True wireless headphones are now common, and we’ve seen dozens of them get a release over the past few months across a range of price points, and with mixed results. Now, it’s Sudio’s turn, with the new Sudio Tolv.
The Sudio Tolv headphones come in at $129, and are available in a few different colors. But do they beat out our preferred true wireless headphones in the price range, from the likes of JLab Audio? We put them to the test to find out.
Design
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Sudio Tolv true wireless headphones is their design. The headphones are aimed at being simplistic and classy, carrying a Swedish design sensibility.
The headphones are available in a few different colors, including black, blue, white, and pink. We’re reviewing the white version, and it looks quite good.
The earbuds themselves are all-white, save for the gray logo and a bronze-colored button on each of them. The buttons are used for playback and music controls, and they’re generally pretty easy to press, though pressing them does require pushing the headphones a little deeper into your ears, which can be uncomfortable. Thankfully, the earbuds are pretty small, which is definitely nice to see — and will come into play in the comfort section.
Apart from the headphones themselves, in the box you’ll get the charging case, a MicroUSB cable, and three extra pairs of ear tips. We would have liked to see Sudio use USB-C here.
Comfort
As mentioned, the Sudio Tolv true wireless headphones are pretty small, and that does help when it comes to comfort. Unfortunately, there are other issues at play when it comes to their comfort — the fact that they’re not all that great at staying in your ears. That said, if you experiment a little with the ear tip sizes, you’ll likely find something that helps the earbuds stay in your ears a little better than they otherwise would.
Sound
Ultimately, the most important thing to consider is how the headphones sound, and thankfully, they don’t sound bad at all. In fact, we think they sound quite good. Sure, they’re not for audiophiles, but most others will appreciate the sound-quality on offer here.
The bass response, for starters, is actually pretty deep considering the size of the headphones and their price point. A little more bass extension is always helpful, but kick drums were still able to cut through a mix decently well.
The mid range is well-tuned too. Low mids are warm, despite being a little laid back, while high mids help push the vocals and guitars through a mix without making the headphones sound like an AM radio.
High end, like the bass, could use a little extra extension, but we found that cymbals sizzled decently well, while detail was relatively clear. Make no mistake, these are consumer-level headphones — but Sudio has done a decent job here at ensuring that they remain relatively well-tuned.
Performance
Sudio rates the headphones as offering a hefty seven hours on a charge, which is way above average, and impressive for a pair of true wireless headphones this size. The case is also impressive, offering an additional four charges — and bringing the total listening time to 35 hours.
The headphones connect to your listening device through Bluetooth 5.0, and we had a somewhat mixed experience with their connectivity. They connected to an iPhone 7 Plus perfectly fine, without any skips or jumps, but when it came to connecting to a Mac Mini, they really had some trouble.
Conclusions
The Sudio Tolv true wireless were actually a pleasant surprise. Sure, they’re not perfect, but they look nice, and sound pretty great too.
But are they the best option for the price? Well, no. Ultimately, it’s important that true wireless headphones stay in your ears — and the Sudio Tolv headphones aren’t the best at doing that. In this price range, we still think the JLab Audio Epic Air Elite headphones are the way to go.
That said, we still love the value for money here, so we’re awarding the headphones the Headphone Review Bronze Medal.