Sudio E2
Background:
Spatial audio has become a buzzword in the last year with Apple announcing their version as part of the Apple Music family and others following suit in short order. Things like Dolby Atmos have been around for quite a while in the theatre space, but now music streaming services seem to be clamoring to include it. The interesting thing about spatial audio can be created from about any audio source and it doesn’t require specialty headphones.
Some solutions do require that some of the processing be done in advance and that only files with some pre-coded spatial cues can be used. Other solutions use the processing power of the phone, tablet, or PC to do the work and don’t rely on pre-processing. Still others use dedicated DSP processors to offload the tasks from the main processor and improve performance.
Today’s review focuses on an earphone that uses a dedicated processor to process spatial audio in the earphone rather than using the sources processing power. The Earphone is the Sudio E2. Those outside Sweden may not be familiar with Sudio, but they have been producing headphones, earphones, and speakers since 2012 in Stockholm, Sweden. Sudio has partnered with another Swedish company Dirac to include spatial audio processing in their E2 in-ears. Dirac produces a software suite that allows creation of a more immersive experience by tricking the brain into thinking the instruments and voices are coming from different points in space.
The science behind spatial audio is all about volume and delay. A signal that reaches both ears at the same moment and at the same volume is perceived as coming from straight in front or straight behind us. Any delay in the sound reaching one ear as compared to the other changes where we perceive the sound to be coming from. Likewise, a higher volume reaching one ear than the other may be perceived as an obstacle in the path between the source and our ear Spatial audio processors use advanced mathematical calculations to determine which sounds should be delayed and how much to create the illusion of three dimensional space.
Unboxing/ Build:
The Sudio E2 is a svelte stick style in-ear in the mould of the AirPods Pro with a short stick and a mid-sized bulb with a short nozzle and detachable tips. My review pair was in the standard matte black finish but they are available in sand, gray and jade as well for those who want something different. There is a chrome touch sensor that covers the top half of the stick and an LED indicator lamp just north of the touch sensor. There is a large vent at top center and a pinhole vent directly behind the nozzle that is hidden behind the tips when installed. Charging pads are at the base of the stem along with a mic port.
I found the E2 comfortable in ear with roughly the same fit as the AirPod Pro and it stayed in place well when active. The E2 is only IPX4 rated so while it is moisture and sweat resistant care should be taken to keep it out of the pool or shower.
The kit is pretty standard with the earpieces, a charging case, cable, five sets of tips, and the manual. Sudio was also kind enough to send the wireless charging pad, the Ladd+ which is normally a $49 additional cost. The Ladd+ has a vegan leather surface to provide a non-slip surface that won’t scratch items being charged and worked quite well when the accompanying USB cable was attached to a 2.4A wall charger.
Internals:
Internally, the E2 uses the Dirac enabled Bluetooth Chipset which unfortunately only supports SBC, a 10mm dynamic driver and three mics on each side. The mics do double duty as ANC mics and for phone calls or gaming. The internal battery lasts up to 6.5 hours with ANC off and a little better than 4 hours with ANC enabled and the charging case adds as much as another 30 hours to that runtime. The earpieces do support quick-charge so 10 minutes in the case will net 2 hours of usage time. A full hour will recharge either the case or earpieces when connected to USB Power. I found the Ladd+ took a bit longer but was certainly convenient.
Controls:
The touch controls work well offering audio prompts and feedback and a pretty straight forward manual of commands. Those who don’t like touch controls can control all the functions via the Sudio app on iOS or Android phones. Control of ANC, Ambient, and Dirac modes are a quick flip of a switch. There are six presets for the EQ as well as the ability to create your own profiles. I particularly appreciate the fact that the option to save more than one profile exists but would love to see a bit more granular EQ as the 6 bands provided are a bit wide in some cases.
In addition to the EQ, there is a custom tuning option that administers a hearing test and adjusts accordingly. I found I liked the results of the custom profile for some songs and not as much for others. Which brings us to the main point, what does it sound like?
Sound Quality:
The E2 has a large sub-bass emphasis with a peak at roughly 45 Hz. This is the single most dominant feature of the sonic landscape. While the mid-bass gradually decreases as we move up the scale, it remains the prominent feature of the landscape. Bass this large does obscure some of the other features and there is more than a little bleed into the mids here. I’d prefer a little cleaner and a little less bass, but some who love a big bass response will find the default tuning to their liking.
Mids are markedly recessed in the default tuning and lower voices are a bit obscured by the bleed at times. The EQ does allow for the addition of some mids back into the signature but it can’t be made the focal point as their simply is not enough adjustment range. Still the addition of some judicious EQ does help bring the vocals out and adds some needed access to detail in this range as otherwise the mids are somewhat feature-less.
The lower treble rises to almost the level of the mid-bass and does give percussion some needed snap and cymbals enough energy to have good texture. After the lower treble plateau, the treble drops back and is quite reserved through about the 11 kHz range which keeps the treble from becoming fatiguing. Above the 11 kHz mark, there is a surge in energy that helps keep the E2 sounding open and airy at the top with final roll-off somewhere above 16 kHz.
So far all of the sound description holds true regardless of use of Dirac or ANC, although ANC use does veil a bit of the treble comparatively. Where the Dirac becomes evident is in the stage. Without Dirac, the stage is typical of these small TWS buds in that it is more than a bit congested and wider than deep. Layering and imaging follow suit with less than exciting results. However switching the Dirac on, it is considerably improved. Stage is larger and better proportioned, imaging is more realistic and the E2 sounds more like an open-back over ear than a compact TWS. The Dirac can’t correct all the faults seen with it disabled, but if purchasing the E2 one should plan to use the Dirac feature as the sound is considerably better with it on. Why Dirac is off by default may be the bigger question.
Conclusions:
The E2 is a bit of a mixed bag, it gets points for Dirac, good response to EQ, good battery life, and a price of $129 makes it a less expensive option than many. It loses points for recessed mids and bass bloom. If you are interested in what spatial audio can offer but don’t want to over-spend to find out, the E2 is one of the best entry level options available. Just remember it is still a budget TWS and shares some of the same issues we typically see with models in this segment.