Sony LinkBuds Truly Wireless Earbud Headphones
Wireless Stereo Headset
LinkBuds
What you can do with the Bluetooth function
The headset uses Bluetooth wireless technology, allowing you to do the following.
Listening to music
You can receive audio signals from a smartphone or music player to enjoy music wirelessly.
Talking on the phone
You can make and receive calls hands-free while leaving your smartphone or mobile phone in your bag or pocket.
About the voice guidance
In the factory settings, when the headset is worn in your ears, you will hear the English voice guidance via the headset. You can change the language of the voice guidance and turn on/off the voice guidance using the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app. For more details, refer to the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app help guide. https://rd1.sony.net/help/mdr/hpc/h_zz/
- When pairing the headset for the first time after purchase or after initializing the headset (when there is no pairing information in the headset), when entering pairing mode automatically by removing the headset from the charging case/When pairing the headset manually and removing the headset from the charging case when in pairing mode: “Pairing”
- When automatically turning off due to the low battery of the headset: “Battery is empty”
- When the remaining battery charge of the headset is low: “Low battery”
- When the Google™ Assistant is not available during software update: “The Google assistant is not available during update. Please wait a moment until the update completes.”
- When the Google Assistant is not available on the smartphone connected to the headset even when operating the headset unit to which the Google Assistant feature is assigned: “The Google Assistant is not connected”
- When Amazon Alexa is not available on the smartphone connected to the headset even when operating the headset unit to which the Amazon Alexa feature is assigned: “Either your mobile device isn’t connected, or you need to open the Alexa App and try again”
- When the corresponding app is not launched even when operating the headset unit to which the Quick Access feature is assigned: “App assigned to the Quick Access is not launched on the mobile device”
Note
It takes about 20 minutes when you change the language of the voice guidance. When you initialize the headset to restore to the factory settings after you change the language of the voice guidance, the language will also return to the factory settings. If the voice guidance is not heard after changing the voice guidance language or updating the software of the headset, set the headset into the charging case to turn it off, then remove the headset from the charging case to turn it on again.
Related Topic
Using only one unit of the headset.
Checking the package contents
After opening the package, check that all of the items in the list are included. If any items are missing, contact your dealer. Numbers in ( ) indicate the item amount.
Wireless Stereo Headset
USB Type-C® cable (USB-A to USB-C®) (approx. 20 cm (7.88 in.)) (1)
Fitting supporters (XS/S/M/L/XL 2 each)
M-sized fitting supporters come attached to the left and right units of the headset at the time of purchase.
Charging case (1)
Replacing the fitting supporters
M-sized fitting supporters come attached to the left and right units of the headset at the time of purchase. If you feel the size of the fitting supporters does not fit your ears, change the fitting supporters to another size that fits your ears better. The size of the left and right-fitting supporters may be different. The fitting supporters are common for both left and right sides.
- Remove the fitting supporter.
- Attach the fitting supporter.
Align
Align the protruding part of the headset with the hole part of the fitting supporter and firmly insert the fitting supporter all the way. Do not attach the fitting supporter in a loose or skewed manner. After attaching the fitting supporter, check that there is no floating between the fitting supporter and the headset.
About the instruction manual video
Watch the video to find out how to change the fitting supporters and how to wear the headset in your ears.
https://rd1.sony.net/help/mdr/mov0039/h_zz/
Location and function of parts
Headset
- Fitting supporters (left, right)
- Tactile dot There is a tactile dot on the left unit of the headset.
- Driver unit parts (left, right)
- Microphones (left, right)
- Housing parts (left, right)
- Charging ports (left, right)
- (left) mark
- (right) mark
- Built-in antennas (left, right)
Charging case
- Lid
- Indicator (green/orange/blue) Indicates the power, communication, or charging status of the headset.
- Lid open button
- Pairing/initialize/reset button Used when entering pairing mode, resetting, or initializing the headset.
- USB Type-C port Using the supplied USB Type-C cable, connect the charging case to a computer or an AC outlet via a commercially available USB AC adaptor to simultaneously charge both the headset and the charging case.
Indication of the remaining battery charge
When both units of the headset are stored in the charging case: Displays the remaining battery charge of the headset unit with less remaining battery charge between the left and right units of the headset. When either the left or right unit of the headset is stored in the charging case: Displays the remaining battery charge of the headset unit stored in the charging case. When both units of the headset are removed from the charging case: Displays the remaining battery charge of the charging case.
