INTRODUCTION

   Listening to music while on foot or while using public transportation has always been my thing but due to this entire situation with Covid-19 i haven't done so in quite a while now. Granted i also enjoy listening to music while working out (especially on the treadmill) but in all likelihood I’ve appreciated listening to music while on the road a lot more (especially since ambient noise in crowded places has helped me test several wireless earsets/earphones over the years). It is what it is however and so for that past 5 months or so I’ve done my best to sufficiently test wireless headsets and earphones both while working out (yes primarily on the treadmill) and walking rather short distances. The ESS6001T Colorbuds True Wireless In-Ear Headphones by 1MORE are among them and are perhaps the only ones i ended up using for no less than 2 months now.

   1MORE specializes in acoustic design and development, smart software and wearable audio products. Born with a profound mission to deliver superior audio quality at consumer-friendly prices, 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.

   The ESS6001T Colorbuds by 1MORE are currently available in 4 colors (black/gold/pink/green) and are equipped with two full-range balanced armature drivers (once again tuned by Grammy award winner Luca Bignardi) and the dual-core QCC3020 flash programmable Bluetooth Audio SoC by Qualcomm which packs several features including Bluetooth v5.0 (HFP/A2DP/AVRCP), aptX codec support (AAC and SBC codecs are also supported), Kalimba DSP (third core), cVc 8.0 environmental noise cancellation and the broadcast and TWS audio technologies. Inside each of the two IPX5 certified water resistant housings we also find 2 microphones (with ENC technology), built-in infrared sensor (detect when the headphones are in your ear), 55mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery (can keep the earbuds going for up to 6 hours) and touch controls. Typically, just like most models currently in the market the ESS6001T Colorbuds are bundled with a tiny recharging case which due to its 410mAh internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack it can provide up to a total of 22 hours of extra playback time to the earbuds. So, are these the true wireless stereo headphones to get?

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The ESS6001T arrived in a small white box that has a picture of the earbuds at the front right beneath to the company logo and next the main product features.

On the right side we see the main product features while on the left side we find a 2D barcode (genuine product) just over the aptX and Bluetooth logos.

Turning the box around we find the product features and specifications in two languages.

Aside the ESS6001T TWS earbuds and their charging case the bundle also includes 3 extra sets of silicone ear tips (4 total), USB-C charging cable, 1MORE sticker, 2 pieces of paper with 2D barcodes which take you to the online product page and the 1MORE music app and the user manual.

THE ESS6001T COLORBUDS

The 1MORE Colorbuds are made out of plastic (the front feels like aluminum) and are so tiny that each weigh just 4.1g.

To see just how small the Colorbuds are i placed them right next to the EHD9001TA again by 1MORE and the Live 300TWS by JBL.

1MORE has placed their logo at the front of both earbuds right beneath the activity LED (a touch sensor placed in the enclosure allows you to answer/hang up calls, raise/lower volume and play/pause music by double tapping your finger on the 1MORE logo).

Left and right markings are located at the top of both earbuds.

Taking a look at the rear we see the infrared sensor and 3 charging pins.

1MORE doesn't report on the specifications of the drivers but my guess is they should be around 6-7mm in size.

For comparison purposes also placed the 32.1g heavy charging case bundled with the ESS6001T Colorbuds (glossy plastic) right next to those of the EHD9001TA and the Live 300TWS.

MUSIC APP

Pairing the ESS6001T with the 1MORE music app is very easy, just connect them to your smartphone via bluetooth and run the app.

The app also has a quick guide on how to properly use the earbuds.

The main app tab shows the paired model (Colorbuds in this case) and the battery level of each earbud.

Needless to say, the first thing you should do is check for a firmware update.

The firmware update not only enabled the low-latency feature in the main tab but also the ability to increase/decrease volume from the exterior of the earbuds.

From the app you can also enable/disable the auto play/pause function of the earbuds when you put them on or remove them.

CONCLUSION

   The ESS6001T Colorbuds are mid-range TWS earbuds (placed right under the EHD9001TA) so some limitations are quite honestly easy to understand. For example, the lack of rich bass is due to the fact that 1MORE has obviously used rather small drivers (always in comparison to for example the EHD9001TA). Mids are actually very crisp and accurate and as for highs they are very detailed. Still the lack of bass does reduce the overall score of the ESS6001T Colorbuds so if bass-heavy music is your thing I wouldn’t recommend them. As for battery life well as usual you should take the official numbers with a grain of salt. So, during my tests I was hardly able to surpass 4 and ½ hours which for someone using headsets/headphones with the volume set almost to the max is not a bad number. Yes, it’s not quite close to the 6 hours reported by 1MORE but do remember that official tests are usually done at 40-50% volume. Finally, in terms of stability I’ve seen better but I’ve also seen worse so if you plan on using the Colorbuds while on the road they are a relatively good choice (so-so on the treadmill).

   1MORE currently asks no less than USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 84.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) for their ESS6001T Colorbuds, a price tag which is actually quite balanced for what they offer. Yes, they may not deliver the best audio performance out there but still they do very well in that area, are very compact, feature good battery life, are IPX5 water & sweat resistant and are available in 4 different colors so they really deserve the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Audio Quality (Full Range Balanced Armatures)
- IPX5 Certified
- Tiny (Size/Weight)
- Dual Noise Cancelling Microphones (cVc v8.0 ENC)
- Battery Life (Up To 22 Hours Total)
- Available In 4 Colors (Black/Gold/Pink/Green)
- Bluetooth v5.0
- Infrared Sensor
- Music App

CONS

- Lack Of HD Audio Codec Support
- Bass Levels