INTRODUCTION

   Listening to music or answering calls while on the subway (in any public transportation for that matter) or anywhere with high levels of noise is not particularly easy, especially since not all wireless headsets feature ANC (active noise cancellation). ANC is actually not a new concept and has been around for many years now and what it basically does is introduce its own sound which counteracts ambient noise (anti-noise as some call it) thus filtering it out allowing you to enjoy your music and/or calls. One of the downsides of course is that unlike passive noise cancellation (achieved by using noise-dampening materials) ANC needs a power source in order to work so it's directly linked with battery capacity and subsequently the how long it can be used. Earlier this year 1MORE released their Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones and we've been using them for almost one full month now.

   1MORE specializes in acoustic design and development, smart software and wearable audio products. Born with a profound mission to deliver superior quality audio at a consumer-friendly value, 1MORE has shipped 38 million headphones globally in over 25 countries in just the past 4 years. Additionally, 1MORE’s products have received multiple industry and design awards including prestigious CES Innovation awards, RedDot, iF Design awards and other major industry accolades.

   For the Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones 1MORE combined two dynamic (featuring titanium composite diaphragms with 32Ohm impedance) and two balanced armature drivers with a Bluetooth v4.2 wireless receiver (supports the A2DP/AVRCP/HFP standards and SBC/AAC audio codecs) and the TiinLab A2 chip (offers two ANC modes). To achieve ANC 1MORE is actually using a single microphone positioned on the exterior of the device to listen and filter out ambient noise before it reaches your ear. This may not be as "effective" as some far more expensive hybrid ANC models which use two microphones (positioned both on the interior and exterior) to filter out ambient noise but according to 1MORE their technology comes really close. The Dual Driver BT ANC model also feature a flexible ergonomic neckband (memory steel wire covered with soft silicone), magnetic earbud covers, playback controls, ENC (environmental noise cancelling) microphone and a rechargeable lithium-ion pack which offers up to 7 hours of playback time (requires a single hour for a full recharge and only 10 minutes for up to 3 hours of playback time).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Just like with past models 1MORE ships the Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones inside a white box that has a partial product picture at the front right next to their logo (the sticker with the barcode on it points to the 1MORE Assistant App).

A few words about the product are printed at the rear of the box right over the specifications table.

The box is magnetically closed and once again the metal plate on the right side has the company logo on it.

Again, the front of the box opens up like a book to reveal both the product and a few drawings (some of those are probably the prototype ones).

Contained inside the box are the Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones, carbon-like PU carrying pouch, aircraft adapter, piece of cardboard with 3 sets of silicone ear tips and 4 sets of silicone hooks/holders, USB to USB type-C charging cable, USB type-C to 3.5mm cable, 1MORE sticker, warranty information paper and the user manual.

THE DUAL DRIVER BT ANC

As expected, the Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones are very similar to the Triple Driver BT In-Ear Headphones.

The main optical features that set them apart are the design of the earbuds and the magnetic covers at the rear.

1MORE has again used angled tips for optimal fit.

Large engraved left and right markings are placed on the interior of both earbuds.

Taking a look from the rear we can see two ports/openings (one behind the tips and one just over where the cable ends) and the center area which is painted red.

1MORE may not share the size of the drivers used nor their frequency response and sensitivity but the Triple Driver BT model seems to surpass it in areas like build quality.

As with previous models the controls are all located on the left side and so here we find the on/off power button (short click activates your phone's voice assistant), ANC slider (pushing it twice towards the right enables the "strong" ANC mode whereas once enables the "soft" mode - push it towards the left to disable ANC entirely), play - pause/next - previous track/answer - end calls button and the volume up/down buttons.

The USB type-C port (used both to recharge and use the headset in wired mode) is located at the end of the left side and is covered by a plastic cap.

We did mention that thanks to the interior steel wire the neckband is very flexible right?

The Dual Driver BT ANC comes with a total of 4 pairs of silicone ear tips and 4 pairs of silicone hooks/holders in the bundle.

Worth pointing out is that both the aircraft adapter and the USB type-C cable have gold plated 3.5mm plugs.

CONCLUSION

   Since we've already reviewed the Triple Driver BT model a while back, a comparison with the Dual Driver BT ANC is unavoidable and starting with build quality the difference in materials used for the earbuds is easily noticeable with the ones used in Triple Driver BT model scoring high points here. Still some people may prefer the design of the Dual Driver BT ANC model (matte like finish instead of polished) especially since it's accompanied by magnetic rear covers which can come in handy (the red dots at the rear of the earbuds also add in looks). To compare the audio quality of both models we primarily used the M11 music player by FiiO (both wired and wireless) and so although the Triple Driver BT model offers far more accurate and crisp mids and highs the Dual Driver BT ANC actually does better when it comes to bass levels (more balanced and deeper) so at the end of the day it all comes down to what kind of music you like listening to (and of course whether ANC is a feature you can’t do without). ANC however is perhaps the strongest selling point of this headset and we have to admit that it works better than what we had anticipated at first. Honestly the "soft" ANC mode may not filter out everything we'd like (if i had to guess it filters out like 30-40% of ambient noise) but the "strong" mode comes very close (I’d say probably around 60-70%) and on top of that it results in almost zero audio distortion (it does affect highs but not enough to notice, at least not in most tracks). As for battery life once again, you will probably never hit 7 hours of continuous use (even more so with ANC enabled) and so in our tests even though with ANC enabled ("strong" mode) we unable to even hit 5 hours with ANC disabled we did almost hit 6 which is not a bad number for a compact wireless headset.

   With a current price tag set at USD102.13 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 139Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) you really can’t go wrong with the Dual Driver BT ANC In-Ear Headphones (E1004BA) by 1MORE. They may not sound just as good as their Triple Driver brothers and the ANC feature may not be quite on par with what’s used in far more expensive headset (especially over the ear ones) but for the price (even though still not exactly affordable for some consumers) 1MORE has once again released a very balanced and fairly priced product which is why it deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Metal Housings / Flexible Silicone Neckband)
- Audio Reproduction / Sound Stage (Very Good Bass with Good Mids / Highs)
- Noise Cancelling Microphone (ENC)
- Available Controls
- Wired &Wireless Use (Battery Power Required)
- Battery Life (Up to 7 Hours)
- Bundle (Carrying Pouch / 3 Sets of Ear Fittings & 4 Sets of Holders / Aircraft Adapter)

CONS

- Design / Size (For Some)
- Limited Codec Support (SBC/AAC)