When the lid of the charging case is opened or closed, or when the USB Type-C cable is removed after charging is complete, the indicator lights up as follows depending on the remaining battery charge.
- When the headset is stored in the charging case and the remaining battery charge of the headset is 95% or higher /
- When the headset is not stored in the charging case and the remaining battery charge of the charging case is 31% or higher
- – – – – – – – (lights up in green for about 6 seconds)
- When the headset is stored in the charging case the remaining battery charge of the headset is between 94% and 1% / When the headset is not stored in the charging case the remaining battery charge of the charging case is between 30% and 1%
- – – – – – – – (lights up in orange for about 6 seconds)
- When the headset is stored in the charging case and the remaining battery charge of the headset is less than 1% /
- When the headset is not stored in the charging case and the remaining battery charge of the charging case is less
- than 1%- – – – – – – (turns off)
Related Topic
- Charging
- Checking the remaining battery charge
- What you can do with the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app
- About the voice guidance
- Initializing the headset to restore factory settings
If the headset is out of your ears, you feel uncomfortable when wearing the headset or your ears hurt
M-sized fitting supporters come attached to the left and right units of the headset at the time of purchase. When the headset is worn following the procedures described above and you feel the size of the fitting supporters does not fit your ears, change the fitting supporters to another size to comfortably and snugly fit your left and right ears.
For the proper sound quality, call sound quality, etc. to be effective
If the headset is not worn properly in your ears, tap operations or Speak-to-Chat speech detection may not work correctly, or you may not obtain the correct sound qualities or call performance. If any of this is the case, see the steps and check that you are wearing the headset properly in your ears.
When attaching and removing the headset
In the factory settings, the built-in sensors detect when the headset is inserted in or removed from your ears, enabling the headset to pause or resume music playback, as well as control the detection of tap operations and voice guidance.
When the headset is removed
- When you listen to music while wearing both headset units in your ears, the headset will pause music playback if one
or both headset units are removed. When the headset is worn again, the headset resumes music playback - When the headset is not worn for about 15 minutes after being removed from the charging case, the headset turns off automatically to save the battery. Turn the headset on by putting the headset into your ears.
- To prevent the headset from reacting incorrectly, music playback, making and receiving calls as well as other operations cannot be performed by tapping the headset removed from your ears.
When you put on the other unit of the headset
The connection between the left and right units is established automatically, and you will hear the music or other audio on both units of the headset.
Assigning functions to the left and right units of the headset
Depending on the headset unit you are wearing, some functions may not be available in the factory settings. In this case, you can change the function assignments to the left and right units of the headset using the “Sony | HeadphonesConnect” app.
Hint
- Even if you are using only one unit of the headset, you can play music with the unit you are wearing.
- When you play music or other stereo audio while wearing only one unit, you will hear monaural sound with the left and right channels mixed.
- You can also enjoy hands-free calls even when you are wearing only one unit of the headset. When you receive an incoming call, answer the call using the unit of the headset you are wearing. If you put the other unit into the other ear while you are talking with only one unit, you can talk with both units
- The Google Assistant feature can be assigned to either the left or right unit of the headset. When the Google Assistant feature is assigned to the headset and you want to use only one unit of the headset, use the unit with the Google Assistant feature assigned.
- The Amazon Alexa feature can be assigned to either the left or right unit of the headset. When the Amazon Alexa feature is assigned to the headset and you want to use only one unit of the headset, use the unit with the Amazon Alexa feature assigned.
About wide area tap
Wide area tap is a function that detects vibration around the ears with the acceleration sensors that are built into the headset and determines the tap operations. By tapping not only the headset unit but also the areas around the ears where the headset is worn, you can perform various operations such as music playback or phone calls.
Charging the headset when you are outside
A rechargeable battery is built into the charging case. If you charge the charging case in advance, you can use it to charge the headset when you go out without a power supply. The required time for fully charging the left and right units of the headset is about 1.5 hours.
Note
- Charging may not start if the headset is not set correctly into the charging case. Insert the headset units until they click and make sure the headset units are locked in the charging case.
- Be sure to use the supplied USB Type-C cable. Otherwise, charging may not be successful.
- Charging may not be successful depending on the type of USB AC adaptor.
- Depending on the settings for the headset functions and usage conditions, the speed of energy consumption for the rechargeable battery may vary between the left and right units.
- As a result, the charging time of the rechargeable batteries for the left and right units may differ. However, this is not a malfunction.
