I have now used the 1MORE Stylish True Wireless In-Ear Headphones (retail $99.99) for a little over a month, and I L-O-V-E them. But, OK, let’s get real here. Although 1MORE is proud to state that these Bluetooth® babies are tuned by a Grammy-award winning sound engineer, Luca Bignardi, they do not sound like the DeVore Super Nines that are sitting in our listening room, nor do they sound like the Vanatoo Transparent Zeros that are plugged into the TV in our bedroom or like any other “audiophile-grade” speakers in our house.
The truth is though, I probably listen to these in-ear headphones more than I do to any of the other speakers. Primarily, I use them for audiobooks or podcasts, and they are great for phone calls. They way outpace the traditional wired in-ear headphones; I have compared them to several name brands you would probably recognize.
Why Wireless In-ear Headphones?
True audiophiles may scoff at the idea of using in-ear headphones, but it’s a choice I make based on convenience and not sonics, although the sonics are probably much better than you might expect. Basically, I got tired of nearly yanking my ear off when the cable of a wired headphone got caught on something while I was unloading the dishwasher or doing some other mundane task that is part of daily life. Plus, Bluetooth® is a solution for what many consider to be Apple’s epic design fail; sometimes I DO need to charge my iPhone and listen to it at the same time.
My Wireless Experience
I received a pair of wireless in-ear headphones as a Christmas present. They were a popular name brand and comparable in price to the 1MORE headphones. Before Valentine’s Day, I had to return them because the case malfunctioned and I could no longer charge them. When I called customer service to inquire about a return and replacement, the person I talked to said, “Yeah, that case breaks a lot.”
It took almost two months to get the replacement, and within two weeks, one of the earbuds fell apart in my hand. Literally, the top of the headphone came off and I could see the little circuits and internal wiring. I figured this wasn’t supposed to happen. In addition to the poor build quality, these headphones did not hold a charge and took several hours to recharge. So, while I love the concept, the product just wasn’t that good.
1MORE and Quality
In the time that I have used the 1MORE headphones, I have had no problems whatsoever. And, frankly, just a quick look at the build quality for the two brands tells me 1MORE headphones are more like a BMW and the other brand is more like a Kia.
The 1MORE headphones are so stylish that I could consider them an accessory. I expect that’s why “stylish” is included as part of the product name. I got the ones in gold, but they also come in the other colors pictured above, including black. The oval case is small enough to carry in a pocket, snaps shut and stays closed. Believe me, this is important. With the other brand, the case could slide open in my pocket or purse, and there was a real danger of losing one or both of the headphones.
But back to the superb build quality, the 1MORE in-ear headphones feature removable eartips and silicone earfins for added stability. With four pairs of tips and three pairs of fins in various sizes included, there should be no problem finding a comfortable fit. They also ship with a longer than expected micro USB charging cable and a waterproof drawstring carrying pouch.
Another thing I appreciate is the very polite female voice that tells me the status of the battery charge when I put the headphones in my ears and then tells me that the headphones are connected to a source. There’s none of the weird techno noise the other brand uses to indicate the device is pairing or connecting. Where did 1MORE find this lady? Really, she is so polite.
The Technical Stuff
As you can see from the photo above, the 1MORE in-ear headphones have made quite an impression since they were introduced. Being named a winner at CEWEEK is just one of the awards they can claim. They also made CNET’s list of the 10 best-sounding true wireless headphones for 2019, and they have been reviewed by the likes of Forbes, PC Magazine, Tech Radar, Soundstage! and others. So, I’m not the only one raving about the quality of these little beauties. The tech specs below will give you an idea of why they’ve earned this attention:
- Up to 6.5 hours of battery life for continuous play/talk time on a single charge (24 hours total with case). Fast charge capabilities provide an additional 3 hours of use with only 15 minutes of charge time.
- Bluetooth® 5 chip with Qualcomm aptX™Audio Technology and AAC hi-res transmission optimized for Android and iOS devices to provide better sounding audio at similar bit rates.
- Titanium Composite Dynamic Driver designed for compact earbuds, the 7 mm dynamic driver reproduces crystal clear sound in an ultra-compact design for enhanced efficiency.
- Multiple pairing modes utilize standard Bluetooth® pairing with both earpieces for an immersive music listening experience. You can also use the Left or Right earbud individually.
- Environmental noise cancellation (Digital Signal Processing) for communication that’s as clear as if you were talking face-to-face. A high stability MEMS microphone also eliminates background static.
I also have to commend 1MORE for the exceptionally good technical manual that is included in the box. This multi-language booklet is clearly written, and I was amazed by the amount of information it contains. I’m betting you may only refer to it once as the product is so well designed.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a pair of wireless in-ear headphones, you might want to make your decision on these soon. 1MORE is offering 25% off sitewide and free shipping until August 25th. Now, that’s a bargain!
