Sudio Nio Review : Budget-Friendly and Quality Earbuds

Sudio is a Swedish company that was founded in 2012. They have several true wireless earphones in their current product line up. Recently, they sent in some Sudio Nio and might just be the right fit for your next purchase.  The Sudio Nio was launched last January 11, 2021 and here are a few thoughts and what you can expect from these earphones.

Unboxing

Sudio Nio Features:

• Wing tip  with 4 sizes available for different shape and sized ears
• Adaptive dual microphone technology and 20 hours
• 20H Playtime
• Touch control and Automatic pairing
• Water Resistant – reliable IPX4 rating
• Available Colours: Sand, Black, White, and Green
• Free worldwide shipping and 3 years international warranty with Sudio SPHERE

Being in a WFH arrangement for more than a year, most meetings have been pushed to be virtual and have brought out the audiophiles in us with sound quality differing with each earphone or headset we’ve tried. This also gives us an insight into different microphone pickups. With Sudio’s claims of having adaptive dual microphone technology, my interests were peaked.

The earbuds closely resemble the Apple Airpods if the silicone wingtips were removed. The case is straightforward with a Sudio logo right at the front and right under is the LED battery indicator. The same indicator can be found on each earphone.

LED Battery Indicator

White – Over 25% battery

Orange – Below 25% Battery

The has a plastic build that feels rigid.

The placement of the USB-C port charge on the right is rather awkward like we see on most earbuds cases placed on the rear center. At the bottom is the factory reset button. Additionally, the Sudio supports Bluetooth 5.0 with  A2DP v1.3/AVRCP v1.5/HFP v1.6 profiles making it work reliably.

Ear Wing Tips

The silicone ear wingtips are what make the Sudio Nio distinct from other earbuds in the market. It isn’t the type of tips that hook on the upper part of the ear shell, but the mould fits conveniently into the lower part of the ear shell. This relieves pressure from the ear canal, unlike most ear tips. Discomfort won’t be felt after prolonged use thanks to the weight of the Sudio Nio and the ear wing design.  With the IPX4 rating, the Sudio Nio is a good pair for long runs or workout sessions without being submerged in water.

 

Touch Controls

The Sudio Nio has a decent touch sensitivity and media controls are easy to navigate.

• Single press – play/pause
• Double press – previous track (left earbud) / next track (right earbud)
• Triple press – reduce volume (left earbud) / increase volume (right earbud)
• 1-sec press – Answer calls
• 2-sec press – Decline calls
• 3-sec press – Hang up calls.

Sound Quality

Before going through my thoughts on the sound quality, I’d like to state a disclaimer that earphones or any audio device may be preferential since people listen to different types of music and may have different taste according to their listening. Personally, I found the bass was quite powerful and may overwhelm the mids and trebles. This may work for some but personally, I listen to all types of music but prefer a bit more balance on the bass with mids and trebles. We’d say that the sound signatures are warm.

Adaptive Dual Microphones

The adaptive dual microphones pick up voice quite well for phone calls but there is not much background noise suppression.

Battery Life

In terms of playback time, we were able to get a little over 5 hours of music listening time with the Sudio Nio which can be extended up to 20 hours together with the charging case.

Final Thoughts

The Nio is available through the Sudio Website for ₱3,800.00 with four different colours: black, white, green, and sand.  Should you plan to get the Sudio Nio, get discounts with the code: kangdupet15. With this, you get free worldwide shipping and 3 years of international warranty with Sudio Sphere.

All-in-all, the Nio is great true-wireless earbuds although it lacks the noise-cancellation function when most new audio devices seem to be headed in that direction. Sudio is able to cover up to 10 meters but may not be able to penetrate thick walls.