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It has been a few years since I reviewed anything from 1more, but I loved the Triple Driver earphones they did and continued to use both the wired and Bluetooth models long after I had finished my review of them.
They still sell wired multi-driver earphones, but they have since expanded into the world of true wireless and ANC earbuds.
The 1More Evo is the best model they have on offer. They are high-specced earbuds with a dual driver design, high-resolution LDAC audio, ANC, wireless charging and an app which includes personalised EQ options. They are priced sensibly at around £100 depending on discounts at the time.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1MORE EVO Noise Canceling Earbuds, Audiophile Headphones... |
£129.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Specification
- 10mm Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature
- ANC
- Up to 42dB
- Adaptive Mode / ANC Strong / ANC Mild / Wind Noise Resistance Mode
- Environmental Noise Cancellation with 3 Mics Per Earbud + Deep Neural Network Algorithm
- L/R Simultaneous Transmission + Dual-Device Connection
- 15min Fast Charge = 4h Playtime
- LDAC, Hi-Res certified + AAC & SBC
- Dual-Mode Transparency
- 28 Hours of Total Playtime
- ANC On: 5.5h / 20h
- ANC Off: 8h / 28h
- Personalised Sound from SoundID
- Six Mics for Clear Calls
- Qi Wireless Charging
- Bluetooth 5.2
Design and Fit
I am not the sort of person that is bothered by the way an earbud looks, but these are attractive enough. I was sent the white earbuds, which have a nice gold/copper trim which looks quite smart.
The case is a relatively generic shape, and the earbuds are held in place securely with reasonably strong magnets. They can be a little fiddly to remove but not as difficult as the slippy Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2.
1More use a design without a stem, and therefore the entire earbud sits in your concha. I find that this design choice is more inconsistent with fit than earbuds with a stem. While I liked the Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro at first, they eventually started to annoy me by falling out, the Jabra Elite 85t are not much better. However, the Sony LinkBuds S are the best-fitting earbuds I have ever used and the Jabra Elite 5 also fit my ears perfectly.
For me, the 1More Evo sit somewhere in the middle. I have not had any issues with them falling out or needed to adjust them while in the gym or out running, but I don’t feel like the fit is quite secure enough that I would use them for any running events. If they fall out, I am not stopping to pick them up.
One big plus point for fit is that you get five sizes for ear tips. I really don’t know why most brands limit you to three sizes when getting a good seal is essential to the overall comfort and sound quality.
These are IPX4 splash resistant rated, which seems to be the standard IP rating for most earbuds nowadays. Jabra is perhaps the best brand for IP ratings; they are typically IP55 or IP57 for the active models. While I like a good IP rating, I have never had a pair of TWS earbuds die due to liquid ingress, and I exercise (and sweat) a lot.
These have touch-sensitive controls but require either a double or triple tap to activate. I rarely use the touch controls on my earbuds. More often than not, I am accidentally activating things, so I am glad there is no single-tap function.
App
The 1More app is better than average. It is nicely designed with plenty of settings to tweak.
You will need to use the app to enable LDAC. Unlike some other LDAC equipped audio device, this is either on or off, there is no option for quality/bitrate.
You have three different listening mode options, and then the ANC has four different choices to select (strong/mid/wind/adaptive).
For transparency, you have either pass-through or voice enhancement.
For the EQ options, you have either the customised SoundID, or you can select 12 presets EQs or customise it yourself.
Finally, the app also has an option to play various soothing sounds which can be useful if you want to drown out external noise in combination with the ANC. It would be good if you could also apply a timer to these, so you could fall asleep to them.
Personalised Sound from SoundID
1More isn’t the only company to offer personalised sound with their earbuds. Soundcore has done it for a while with multiple models using what they call HearID, and the TOZO Golden X1 earbuds I am reviewing also have a personalisation.
1More takes a subjective approach to the EQ, and I love the idea of it, but I think there is room for improvement.
With SoundID, you select an audio track sample that you want to use, then the app plays that track with different EQs applied, and you select which one you prefer—whittling away until you get the one that best fits your preferences.
I like this approach because I think sound quality is a highly subjective thing. Some people are adamant that a neutral sound profile is the only way to listen. It technically is better, but it is not better for me if I don’t enjoy it.
But, it is far from perfect. The test uses a small sample, and the sound ends up being customised for that particular genre.
