Home Bluetooth Headsets EKSA S30 Review: A Superior Choice Among Its Predecessors?

EKSA S30 Review: A Superior Choice Among Its Predecessors?

by Stuart Charles Black
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Big thank you to EKSA for sending the S30 to review!

Full disclosure: This is a paid review but I made it clear to them that I do not guarantee positive reviews or recommendations – I make in-depth, honest evaluations based on my impressions and the ultimate value that the product may or may not provide. 

Greetings mate and Welcome aboard!

Stuart Charles here, HomeStudioBasics.com helping YOU make sound decisions leading to a beautiful audio experience that will make you fall in love with music (NOT gear) all over again, so…

EKSA’s S30 represents a marked difference and departure from the other products in the line: The H1, H1 Plus, H6, and H16 are all headsets of varying shapes and styles. 

The S30, by contrast, is an Open-Ear Air Conduction True Wireless headset for smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth-enabled computers.

It comes in 2 pieces and functions like a pair of earbuds while advertising a 70+ hour working time.

The open-ear design ensures your ear canal remains comfortable during use, and EKSA’s 360° Superior Sound Technology means you can enjoy clear voice and audio while staying aware of your surroundings.

Additionally, they advertise 99 ft./30m of range and VoicePure ENC Technology; canceling up to 99.9% of environmental noise around you.

  • Get Your EKSAtelecom S30 Headset at the EKSA store here!

The TubeBass technology delivers sound quality with rich and natural bass, and the adjustable ear hook design guarantees a customized and comfortable fit. More on that in a bit.

In the box, you’ll find the S30, a charging case, a Type-C Charging Cable, an EVA Storage Pouch, A User’s Manual, and Safety Instruction Manual.

If you were curious, an EVA storage pouch is a compact case made of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) material, designed to safely store and protect small items such as cables, earbuds, chargers, or other accessories.

EKSA S30 Review

Its durable construction offers shock resistance and waterproof properties, ensuring the safety of stored items during travel or daily use.

EVA storage pouches often feature a zippered closure for secure storage and convenient portability, making them an ideal solution for organizing and safeguarding electronic accessories on the go.

Speaking of, the EVA case is incredibly robust and feels great in your hand. Upon opening, you’re greeted with the Earbuds which are also very durable and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

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EKSA S30 Review

EKSA S30 Review

Build & Comfort

Putting them in is quite simple as they follow the natural contour of your ear; with the left bud containing the mic.

You won’t be shocked to learn that the S30 is incredibly comfortable. Because it rests over top of the ear canal rather than inside, fatigue is kept to a minimum over long listening sessions and extended calls. In addition, the loop that wraps around your ear is malleable and can be bent.

Build-wise, the S30 feels substantial enough, and thankfully, weight is kept fairly low. This ensures the buds won’t cause pain when hanging on your lobes, and the design is much better than something like a Koss KSC75.

While I’m constantly adjusting those and taking frequent breaks, the S30 can be worn for a long time without an adjustment.

Another interesting tidbit is that the S30 does not contain touch controls – instead, it opts for buttons which, in my opinion, is better since many touch configurations I’ve tried don’t always work properly.

Before pairing, make sure the buds are in their case. Now head to your phone’s Bluetooth settings and search for them. They should pop up as “EKSA S30.” Pair and you’re done!

Sound

EKSA S30 Review

That said, the sound is a bit of a mixed bag.

On one hand, it’s fairly smooth and effortless, but I’m a little new to the whole air conduction thing. If you’ve never listened to this type of technology, it can be a bit strange.

Because they barely rest on your lobes, you may find yourself trying to push them in a tad to get a lusher sound. Think of these as a Supra-Aural (On-Ear) type of headphone, only they’re narrowly making contact with your ear.

Overall, I have to say that sound is a marked step up from the other headsets from EKSA and sounds quite a bit better in my mind.

EKSA S30 Review

Don’t expect audiophile levels of excitement, but it does the job admirably. The bass isn’t muddy or overblown, the mid-range is pretty good, and there’s no sibilance to speak of.

The problem with the bass is that it’s too light for my tastes. If you’re familiar with my reviews of consumer products, the issue is usually an overblown bass response that kind of ruins the rest of the sound signature.

Here we have the opposite issue, as the bass on the S30 renders the headset a bit anemic, but I suppose general music listening isn’t the main draw here.

Despite that, vocals and instruments sound pretty good, Resolution is about what you’d expect here (somewhat average), but again, much better than I was anticipating.

For certain songs, like Toonorth’s “Bliss”, I’m hearing a lot more ambiance/sound in the background than I have before, and it’s quite interesting when you consider these aren’t made for picking songs apart.

So Bravo, EKSA. It feels like the sound has some extra room to breathe and that’s something I always appreciate when listening to headphones.

