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Magyar1MORE ComfoBuds Mini hands-on: The little big underdog of the TWS world
Tuned by Grammy Award Winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi, just like the 1MORE EVO, the more affordable and nearly invisible ComfoBuds Mini come with a few compromises, but the final result is surprisingly good. Its list of highlights includes 40 dB QuietMax AI noise cancelation technology, dual mic sound enhancement in calls thanks to an intelligent algorithm, as well as SoundID audio personalization.
Reviewing the 1MORE EVO TWS and the 1MORE SonoFlow over-ears has shown that this brand's products back the marketing labels with a real-life experience that matches the expectations. Today, we will check if the ComfoBuds Mini can also live up to their expectations, and my observations come after over a month and a half of using these wireless earbuds (almost) daily.
Box contents, design, build quality
As you can see in the images above, the retail packaging of the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini is quite compact, but not minimal. The plain cardboard box uses a magnetic closure typical for the brand's higher-end products and protects the earbuds and their case, as well as the following: a USB-A to USB-C cable (many users will not need it because the case supports wireless charging), the user manual alongside the QR code card that leads to a product validation page and four pairs of silicone eartips (including the ones already installed).
Just as I was expecting for a Luca Bignardi-tuned 1MORE product, the inside of the box comes with a few DaVinci-style drawings that highlight the key features of the ComfoBuds Mini. All relevant technical details can be easily found on the side, back, and front of the retail box.
The color choices available for the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini are white, black, and red. I got the black version and, although I usually like my hardware in black, the product pictures of the white and red versions also look great. The charging case of the ComfoBuds Mini is made of what appears to be high-quality plastic which is quite sturdy. I dropped it two times on a hard floor and nothing bad happened, although the earbuds were thrown out of it. These weren't test drops, but accidents caused by my clumsiness and the small size of the case combined with its pebble shape.
The earbuds are very small and people with large fingertips will surely have problems taking them out of the case or out of the ears. On the bright side, once they're properly placed in the user's ear, they are nearly impossible to fall out due to normal head movement, speaking, eating, and even rather intense activities such as headbanging won't make the ComfoBuds Mini leave their post.
The build quality and materials used are excellent if we keep the price in mind as well. Obviously, a charging case made of anodized aluminum would have been great, but that would have also pushed the price up. While the case is not rugged and could crack or completely shatter when dropped on concrete, my two indoor accidents have shown that it's resilient enough for most users.
Specs and features
The model number of the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini is ES603. The total weight of the earbuds and case is just 42.3 grams (roughly 0.09 pounds). Each earbud weighs only 3.7 grams (just a bit over 0.008 pounds). The speakers have an impedance value of 32 Ω, but the frequency response is nowhere to be found on the packaging or on the official website. Anyway, my real-life experience proves that the frequency range reproduced accurately by the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini is excellent for small earbuds that use 7 mm dynamic drivers, graphene diaphragms, and dual magnetic circuit designs.
Like most 1MORE wireless headphones released recently, the ComfoBuds Mini come with full Bluetooth 5.2 support and have a working temperature range of 0 to 45 degrees Celsius (32 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit). iPhone users will be pleased to find out that this pair of wireless earbuds also comes with full support for the AAC codec.
The battery capacity of the case sits at 440 mAh and each earbud can carry 34 mAh. The case needs 90 minutes to charge via a USB-C cable, but it also features Qi wireless charging support. The earbuds need 70 minutes for a full charge. When talking about autonomy, the earbuds should deliver about 5 hours with ANC enabled, and 6 hours with ANC off. For a fully charged case and earbuds, this means about 24 hours of continuous battery life with activated ANC and 20 hours without ANC. In my experience, these figures are quite accurate when keeping the volume at 60 or 70 percent most of the time with ANC set to "strong". After one hour I usually have 90 percent battery left.
The total of four microphones (two for each earbud) that use artificial intelligence to improve call quality get the job done in quiet environments, but they falter in heavy traffic areas on the sidewalk, when I usually needed to raise my voice accordingly to be heard.
