There is no sound, or sound is only heard from one side of the headphones. (LinkBuds S)

Before you start

Turn up the volume on the connected device.

Solution

1. Select your issue:

   I cannot hear sound when playing music.

   
   Go to step 2.

   I cannot hear a voice while on a phone call.

   
   See the While on a phone call I cannot hear the other party's voice or they cannot hear mine article.

2. Pause the music, wait for about 10 seconds, and play the music again.

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   The Bluetooth connection may have been temporarily unstable.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

3. Turn off and on the headphones:
   Set the headphones in the charging case, close the lid, wait for a few seconds, and then wear the headphones again.
   

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   The issue may be caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

4. Select your issue details:

   I can hear sound from only one side of the headphones.

   
   Go to step 5.

   I cannot hear sound from either side of the headphones.

   
   Go to step 7.

5. Check if the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa is set to the headphones.
   Note: When the Service Link feature is turned on using the Sony | Headphones Connect app, only the Right side can be used alone.

   The Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa is set to the headphones.

   Go to step 6.

   These functions are not set to the headphones, or I don't know whether these functions are set.

   Go to step 7.

6. Check the touch sensor control function or Voice Assistant function according to the way you use the headphones:

   When the Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa is set to the headphones, only the side with the touch sensor control function set to Playback control can be used alone.

   • If you want to use either side of the headphones: Set the touch sensor control function of the desired side to Playback control. Follow these steps to set the touch sensor control function to Playback control:
     1. Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
     2. In the System tab, select (Settings) on the right side of the Change the touch sensor function menu.
        
     3. Select the side you want to use alone, either L (Left) or R (Right), and set the Function to Playback control.
        

     Note: When you assign Playback control to both sides, full functionality is only available on the Right side.

   • If you want to use both units alone respectively: Set the Voice Assistant function to Voice Assist Function of Mobile Device. With this setting, either side of the headphones can be used alone.
     1. Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
     2. Select (down arrow) on the right side of the Voice Assistant menu.
     3. Select Voice Assist Function of Mobile Device.
        

   After changing the settings, I can hear sound from the headphones.

   The headphones settings were the cause of the issue.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to step 7.

7. Try the following procedure, and check if you can hear sound from the headphones:
   1. Charge the headphones.
      Note: Use the USB Type-C cable that is supplied with the product. Charging may not be possible with a commercially-available cable.
   2. Reset (restart) the playback device.
      Since the playback device may be temporarily malfunctioning, turn off the device once, and turn it on again.
   3. Delete the Bluetooth device information of your playback device.
      For details on how to delete the Bluetooth device information, refer to the How to delete the Bluetooth device information of your playback device article.
   4. Perform pairing again.
      Refer to the appropriate article:
      • For Android: Pairing and connecting with an Android smartphone
      • For iPhones: Pairing and connecting with an iPhone
      • For other devices: How to pair Bluetooth headphones with a Bluetooth source device

   I can hear sound from the headphones.

   There seems to have been an issue connecting with the playback device, such as Bluetooth pairing being disconnected.

   I cannot hear sound from the headphones.

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

8. If you connect a computer with the headphones, check the settings on the computer, check the computer settings:

   For Windows 11:

   1. Open the Start menu and select Settings.
   2. Select System.
   3. Select Sound.
   4. Scroll down to the Advanced menu and select More sound settings.
   5. In the Playback tab, select Headphones, and click Set as Default Device.

   For Windows 10:

   1. On the right side of the computer screen, right-click the Speaker icon.
   2. Select Open Sound settings, and then select Sound Control Panel.
   3. Select the Playback tab to show the device list.
   4. Select Headset labeled with Hands-free, and click Set as Default Device.
   5. Select OK to close the setting screen.

   The issue is resolved

   The issue may have been caused by the computer settings.

   The issue is not resolved

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

9. Reset the headphones.

   Refer to the Help Guide or view the How to reset video:
   
   

   Tip: Learn how to turn captions on or off when watching Internet videos from YouTube

   The issue is resolved

   The issue may have been caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.

   The issue is not resolved

   Go to the next troubleshooting step.

10. Initialize the headphones.
    Note: Initialization returns the headphones to the factory settings and all Bluetooth pairing information is deleted.

    Refer to the Help Guide or view the How to initialize video:
    
    

    Tip: Learn how to turn captions on or off when watching Internet videos from YouTube

    The issue is resolved

    The issue may have been caused by a temporary malfunction of the headphones.

    The issue is not resolved

    The headphones may be malfunctioning, and service may be required.

Go to the Headphones Troubleshooting Guide