About three months ago, I reviewed 1More’s True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones. These were pretty impressive buds for the price, but one of the downsides was middling battery life — the bane of all true wireless earbuds. The company has recently released an alternative in the new 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro Wireless In-Ear Headphones.
Those names sound an awful lot alike. And the basics of these newest earbuds are on par with the first release, including the excellent audio quality and two-level hybrid active noise cancellation. However, these ditch the “true wireless” for a “wireless” form factor — which means Bluetooth 5.0 to your smartphone, but thin wires connecting the buds themselves to a collar you wear around your neck. This design makes connectivity more stable, significantly reduces the weight of the buds (making them more comfortable), lowers the price by $50, and greatly increases battery life.
Is The Neckband Annoying?
I’m going to address the question of the neckband first. This is a polarizing design choice that will make or break these earbuds for many people.
The neckband is light, very flexible, and coated in soft silicone to make it skin-friendly. Yes, it can be a little weird to look at. Yes, when you first put it on it may feel odd. However, it is quite comfortable to wear and I quickly forgot it was there. I actually prefer having the neckband because it gave 1More somewhere to mount controls rather than on the earbuds themselves. This eliminates the issue of pushing or tapping on the buds, an action that can knock wireless earbuds out of place, or even hurt your ears.
The neckband offers a lot more space to store a battery (and to house the charge port), and it also means the earbuds themselves can be a lot smaller. The 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds I reviewed last time around were quite comfortable. But when you shave the bulk and weight needed for batteries, controls and radios, these earbuds feel even better. Should one pop out, the tether cable will keep it from hitting the ground and rolling away. The buds are also magnetic, so you can connect them in a clasp when not being worn.
The only time the neckband might get in the way is during intense exercise. I found it was fine for walking and jogging, but throw jumping or anything where your head dips and it can shift around. Of course with that kind of intensity, you also run the risk of in-ear buds popping out, so it may be a moot point…
Speaking of exercise, I should mention these earbuds are IPX5 sweat and water resistant.
Battery Life
The biggest limitation for true wireless earbuds remains battery life. Bluetooth 5.0 has improved that significantly, but five or six hours on a charge is considered to be pretty good. After that, you have to pop the buds out and stick them in a charge case, which isn’t exactly convenient. Even with fast-charging.
With the big battery in the neckband, these earbuds can go up to 20 hours on a single charge. That’s several work days worth of music without having to pause for a charge. When it is time to top up the battery, a covered port on one end of the neckband conceals a USB-C port.
Sound Quality and ANC: On Par With the 1More True Wireless ANC Earbuds
After evaluating multiple headphones and earbuds from the company over the past few years, I’ve found that 1More’s engineering and custom tuning always seems to result in a high-quality listening experience.
The Dual Driver ANC Pro Wireless earbuds share the same audio pedigree as the company’s True Wireless ANC earbuds. That’s a hybrid dual driver design (a dynamic driver combined with a balanced armature) with custom tuning, and support for AAC and aptX. The result is crisp, detailed audio with surprisingly muscular bass — especially when the ANC is active. You are going to have a hard time finding earbuds that sound anywhere near this good, in this price range.
These also share the same hybrid noise cancellation system as their true wireless predecessor, with two levels of ANC. As I noted in the review for the true wireless earbuds, this isn’t as effective as the ANC found on over-ear headphones, but does cut background noise considerably.
Recommendation
If you’re like me and like the idea of true wireless earbuds more than the reality, then 1More’s Dual Driver ANC Pro Wireless In-Ear Headphones should be on your short list.
Unless you’re wearing it during an intense exercise session you’ll quickly forget the flexible neckband, but you’ll soon appreciate the 20-hour battery life. Not to mention the tethered design that prevents wayward earbuds from popping free and hitting the ground. Add in the excellent audio performance — energetic, with a satisfying level of bass — and the very reasonable $149.99 price tag, and these wireless earbuds are winners.
