sudio launched the E2, its newest flagship TWS earphones that offer spatial audio, as well as hybrid noise-canceling right out of the box. Does it have what it takes to be your next audio wearable? Here’s our review.
Launched just a few days ago, the E2 is the successor to last year’s Ett and now has more features to boot. We captured our first look right on video:
A quick unboxing of the package we received from sudio contains the boxes for the E2 and the Ladd wireless charger. The E2 box contains the earphones in the case, four pairs of extra earbud tips that range from XS to XL sizes, a USB Type-C cable, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and the user manual. You’d get three years of warranty for the product and the cloth is also a reminder on registering your product to get the most out of it.
Design
The E2 presents itself with a matte finish. Our unit, in gray, feels rubbery when touched. It’s quite a grease magnet due to this characteristic, but can be easily wiped off with the pre-packaged microfiber cloth.
They have also made the look minimal with very The only features on the case are the sudio logo at the front, the reset/pairing button, and the USB-C charging port at the back.
Opening the case reveals the earbuds, which are primarily taped off at the end of the stem to prevent battery leakage. The contact pins that connect the buds to the charging case are at that part. They also moved the left and right markings to that area, too, and is a lot more readable than the Ett’s.
The reddish, metallic touch panel contrasts the matte gray finish found on all other parts of the buds and is a standout when worn at the ear. It’s also IPX4 resistant, so rainwater and sweat won’t break your earbuds.
Audio Quality
This device features spatial audio in partnership with DIRAC (which you can toggle on or off), as well as a VividVoice technology that puts the voice upfront and minimizes all the background noise by using three microphones.
Audio has been above average, meaning it sounds great for consumers but generally okay for audiophiles. The DIRAC audio simulates a pair of speakers in front of you, and you’ll enjoy music with clear trebles, open mid-range notes, moderate mid-bass, tight-punchy kick-bass, and satisfying sub-bass rumbles. Spatial audio enhances the experience more with a wider space for music to be heard around you — like it’s at the back or at the side or front of you.
Noise cancelation is really good, as it can block most sounds you’d normally encounter in daily environments. Engine hissing sounds or high-pitched tones are still audible but do not affect overall performance. Call performance is good as the TWS tries to push forward the voice against the environment noise, making it a lot richer than usual.
It’s also worth noting that there’s no app to help you with toggling between modes, you’ll have to work on it through the touch panels, which is kind of a bummer considering a lot of TWS earbuds, expensive or not, offer some sort of app support to get the most out of their audio wearables.
Battery Life
The battery life of this audio wearable is decent enough for casual listening. A single charge of the buds lasted around 6 hours and 40 minutes with ANC and Spatial Audio disabled. It’s less when you enable them — 5 hours and 20 minutes with ANC only, and roughly an hour less if we also enable Spatial Audio. The charging case can add up to 30 hours more depending on the mode used.
Recharging isn’t worrisome as the device supports fast charging, which the company claims a 2 hour listening for 10 minutes of plugging in. True enough, we got 1 hour and 44 minutes with that charging time. A full charge takes around an hour. It also supports wireless charging with Qi chargers such as the sudio LADD, but expect slower speeds as it only supports 10W at the moment.
