Sudio ETT Review (Sudio Sweden)

Preface

The Sudio ETT is Sudio’s 4th true wireless earphones that now includes a wireless charging case and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature.

The first, second and third true wireless earphones being the Sudio Nivå, Sudio Tolv and Sudio FEM respectively.

Let’s check out the merits and demerits of this new Sudio ETT model.

Note: The earphone was tested on the Huawei P30 Pro, Mate 20 Pro, P20 Pro, Samsung S10+, Apple iPad Pro 9.7, Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max, XS Max, XS, X, 6s and Ulephone S7 Plus.

Click HERE to skip to & see the exclusive 15% discount code for all Sudio earphone models!

Packaging & First Impressions

This is what the earphone will come with as shown below.

Shipping packaging feature a stylish presentation.
Sudio Sphere features an extended warranty of 18 months (up from 12 months) for customers who register their purchased Sudio products.
Earphone’s box packaging comes shrink-wrapped, looks attractive and has a premium feel to it, especially with the slide out feature.
The earphone case (doubles up as its charging case) is sturdy (does not flex) when pressed and should withstand day-to-day abuse without issue.
The newly designed attached lanyard is able to support the full weight of the case and should hold up to the test of time.
The magnetic closure of the case ensures that the case remains closed during transport.
The earphone feels rather lightweight and does protrude noticeably when worn (due to the extended microphones on both sides).
The Left & Right earphones are clearly marked.
Automatic subsequent pairings between the earbuds and connected device (lifting the earbuds from the case will automatically switch ON the earbuds).
Usage of a physical button for Left & Right earphones (not touch control like the Sudio FEM).
Wireless charging as well as USB-C charging option for the earphone/battery case.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature has been added to the latest Sudio true wireless earphone (with the option to switch ON or OFF).
Inclusion of both parabolic and conic ear tips.

Shipping Packaging:

Note: Above 2 photos shows the complimentary special edition Tote Bag and Gift Wrap which comes with the ETT and are available while stock lasts.

Front:

Back:

Sides:

Top:

Bottom:

Box Contents:

Removing Plastic Film on Sudio ETT case:

Quick Overview (Manufacturer Specifications)

Earbuds Weight: 10g
Earbuds Battery
- Usage Time per charge (without ANC – Transparency Mode): 6h
- Usage Time per charge (with ANC – ANC Mode): 4h
- Capacity: 50mAh
Charging Case
- Provides 4 Extra Full Charge for Earbuds (20h combined play time with ANC / 30h combined play time without ANC)
- Quick Charge: 15min (will provide ~1h of play time)
- Full Charge: 1h 30min
- Capacity: 500mAh
Microphone: Yes, Built-in mic on LEFT & RIGHT Earbuds
Bluetooth: 5.0
Bluetooth Range: 10m
Driver Size: 10mm
Sensitivity: 93 dB SPL/mW (TBC)
Impedance: 32 Ohm/mW (TBC)
Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz (TBC)
Waterproof Rating: IPX5
Accessories Included:
- 5*Parabolic Ear Tips (XS, S, M, L & XL)
- 3*Conic Ear Tips (S, M & L)
- 1*USB-C Cable
- 1*Carry Charging Case with Lanyard
MSRP: $159 (S$239) – Click HERE to see our exclusive 15% discount code (price includes express shipping)
Comes with 1 year International Warranty (register on Sudio Sphere to get the extended 18 months warranty)
Colors Available
- Black
- White
- Pink
- Green

UI (User Interface)

Both LEFT and RIGHT earbuds for the Sudio ETT have a physical button control that makes the operation process rather straightforward.

First Connection/Pairing

The following instructions would guide you through the simple process to connect the Sudio ETT to a Bluetooth-compatible device for the first time.

Switch ON Bluetooth on Bluetooth-compatible device (phone, tablet, computer or etc.).
Lift earbuds from case, earbuds will automatically switch ON and go into pairing mode. If you are wearing the earbuds, “Power On” and “Pairing” will be heard on both Left & Right Earbuds.
Select the name of the earphone (Sudio Ett) on the Bluetooth-compatible device to connect.
The earphone is now connected to the Bluetooth-compatible device & all audio/phone call will now play on the earphone directly. “Pairing Successful” will be heard on either the Left or Right Earbud.
Switch OFF Earphone:
1. HOLD either LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button till the WHITE indicator flashes. If you are still wearing the earphone when switching OFF, “Power Off” will be heard. (Note: Noise Cancelling will be activated/deactivated first before it will switch OFF.)
2. Alternatively, place both LEFT and RIGHT earbuds back into the carry charging case and the earphones will automatically switch OFF.

Subsequent Connection/Pairing

The following instruction would guide you through the simple process to connect the Sudio ETT to the Bluetooth-compatible device after the first pairing.