- The headset cannot be charged when the computer goes into standby (sleep) or hibernation mode. In this case, change the computer settings, and start charging once again.
- When the headset is placed in the charging case, if the indicator (orange) on the charging case lights up for about 3 seconds and then turns off, the remaining battery charge of the charging case is low. Charge the charging case.
- If the indicator on the charging case does not turn on even when the headset is placed in the charging case, the battery charge of the charging case is empty. Charge the charging case.
- If the headset is not used for a long time, the rechargeable battery usage hours may be reduced. However, the battery life will improve after charging and discharging several times. If you store the headset for a long time, charge the battery once every 6 months to avoid over-discharge.
- If the headset is not used for a long time, it may take longer to charge the battery.
- Be sure to close the lid of the charging case to prevent the battery of the charging case from being consumed. If there is a problem with the rechargeable battery of the headset or the charging case and something unusual is detected during charging, the indicator (orange) on the charging case flashes.
- It is recommended to charge in a place with an ambient temperature between 15 °C and 35 °C (59 °F – 95 °F). Efficient charging may not be possible beyond this range.
- If the problem persists, consult your nearest Sony dealer.
- If the headset is not used for a long time, the indicator (orange) on the charging case may not immediately light up when charging. Wait a moment until the indicator (orange) lights up
- If the usage hours of the built-in rechargeable battery decrease significantly, the battery should be replaced. Consult your nearest Sony dealer.
- Avoid exposure to extreme temperature changes, direct sunlight, moisture, sand, dust, and electrical shock. Never leave the headset in a parked vehicle.
- When connecting the charging case to a computer, use only the supplied USB Type-C cable, and be sure to directly connect them. Charging will not be properly completed when the charging case is connected through a USB hub.
Specifications
Headset
Power source:
- DC 3.85 V: Built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery
- DC 5 V: When charged using a USB
Operating temperature:
0 °C to 40 °C (32 °F to 104 °F)
Charging time:
- Approx. 1.5 hours (Headset)
- Approx. 3 hours (Charging case)
Compatible iPhone/iPod models
iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE (2nd generation), iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7,iPhone SE, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPod touch (7th generation), iPod touch (6th generation) (As of December 2021)
Alternative text for the video
The title of the video is “LinkBuds Wearing the Headset Replacing the Fitting Supporters”. The information in the video is explained with only illustrations. This text will be explained in the same order as the video. The following is an explanation of how to wear the headset. Use your fingers to grasp the housing part of a headset unit to pick it up. Align the doughnut-shaped driver unit part with the opening of your ear canal and insert the headset unit into your ear. While inserting the unit, make sure the semicircular part of the fitting supporter is pointed upward.
Push the semicircular part into your ear to finish wearing the headset unit. If the semicircular part is hooked into your ear and the headset unit does not fall off your ear even when you shake your head, it has been worn properly. If the headset unit does not feel fit, such as if the semicircular part cannot be inserted into your ear or the fit of the semicircular part is so loose that the headset unit feels like it is falling off your ear, stop using the headset and replace the fitting supporter with one of an appropriate size. The size that fits your ear may be different for the left and right ear.
To remove the headset unit, use your fingers to grasp the housing part and pull the unit off your ear. The following is an explanation of the fitting supporters. The size of the fitting supporter varies with the size of the semicircular part. M-sized fitting supporters come attached to the headset at the time of purchase. The fitting supporters in other sizes can be found inside the small, rectangular box.
The fitting supporters are common for both left and right sides. Touch the semicircular parts to feel the difference between the sizes. The following is an explanation of how to replace the fitting supporters. To remove the fitting supporter from the headset unit, grasp the semicircular part and pull it down toward the protruding part of the housing. After the fitting supporter is removed, look for a thin protrusion located where the fitting supporter was attached. At the bottom of the semicircular part of the fitting supporter, there is an opening into which the thin protrusion on the housing can be inserted. When attaching a fitting supporter, pass the protrusion on the housing through this opening to fix the fitting supporter in place.
Ensure the fitting supporter is not attached in a slightly different position .If the fitting supporter is attached incorrectly, the headset does not fit in the charging case, and it cannot charge or pair with other devices. Make sure the thin protrusion is properly inserted through the opening. After replacing the fitting supporter, lightly tug on the semicircular part and check that it does not budge. Finally, the Sony logo appears, and the video ends.
FOR MORE MANUALS BY SONY, VISIT MANUALSDOCK