1MORE True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones Hands-on

The 1MORE True Wireless ANC earbuds have a black carbon fiber weave encased in glossy translucent black plastic. The subtle red accents add some nice flavor to the overall aesthetic. The buds feel solid and sturdy; they could easily survive multiple falls from ear height. 

The buds are significantly bulkier than Apple's AirPods or tethered earphones like the Jaybird Tarah. They lack the stem present on the AirPods, so all the hardware must fit into the body behind the earpiece. As a result, they stick out a fair bit from my ears and are quite noticeable. Still, the buds are compact and light enough (~8 g) that I don't notice them during extended use. 

When the case opens, the buds turn on and connect to a paired device automatically. By the time I've put the buds in my ears, they're already on and take 2-3 seconds to connect. If one bud is taken from the case, the remaining bud won't connect. There are times when I only want one bud in, so this is a nice feature. Pulling out the second bud seamlessly connects it to the other; audio playback continues without interruption and switches to stereo sound without a hitch. 

The overall audio quality is excellent. I'd put the 1MORE buds on par with Apple's AirPods and just behind premium earbuds like Sennheiser's MOMENTUM True Wireless buds. They sound better than my Jaybird Tarah headphones out of the box, though the Tarahs can be tuned via software.

The 1MORE True Wireless ANC Headphones are the world's first THX®-certified true wireless earbuds, according to 1MORE. I can tell the company worked hard for that certification; audio is distortion-free, even at full volume, and audio is well-balanced, particularly in stereo. The buds are also great at highlighting subtle sounds that are lost in other true wireless buds.

The 1MORE buds' dual drivers are tuned well for most music. They are bass-rich with a full body. Hip hop, rock, and jazz all sound excellent. Spoken word (e.g., podcasts, audiobooks, etc.) is the weakest genre, though it is still enjoyable. Lower voices boom and become muddled, though higher-pitched voices come through clearly. Overall, the buds' audio tuning is fantastic. The sound profile has a U-shape pattern (loud bass, flat mids, and moderately high treble) that accommodates a wide variety of music.

My main critique is that the overall volume is soft. The 1MORE earbuds sound as loud at 100% volume as AirPods do at about 60-70%. At the recommended 50% volume, the 1MORE True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones are fairly quiet and can be hard to hear outdoors. 

The 1MORE True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones connect via Bluetooth 5. The earbuds support aptX and AAC audio. The buds maintain a solid connection up to about 8-9 meters, even through multiple interior walls. 

Pulling a bud out of an ear causes music playback to stop, thanks to small infrared sensors embedded in the in-ears. This feature works reliably and is a nice touch; when someone is talking to me, I can pull a bud out and not have to fuss about with controls to pause my music. 

The big draw is the active noise-canceling (ANC) feature. The 1MORE in-ears have two ANC settings: One blocks out sounds up to 35 dB, while the other kills sound up to 20 dB. This mode is a godsend for those who do yard work or jog in areas with busy traffic (like me). The ANC does a good job in blocking out most of my lawnmower's louder-than-average engine, and traffic noise falls to a dull rumble rather than its typical persistent roar. 

The buds also have an audio passthrough feature that uses the two microphones on each bud to allow ambient sound through. This mode works well, though the sounds coming through are tinny and mechanical. Users can also record audio and talk on the phone with these microphones. Callers said I sounded clear when speaking via the in-ears, though my voice sounded distant and quiet. 

One thing I'd like to see in future revisions is the ability to run the earphones' audio through software (like a dedicated app). My Jaybird Tarah headphones' greatest strength is the dedicated Jaybird app, which allows me to tune and save audio profiles directly to the headphones. 1MORE would do well to implement a similar solution here.