply on sound: TechRadar and What Hi-Fi call the bass impressively full, while SoundGuys and Engadget find it subdued and the open design a genuine compromise. (4 sourced reviews, 4 lab-tested.)

Praised: Comfortable, secure clip-on open fit that stays put during workouts and all-day wear; Situational awareness suits running, cycling and office use; Very little sound leakage for an open design.

Flagged: Expensive at $299 / £299, on par with Bose's flagship in-ear ANC buds; Subdued bass and sound quality compromised versus sealed in-ear buds; Mediocre microphone / call quality in wind or ambient noise.

Sony LinkBuds Open (WF-L910)

Three whitelisted hands-on reviews survived verification (What Hi-Fi?, SoundGuys, GSMArena). Verdict: a clever, feature-rich open earbud whose ring driver sacrifices bass and struggles in noisy places, and whose one-size fit is polarizing. Comfortable and secure for two testers, unwearable for another. Good measured battery (8h18m-9h30m from the buds), but mediocre sound value at $200. (3 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

Praised: Comfortable, secure fit from the air-filled wing supports (for testers whose ears suit them); Prominent, natural midrange is the sonic high point; Strong feature set: LC3/LE Audio, multipoint, Auracast, head-gesture controls.

Flagged: Weak, near-absent bass and limited overall sound quality inherent to the ring/open design; Open design leaks sound out and lets noise in, so music is easily drowned out in noisy places; One-size-fits-all fit is polarizing and can fail entirely on smaller ears.

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