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There really isn’t anything worse than shoving an earbud into your ear, hoping it’ll fit, knowing very well it won’t.

In-ear earbuds are sometimes uncomfortable, especially when they’re in for hours on end. They also don’t allow for much awareness, fully blocking the user out of reality with the tracks they’re bumping. Here at ShopBillboard, we’d like to officially show our support for the in-ear earbud haters, and with that, we’d like to provide a stylish alternative. Sony has just made a move for more comfortable ear buds, changing up the market by expanding on their LinkBuds line, as seen on Olivia Rodrigo and even SZA, to introduce LinkBuds Clip, a style that sits on the ears, rather than inside of them.

The new innovation retails for $229.99 on Sony’s website and boasts a lightweight c-shape, a design choice that was made based on feedback from Sony’s fans and followers. The result? The unique crescent shape provides enhanced situational awareness and a seamless way to experience entertainment, whether that be bumping the latest A$AP Rocky release or streaming your favorite shows. The interesting composition also reduces ear fatigue thanks to improved airflow and zero ear canal pressure, something that ordinary in-ear models just can’t compete with. 

Unlike your normal earbuds, the LinkBuds Clip clip-on design is meant to fit universally, which means no squeezing squishy buds into your ears in the hopes that they fit just right. For us music lovers, the LinkBuds audio quality is just as good as the OG models, featuring rich, balanced audio tuned with Sony’s renowned quality. If the audio isn’t up to par, users can customize their experience with a 10-band EQ or equalizer.

Thanks to AI technology, along with bone conduction sensors, users can also take crisp, clear calls that track your voice no matter the situation. If you want to pause, start or replay audio, users can utilize tap controls that make the listening experience virtually hands-free. If all that wasn’t enough, the LinkBuds Clip have a 37 hour battery life, which is a longer lifespan than the OG LinkBuds at just 21 hours. When your earbuds do die out on you, quick charging offers up to one hour of use from a three minute charge.

The new and improved LinkBuds are stylish, built like an accessory that you could probably get away with wearing sans music. These new buds come in five total colorways, some bold, some neutral, including Lavender, our favorite. They solve the glaring problem of discomfort and pain most in-ear models have, something that is inevitable when you have a product in your ear for so long. That feat needs to be celebrated.