Our first neckband earphone {Review & Giveaway of Sudio Elva}

Having lived in Sweden for four years, there are a few Scandinavian brands that we trust and endorse. Sudio, a brand that seamlessly combines the words "Swedish" and "Audio", is one of them. When I first took a look at their latest earphone, Sudio Elva, I thought it was vastly different from the previous models, namely Ett and Tolv, that we have tried so far.

For starters, the earphones we have tried were all wireless earbuds and all you had to do was plug them into each ear and you are ready to go. Elva, on the other hand, is a neckband earphone and the first of its kind we own. I was skeptical of whether it would feel heavier especially if you wear it over a long time and whether it would be suitable for my older kids who have been using the computer more these days.

Over the past week, we put Elva to the test to see how well it works for our family and here's sharing what we've learnt in this post. For those who are keen, I am giving away a brand new set of Sudio Elva (white) worth $199 so read on to find out how to take part, yeah?

PACKAGING

Even though Elva comes with an neckband and bluetooth flight adaptor (more on this below), all the parts were snugly contained in the small box which was similar in size to the other earphone models we have received. There is an upper tray that allows you to wind the neckband and keep the earphone in place which will come in useful when you travel. As compared to Tolv or Ett which has a chic eggshell cases that doubles up as a storage casing and charger, Elva takes up more space in the bag even though it is still easy to carry around.

There are five additional eartips in varying sizes so you can easily find one that fits comfortably. Even my older kids were able to wear the earphones which I was glad for because it meant we could share. Note that there are two chargers within the box, one for the earphone and one for the adaptor, which you can easily tell them apart.




ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A NECKBAND

I mentioned my initial reaction to the neckband was that of a skeptical one, right? It turned out that after trying it out, I discovered there were advantages to it and in some cases, we actually prefer having a neckband than being without. Here are the reasons why.

-> Convenient and hassle-free

Despite having a neckband, Elva weighs merely 28 grams and is as light as can be. In fact, you can hardly feel it even after wearing for a couple of hours. On the other hand, having a neckband means you can easily find the earbuds since they are always hanging there. For Ett and Tolv, there were times when they would drop out of our ears especially when we moved around too vigorously. However, for Elva, it stays on snugly and the neckband is our assurance that we will not lose either of the earbuds, especially when we are out.

It connects to your device via Bluetooth 5.0 which has a range of 10 metres. Being a wireless earphone, that means other than the band around your neck, there is no extra cord that needs to be plugged into the device. We tried pairing our Elva up with three devices in our home and each one took merely a few seconds each time. Morever, the neckband and wires are the anti-tangle type which means you don't have to worry about having to untangle them before usage.




-> Long lasting and immersive

Elva has a long lasting battery life which can last up to 10 hours with Active noise control (ANC) switched on whereas Ett can last up to 4 hours with ANC in a single charge. For those who are wondering, ANC is a method for reducing unwanted sound by the addition of a second sound designed to cancel the first. It picks up low-frequency noise and neutralises it before it reaches the ear, resulting in the two sounds cancelling each other out. That helps to remove any unwanted noise and provide for a more immersive listening experience.



-> Easy control

With the control buttons at one side of the neckband, I find them easy to locate and to use as compared to the ones on the earbuds. These control buttons are placed far apart and easy to press, which makes it easy for me to adjust the volume, skip to the next track, activate ANC or answer phone calls.

Activate bluetooth pairing: Hold middle button for 7 seconds
Play or Pause: Press middle button once
Next Track: Hold right button for 2 seconds
Previous Track: Hold left button for 2 seconds
Switch On and Off: Hold middle button
Answer/End Phone Call: Press middle button once
Reject Phone Call: Hold middle button for 2 seconds
Activate/Deactivate Active Noise Cancelling: Press middle button twice
Volume Controls: Press left button to decrease and right button to increase volume




PERFECT FOR TRAVELLERS

One of the unique highlights of Sudio Elva is the bluetooth flight adaptor, Sudio Flyg, which makes it perfect for travellers who are frequently on the go. Yes, from now on, you can use your own good quality earphones instead of those standard headsets provided when you are on the plane. Remember that the adaptor has to be charged separately from the earphones, that's all.

In fact, you can connect the adaptor to any audio port, be it in flight entertainment, stereo equipment, gaming consoles or TV as long as it has an audio jack, be it a single 3.5mm stereo or dual 3.5mm mono inputs. It just means you must use either one or both of the adaptor pins which can be individually folded. I guess that is definitely good news for movie buffs, music lovers and avid gamers, right?


