Sudio E2 Review: Spatial Audio for Cheap?

Sudio has just launched the successor to the Sudio Ett, the Sudio E2. It brings new Dirac spatial audio tech and VividVoice technology while retaining the Ett’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), all for a lower price of S$189 (vs the S$239 launch price of the Ett). Let’s see how the new Sudio E2 stacks up.

Sudio E2 Specifications and Features

• 10mm drivers
• Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)
• IPX4 water resistance
• Up to 6.5 hrs battery (30 hrs with case)
• Wireless charging
• Bluetooth 5.2, SBC codec
• Colours: Jade, Sand, Black, Electric Grey

The case and earbuds of the E2 are fitted with a soft touch material which is grippy and nice to the touch. The case is solidly constructed as well, with no noticeable creaking or wobbliness to the hinge.

The E2 has a design that is reminiscent of its predecessor, the Ett, with its stem and in-ear eartips. But it has been refined, with the angular edges of old giving way to gentler curves. The physical button on each earbud has also been replaced with a capacitive metal touchpad. Overall, the E2 looks similar the AirPods Pro. They are IPX4 water resistant as well, meaning they will be able to survive some splashes.

There are a variety of eartip sizes provided in the box, so you’re sure to find one that fits your ears. I found that the default tips fit well in my ears, and I never felt them to be at risk of falling off. However, the passive noise isolation was rather poor. I found that most other earphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, are a lot better at blocking outside noises from the seal alone, without factoring in any ANC.

I would say that the Sudio E2 have a rather dark sound signature. This means that mid and high frequencies are recessed. Bass is elevated, but I found it to be bloated and muddy, and overall rather unpleasant. Hip hop tracks would often be overpowered by the muddy bass. Tracks without a lot of bass presence sound fine, but are again, rather dark. Male vocals sound hollow and distant, while female vocals sound less intimate than with brighter sounding earphones like the Galaxy Buds+.

That’s not to say that the E2 sounds bad. Yes the sound signature isn’t great, but this can be fixed by using EQ. The sound quality itself, other than the bloated and muddy bass, is pretty good. I found it to be more detailed than the Galaxy Buds+. Sudio’s Dirac spatial audio doesn’t have the head-tracking technology of Apple’s audio products, but I was rather impressed by how much it widened the soundstage. It definitely doesn’t have the “in your head” feel which most other earphones of this class give. I recommend keeping spatial audio on, though this, along with the ANC, will eat into the battery life.

If you’re willing to play around with EQ, you might be able to tweak the E2 to your liking. I’d start by turning the bass way down, and elevating the mids to bring vocals forward. The Sudio E2 should sound pretty good after some EQ tuning.

Here are a few other miscellaneous thoughts about the Sudio E2.

• [Update 2 Apr 2022]: Sudio has informed me that they now have an app out on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, which has support for their newer Sudio E2 and T2 earphones only. The app allows for manual EQ adjustments and custom EQ profiles based on personalised hearing tests. For the E2 exclusively, you’re also able to get firmware updates, toggle ANC and transparency modes (though it’s unclear if you can adjust the default behaviour, or change the touch controls). I have been unable to get the app to work on my Pixel 5, or Galaxy S10e, both of which are running Android 12. I will update this review accordingly once I’ve gotten them to work.
• Sudio doesn’t have an app, and this leads to a few issues
  • ANC isn’t on by default and there’s no way to change this setting
  • You can’t change the earbud controls
  • There isn’t an easy way to tweak the EQ
  • You won’t get any firmware updates. The E2 will remain the same as when you first take it out of the box.
• Transparency mode works well
• ANC works well for low frequencies but hardly blocks out any high frequency noises. You can still hear the higher-end frequencies in an MRT that’s going through a tunnel, and you can still hear the clatter of a keyboard.
• Microphone quality is good
• More detailed battery life in the table below:

	Spatial Off	Spatial On
ANC Off	6.5 hrs (30 hrs with case)	5.5 hrs (25 hrs with case)
ANC On	4.4 hrs (20 hrs with case)	4 hrs (18 hrs with case)

Pros

• Relatively affordable at S$189
• IPX4 water resistant
• Good design, build, fit
• Good microphone quality, transparency mode
• Sound quality can be good with some EQ
• Dirac spatial audio works great to give a wider than usual soundstage

Cons

• ANC hardly blocks out the higher frequencies
• Muddy, bloated bass
• Lossy SBC codec
• No app for firmware updates, settings customisation, or EQ

At S$189, the Sudio E2 is one of the more affordable ANC earbuds in the market, with standout features of spatial audio and microphone quality. If you’re willing to do some tweaking with EQ, I’d say they’re a pretty decent pair of earphones. If you don’t want to mess with EQ, or want something that’s more customisable, I’d recommend looking at alternative pairs from Samsung, Sony, or Jabra.

Another interesting alternative would be the Sudio T2, which is now going for just S$149. I actually preferred the sound on the T2, and like the E2, it offers ANC and water resistance (albeit without an official IP rating). The only downside would be worse microphone quality and the lack of Dirac spatial audio.

You can purchase the Sudio E2 from Sudio’s official website, and use code TFT15 to get 15% off your purchase.

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