One simple improvement would be to allow you to have multiple SoundID profiles, allowing you to run the test from all of the samples. I’d then be able to customise the sound depending on the genre I am listing to.
It would also be good to see what the custom SoundID EQ looks like and then have the option to customise it yourself.
With Soundcore and TOZO, you basically get a hearing test that identifies any weaknesses in your hearing. My hearing is generally good, but being old, the hearing tests indicate I have a slight weakness in the upper treble. However, I find that I am quite sensitive to high pitch noises, or at least, I don’t tolerate them very well. So, I don’t particularly want extra emphasis on the treble.
With the Soundcore Liberty 4, they have then expanded the test to include subjective preferences. So, with the HearID, it went from uplifting the treble with the initial test, and then reducing it following my subjective choices. Soundcore then also allow you to use the HearID customisation and either customise the EQ yourself or apply one of the presets to the sound.
Therefore, I think Soundcore HearID is superior to 1More SoundID, but I think they are both excellent.
Sound Quality
I tested these with LDAC enabled, but if I am honest, I struggle to notice a significant difference, but this will depend on the source quality.
The default sound profile, studio, is somewhat lacklustre, the EQ looks flat, and that is how it sounds with a lot of tracks. With some genres, I think it works well; they still produced a pleasant amount of base, a lot of electronica or hip hop. Some people will likely love this EQ, I may not find it overly exciting, but it does provide good details across all the frequencies.
The SoundID profile improved the overall sound quality significantly for my personal tastes. There was more oomph to the bass without it muddying up the other frequencies and generally offering a good balance all around.
Probably because my SoundID profile doesn’t favour treble, I didn’t experience any harshness in the highs. I still got plenty of detail, but it lacks the sharpness with some of the upper highs.
The soundstage is excellent overall, with a good level of separation.
Active Noise Cancelling
The active noise cancelling on these earbuds is good for general environmental noise. There is a significantly noticeable drop in ambient sounds with it enabled.
Testing these with a more challenging scenario using an airplane cabin noise track on YouTube and my Edifier speakers dialled up to 80, they perform reasonably well. Most of the low end was reduced, but there was quite a lot of engine noise from the mid frequencies left. This tends to be the area that differentiates earbuds at this price point and the premium-priced options such as the Sony WF-1000XM4.
Microphone
1More says these have an AI-powered deep neural network algorithm which uses 6 microphones across both earbuds to focus on vocals and enhances clarity while reducing background noise.
I do my best to avoid speaking to people in general, but the handful of times I have used the microphone, I have been happy with the performance. I have used them in my car and while walking, and I haven’t had any complaints from the other end about hearing me.
Battery
With ANC on, these are rated for 5.5h playtime or 8 hours with it disabled, and you should get around 3 full charges from the case.
I haven’t run them down from full to flat, I always leave ANC on, and it is not uncommon for me to wear earbuds for around 4 hours at a time, and I have not had any problems with this dying on me.
Like most earbuds, the right earbud drains a bit quicker than the left.
Price and Alternative Options
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 1MORE EVO Noise Canceling Earbuds, Audiophile Headphones... |
£129.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The 1More Evo have an RRP of £180, and at the time of writing, they were available on 1more.com for £106 or Amazon for £100. Amazon consistently has them for between £100 and £120.
The Anker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro are typically around £90, or the newer Soundcore Liberty 4 can be had for around £100.
The Jabra Elite 5 are normally between £100 and £110.
The Sony LinkBuds S are normally priced between £115 and £135.
Overall
I am very impressed with the 1More Evo. They tick all the right boxes with a superb range of features, excellent sound quality, high rest LDAC codec, customisable EQ and attractive pricing.
There is very little to criticise with these earbuds, and they get a strong recommendation from me.
This is not a criticism, but the main issue would be that there are so many amazingly good earbuds at the £100-120 price point nowadays. If I were to buy some earbuds right now, it would be very difficult to justify the cost of some of the premium options out there.
1More Evo True Wireless ANC Earbuds Review
Summary
The 1More Evo earbuds are excellent. They tick all the right boxes with superb features, excellent sound quality, high rest LDAC codec, customisable EQ and attractive pricing.
Overall
90%-
Overall - 90%90%
Pros
- Excellent overall sound quality with a personalized EQ
- Lots a features for the price
Cons
- ANC is better on some other options
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
