If you're in the market for truly wireless earbuds, you'll almost have too many choices to pick from. Just about every major manufacturer has tried their hand at wireless buds, and tons of new and upcoming brands have put their hat in the ring, too.
Today we're testing out some affordable earbuds from 1More, a smaller company focused on audio products. These are entry level but still pack in all the features you expect, which makes them a pretty tempting option.
Let's see if they're worth it.
Slimline design
If you've checked out any of my other wireless earbud reviews, you know I'm a big fan of compact, lightweight headphones. You've gotta carry these around in your pocket and keep them in your ears, right? That's not a pleasant experience if the case is bulky or the headphones weigh too much on your ears, so this is almost as important as how well they sound.
I don't know if I could confidently say 1More has the best design for wireless earbuds, but I think they're certainly in the conversation. The case is very sleek and light, but doesn't sacrifice the quality of materials to do so. Sometimes you get a nice, lightweight gadget but it just feels cheap. That's not the case here, with a soft touch plastic and a very durable and satisfying feeling hinge to open and close the case.
The basic-yet-functional design continues with a single centered USB-C port on the back of the case, plus a very discrete 1More logo on top.
The headphones keep this going, with a very small but effective design. The stems aren't too long and goofy looking, the logo is noticeable but not offensive, and they slot very cleanly into the charging case. This maximizes battery space and makes the earbuds very easy to slot in and out. Big fan of everything here.
Decent sound
On the other hand, no matter how much I love the design, these really seem like they fall short in the audio category compared to their price point. For all of their focus on waterproofing and lightweight design, they're actually not particularly well suited to music compared to some other stuff, which makes them a tough sell for workout or exercise buds.
They've got a very rounded-out midrange, which is excellent for vocals and dialog; your movies will sound very clear, podcasts will be crisp, and YouTube videos are as audible as you could possibly want. The high-end is pretty inoffensive, but doesn't do many favors for adding that extra definition to music, and the low-end struggles all over the place.
You're naturally going to want to add some volume to add those bass to your songs, but it never really happens, and audio just seems to fuzz when it's too loud. Again, this isn't really a problem with things like TV shows or podcasts, but it's disappointing for music and doesn't make them a great option for action movies.
Connectivity was a little hit or miss for me, and I'd occasionally have some drop out that would completely cut both headphones for a few seconds. I never experienced any delay or lag between the two buds.
Extra features
There are plenty of extra things to round out the 1More earbuds. As I mentioned earlier, they are water resistant (IPX4 rated) so they won't struggle to keep up with your workouts or some light rain. The touch controls also handle moisture pretty well, and they're set up fairly intuitively.
You can double tap either earbud for answering calls, but normally double tapping the left earbud will pop up your virtual assistant and double tapping the right earbud plays and pauses music. The focus on double taps generally prevents accidentally activating things while you're adjusting the earbuds or putting them in.
1More says they've got four built-in noise canceling microphones here, plus a “deep neural network” algorithm that tries to eliminate background noise while keeping your voice clear while on phone calls. For the most part, this works well; coupled with the buds' prowess in things like podcasts and TV shows, this makes a lot of sense and rounds out what they can do.
USB-C charging is a big plus, and they juice up pretty quickly. No quick charging or anything, but they're decent and about what you'd expect for the price.
Worth it?
These are good headphones, especially for anyone that's not listening to a ton of music, but that seems like something that would eliminate a lot of potential buyers. At $49, they're also competing with some other pretty decent options, regardless of everything they do right.
They do, however, go on sale. And for a price that's a little closer to the $30 range, I like these. They were great for podcasts and YouTube videos, which is primarily what I ended up using them for, and I love the lightweight design. Easy to pocket, and they're rarely uncomfortable for even small ears.
Add in that very discrete earbud design and standard features like USB-C charging, solid noise canceling microphones, and good battery life means you've got something that's worth keeping on your wish list, even if you're not springing for them at full price.
1More Truly Wireless Earbuds | $49 | Amazon
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