Sudio has launched a new audio product called Sudio Elva, but it’s not a true wireless earbuds. Instead it is a wireless neckband earphone which I haven’t seen in a while since the wave of true wireless earbuds took over. Sudio Elva isn’t just your ordinary wireless neckband earphone, it comes with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) and a bundled Bluetooth flight adapter. It retails for S$199, but enjoy a 15% discount by using the promo code TECHJIO at checkout!
Unboxing
The box comes with quite some stuff:
- Sudio Elva wireless neckband earphones
- Sudio FLYG Bluetooth flight adapter
- USB-A to USB-C charging adapter
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- Ear tips (XS, S, M, L, XL)
- User manuals
Tech specs
| Battery life | 10 hours per full charge (with ANC) 2 hours charging time |
| Bluetooth version | 5.0 |
| Water resistance | IPX5 |
| Charging port | USB-C |
Design, build quality and features
The design is typical of wireless neckband earphones with the two heavier sides to provide weight for a neckband form. The earphones are mainly made from plastic. The controls of the Sudio Elva is housed on the left side of the earphones. The wire used on the Sudio Elva is the flat kind so this prevents it from getting jumbled up easily. On the wires, there is a small magnetic rubber attachment so that you can join the cables together. It would have been nice if Sudio also provided a carry pouch for the Sudio Elva.
Controls
The button in the center is turns on the earphones. A single click will perform play/pause while double click will toggle the ANC mode. The buttons on the left and right will perform volume changes and skipping of tracks.
FLYG Flight Adapter
The included FLYG Bluetooth wireless adapter makes the Sudio Elva more than just a regular pair of wireless neckband earphones. The FLYG is meant to work with the Sudio Elva, but you can also use it with any of your other Bluetooth earbuds. This means that you can finally enjoy in-flight entertainment with the comfort of your own audio device. This to me, is a pretty compelling product.
Battery life
Sudio Elva is is rated to last 10 hours per full charge, which should be more than sufficient to last most flights. Sudio Elva and the FLYG is charged via USB-C, but the method of charging the Elva is not your typical USB-C male input. One end of the Elva can be removed to reveal a USB-C male input which you would then insert it into the USB-A to USB-C charging adapter.
Fit
You can’t really go wrong with a fit of a neckband wireless earphones. The earphones sit comfortably in your ears while the neckband rests nicely on your neck. I still prefer true wireless earbuds fit as there will not be any weight of wires. However, I can see the neckband style of earphones like the Sudio Elva being much more comfortable to wear on long flights as they are smaller in your ears.
Sound quality
I’ll start with the sound without ANC turned on. Bass has a good amount of presence and punch, and just enough to provide reverb on some songs. Midrange sounds clean and clear, while treble is bright and airy. Once ANC is turned on, the volume gets much louder. Bass gets an audible boost in the sub-bass department and the overall sound now feels a little more full and warm. Treble is balanced out by the bass to deliver more controlled highs. The overall sound with ANC provides a warm and comfortable listening experience.
ANC performance
The ANC capabilities on the Sudio Elva is not the strongest I have tested, perhaps due to it being wired so the passive seal is not as tight as a seal on a true wireless earbuds. It is still capable of reducing low frequencies to a decent extent and typical surrounding noises outside. As the ANC implementation on the Sudio Elva is not aggressive, it does not cause any cabin pressure effect.
Microphone quality
Voice pickup via the microphone on the Sudio Elva is better than most true wireless earbuds as it is closer to my mouth. It picks ups my voice like how any wired earphones such as EarPods would, and is generally reliable to use even in noisy conditions.
Pairing, connectivity, and latency
Connection is pretty stable and I did not encounter any audio dropouts. Pairing the Sudio Elva to the FLYG can be a little tricky since the FLYG does not really have any visual text cues other than the fact that the blinking light on the FLYG will stop once it has paired up with the Elva. Note that you have to get the Elva in pairing mode and put it close to the FLYG for it to pair.
As for latency, I did not notice any lag when testing it with the Elva alone. But when pairing the Elva to the FLYG then into my iPad, I did notice a ever so slight in audio, which was initially hard to decipher until I paid attention to it.
Conclusion
Sudio Elva presents a unique product with the combination of the FLYG Bluetooth flight adapter as it becomes an audio device you can use to enjoy in-flight entertainment. The neckband design is also comfortable to wear for long hours of flight. The ANC quality is decent, and should be able to get rid of some of the low rumbling airplane noise.
TECHJIO
FOR 15% off your Sudio order
Sudio Elva will be available to purchase from 14 September onwards at S$199. Enjoy a 15% discount by using the promo code WIRELESS15 at checkout! You will also receive a free cardholder wallet with every purchase!