1MORE packed plenty of features and accessories into their comfortable around the neck, in-ear ANC headphones.
When I drive, I typically listen to audiobooks. This past weekend, I took my two boys, aged 8 and 10, on a Cub Scout trip to Evansville, Indiana, to enjoy a Thunderbolts Hockey game. Each year, the scouts amass and cheer on the local hockey team and then they get to camp overnight in the concourse. With a four hour round trip drive ahead of us, I downloaded the latest Rick Riordan novel and utilized the 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones in my right ear. My boys used their own headphones and also listened to audiobooks. Prior to bed, I watched the Mandalorian on Disney+ with the headphones and listened to various tracks. I was surprised to find that the 1MORE headphones scratched an itch that I did not even know that I had. A simple one hour charge provided enough power for the four-hour drive and for my weekend listening needs.
UNBOXING:
The 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones arrived in an 8 5/8 inches tall by 7 inches wide by 2 1/8 inches thick retail case. The gray/white yin-yang style cover immediately caught my attention followed by the vibrant image of the device within the gray section of the cover. The vibrant colors and lifelike imagery. Along the top left, you will find a gray 1MORE logo and along the bottom left you will find the product name, six device features, and a QR code linking to a firmware upgrade code. The 2018 red dot award-winning 1MORE product promised “1 Dynamic driver and 1 balanced armature acoustic design, active noise cancellation options in travel and urban modes, environmental noise cancellation, environmental sound enhancement option, 10-minute fast charge for 3-hour use, type C to 3.5mm for wired and wireless playback options.” I loved the balance between text and imagery and found that my vision was pulled toward the lifelike 1MORE around neck In-Ear headphones. I flipped the box over and found the reverse panel to be rather busy. Instead of adding information, a new image or perhaps an exploded diagram, we were given the same six features, except in an octalingual manner. Beneath this information, 1MORE did provide some new and helpful information: #1004BA model, 1 hour charging time, 7 hour talk time, 7-hour playtime, 10meter wireless range, Bluetooth V 4.2 with HFP/A2DP/AVRCP protocols, 44.5g weight and the 1MORE Inc physical address in San Diego, California.
More than a simple throw-a-way design, the outer book-like shell was designed as part of the experience. The top/bottom grey panels were slightly indented from the spine/right-sided opening flap, with the top panel containing a plastic hanging tab. The white spine of the packaging would have been enhanced by some silver metallic filigree or calligraphy. Instead, they displayed Bluetooth along the bottom of the clean white panel. I was a little disappointed that the surface was not etched/stenciled with the product name or company name. Luckily, the opening flap of the packaging provided what the spine lacked, with an attractive 1 9/16 inches wide by 9/16 inches tall metallic 1MORE plaque. To access the contents of the box, you will first need to remove the outer shrink wrap and then to subsequently lift the magnetic flap. When opened, the right panel, cover and left panel unrolled like a scroll. The inner grey surface contained several ink-drawings and text, which morphed modern tech into a Davinchi-esque feel. To the right, you will find a white layer with cutouts for the in-ear headphones, and a two-prong airplane adaptor.
I removed the thin plastic layer covering the right panel, removed and set the 7/8-inch thick plastic headphone box aside and evaluated the included accessories. Hiding beneath the headphone box, I found three distinct, removable compartments. Gripping the small pull tab, I first removed the right-sided 2 3/8 inches wide by 7 7/16 inches tall by 3/8 inches thick earbud tip accessory box. Nestled securely within a black foam layer, with appropriately sized cutouts, I found a pair of 10.5 mm, 12.5 mm, and 15.5 mm ear tips, as well as 23 mm, 21.5 mm, 19.5mm, 18mm ear secures. The extra three sizes of oval-shaped ear tips, when combined with the four extra sizes of ear secures, should allow this setup to be nearly universal. Along the lower left, I found a compartment housing a 14 1/4 inches long USB-A to USB-C cable and a 45 1/2 inches long USB-C to 3.5mm cable. Along the top left, I found a 3 1/8 inches wide by 4 inches tall by 9/16 inches thick box with included carrying bag. The 6 1/8 inches wide by 7 7/8 inches tall nylon drawstring bag perfectly accommodated the in-ear headphones, USB cable, and 3.5mm cable within the main compartment. Lastly, beneath the box that housed the carrying bag, I found a square card with QR code linking to the 1MORE Assistant App, a 1MORE red bear sticker, a 12-panel product advertisement, and a multi-lingual instruction manual.
