Review: Sudio Ett True Wireless Earbuds with ANC

The Ett is Sudio’s latest true wireless earbuds model and it features ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) and supports wireless charging. Sudio has always been quick to update their products to be relevant with the current tech trends.

The Sudio Ett retails at S$239 (inclusive of shipping) at the official website which comes with 12 months international warranty but could be extended to 18 months if you join Sudio Sphere.

Unboxing

The Ett comes in four different colors – black, white, green, pink. The one I have is the black model. Unboxing the clean minimalistic Sudio packaging, you will get the following:

• Sudio Ett earbuds
• Charging case
• Parabolic ear tips x4 (XS, S, M, L)
• Conical ear tips x3 (S, M, L)
• USB-C to USB-A cable
• User manual

Tech specs

• Bluetooth version: 5.0
• Codecs: SBC
• Charging time: 140 minutes (Quick charge 15 minutes for 1 hour playtime)
• Music playtime: 6 hours without ANC / 4 hours with ANC (20-30 hours in charging case)
• IPX5 waterproof rating
• Weight: 5.0 (each earbud), 49g (charging case with earbuds)
• Charging type: USB-C or Qi-wireless

Build quality and features

Let’s start with the charging case. The case has cube shape with round edges and has a matte finish similar to its earbuds. The case is rather thick. For comparison, it is thicker than the Sudio Fem’s case but smaller in footprint. There are four LED indicators at front of the case to display charging status. There is also a leather strap on the right side of the case.

As for the earbuds, they are matte and made from plastic which feels soft to the touch. Even though they are very lightweight at just 5.0g, the build quality feels solid. The Sudio Ett is rated at IPX5 waterproof rating so you can be confident bringing them out for runs or wearing them in light rain.

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Controls

Sudio Ett utilizes physical buttons for controls which I personally prefer. One tap for play/pause, two taps for going forward in music, three taps for going backwards in music. Press and hold for two seconds and ANC will be turned on. There is a voice prompt to tell you that ANC is turned on, but no prompt when you turn off the ANC.

There does not seem to be a way to trigger your voice assistant, but since I do not use it often it is not a bummer to me.

Transparency mode

Transparency mode allows outside sounds into the earbuds. The transparency mode on the Sudio Ett works differently from other earbuds that offer the same feature. The transparency mode only kicks in when you are making a call with the Ett. This is particularly helpful because I can gauge the volume of my voice while conversing. The transparency mode on the Ett is executed quite naturally.

Battery life

You can get up to 6 hours of music playtime per full charge if you are listening without ANC turned on. With ANC turned on, you can expect around 4 hours per full charge. That’s a little bit on the low side, but it’s comparable to AirPods Pro’s battery life.

The charging case supplies another 20 to 30 hours of music playtime depending on your ANC usage. You also have quick charging, where you can get an hour of playtime from just 15 minutes of charging. 

Charging the Sudio Fem case is done via USB-C, and if you have a wireless charger like the Spigen F309W Wireless Charger you can charge it wirelessly as well.

Fit

The fit of the Sudio Ett is comfortable. It fits well but the seal is not as good as the Sudio Fem. I believe this is because the edges of the Ett are not as contoured as it is on the Fem. Also, the nozzle of the Ett does not seem to go as deep as the Fem.

Sudio is very generous to offer different types of ear tips for you to find the best fit. Personally, I find that the conical ear tips help to provide a better fit and seal over the parabolic ear tips.

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Overall, the lightweight nature of the Sudio Ett means that the earbuds sits comfortably in my ears as though I’m not wearing anything in my ears.

Pairing and connectivity

Initial pairing to the Sudio Ett to your phone is simply a breeze. Once you remove the both earbuds, the name ‘Sudio Ett’ should appear in your Bluetooth settings. The earbuds are seen as one unit in your Bluetooth settings. Subsequent pairings are also fast. Once you put the Ett in your ears, you can be ready to play music.

Having Bluetooth 5.0, the connection was really stable and I barely experienced any audio dropouts. And if you want to use just one earbud, you can use either side of the earbuds.

Sound quality

Bass is fast and snappy, it hits once and does not linger for long. The sub-bass however, does not have much presence so you may not be able to feel the reverb and rumble unless you are listening to bass heavy tracks. As for the midrange, it is detailed and clean sounding but can seem to sit a little laid back compared to other frequencies. Treble performance on the Sudio Ett is not its best suit. It is clear but sounds a little too warm for an energetic listen.

The Ett has a pretty good layers of separation. On songs like Thriller by Michael Jackson, the different instruments are well separated allowing you to hear each sound easily. Personally, the sound profile of the Ett is a step back from the Fem.

Ett vs Fem

The Ett has a different sound compared to the Fem. This is mainly due to better bass response on the Fem, which can offer you more sub-bass reverbs and rumble. Midrange is also more forward sounding on the Fem. As for treble, Fem takes the win again as its treble sizzles with more clarity and shine over the Ett,

However, where the Ett has an edge over the Fem is sound stage and layers of separation. Listening to songs on the Ett feels like you are in a spacious room, allowing you to discern greater level of details from instruments such as cymbals hitting from the ends.

ANC performance

The overall ANC that Sudio Ett can do is largely average, especially when I have tested earbuds with better ANC. Having said that, the Ett is pretty effective in cutting out the low rumbling noises and background chatter. High pitched noises will still seep into the earbuds. For comparison, the 1More EHD9001TA has a stronger ANC which is expected from its size. However, I’m glad that the ANC on the Sudio Ett do not cause any cabin pressure effect which is great.

When ANC is turned on, the music volume seems to be a little louder. Midrange starts to sound more forward when ANC is turned on, and sub-bass response also has more presence. Music generally sounds better with ANC turned on, so I’ll recommend leaving ANC on.

Audio-Video latency & Microphone quality

There is no lag from the audio output when watching videos on the YouTube app from my iPhone 11.

As far as microphone quality goes, it is better than the Fem by a slight bit probably due to its longer stem. The performance of the microphone is better than the average true wireless earbuds. My friends had no issues hearing my voice on calls when I’m in my room. But do note if you are in a noisy environment, your voice may not be picked up as well.

Conclusion

The Sudio Ett is not one for bass lovers but it offers a rather clean audio sound and wide soundstage for a pleasant listening experience. It’s somewhat like AirPods but with better bass. The ANC on the Sudio Ett is pretty effective too and does not cause cabin pressure effect.

Moreover, it also offers useful features such as auto transparency mode when picking up calls, IPX5 and wireless charging. It would have been nice to see AAC or aptX codec supported, but the Sudio Ett still presents lots of value.

Where to buy

You can purchase the Sudio direct from Sudio. Enjoy 15% off by using the code TECHJIO15 at checkout, meaning you only pay S$203, which is pretty affordable considering it is something that has ANC.

TECHJIO15

15% off discount code