INTRODUCTION

   As we are all well aware although most wireless headsets can't come even close to the audio quality one can expect from their wired counterparts the truth is that for the vast majority of consumers wireless freedom and cost are far more important. Because of that the market is currently filled with countless low-cost wireless headsets of all sizes which in many cases may not really excel at anything (including signal strength, audio quality and battery life) other than their lack of wires. Of course, there are always exceptions and so we've seen quite a few interesting wireless headset models lately but since not many people would place them in the affordable category (not even close) these are mostly aimed towards audiophiles who don't care much about cost. 1MORE just released their latest Stylish True Wireless In-Ear Headphones-I with which they want to provide people with a rather affordable model that works as it should.

   1MORE was born with a profound mission: Music lovers, young or old, frugal or affluent, deserve to hear music as it was meant to be heard, as the artist intended it to be heard. Music lovers deserve to HEAR MORE. 1MORE offers MORE by transcending industry standards through revolutionary innovation, design and quality. Nothing should come between you and your music, for the goal of any great technology is to disappear. Through scrupulous engineering, streamlined manufacturing, and authentic marketing we provide a level of affordable luxury that no other brand can. There is a mountain of headphones brands. 1MORE isn't simply climbing that mountain. We are turning it upside down so everyone can reach the peak. 1MORE is globally distributed brand that has set up off-line channels in 25 provinces, more than 40 Hi-Fi audio reps, 3 Apple authorized chain store systems, and more than 3,000 brick and mortar stores in mainland China. 1MORE is also expanding rapidly into overseas markets. Our channels reach 26 countries and regions, including USA, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.

   The Stylish True Wireless In-Ear Headphones-I (E1026BT-I) by 1MORE are currently available in 4 different colors (black, pink, gold and green) and is based around the Qualcomm QCC3020 Bluetooth v5.0 Audio SoC (supports AAC and aptX audio codecs) which not only includes the well-known Kalimba DSP (digital signal processing) but also packs several interesting technologies by Qualcomm (Broadcast Audio technology, TrueWireless Stereo technology, TrueWireless Stereo Plus technology, aptX audio technology, cVc audio technology) designed on improving audio quality for both you and the people you talk to. The new E1026BT-I also feature 7mm titanium-composite dynamic drivers, 45 degrees angled nozzles (improved fit and comfort), ENC (environmental noise cancelling) technology for its two MEMs (microelectro-mechanical systems) microphones, LDS (Laser Direct Structuring) antennas (smaller size yet offer improved signal strength), single multi-functional button for each earbud (answer/end/hang up calls - voice control - play/pause/previous track/next track) and 55mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery packs which can keep the earbuds working for up to 6.5 hours. 1MORE also bundles a charging/storage case with the E1026BT-I that features an 410mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack which in turn can recharge both earbuds 3 more times adding to a total of 24+ hours of battery life. Also just like with past products by 1MORE the brand new E1026BT-I are expertly tuned by GRAMMY award winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The E1026BT-I arrived inside a small white box that has a picture of both earbuds at the front right next to the company logo and above the main product features.

As you can all see the front opens up to reveal the product on one side and several drawings of the product and its bundle on the other.

A few words about the main product features are printed at the rear of the box in 6 languages.

The bundle is very rich and aside the E1026BT-I earbuds and their charging case it also includes a silicon pouch, 3 extra sets of silicone ear tips, 2 extra sets of silicone O-hooks, micro USB charging cable, 1MORE sticker, paper with a 2D barcode which takes you to the online product page, user manual and a product catalogue.

THE E1026BT-I

Thanks to their NCVM color process the medium-sized E102BT-I look and feel nice (each weigh just 6.2g).

In terms of size the E102BT-I are medium-sized and to showcase that we placed them right next to similar models by Sandberg, SoundPEATS and TRELAB.

Both earbuds have a blue/red activity LED at the front right next to the company name.

A single multi-function button is located at the rear of each earbud and as mentioned in the introduction page this button can be used for pretty much anything (answer/end/hang up calls - enable voice control - play/pause/previous track/next track).

