INTRODUCTION

   Unlike many people i know who tend to use their TWS (true wireless stereo) earbuds even while at home reading (some even while working) i mostly use them either when I’m on the treadmill or when i go to places on foot. Because in both scenarios there's a good amount of noise involved, I’m always looking for TWS models that also feature ANC (active noise cancelation) and even though more and more do so clearly not all of them are created equal. To date the TWS models with the best ANC I’ve used and/or reviewed are clearly the BOSE QuietComfort, Jabra Elite 85t (review soon) and the 1MORE EHD9001TA (review here) so there are clearly quite a few solid choices out there for people in need of ANC (I’ve also heard good things about the SONY WF-1000XM4 but i haven't used them). Well, 1MORE seems to have released yet another ANC capable TWS model in their product line, it's called the EVO (EH902) and I’ve been using it for almost 2 weeks 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. 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.

   Inside the ceramic and plastic IPX4 certified housings of the EVO TWS 1MORE (available in black and white colors) has placed Hi-Res and THX certified 10mm DLC dynamic drivers (paired with balanced armature drivers) that sport a frequency response of 20Hz-40kHz and 32Ohm impedance (needless to say, 4-time Grammy award-winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi together with Sonarworks are behind their tuning). That's far from all however since 1MORE has also squeezed a Bluetooth v5.2 chip (support for LDAC/AAC/SBC audio codecs, HFP/A2DP/AVRCP profiles and dual-device connection), a grand total of 6 microphones (3 per earbud, feedforward and feedback microphones for their QuietMax technology and a regular microphone paired with their DNN - Deep Neural Network - algorithm for optimal results) and an tiny 48mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery which can keep going for up to 8 hours with ANC disabled and 5.5 hours with ANC enabled. In regards to their QuietMax ANC it can provide up to 42dB of total noise cancellation and can be switched between 5 different modes (ANC Strong, ANC Mild, Adaptive ANC, Wind Noise Resistant and transparent). Thanks to features like SoundID you can also tune the EVO to your own ear by taking a simple sound test powered by 1MORE Music's app AI. Finally, 1MORE also bundles a carrying/charge case for the EVO TWS earbuds which includes an 450mAh rechargeable lithium-ion pack and can provide just over 3 extra charges on each earbud (28 hours total with ANC off and 20 with ANC on).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A picture of the TWS earbuds is placed at the front of the box right next to the company and Hi-Res logos.

The CES 2021 innovation award is located on the left side just over the SoundID, QuietMax and Bluetooth logos.

At the rear 1MORE has placed the features and specifications of the EVO TWS in numerous languages.

Opening the front reveals several product drawings and the EVO TWS behind a clear plastic cover.

Along with the EVO TWS earbuds and their carrying/charging case inside the box 1MORE has also placed 3 pairs of silicon ear tips (there was 1 extra ear tip in the box plus the pre-mounted set), 1MORE sticker, 2D barcode warranty paper, USB charging cable and the user guide.

THE EVO

Shipping the EVO with a total of 4 ear tip sets (including the one pre-mounted) was not a surprise really, what did surprise me a bit was the single ear tip.

Each of the earbuds measures roughly 22.03x20.60x25.11mm and weighs just 5.7g (the glossy front touch button is made by ceramic material - one of the two feedback microphone ports is located on the front top).

In the above picture you can see the feedback microphone port.

Moving at the rear we find left/right marking, charging contacts and the on/off ear sensor.

The talk microphone port is located at the base of each earbud and as you can see it stands out.

For the EVO TWS 1MORE has used 10mm DLC dynamic drivers paired with balanced armature drivers so the end result should be interesting.

The charging case measures 66.60x28.61.38.65mm and weighs 46.9g (a charging LED is placed at the front).

As expected, the USB-C charging port is located at the rear.

Typically, the interior has two resting areas for the earbuds (no charging LEDs however).

With both earbuds mounted the weight of the case increases to 58.3g.

1MORE MUSIC APP

Once you install the 1MORE Music App you'll be asked to pick the color of your EVO TWS.

1st thing you should do after that is to check for available firmware updates.

As with other models from the main screen you can see the current battery/charge status and choose your preferred ANC mode.

You can of course also configure the earbud functions (double/triple tap).

The SoundID tab allows you to tune audio to your preference by listening to audio clips and choosing which sounds better to you.

Inside the connection tab we find two options and unless you experience connection issues i clearly suggest choosing quality.

You can find other settings like smart burn-in for the drivers and the experimental features (like Dual Device connection in the settings tab).

CONCLUSION

   It’s been a long time since 1MORE focused in the development and release of a high-end TWS model so the EVO (EH902) was more than just welcome. To be completely honest with all of you I still use the EHD9001TA model from time to time so that alone is enough reason for me to take 1MORE seriously when they release anything of the sort. So just how good are the EVO? That’s what all of you are probably thinking and the answer is very good, at least when it comes to audio clarity and accuracy. By using the SoundID feature you can tailor the audio of the EVO to your liking and yes it makes a difference. Overall, it’s been a while since I could actually listen to music (using the M15 mostly – LDAC makes a difference as long as you use material that can match or surpass its supported quality - but also my smartphones) using a TWS model (at least the ones I review) and actually enjoy it. So clearly the EVO ticks the audio quality/performance box. In terms of ANC however I can’t say I was 100% satisfied. The good news is that with some ANC modes audio quality actually improves slightly (or more accurately volume levels increase thus audio seems to improve) but ANC is not able to fully filter external noises. It of course depends on the noise but again its ANC feature is not quite as good as what one can find on some of the more expensive TWS models. Moving to build quality and size no problems here, fit could be better i guess but even on the treadmill neither earbud fell off (not completely). As for battery life 1MORE claims 8 hours per earbud with ANC off and 5.5 hours with ANC on and once again they are not way off. I managed to record a maximum of 7 hours and 37 minutes with ANC off and 5 hours and 12 minutes with ANC on so both numbers are quite good, even more so for such tiny earbuds.

   The EVO TWS were officially released 2 days ago and currently retail for USD169.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com – $30 discount coupon available at checkout) and for 169.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de – 30Euros discount coupon available at checkout) so they are quite more affordable compared to for example the BOSE QuietComfort. Long story short after 2 weeks of using the 1MORE EVO i really have no serious complaints by them, yes, the ANC is a bit weaker than what I’d like but unlike other TWS earbuds it doesn’t negatively impact audio quality. So, with the 1MORE EVO you’re getting it all, audiophile audio performance (tailored to your own taste), high build quality (IPX4 certified housings), ANC and battery life (not to mention a very good price tag with the current coupons) so they clearly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (IPX4 Certified)
- Very Good Audio Quality (10mm DLC Hybrid Drivers)
- Design / Available Colors (Black / White)
- Available Features (SoundID / THX / HiRes Wireless / LDAC / Passthrough / Dual Device Connection)
- Call Quality (6 Total Microphones)
- QuietMax ANC (5 Modes)
- Battery Life (Up To 28 Hours Total)
- Bluetooth v5.2
- Qi Charging
- 1MORE Music App
- Current Price ($30/30Euros Coupon)

CONS

- ANC Effectiveness (Could Be Stronger)
- Fit (Not Extremely Stable)