VASA Close up

SMACK TALK PRODUCT REVIEW: Sudio VASA Headphones – Named After a King But are They Fit For One?

Professional Product image from the Sudio Website

Professional Product image from the Sudio Website

A few weeks ago, someone from Sudio reached out to me through Instagram and asked me to review a pair of headphones in exchange for a free pair.  Typically what I do when I agree to review something, I actually purchase it first, use it, and only if I have a positive experience would I agree.  Then I end up giving the freebie to a member of our staff.

Let’s face it, no one wants to take free stuff and then provide a bad review and I will not make up a positive review just to get free stuff that I don’t really need.  So when I agreed to review these Sudio headphones, I was just hoping that they would be as great as they told me they were, because I didn’t have the energy, the time or the money to go buy a pair first, and I was kind of curious.  It is a Swedish design, could they be better than my beloved Beats?

AND THE VERDICT??   

They gave me a pair of the Sudio VASA.  The headphones were name after King Gustaf Vasa, who lead the Swedish War of Liberation against King Christian II of Denmark during the 16th century. Maybe more then you cared to know, but still kind of a cool fact.

Before I received by Sudio’s I was using a pair of Beats over-the-air wired Powerbeats 2. I had these, then switched to a few different ear bud models and eventually fell back to the Powerbeats..all for one huge reason: they stay in my ear.  Nothing Scientific or complicated there.  I was just able to keep them on my oversized-head with these tiny-ass ears.   That’s a great combination if you are a hat model but a terrible combination when shopping for earbuds!  There is nothing more frustrating than having to keep putting buds in your ear while you are trying to run on a treadmill.

UNBOXING

unboxing

Unboxing is a big deal for me.  Apple has unboxing down to a science.  When you spend your money, you want to open your product and feel like you are getting your money’s worth.  Sudio nailed this. The box is very premium in look and construction.  Everything comes in its own compartment and there is even a nice leather carrying case.  Everything screams “high quality’.  That’s the easy part, what about the actual headphones?

I had very little hope for the Sudio’s, but figured I would give them a try.  And Guess what??  I love them.  The funny part is, I didn’t realize I loved them until I noticed that I was no longer switching back and forth to compare with the Beats.  I was rotating between the two brands for a couple of days but on my way back from Manhattan one night, I just never took the Sudio’s off and left the Powerbeats in their case where they currently still lie right now.

WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD?

Nothing huge.  Sudio didn’t really reinvent sound or anything, however there are a lot of little things that make my life easier and if you are as busy as I am then easy means more time and time is definitely money.  For one, they stay in the ear.  If they would have popped out, I would have packed them up, and shipped them back.  They didn’t just stay in, they fit great.  They even come with a few different bud shapes so you can dial in the best one for your ears.  This is different than even the Beats.  The Beats just sort of grab around the top of my ear and the sound piece just dangles in the canal.

Beats vs beatsThis is an unfair photo because I could have wrapped the Beats wire better, but this is what it felt like dealing with each cord. The Sudio has a flat wire cord that helps prevent tangling. 


The snug fit of the Sudio’s allow me to really hear my music for the first time in a long time without any distortion.  The bass was really deep without the mushy sound and the highs were very crisp.  Like I said, I never went back to the Powerbeats.

While this might be obvious for some, I never realized why the cord had an L shaped 3.5mm connector.  Depending on where your headphone jack is, this is a gift or a curse.  This allows the wire to lay flat to your phone making it less likely to break from you sitting and bending it.  I can’t tell you how many head phones have shorted-out because that connection got damaged from bending it to wrap it or just normal use.

Sometimes good things happen when you least expect it, and these Sudio Vasa’s are a good thing. If you see me taking the train to the city, there will be no doubt I will be rocking with these.

For 15% off your pair please head over to their website and use code: “TvSmack15”. I personally stand behind every word in this review.   Shoutout to the team over at Sudio for creating a great product.