Before using the headphones, I utilized the included USB-C to USB-A cable and fully charged the 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones. I removed the plastic USB-C port cover at the end of the left neck bar and subsequently plugged the cable into the port. The red LED, located adjacent to the USB-C charging port illuminated when the cable was installed and extinguished when charging was complete. The instruction manual described both a full charge (1 hour) or a fast charge option (3 hours of utility after a 10-minute charge). Once the headphones were fully charged, I removed the cable, closed the port and held the power button, located on the top of the left neck bar, for five seconds. I was pleased to hear a robo-synth “1MORE,” followed by an Asian Female voice stating “Pairing,” “Battery High.” I navigated to settings, selected Bluetooth and chose “1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC” and the female voice noted “Connected.” I cannot imagine how the setup process could have been easier. To wear the device, orient the small L and R along the inner surfaces of the neck bars with the appropriate ear. Along the inner surface of the left neck bar, you can press the 1/4 inch diameter multifunction button to answer a call, hang up a call or you can long-press to decline a call. When enjoying music, you can press the button once to play/pause a track, or double/triple press the button to advance the track forward/backward respectively. You can also control the volume by pressing the 3/4 inches long by 1/8 inches wide volume up/volume down button, located behind the multifunction button. Along the top of the left-sided neck bar, you will find the 3/8 inches long by 1/16 inches wide power button and the pass-through/ANC toggle. If you slide the toggle toward your shoulder, the female voice will note “Pass-Through On.” If you slide the toggle away from you the voice will Announce “ANC On” and if you slide it again, you will hear a double beep, which intensified the ANC. If desired, you could then also slide the toggle back to activate the Pass-Through Mode. To turn off the ANC, slide the toggle away from your shoulder an additional time. The female voice will alert you to the status of the headphones or you can look on the iOS device for the remaining battery widget.
The lightweight 44.5gram headphones felt comfortable around my neck. Each of the neck bars had a 2 3/16 inches long by 9/16 inches tall by 5/16 inches thick silver control section with an adjacent 1/16 inches red metallic spacer. Between each of the red spacers/neck bar sections, I found a black 12 1/2 inches long rubberized neck section. With the device installed onto my neck, I gripped the earbuds and placed them into my ears. Each earbud had an 8-inch cable located 1/4 inches from the red accent. I did not have to change out the included ear tips, nor did I need to add an ear stay to the setup. However, I did find that the 19.5mm ear secures enhanced the fit within the concha of each ear. With the fit/testing completed, I turned to the audiocheck.net to test the sound qualities. I used the Low-Frequency Response and Subwoofer Audio Test (10-200 Hz) and heard/felt bass starting at 20Hz. I activated the ANC in both the low and high modes and heard a roaring noise at rest. While driving, I found that this helped to eliminate road noise and while sitting in the concourse of the ice-arena, I found that the ANC helped to reduce the surrounding shuffling/chatter. I was pleased with the lower range of the headphones, both in ANC on/off modes. Utilizing the High-Frequency Response and Hearing Audio Test (22-8 kHz), I was able to hear the high-pitched test tone at 15kHz, which was on par with previous tests of the upper range of my hearing. Most adults can hear 13-14kHz but we tend to lose the upper tones as we age. My children, aged 4, 8 and 10, were able to hear up to 17kHz, which was quite impressive. Overall, I liked that the sound output seemed well balanced and favored blend over heavy bass sound. The headphones worked well for country, rock, pop, instrumental music and made it difficult to remain on task.