Still, the signature as a whole is a little on the dry side, so keep that in mind.

Despite some minor complaints, the S30 is mostly made for calls but sounds much better than I expected. Speaking of calls, how do they fare in that regard?

Call Quality

EKSA S30 Review

is good, and about like the others in the line. You’ll be able to hear voices clearly and the overall sound is perfectly satisfactory.

To enable it, simply click the orange button on the mic and start yapping away!

Speaking of functions, here’s a gallery of them in picture form:

Note: You can also click an image to open it in a higher resolution.

Range

I tested this by venturing outside my apartment, putting my phone down, and walking in a straight line through the parking lot.

Unimpeded, the sound starts cutting out a little bit around 43-45 feet, and almost entirely at 75-80. So the advertised 99 isn’t quite accurate, but it isn’t a surprise considering how much experience I have demoing products such as this one.

Battery Life & Charge Time

EKSA S30 Review

is good, and mostly as advertised. I wouldn’t get caught up in “set in stone” numbers here, as the overall life is affected a bit differently depending on if you’re listening to music (advertised 16 hours) or taking calls/talking on the phone (advertised 9 hours). It’s going to be somewhere in between those 2 figures.

Noise Cancellation

The S30 relies on ENC noise cancellation as opposed to ANC.

ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation): ENC works by using microphones to pick up not only external sounds but also your voice. Then it dynamically detects and cancels the noise around you so that the people you are talking with can hear you clearly. 

The S30 in this regard does a good job of isolating your voice from your surroundings.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation):

Active Noise Cancellation, unlike ENC, is for your ears – not your voice.

Inside the housing of the ear cup near the driver, there’s a small microphone that picks up the ambient noise (think of stuff like fans, air conditioners, people talking, and traffic).

It mimics this ambient noise by creating duplicates of the sound wave and then canceling it out via a process known as phase cancellation, or destructive interference.

Think of the amplitude of each sound (the noise vs. the creation of that noise), to be mirror images of one another. This creates silence.

IPX5 Water Resistant

EKSA S30 Review

The S30 utilizes IPX5 water resistant technology; designed to protect electronic devices from water splashes and jets, making them suitable for use in wet environments like rainy weather or during intense workouts.

This rating indicates that the device can withstand water projected from a nozzle at moderate pressure from any direction without harmful effects.

While IPX5 offers considerable protection against water ingress, it’s important to note that it does not guarantee complete immersion resistance, so prolonged submersion should still be avoided.

Overall, devices with IPX5 water resistance are ideal for users seeking added durability and peace of mind in moisture-prone conditions.

Who they’re for

The E30 is designed for anyone who needs to take calls but also hear what’s going on around them. This includes truck drivers, people who work in a warehouse, those who work an office job, etc.

Before we give a final verdict, let’s go over some things I liked and disliked.

What I Liked:

  • Sleek, compact, easy to use, and comfortable. This is a nifty gadget and I’m enjoying it. While I found the other headsets in the line a bit cumbersome, the S30 is something I may actually use.
  • Music sounds much better than the other headsets in the line. It’s not audiophile-level quality, but the overall sound is pretty decent all things considered.
  • The unit is built well and comes with a rugged, attractive zippered carrying case.
  • If you want to look like a sophisticated nerd, this is the headset for you.
  • The charging base is great and you can even turn it upside down, shake it vigorously, and the headset still won’t fall out.

What I Disliked:

  • In listening to music for extended periods, I’m noticing the sound intermittently cuts out for a second. I’m still unsure of what’s causing this, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Final Verdict

EKSA S30 Review

The S30 headset emerges as a sleek, compact, and user-friendly option in its category, offering commendable comfort and convenience for everyday use.

While not reaching audiophile-grade sound quality, it outperforms its counterparts in the lineup, delivering satisfactory audio performance.

Its sturdy build and inclusion of a rugged zippered carrying case elevate its appeal, and for those prioritizing a harmonious blend of style, functionality, and reliability, the S30 remains a worthy investment.

 

Specifications

  • Bluetooth Version: 5.3
  • Transmission Distance: Up to 30m/99ft.
  • Speaker Diameter: 16.2mm
  • Speaker Impedance: 16Ω
  • Speaker Sensitivity: 125dB
  • Speaker Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz
  • Microphone: Silicone
  • Rated Input: 5V 1.5A
  • Microphone Sensitivity: -38dB
  • Battery Capacity: 95mAh (per earbud) / Approximately 1000mAh (Charging Case)
  • Music Playback Time: 16 Hours (at 70%) Volume / 70+ Hours (With Charging Case)
  • Talking Time: 9 Hours (at 70% Volume) / 48 Hours (With Charging Case)
  • Charging Time: 2 Hours

Photo Gallery

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