OTHER KEY FEATURES

Here are some other highlights of Sudio Elva:

- IPX5 (Splash, rain, sweat proof)
- In-built microphone
- Voice Assistance
- 11 hours playtime for music (10 hours for Active noise cancelling + music)
- 12 months international warranty (+6 months for a total of 18 months warranty after subscription with Sudio sphere)
- 30 days return policy
- 15 minutes quick charge for 1 hour listening
- Auto power off

OUR RECOMMENDED USAGE SCENARIOS 

Well, even though Sudio Elva is the perfect companion for travellers, the fact remains that most of us are abstaining from taking any overseas trip in the near future due to the pandemic. That doesn't mean we seldom get to use our wireless earphones because even if we are home, there are plenty of scenarios where Elva will come in handy. Here are some of our top favourites:

1) Listening to music

If you know me, you know I love listening to music, especially when I am working on the blog and trying to come up with an article. It doesn't distract me but instead, keeps me focused and gives me motivation to write. That said, the only time I get to do my work is when the kids are asleep which means as much as I'd love to, I can't use my speakers to blast the music but instead have to keep everything hush and quiet in case I wake any of them. That is when Elva comes to my rescue. With the ANC function, it helps to enhance the bass and give an enveloping output. Or like what the hubby says "It's like there's surround sound!"


2) Home-based learning

Since circuit breaker, home based learning has become a part of our lives and judging by the looks of it, it is here to stay for the time being and we can expect the kids to continue to have e-learning days every once in a while. That means my two older kids are tasked to complete their homework on the computer and I have seen them having to watch videos, listen to oral passages and even record their own voices. I let them try on Elva and besides it fitting them snugly, it also helps to eliminate the environmental noise which means they find it easier to pay attention and can better concentrate on their tasks.



3) Web conferencing

As a stay-at-home mum who blogs in her leisure time, web conferencing is something I rarely need to do but the opposite holds true for my eldest, who has been attending Zoom meetings with her teachers, classmates, project mates and CCA mates nearly every week. Yes, it's tough being an upper primary kid these days, isn't it? Since her meetings usually take place in the afternoons when her siblings will be taking their naps, I usually let her use a phone, which I will screen share onto our television in the living room, along with a good pair of wireless earphones so there will be minimal disturbance. She says she loves how Elva wraps around her neck because she doesn't need to fumble to search for the earbuds if they were to drop out.



4) On the road

For the hubby who drives to work and back every day, a pair of wireless earphones comes in handy for him when he needs to pick up calls while on the road. Having Elva means he doesn't need to be fumbling with cords or worry about entanglement. The neckband also allows his ears to rest instead of having to be constantly wearing the earbuds as they can dangle on his neck till the next call. The ANC function helps to ensure that the conversation is crisp and clear and the control buttons make it easy for him to increase or decrease the volume if needed.

5) Watching the news/movie

After my kids sleep, that is when I have my me-time to catch up on the news or scroll through social media to stay connected with friends. If it's for a short time like half an hour or so, I prefer to stay on the bed and use a pair of wireless earphones so that it doesn't wake my kid. If I'm feeling extra energetic, I can even connect Elva to my TV in the living room with the bluetooth flight adaptor which will allow me to watch a movie with enhanced audio output.

6) Exercising

Lastly, I will choose Elva over Tolv or Ett while doing workouts because I like how the neckband ensures that I will not lose my earbuds even if they were to fall out halfway. To be fair, they usually stay on snugly but you never know how a sudden, vigorous movement can cause one or two of them to loosen and drop off. With IPX5, Elva is splash, rain and sweat proof so for the hubby who loves to go out for runs in parks and reservoirs in the wee hours, it will be the perfect companion for him too.

In conclusion, we are loving how Elva can be shared by our family members and will definitely try to utilise it more in the days to come. It will be officially launched on Sudio's website next week on 14 September so do check it out if you are keen too.

DISCOUNT CODE

For those who love Sudio products too, here's a 15% discount code for you. Enter the code "wireless15" when you check out on the website. This discount code works worldwide for all Sudio products featured on their website at https://www.sudio.com/sg/.

GIVEAWAY!

If you would love to try out their latest earphone, here's your chance to win a brand new set of Sudio Elva (white) worth $199!



To join the giveaway,

1) Leave a comment in this blog post with your name, IG handle and why you would like to win.

2) Hop over to my Instagram post HERE to follow the rest of the steps.

3) For a bonus chance to win, like and share my Facebook post HERE.

This giveaway ends on 16 September 2359hrs and is not affiliated with Instagram or Facebook. The winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via DM. Good luck, everyone!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored collaboration between Sudio and A Happy Mum. All opinions and photographs are my own.