There are plenty of truly wireless earbud options out there right now. Plenty fall into the budget category, while a lot cost a pretty penny without actually delivering quality. 1More’s EVO earbuds look to change that, offering much higher fidelity for a comparable price. This is our full 1More EVO review.
Hefty sound means a hefty build
The first thing you’ll notice about the EVO earbuds is the size they take up. While they are by no means huge, they are definitely on the bigger side of things. In my time reviewing and using the 1More ComfoBuds Mini, I got so used to a tiny form factor that holding and using the 1More EVO earbuds was a complete shock.
The case for the buds is pretty thick – it’s right on the edge of being able to comfortably fit in your pocket, meaning you won’t forget that the case of the earbuds is there, but it won’t bother you any more than an AirPods Pro case will. As far as build goes, this thing is solid. The enclosure is cased in aluminum and has a nice feel to it all around the top and edges. The bottom is a silicone material that grips well, so the case won’t slip away. When opened, the hinge feels sturdy and has virtually no wobble to it, which remains one of the worst parts about some earbuds on the market.
To add, an LED indicator lives on the outside of the case, which will turn from green to yellow to red, depending on your case battery level. Having distinguishable battery level indicators is a huge plus and can help you get the case on a charger whenever the battery gets close to low. On the back, the 1More EVO earbuds case has a USB Type-C port for fast charging. Specifically, 1More claims four hours of listening from a 15-minute charge. This rings true, but more on that later. If you need to, you can drop this case on a wireless charger, which won’t get you superfast charging but adds a bit of convenience.
The whole “hefty” theme is true throughout the entire build, including the earbuds themselves. When you open the case, you’ll see two earbuds sitting there in all their glory, with a fantastic glossy glass-like finish on the outer earbuds and a small LED connection indicator.
Now, the earbuds themselves aren’t massive, and they weigh virtually nothing, which is where 1More knocked it out of the park. These aren’t the Sony XM5 earbuds that take up your entire outer ear. Rather, these take up just a little more space than your average stemless wireless earbuds – maybe about the total surface area of a jelly bean, at most.
That being said, they weigh little to nothing at all. I could tell you they weigh 5.7g, which may mean something to you, or I could tell you that I forget they’re in my ears and don’t budge once I set them, which is what truly matters, I believe. At first glance, I thought these were the next candidate for “earbuds that don’t stay in.” I was wrong. That being said, you do need to use 1More’s trick, which is to stick them in your canal and twist the bottom toward your mouth. This secures the earbuds a bit better.
Sound as big as the earbuds
Once you get past the overall stunning look of the 1More EVO earbuds, you get to focus on the sound. Now, there’s an idea going around that expensive earbuds can hit hi-fi levels of quality, no problem. This is simply not true. If you want to truly enjoy the 1More EVO earbuds – which I 100% do – you need to temper your expectations. These simply won’t compare to wired hi-fi headphones that put out hi-res audio. That being said, these are fantastic.
For what they are and the price point they hit, these earbuds do a wonderful job at reproducing clear and detailed audio that goes head-to-head against expensive earbuds. It certainly helps that the 1More EVO earbuds use Sony’s LDAC technology to receive as many audio details as possible from your phone and create some genuinely great sound.
The one downfall with sound on these earbuds – and most 1More earbuds – is the method of equalization. You can take advantage of the default sound settings that come with the EVO earbuds or you can let AI tune your sound signature to match you through a series of multiple-choice questions. The default sound on these feels a bit tinny to me, wherein the overall mids are muffled and don’t relay a lot of detail. The soundstage feels a little weak, and it just doesn’t feel right at this setting. Once you use SoundID however, there’s a chance you’ll get what I got – greatly detailed mids, thumpy low ends, and overall responsive highs.
Overall, after getting your sound adjusted, these earbuds perform very well and are genuine competitors to higher-end earbuds like the WF-1000XM5s.
Connectivity and battery
The 1More EVO earbuds benefit from Bluetooth 5.2 and Google’s Fast Pair technology. First off, pairing is an absolute breeze with Google Fast Pair, letting you know as soon as the 1More EVO earbuds are ready to be paired for the first time. The feature will display a half-screen notification and a photo of your earbuds, asking if you want to connect. Every time you open the case after that, a notification will appear on your Android device, letting you know what the battery levels are.
Second, Bluetooth 5.2 has proven stable in my use and has kept me from often disconnecting. There are times when the sound will separate between earbuds, creating a quick echo effect and a quick disconnect. However, the sound picks up and the connection is reestablished within a second or less. Other than these infrequent drops, the connection is relatively strong and the range is pretty good as well.
As far as the battery goes, the life of the 1More EVO earbuds is pretty good. For as much power and sound as these provide, you’d think that the battery would run out within a couple of hours. That hasn’t been the case at all. I’ve been getting the promised five-ish hours of listening with ANC on and eight or so hours with ANC off. Of course, the case supplements a lot of that and adds an extra 20 or so to total use. With fast charge, you’ll be set for just about any day.
Touch controls and ANC
One thing that always draws me to 1More earbuds is the touch control scheme the company has pioneered. By eliminating the “one-touch” method, you’re much less likely to accidentally pause your music and rip yourself into reality when you adjust the fit. The 1More EVO earbuds require a double-tap on the glossy surface of the earbuds in order to pause your music. By default, a triple-tap will bring up your digital assistant – Google Assistant.
If you hold your finger there for a long tap, you can switch ANC modes. The ANC and pass-through on the 1More EVOs are pretty good and allow for customization. You can change the strength of ANC between these options:
- Strong
- Mild
- WNR
- Adaptive
Strong is for busy streets and loud environmental noises that require the most ANC, mild is generally for in-office use around loud people, and WNR (wind noise resistance) is for when air is hitting your earbuds. The fourth option is an adaptive setting that allows you to let your EVO earbuds to choose which strength is necessary.
One thing to be aware of is that if you don’t need ANC, you probably shouldn’t use it simply for the fact that it does alter the sound quality of your earbuds. Without it, the EVOs do a good job of passive noise cancellation.
Final thoughts
In all, the 1More EVO earbuds are a great pair of earbuds if you truly want some of the best wireless sound you can get. With Google Fast Pair, 10mm dynamic drivers, competitive ANC, and great battery life, these don’t disappoint. Something similar could cost you upward of $200, and the 1More EVOs deserve a look for around $170. While these don’t exactly hit hi-fi levels of good, they’re just about as close as you can get right now without spending much more.
- Amazon
Author: Andrew Romero
Source: 9TO5Google
