A little over a year ago, the Swedish company Sudio contacted me to testing their Vasa Bla Bluetooth headphones and I was rather seduced by this brand that I did not know. This year, the Nordic brand that emphasizes quality and design offered me to test their new helmet, the Regent.

As with every product test of this type, I want to reiterate that I am not a sound "pro" and that the judgments I make on this headset only reflect my feelings as a user. Finally, in order to have a basis for comparison, I use the Bose QuietComfort35 headset on a daily basis, but as you will see later, with the Regent, we are not in the same price category since these headphones sell for €129 where Bose, which is clearly positioned at the top of the range, offers its headphones at more than €300.

Unpacking

As a regular user of Apple products, packaging is something important to me. Quality packaging suggests a well-made product (even if this is unfortunately not always true). To package its Regent headphones, Sudio did things properly. The cardboard is sturdy and the headphones are well protected and presented in a way that they stand out!

Inside the box, in addition to the Regent helmet, you will of course find accessories and other manuals:

• Audio Cable
• Charging cable
• Users Guide
• Warranty card
• Quick Start Guide

Sound performance

As I said a little earlier in this article, I am not a sound professional and the judgments that I will make on the sound rendering of the Regent headphones therefore only reflect my tastes in this area.

After several days of testing on music that was ultimately quite unvaried, such as good old 70s rock, 80s/90s pop-rock, more recent independent rock and French variety, here are my impressions.

If there's one thing that can't be taken away from the "signature" sound of Sudio headphones and earphones, it's sound clarity and the Regent is no exception! This clarity really allows you to distinguish a whole range of sounds that you wouldn't necessarily distinguish with lower quality headphones.

On the downside, the sound lacks a bit of roundness and fans of big bass may be a bit disappointed... the sound is, indeed, a bit cold, but that won't surprise anyone from a Nordic brand. To smooth out the rough edges a bit and give a bit of warmth back to the Regent's sound, you'll have to play with the equalizer on your MP3 player (an iPhone in my case).

In terms of the HUGE qualities of this helmet we also find very good operation in Bluetooth because unlike many headphones operating under this standard, there is no lag between the image and the sound... Before opting for my Bose headset, I had tested many headsets on this precise point and I often had a lag of a few microseconds between a film and the sound... prohibitive for me who travels often!

Last point and small downside, the helmet is not equipped with a noise reduction system which is a bit of a shame for a helmet that claims to be high-end... on the other hand, if you are a pedestrian, using such a helmet will be less dangerous in the city than with a helmet that completely isolates you from the outside world!

Design, ergonomics and comfort

In terms of design, the Swedish brand has once again fulfilled its contract since this helmet has a really nice look halfway between modern and vintage... in short, I really like it!

In terms of headphones, these are supra-aural headphones. They do not encompass the ears, but sit on them. The risk with this type of headset is fatigue or even discomfort after several hours on the head. I was not bothered, but my wife on the other hand had slightly painful ears after a few hours of use... so we are not all equal when it comes to comfort!

When it comes to transport, the Regent headset is very light (177gr) and relatively space-saving when you fold the ear cups inwards. Folded, the headset fits into a coat pocket.

However, in use, and even after a short period of adaptation, I found that the location of the buttons on the right earpiece was not the most practical. I often had to fumble around to find the buttons.

To finish with the design, if you want to customize the look of your Regent helmet, you can buy on the Sudio website cases to your taste from a selection of 4 colors: Blue Forest, Pink Forest, White Marble and Black Marble.

Remote control, microphone and other features

In terms of its features, Bluetooth synchronization is very easy from the first use and quick thereafter. Nothing to complain about on that side.

Another essential feature, the headset which recharges using a micro-USB cable has a battery life of more than 24 hours for a full charge in just 2 hours… This is rather a very good performance! On the other hand, we regret that there is no precise indicator of the battery level.

The headset has a very good quality microphone with very clear sound when making phone calls.

Finally, as is often the case with this type of Bluetooth headset, you have a jack plug to connect your headset via wire. A cable is also provided with the headset and can be useful if you no longer have a battery or if you want to connect to a device without Bluetooth.

Headset Controls

Easy to use, this headset has 3 buttons located on the right earpiece, offering most of the features that you would expect on this type of device. On this side, no big surprises!

Pairing: press the middle button for 5 seconds to enter the code into pairing mode

Middle button: 

• 2 second press to turn the headset on or off
• play/pause for music
• pick up/hang up the phone
• double tap to trigger Siri on an iPhone

Top button:

• Volume +
• Next track (hold for 2 seconds)

Bottom button:

• Volume -
• Previous track (hold for 2 seconds)

Characteristics

• Type: On-ear
• Weight: 177gr
• Bluetooth: 4.1
• Bluetooth range: 10m
• Autonomy: 24 hours in use / 20 days in standby
• Charging time: 10 minutes (fast charge) / 2h (full charge)
• Interchangeable shells
• Foldable at the headphones

Conclusion

Once again, Sudio offers us a product of very good quality compared to other headphones that can be found in the same price range (129€). The very pure sound of the Studio Regent allows you to distinguish a wide range of sounds, but will disappoint fans of deep bass. Finally, with its resolutely "designer" look, this headset will look great on top of your head. In short, a strong competitor for other brands in the sector!

Finally, if you are tempted, you can use the code “Byothe” to benefit from a 15% reduction on Sudio's online store !