Once the frequency range testing was complete, I used the Left/Right/Center test and found the earbuds to be appropriately programmed. To test the stereo nature of the headphones, I used the recent “Bohemian Rhapsody” song from the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack and then turned to the binaural version of the song. The Stereo Perception and Sound Localization Test has become my absolute favorite aspect of the audiocheck.net website. My children love the startle response, once the binaural link initiates the realistic knocking recording. For an additional startle response, I would encourage you to listen to the opening sequence of the “Sound Of Silence (3D Binaural Audio)- Simon and Garfunkel Cover-Jarvis Brothers (Ear to Ear). Throughout the testing process, I was pleased with the minimal sound leak from the earbuds and with the noise isolation of the ANC. To further test the quality of the 1MORE ANC Bluetooth headphones, I listened to my typical test songs: Bob Marley and the Wailers “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” Radiohead “The National Anthem,” “Caribbean Blue” by Enya, the “Dragonborn” Skyrim Theme by Jason Soule, and “Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold” from The Hobbit. With Christmas just a few short weeks away, I also listened to Pentatonix, Peter Hollens, and Anthem Lights. The main track selections continue to showcase the features of the earphones and test that they at least contain the bare minimum requirements. Several of the above tracks tested a variety of features of the headphones, from bass to treble to blend to staging. Vocals were a little subdued but overall the sounds were pleasing. The synth-pop “Bright Lights Bigger City” by CeeLo Green, the Acapella harmonies of Home Free and the sultry voice/bounding bass line of Holly Cole “Train Song” truly excited the auricles. I found solid mid-range, upper range, and pleasing bass experience. The seven-hour playback time was a little disappointing but was negated with the 10-minute fast charge feature. To round out the testing phase, I listened to the urban clash sounds present in Dark Knight Rises “Why so serious, Jokers Theme.” Lastly, to test the instrumentals, I turned to my favorite instrumental soundtracks, Far and Away, Braveheart, and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.
The hardest aspect of testing the 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones was the need to move on to new tracks. I found myself returning to several of my comfort tracks. With my history of playing low brass within my High School and College Instrumental ensembles, I love to focus on the soundstage and instrumental clarity. The above soundtracks regularly provide the needed tests. However, this time I listened to many classic John Williams songs, several marches, Polovetsian Dances, Pevensey Castle, Lincolnshire Posey, and Holst Suite in E flat. With my phone resting on my bedside table, I was able to ascend to our second story or to descend into our basement without any interference. I watched several episodes of Perfect Harmony via Hulu, several snippets of movies from Movies Anywhere, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and VUDU. I was pleased to find that the audio/video were linked and there was no lag. It was a little odd to know that the headphones included USB-C charging but utilized the old Bluetooth V4.2 standards. Luckily, they did not seem to affect the quality of the playback. The buttons were easy to access and were intuitively placed. The buttons were responsive and easily changed the volume and altered the playback of the movie/music/book. The included carry case was appreciated and easily held the necessary cables/headphones.
Whenever you purchase a pair of 1MORE headphones, you can expect more than a simple trinket; the packaging and accessories drastically enhance the overall experience. As an added bonus, the back of each of the ear tips contained a magnet. You can attach the magnets together, as needed, to create a necklace-like loop. The purpose of this was to reduce the chances of losing the earphones. I was disappointed that this feature did not pause the sound. The sound output of the earphones was rather clear for a ~$100 pair of in-ear headphones. The phone call feature almost always feels like companies are trying too hard. Since the microphones were placed along the magnetic backing, telephone calls tended to capture ambient noises and reduced communication. The included features/accessories were appreciated and many will be divided over the oval-shaped ear tips. Personally, I love the oval-shaped ear tips and did not experience much sound-leak. The USB-C cable may be a little short for some but may be perfect for others. However, the neck section was incredibly flexible and comfortable. If you are looking for a Holiday/Birthday present for that special music/movie/audiobook lover, look to 1MORE to fulfill your needs.
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