Just as I expected — based on my previous experience with 1MORE products — the Wind Noise Reduction mode on the ComfoBuds Mini is nothing short of amazing as well. Although there is a single audio transparency mode available (the ubiquitous passthrough mode that doesn't focus on a specific area of the audio spectrum), it works as intended, and this is all that really matters. Regarding passive noise canceling, I think we can't ask too much from the ComfoBuds Mini given their size, weight, and materials used. During my testing, I discovered that a (nearly) perfect fit can provide a good — not great, and far from perfect — level of isolation from exterior noise without enabling ANC.
Real-life usage
When I connected the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini to my phone, I chose to use the already configured SoundID profile. After the initial disappointment caused by the lack of LDAC support, I somewhat lowered my standards and discovered a warm, pleasant sound that only disappointed me a bit in the treble area. Obviously, some users could find the soundstage too narrow. To me, this part of the listening experience was more than my ears expected in most scenarios, from listening to classical music all the way to death and black metal.
The lag is noticeable, so fast-paced games where audio cues are essential are basically out of the picture. In multiple cases, I noticed the lag in YouTube videos as well. Increased audio lag is not a problem to me, because I usually listen to music or podcasts while my phone sits in my pocket. However, most of those who use their phone to watch videos or movies and play games could find the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini not snappy enough.
The IPX5 water resistance certification guarantees that these buds can handle sweat and light water splashes. On the other hand, taking the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini for a swim is definitely not a good idea. Although multi-point connectivity is not available, the ComfoBuds Mini compensate with sleep detection and wear detection, which is a bit slower than on the EVO but works properly nevertheless.
When moving from larger TWS, the controls of the ComfoBuds Mini might take a while getting used to. Sadly, the customization options are limited and there is no way to set different actions for each earbud, only pairs (play/pause on both sides, previous/next track, volume -/+, and voice control on both sides). Thankfully, the software companion provides a very good experience, as we're going to see right away.
Software
The software companion that works with the ComfoBuds Mini is, obviously, the 1MORE MUSIC app. For now, there's still no music playing involved, but I hope that it will be added one day. At the time of publishing, the latest 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini firmware version available was labeled 0.10.48, and the app version was 4.3.7, so features like custom EQ settings that could arrive in the future are not mentioned below.
The 1MORE MUSIC app allows ComfoBuds Mini users to burn-in the headphones, although most won't hear any difference and, in my opinion, the improvement delivered by SoundID personalization beats by far any possible burn-in scenario for these earbuds.
The list of additional features includes the ability to adjust Smart Playback settings (auto-pause only, auto-pause and play, and disabled), view a quick user guide, or play soothing sounds. Compared to previous versions, this side of the app has been noticeably improved. Unfortunately, the generous collection of audio loops provided is not flawless yet.
As usual, the app allows the user to change the color of the headphones and case as desired. The full names of the three color options are Obsidian Black, Cinnabar Red, and Mica White.
Conclusion: The good, the bad, and the truth
For me, the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini are one of those products that I got to love after a few days, but it wasn't love at first sight. In addition to being extremely comfortable and very portable, these earbuds also come with very good sound quality (mostly thanks to SoundID, I am sure that I wouldn't have felt the same way without it), as well as good noise cancellation. The ability to charge the case wirelessly shouldn't be overlooked, either. Lastly, the Wind Noise Reduction mode works like a charm and brings a lot of value to the whole package.
Sadly, the soothing sounds are still far from matching the overall quality of the ComfoBuds Mini earbuds and their software companion. I would also love to have the ability to customize each earbud individually. Last but not least, handling the earbuds and charging case is definitely tricky for people with large hands or who are just clumsy. Another weak point is the outgoing audio quality when taking a call in crowded, noisy environments.
The MSRP of US$99.99 (1MORE US) and even the US$109 (1MORE global) price tag provides a good deal for the world's (allegedly) smallest wireless earbuds with ANC and, depending on region and retailer, various discounts could make the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini nothing less than an intriguing deal. However, the truth is always in the ear of the beholder, so if you have a chance to take the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini for a spin, you should give these wireless earbuds a chance. They might surprise you.
Disclaimer: The author of this review received the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini from 1MORE free of charge for the purpose of testing.
Source(s)
1MORE (official product page, US English)