Switch ON Bluetooth on Bluetooth-compatible device.
Lift earbuds from case, earbuds will automatically switch ON and go into pairing mode. If you are wearing the earphone, the earbuds will sound out “Power On” on both Left & Right Earbuds.
The earphone should connect with the Bluetooth-compatible device almost immediately. If you are wearing the earphone, “Pairing Successful” will be heard on either the Left or Right Earbuds.
If Step 3 does not occur, manually tap to connect on the device’s Bluetooth menu.
The earphone is now connected to the Bluetooth-compatible device & all audio/phone call will now play on the earphone directly.
Switch OFF Earphone:
1. HOLD either LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button till the WHITE indicator flashes. If you are still wearing the earphone when switching OFF, “Power Off” will be heard. (Note: Noise Cancelling will be activated/deactivated first before it will switch OFF.)
2. Alternatively, place both LEFT and RIGHT earbuds back into the carry charging case and the earphones will automatically switch OFF.

Normal Operation

The following instruction would guide you through the simple process of operating the Sudio Ett after being paired to the Bluetooth-compatible device.

Play/Pause OR Accept/End Calls

Play: Press the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button once.
Pause: Press the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button once.
Accept Calls: Press the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button once.
End Calls: Press the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button once.
Reject Calls: Press & Hold the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button for ~2 secs.

Previous/Next Track

Next Track: Press 2 times the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button.
Previous Track: Press 3 times the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button.
- If the current track is already playing for a few seconds or more, pressing 3 times of the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button will restart the same track only.
- Immediately press 3 times the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s button again, to get to Previous Track.

Note: It might take a few tries to get the correct spacing between the 2 or 3 presses, in order to properly activate the corresponding Next or Previous Track.

Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)

Switch ON – ANC (ANC Mode): Press & Hold the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s touch control for ~2 sec. If you are wearing the earphone, “Noise Cancelling” will be heard on either the Left or Right Earbuds.
Switch OFF – ANC (Transparency Mode): Press & Hold the LEFT or RIGHT earbud’s touch control for ~2 sec. There is no voice prompt when the earbuds switch to Transparency Mode except that ambient noise can be heard more clearly than when ANC was switched ON.

Note: The earbuds will automatically switch to Transparency Mode for all phone calls if it was in ANC mode and will revert back to ANC mode after the call has ended.

Connectivity

The Sudio ETT uses the Bluetooth 5.0 version. Interestingly, Sudio did not bring over the aptX codex they had in their Tre Black & Vasa Blå models in the 4th true wireless earphone still.

After the first pairing/connection, the earphone would connect to the Bluetooth-compatible device almost instantly through our tests.
No disconnection occurred when placing the Bluetooth-compatible device in the pocket or bag. However, there was 1 separate instance that a split second drop out in the left earbud occurred but it has never occurred again despite our extended tests (probably some fluke interference with nearby Wi-Fi radio signals).

The claimed Bluetooth range is 10m and the earphone is still connected to the Bluetooth-compatible devices up to the ~11m mark, beyond that the earphone will suffer from intermittent drop outs. The earphones will still remain connected even in an adjourning room (separated by a concrete wall), although this decreases the Bluetooth range to about half. There is a noticeable improvement in connectivity range with the Bluetooth 5.0 used.

Wearing Comfort/Form Factor

The design of the ETT is rather good for those looking for a true wireless earphone option. In fact, a white Sudio ETT earbud from a distance, could possibly be mistaken for an Apple Airpod Pro earbud.

When worn, the ETT does protrude from the ears, especially with the 2 protruding microphones. With the correct-sized ear tips fitted, the earbuds held sturdily even when doing more vigorous activity (eg jogging/running); at no time did the earbuds feel like it was about to fall off.

Comfort-wise, the earphone felt comfortable in almost every position when worn, especially with the clearly labelled sizes for the corresponding Parabolic and Conic Ear Tips provided. We had no issues wearing the earbuds for ~5 hours on one sitting and experienced no discomfort throughout. That said, the Sudio FEM still wins in terms of outright wearing comfort for extended periods.

Since there is a battery pack on both the LEFT and RIGHT earbuds respectively, the earbuds feel well balanced when worn.

The following pictures shows one of our team members wearing the Sudio ETT model.

Pictures of the Sudio ETT and the carry charging case can be seen below:

Battery Runtime

There are a lot of factors that affect an earphone’s battery runtime – distance of earphone from Bluetooth-compatible device, Bluetooth-compatible device’s Bluetooth version, volume of audio, genre of music and more. Hence, we try to make as much as the above variables, as constants instead.

Here are the parameters for our unofficial runtime test:

Bluetooth-compatible device used: Apple iPhone 6S, Airplane Mode activated, all background applications closed
Distance of Earphone from Bluetooth-compatible device: Placed next to each other
Bluetooth Version: 4.2
Music Player used: Spotify (no Equalizer activated)
Audio used: Royals by Lorde (in Repeat mode)
Volume of Audio: ~50%

With the above parameters in place, the earphone lasted ~10 minutes longer than the 6 hours (Transparency Mode) / 4 hours (ANC Mode) claimed by Sudio.

