Wireless is the future, and while plenty of headphone makers are building true wireless earbuds with non cable to be seen, many are sticking with the around-the-head cable — which doubles as a way to ensure the headphones don’t fall out of your head and bounce down the drain. We reviewed the Sudio Regent headphones a while ago. Now, Sudio is back with the Vasa Bla wireless earbuds.
But Sudio isn’t alone in the wireless earbud world. Not even close. But can it offer something unique and different in order to stick out from the crowd? We put the Sudio Vasa Bla headphones to the test to find out.
Design
The first thing to notice about the Sudio Vasa Bla headphones is their design, and they don’t look bad at all. The headphones come in a few different color choices, including a white and rose gold and a black and gold.
The design is still a little basic, so if you’re looking for something really flashy, you may want to keep looking. Thankfully, they don’t quite edge on bland — just subtle.
Part way down the right-hand cable, you’ll find a three-button remote with volume controls and a center multi-button. That remote is balanced out with a unit on the left hand which houses the microUSB charging port, and we assume acts like a big battery.
In the box, you’ll get the headphones themselves, a little carry pouch,a charging cable a total of five ear tips, and a clip, so you can attach the headphones to your clothes or bag. It’s a nice selection of accessories, and there’s nothing really missing from the package — except for a pair of Comply memory foam tips.
Comfort
The Sudio Vasa Bla in-ear headphones are generally decently comfortable, but as is the case with any in-ear pair of headphones, they’re going to get a little uncomfortable over long listening periods. It’s nice that there’s a good selection of eartips, and that helps make them slightly more comfortable than they otherwise would be.
A pair of Comply memory foam tips would be very helpful with these headphones. While in general the headphones stayed in pretty well, there were more than a few instances where they fell out — which would have been less of an issue with memory foam tips.
The headphones also move a little too freely for our liking. We prefer headphones like this with cable ties or a way to manage the cables at least, and the weight of the control unit and battery are a problem here.
In general, the Sudio Vasa Bla headphones are pretty comfortable, despite the fact that they do fall out every now and then.
Sound
In general, the Sudio Vasa Bla headphones actually sound quite nice. Sure, there’s always room for improvement, but we’ve definitely heard worse-sounding headphones than these.
Let’s start with the bass, which is perhaps the worst part of the sound profile of the headphones. While the bass that is there seems well-tuned, we would have liked to hear both more bass and deeper bass.
The mid-range is decently pretty well-built, however there is a boost in the high-mids that does give the headphones a kind of AM radio feel.
The high-end is strong and well-defined, however it would have been nice if it extended a little higher, just to help those cymbals sizzle a little more than they do. Still, the high-end definitely sounds better than the majority of other headphones we’ve tested in this price range, so there isn’t all that much room to complain.
The Sudio Vasa Bla headphones are closed-back, and while there is some sound isolation, if you want to truly isolate yourself from your surroundings you’ll want to get a pair of noise cancelling headphones.
Performance
The Sudio Vasa Bla headphones were a bit of a mixed bag in the performance department, but after you jump a few hurdles, they’ll perform fine. The biggest issue for us was getting them connected in the first place, but after a few attempts they finally connected to our devices.
The headphones use Bluetooth, and offer a pretty standard range — 10m, or 33ft. Normally, you’ll have your phone or computer closer than that, in which case you should be fine — but in some instances you may have a problematic connection, especially when there are obstacles.
The battery life on these headphones is 8 hours of playback, which is fine — but nothing really to write home about. That 8 hours was about right in our tests, though it’ll depend on use for you.
Conclusions
The Sudio Vasa Bla headphones have a lot to offer, but there are most certainly better headphones for the price. If you’re looking for a pair of wireless in-ears in the $100 price range, we recommend the JLab Audio Epic2 headphones — which offer excellent value for money, might be a little better at staying in your ears, and are a little more exciting in the design department. Still, the Sudio Vasa Bla headphones do have their advantages over the JLab Audio’s — namely that they sound a little better.
| Store | Price |
|---|---|
 |
$99.99 |
| Sudio | $110 |
| Frequency response | 18Hz – 23kHz | Active noise cancellation |
No |
| Driver size | 10.2mm | Noise attenuation | Unknown |
| Driver type |
Dynamic | In-line controls | Yes |
| Design |
Closed-Back | Microphone | Yes |
| Sensitivity | 112dB | Eartip material | Gel |
| Rated impedance |
32Ω | Magnet material | Unknown |
| Total harmonic distortion |
Unknown | Water resistance | No |
| Rated input power |
Unknown | Battery life | 8 Hours |
| Maximum input power |
Unknown | Wireless distance | 10m (33ft) |
| Wireless connection |
Bluetooth 4.1 | Cable length | N/A |
| Wired connection |
No | Case type | Leather pouch |
| Detachable cable |
No | In-the-box | Pouch, 5 pairs of ear tips, microUSB charging cable |
| Weight | 14g (0.5oz) | Colors | Black, white, blue, pink |