It’s been a few years since I reviewed 1More headphones for GeekDad. The last time was 2016, as a matter of fact. However, I’ve evaluated a half-dozen sets since then for other publications, and the brand continues to be one of my favorites. When it comes to headphones and earbuds, 1More just plain can’t be beat for its performance to price ratio. I just wrapped up testing on the company’s latest, the 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro wireless in-ear headphones.
If you could use a new pair of wireless earbuds but aren’t a fan of true wireless, then these should be on your radar.
Wireless Earbuds With a Tether Have Benefits
The first thing that will strike you about the 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro earbuds is the design. They are wireless, but not true wireless. This means a throwback design with a flexible band or collar that sits around the neck, resting on the collarbone. The earbuds are physically connected to this collar by thin wires, but the connection to your smartphone is wireless—using the latest Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
The collar is light, very flexible, and covered in skin-friendly silicone. I quickly forgot it was there. The primary advantage this approach offers is battery life. True wireless earbuds have gotten better with Bluetooth 5, but they still don’t last long enough on a charge for all-day use. The 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro wireless earbuds will. In fact, they can go for up to 20 hours of music playback on a charge.
There are other benefits I’ll get into shortly, but if battery life has been keeping you away from embracing wireless earbuds, these offer an effective solution.
One more benefit I’ll touch on quickly is comfort. Manufacturers have to go to great lengths to make sure wireless earbuds comfortable and secure fitting because of the bulk added by batteries, radios, and controls. 1More’s Dual Driver ANC Pro wireless earbuds are lighter and considerably less bulky than true wireless earbuds. That makes them more comfortable than most.
Performance That Competes With Much More Expensive Options
1More has once again delivered earbuds that sound far better than you might expect from their $149.99 price point.
A big part of that is the decision to go with a custom hybrid dual-driver design. Most wireless earbuds use a single active driver. These are equipped with a high-end dynamic driver (with a titanium composite diaphragm), plus a balanced armature driver to handle the high notes. The result is detail that might catch you off guard. The bass is also much more powerful than earbuds are usually able to deliver—and when ANC is on, that bass performance gets even better.
There are two different levels of ANC, providing active noise cancellation for travel and listening in busy backgrounds. I found the ANC won’t fully isolate you the way it will with a good pair of over-ear noise-canceling headphones, but it does significantly cut the background noise. I ended up leaving ANC on at all times (despite the battery hit) because the bass just sounds so good with the feature turned on.
You can use these with your choice of personal digital assistant (button activated), and if talking on the phone using earbuds is your thing there is even a button to cut wind noise on the microphones.
The premium feel goes beyond performance. Instead of plastic, the bud shells are made of titanium-plated aluminum and double-anodized aluminum. They click together magnetically to stay safely out of the way when you take them out of your ears.
Key Specifications
• Hybrid dual-driver design with 1More proprietary balanced armature and 13.6 mm dynamic driver
• Magnetic earbuds
• Supports high-resolution audio codecs including AAC and LDAC
• Audio tuned by Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, Luca Bignard
• Dual-level active noise cancellation
• Bluetooth 5
• Up to 20-hour battery life (15 hours with ANC), fast charge of 10 minutes for 3-hour playback
• USB-C charging and digital audio
• Flexible band with memory metal core and silicone cover
• Microphones with wind resistance mode (WRM)
• Titanium plated and anodized aluminum shell
• IPX5 water and sweat resistant
Why They’re Worth Considering for Kids As Well
Teens who are all about wearing the coolest headphones or earbuds may not be interested in these—especially with the collar. That’s too bad because they would be missing out on some really great audio.
However, there are some design elements that make these great for kids compared to true wireless earbuds.
That collar means up to a 20-hour battery life, which helps to reduce the frustration over having to wait for a recharge. The collar also lets 1More incorporate push-button controls, with larger buttons that are easier to operate (something I appreciated as well). With the battery, controls, and much of the hardware housed in the collar, the buds themselves are more compact, lighter, and more comfortable. The wires that connect the buds to the collar also eliminate the risk of losing a bud, or having one be damaged by popping out and hitting the ground. IPX 5 water resistance will stand up to water spray. Finally, they don’t just sound way better than AirPods, at $149.99 they’re also less expensive.
Recommendation
The form factor may not be for everyone, but the 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro wireless in-ear headphones make for a compelling pair of earbuds. The hybrid dual-driver design sounds fantastic, they offer two levels of active noise cancellation, the earbuds themselves are lighter and more comfortable than true wireless, and good luck beating up to 20-hour battery life.
Disclosure: 1More provided earbuds for evaluation but had no input into this review. As an Amazon Associate, I earn affiliate fees from qualifying purchases.
