1More Evo review: A personalized listening experience from a new contender

The world of wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphones is vast, and rapidly growing as companies scramble to produce the best cutting-edge product. A sound enthusiast and an avid music and podcast listener, I always have a pair of wireless earbuds on hand. 1More, a globally distributed audio company recently launched the 1More Evo earbuds — their most evolved in-ear headphones to date. I've been listening with these earbuds for the past week and there are things I love about them but other features that miss the mark. Let me break it down for you.

1More Evo: Price and availability

1More Evo are currently available on Amazon and the 1More site for $170. Purchase comes with the earbuds, a charging case, five pairs of silicone ear tips, a type-C charging cable, a user manual, and a warranty card.

1More Evo: What sounds good

1More Evo are wireless Bluetooth in-ear headphones. They feature 10mm dynamic drivers and balanced armature to produce multiple listening modes including strong and mild active noise cancellation, wind noise resistance mode, transparency pass-through and voice enhancement modes, as well as adaptive active noise cancellation to suit any environment. Adaptive ANC automatically adjusts to your surroundings to suppress unwanted background noise, producing the best audio wherever you are.

1More Evo are controlled via manual touch controls or through the 1More app. The app is where you can switch between listening modes, customize touch settings, access soothing sounds, and personalize your listening experience via SoundID. Customizing SoundID requires a short audio test where you fine-tune your earbuds to your personal preferences. It really makes a difference and I highly recommend doing this.

In terms of sound quality, 1More Evo are exceptional. There's a lot of depth to the listening experience they provide. You get clear, crisp highs; warm, well-balanced mids; and rich, deep bass lines. All ANC modes deliver a fully immersive, high-fidelity audio experience and it's nice to switch to adaptive ANC which automatically adjusts to your environment. I'm a hardcore Apple AirPods Pro fan and the Evo provide some real competition in terms of overall sound quality and listener experience.

When it comes to battery life, 1More Evo are hard to beat. They feature up to 28 hours of playback and are comfortable to wear, so you can rock them all day, all night, and then some. I recently put them to the test while traveling from the west to east coast and back; I was able to wear them the whole way through. The strong ANC mode also came in handy when I wanted to block out all external distractions so I could focus on writing this review. More pros? They come with five silicone ear tips in different sizes for the perfect fit and they're fast charging, so if you're short on time, a quick 15-minute juice is all it takes. It'll net you four more hours of playback. Also, if you want to work out with these buds, no need to worry as they have an IPX4 water resistance rating making them safe to exercise in — plus, they'll hold up if you find yourself caught in the rain.

1More Evo: What doesn't sound good

There are a lot of great features on 1More Evo but touch control responsiveness is not always one of them. To give a quick rundown, unless you customize them otherwise, a double tap plays or pauses audio and a triple tap activates voice control. You can program them to perform other functions, but you must customize them within the app. An extended hold switches between ANC and transparency modes. This is all fine and dandy but it's disappointing that they're mostly unreliable. Sometimes they work perfectly but on multiple occasions, I've gotten frustrated because the touch controls won't function as intended.

Another bother is that these earbuds feature a large in-ear design. 1More claims the large 3D ceramic panels produce a mirror-like surface that effectively reduces electromagnetic signal interference, keeping a stable audio transmission. That very well may be, but I prefer the smaller, more discreet design of the 1More ComfoBuds Mini.

Lastly, the app, like the touch controls, seems to be unreliable as well. I reviewed the ComfoBuds Mini earlier this year and therefore already had the 1More app on my phone to customize my SoundID and settings. However, after connecting the Evo, my sound profile failed to upload. The app would not let me retake the SoundID test either, as it claimed an internal server problem occurred while trying to start the preference test and to try again later. I did and it still wouldn't let me take the test. This is irritating because the personalized listening experience is what really sets 1More apart from top competitors.

1MORE ComfoBuds Mini: Competition

I am a huge fan of the previously mentioned ComfoBuds Mini. These are hands down my favorite budget earbuds. On the pro side, they boast a smaller design that works better for my ears, are IPX5 rated, feature four listening modes and SoundID for a personalized experience, plus this all comes in at the very affordable price of $100. However, when it comes to battery life, the 1More Evo have the ComfoBuds' 24 hours of playback beat with their 28-hour battery life. The Evo also offer more evolved sound and even more listening modes, putting them in an elevated price and feature bracket altogether.

Another worthy competitor is the Apple AirPods Pro, which I've been rocking for years. They are my most beloved pair of earbuds to date, however, 1More Evo does provide some stiff competition. I haven't used the Evo long enough to determine if I like them better than my AirPods Pro, but they offer matching sound quality and an abundance of features that may top the AirPods Pro over time. The Evo have longer battery life and more ANC and transparency modes to suit your surroundings. I also love the personalized listening experience via SoundID (when it works) and that I can get four hours of playback via a short and sweet 15-minute charge. The Evo are also less expensive, which makes them a great value.

1More Evo: Should you buy it?

• You're looking for ANC + transparency
• A personalized listening experience intrigues you
• You want great battery life

• You don't want to have to use the app to adjust settings
• You don't like large earbuds

You should buy these earbuds if you're looking for clear sound as well as ANC and transparency modes. 1More Evo provide strong, mild, and adaptive ANC, as well as pass-through and voice-enhanced transparency modes. You can completely customize your listening experience via SoundID. Plus, you get an extra-long battery life of up to 28 hours. You shouldn't buy these if you don't want to adjust your settings within the app. Also, be aware that the touch controls don't always work. Another thing: if you prefer a smaller, more discreet, design, you should probably look elsewhere as these are quite large.

Look out Apple and Bose, there's a new kid in town. 1More Evo earbuds provide exceptional sound quality, multiple listening modes, 28 hours of playback, fast charging, and a fully customizable user experience. All that comes at a very competitive price point. Aside from the touch controls not always working, the large design, and the app issues, these wireless Bluetooth earbuds are a great value and have earned their place amongst top competitors.