Left and right markings are not only visible on the O-hooks but also on the interior of the earbuds as well.

The 7mm titanium-composite dynamic drivers used in the E1026BT-I may not be the largest ones we've seen in such a unit but they are not the smallest ones either (the angled nozzles should help with fit and comfort).

Two gold plated charging pins are located at the rear of each earbud.

The bundled charging case is made out of hard plastic and weighs just 40.4g.

The top of the case opens via this small button located beneath a small charging LED.

Turning the case around we find the micro USB charging port.

Both seats in the case also feature left and right markings.

With both earbuds placed in their charging seats the case now weighs 52.8g (as you can see when the earbuds are charging the top activity LED lights up red).

CONCLUSION

   Having tested several music Hi-Res music players lately (working on more as we type these lines) the first thing that we were hoping was that the brand new E1026BT-I by 1MORE would come with support for aptX HD and why not even LDAC something which isn't the case since they are based on the entry-level QCC3020 SoC by Qualcomm which supports aptX for Android users and AAC for iOS users. Of course, this is more than explained not only by the price tag of the E1026BT-I (which as you will see later on is quite affordable) but also by the fact that 1MORE has in its plans to release an aptX HD model later on (we just don't know the when exactly). With that out of the way 1MORE has done a very good job in making the E1026BT-I very simple to use for consumers who are either not too into electronics or who don't really want to bother with extra buttons and several different controls. So, to turn on the earbuds you just need to take them out of the case and to turn them off you just need to put them back into the case, easy right? One of the more "annoying" things some wireless earbuds have is the Master and Slave configuration and this is another area where 1MORE simplified things cause simply put there is no Master earbud. Both earbuds can act as the Master earbud according to the remaining battery life (whichever has over 30% becomes the Master). Of course, if you decide to use one earbud alone again you don't have to worry about Master and Slave, it will just work as it should. The 45 degree angled nozzles may not be something new (we've seen it quite a few times in the past) but they do help in terms of both fit and comfort. Unfortunately, the size of the earbuds is slightly larger than ideal so you may have to go through all 3 pairs of O-hooks and all 4 pairs of ear tips in order to find the best, most comfortable result for your ear. 1MORE also states that in terms of battery life you can expect 6.5 full hours of music playback but just like with most manufacturers that's at around 50% volume so since we always tend to listen at almost full volume we weren't even able to hit 5 hours (best result we've had during the 9 days of tests was 4 hours and 48 minutes). That still means a total of roughly 20 hours with the extra 3 charges from the charging case (the earbuds support fast charge so they charge almost fully in about 35 minutes) so although by no means great it’s not a bad number either. As for audio quality although aptX may not currently be the best audio codec out there we were surprised to see that the 7mm titanium-composite dynamic drivers deliver quite accurate mids and highs along with a good amount of bass. True you will not be blown away by the bass levels of the E1026BT-I like you would if you were using a wired model like for example the recently reviewed Be (Beryllium) model by Periodic Audio but for their size and type we can't really complaint. Unfortunately, we can't say the same about the built-in MEMS microphones since although they worked quite well in terms of noise cancellation audio quality on the receiving end was by far not the best we've encountered to date.

   The Stylish True Wireless In-Ear Headphones-I (E1026BT-I) by 1MORE were launched today with an attached price tag of USD99.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and of 82.42Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de - wait until these are replaced with the -I model) so they land right between all the low-cost models overflowing the market and the few and by far more expensive ones. That being said we although the E1026BT-I are clearly not aimed towards audiophiles they did surpass our expectations so if you’re looking for a pair of wireless earbuds with no signal issues, good battery life and surprisingly good audio quality (for an pair of aptX and AAC compatible earbuds that is) you simply can’t go wrong with the latest product by 1MORE which is also why they get our Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Audio Quality / Plenty of Bass (For The Size)
- Excellent Signal Strength
- Bluetooth V5.0
- Comfortable (45 Degrees Angled Nozzles)
- Bundled Charging Case (Up To 20+ Extra Hours)
- Available Colors (Black, Gold, Pink & Green)

CONS

- Microphone Audio Quality
- Overall Size