For this review sample, the Left Earbud seems to have an extraordinary performing battery that lasts an additional 1 hour, even after the Right Earbud has run out of battery.

The 40% battery percentage might last fairly long. However, the drop from 40% to 30%, 20%, 10% and 0% will occur rather quickly – leaving the user without any audio. Hence, we recommend charging the earbuds in the carry case once it is 40%.

The battery case is said to contain an additional 4 extra charges for a total combined play time of 30 hours (Transparency Mode) / 20 hours (ANC Mode). However through our tests for the earphone (using the above unofficial run time test repeatedly), we averaged between 27 to 30 hours (Transparency Mode) and 18 to 20 hours (ANC Mode) total combined play time respectively as we managed to get approximately an additional ~3.5 charges instead.

For this Sudio ETT, the Volume of Audio plays a rather substantial factor for the total effective combined play time.

Sound Quality

There are many components to evaluate an earphone’s sound quality. We do not pretend to be true hardcore audiophiles but we will look into 4 of the more common characteristics that most audiophiles tend to look for. The following unofficial tests are made without an equalizer.

There is a split second audio delay with videos on both earphones – it is not exactly noticeable till you actually look for it. Hence, video editing is definitely not possible with these earphones.

Soundstage: The soundstage is fairly narrow and is probably due to the slightly adjusted bass.
Treble: The treble is mildly boosted.
Mids: The mids is slightly recessed.
Bass: The bass is lightly boosted and may sound slightly muddy at times.

Due to the lack of graphene drivers, these 10mm drivers tend to have a little more focus on bass.

The main selling point for this earphone – Sudio’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC Mode) works rather well and helps block out a fair portion of external ambient noises, enabling for more engaging sounds and the option to listening at lower volumes in noisier environments. When using the ANC Mode, do ensure that the safety of others and oneself will not be compromised.

Microphone Sound Quality

Both earbuds have in-built microphones and when taking a call, both earbuds can be used (sound/voice can be heard on both earbuds).

The parties on the other side of the line were able to hear our voices fairly clearly, despite being in a noisier environment.

Battery Indicator

There are 4 LED indicators on the battery case exterior.

The LED indicators will show the approximate battery capacity:

4 LEDs – ~100% Battery Capacity
3 LEDs – ~75% Battery Capacity
2 LEDs – ~50% Battery Capacity
1 LED – ~25% Battery Capacity

The LED indicators will switch ON during the following circumstances:

When the Earbuds are replaced in the Case
When charging the Case
Touching the Earbuds when it is already in the Case

Charging Process

With the provided USB-C Cable, the carry charging case was charging at ~0.33A.

The battery case has wireless charging capability. Simply place the battery case on top of a wireless charger and charging will commence immediately.

The blinking WHITE LED depicts charging in progress and 4 solid WHITE LEDs lit depicts charging has completed (as seen on the wireless charger below).

For charging the earbuds, the extreme LEFT & RIGHT blinking WHITE LED indicators on the earbuds depict charging in progress and no LED indicator lit depicts charging has completed.

Waterproofness

For the Sudio ETT, Sudio has received an official IP rating of IPX5 for the ETT earbuds.

Hence, the earbuds were subjected to being under slow moving room temperature water (to best mimic light to medium showers and sweat) whilst switched ON.

No signs of water intrusion in the earbuds was seen. Nonetheless, the ear tips have to be removed to dry out the water (the basic post-water maintenance procedures are still required).

Scale Comparison (Ruler)

Summary

To sum up, we believe that the most important part of any review is if given the chance to purchase the same earphone for our own usage or to gift to our loved ones out from one’s pocket (wallet), would we still do it?
For this true wireless earphones, it is a definite YES if the sound quality/signature is what you are looking for.

The IPX5-rating, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) capability, ability to switch between ANC Mode and Transparency Mode, ear comfort when wearing them, USB-C fast charging rate for the charging case, wireless charging capability for the battery case and automatic switch ON & OFF with pairing function – are all positive points for this earphone.

However, it would be nice if Sudio is able to incorporate aptX with their latest earphones as they did for the Tre Black & Vasa Blå models and a voice notification to notify that ANC Mode has been switched OFF.

Here is a bonus size comparison of the Sudio Tolv, Sudio ETT, Sudio FEM & Sudio Nivå charging cases.

As with all gears, two is one and one is none.

Stay safe,
The Lite Review

Disclaimer: Earphone, Tote Bag and gift packaging were provided for by Sudio (manufacturer) for this review. No other compensation was provided.

Where to Buy Links

Sudio Sweden has very kindly provided us with an exclusive 15% discount code! Simply enter the discount code “thelitereview15” to enjoy this special promotion.
**This Sudio discount code should work worldwide and applies for all models in Sudio Sweden range – Contact Us if there is any issues with the discount code.**

Sudio ETT

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Free worldwide shipping (usually Express) is provided for all Sudio products purchased on their Sudio website. Shipping generally takes around 3-5 days for arrival, in most cases. However, due to the current COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) pandemic, shipping duration might be delayed slightly.