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Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation vs Sony LinkBuds S

Side-by-side comparison — scores, specs and which one fits your setup.

Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation
7.2
/ 10
True WirelessMid range
Sony LinkBuds S
7.2
/ 10
True WirelessMid range

Specs comparison

7.2/10
SCORE
7.2/10
16Ω
IMPEDANCE
16Ω
94dB
SENSITIVITY
102dB
No
NEEDS AMP
No

Analysis

The Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation scores 7.2/10 with 16Ω impedance and 94dB sensitivity. At 16Ω, it drives well from most phones without an external amp.

The Sony LinkBuds S scores 7.2/10 with 16Ω impedance and 102dB sensitivity. At 16Ω, it can be driven directly without extra hardware.

Both headphones score equally. The best choice depends on your full audio chain — use our analyzer to find your actual bottleneck.

Own one of these headphones?

A high headphone score doesn't mean your audio sounds great. Your DAC, amp or source might be the real bottleneck.

Analyze my setup →Noise Cancellation details →LinkBuds S details →

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