Earphones better suited to hi-res audio than noise cancellation

The 1More Evo true wireless earphones deliver accurate, hi-res audio, but they don't cancel outside noise particularly well and lack a few expected customization features.

1More’s Evo noise-cancelling true wireless earphones ($169.99) aim to attract audiophiles with their LDAC support, combination of dynamic and balanced armature drivers in each earpiece, and emphasis on audio clarity. They generally succeed on this front, but other aspects aren’t as compelling. For instance, their active noise cancellation (ANC) isn’t impressive, 1More's companion app lacks a customizable EQ, and the on-ear controls don’t meet expectations. For a similar price, the Jabra Elite 7 Pro ($199.99) and the Anker Liberty Air 2 Pro ($129.99) deliver more effective noise cancellation along with EQ adjustments for audio, making them stronger alternatives.

The earbuds are available in black or white and are relatively chunky, but that bulk helps them stay secure in your ear. You get five total pairs of oval silicone eartips in the box to help you find an ideal fit. 

In each earpiece, a 10mm dynamic driver pairs with a balanced armature driver (for the highs) to deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 40kHz. 1More markets the Evo earbuds as a Hi-Res model, and indeed, the Bluetooth 5.2-compatible earphones support the LDAC Bluetooth codec alongside the more common AAC and SBC. That said, the lack of AptX or AptX HD is a bit of a bummer. LDAC is standard on modern Android devices, but they can default to less-than-Hi-Res playback modes in some situations. Without the AptX or AptX HD fallback option, you're stuck with AAC or SBC (neither of which is ideal for Android users). In any case, LDAC support puts the pair on even footing with the $279.99 Sony WF-1000XM4 and the $229.99 Technics EAH-AZ60.

The outside of each earpiece functions as a capacitive touch control panel. Out of the box, double taps on either ear control playback and call management, triple taps handle voice assistant control, and that's it. You can swap out the voice assistant for volume or track controls, but these limited configurations remains underwhelming. Some competing earphones give you more control from these panels and support gestures such as single taps, swipes, and holds for various actions.

An IPX4 rating means the earpieces can withstand light splashes from any direction, which is fairly standard for noise-cancelling true wireless earbuds. They survive sweaty workouts and light rain without an issue, but we don't advise that you rinse them off under a faucet. The rating doesn’t extend to the charging case, so be sure to fully dry the earpieces before you dock them. For comparison, Jabra's Elite 7 Pro earphones feature a waterproof IP57 rating, which lends more protection.

The charging case is a reasonable size, sports an easy-to-open flip-top lid, and supports the Qi wireless charging standard (though the box also includes a USB-C-to-USB-A cable for wired charging). One annoyance, however: In testing, we found the earphones a bit difficult to retrieve from the case. The magnets that keep them in place are quite strong, and the earpieces have slippery edges.

1More estimates that the earphones can last roughly eight hours per charge, with an additional 21 hours of charge in the case. Those numbers drop to five-and-a-half hours and 20 hours, respectively, when you turn ANC on. Whether you reach those estimates depends on both your use of ANC and typical listening volume.

The 1More app (available for Android and iOS) allows you to update the firmware, customize the on-ear controls, and switch the ANC between On, Off, and Transparent modes. You can also connect to two devices at once (commonly called multipoint connectivity), as well as manage other functions such as auto-play.

The third-party SoundID feature can create a specific sound signature based on your hearing, but 1More doesn't allow you to adjust the audio profile manually. Many competitors in this price range include an in-app EQ, so this omission is particularly disappointing.

We set the Evo earbuds to their most powerful ANC levels for the majority of our testing. They substantially dial back intense, low-frequency rumble, like what you might experience on an airplane. But up against a recording of a busy restaurant with clanking dishes and boisterous conversation, a significant band of high frequencies snuck past the ANC filters. Some of the very highest frequencies even sounded a bit louder, as if the earphones were in transparency mode (they weren’t). They also added a small amount of hiss to the signal, a common flaw of inexpensive noise-cancelling earphones.

Both transparent listing modes work well. Pass-Through provides a normal audio feed of your surroundings, and Vocal Enhancement focuses on the frequency range of the human voice.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earphones deliver a strong low-frequency response. The drivers don’t distort at maximum volume and still sound full at more moderate levels.

Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the Evo’s sound signature. The drums on this track sound natural, with lovely depth that conveys realistic dimension. The earbuds imbue Callahan’s baritone vocals with low-mid richness and mid-high crispness, while the higher-register percussion and acoustic strums are bright and detailed. This is an ideal sound signature, at least for a pair of earbuds without an EQ. Look elsewhere if you seek booming bass. Otherwise, many listeners should enjoy the pleasant balance between the natural low end and crisp highs.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives plenty of mid-high presence and retains its attack. The vinyl crackle and hiss that usually take a back seat in the mix sit a bit forward instead. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with a decent sense of the subwoofer-like multitudes they possess, but the drivers don't quite reach low enough to accentuate this effect. This is one area where a bit of EQ tuning could be useful, because it's not clear whether you could push the drivers to deliver this depth. The track certainly doesn’t sound deprived of bass, but the lows are most concentrated in the thump of the drum loop. The vocals sound clear, though perhaps with a little additional sibilance.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound bright, with some pleasant anchoring from the lower-register instrumentation. There’s not much deep bass in this mix, though it shows up at times, and the earphones don't invent deep lows where they don’t exist. The focus here is on higher-register clarity and detail. The combination of LDAC support and a detail-focused sound should appeal to you if you enjoy an accurate audio representation.

As for voice calls, the six-mic array works fine and we didn't notice any major Bluetooth audio artifacts in our test recording on an iPhone.

The 1More Evo earphones deliver a rich, accuracy-leaning audio experience, though we aren't as impressed by their noise cancellation or on-ear controls. While they don't sound quite as accurate out of the box, Jabra's Elite 7 Pro and Elite 7 Active ($179.99) offer superior noise cancellation in more durable designs. For less money, Anker's Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro earphones deliver better noise cancellation as well. If sound quality is your most important criteria, however, the Evo's LDAC support and closer-to-neutral tuning could be a deciding factor in their favor.

The 1More Evo true wireless earphones deliver accurate, hi-res audio, but they don't cancel outside noise particularly well and lack a few expected customization features.

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I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

Probably because of their prevalence in the recording studios I worked in a long time ago, I am most comfortable on Macs—I'm writing this on the 2019 iMac I use for testing. I also have a MacBook Pro that gets plenty of similar use.

My workspace has a mini recording studio setup, and the the gear I work with there is a mix of items I've used forever (Paradigm Mini Monitors and a McIntosh stereo receiver) and newer gear I use for recording and review testing (such as the Universal Audio Apollo x16).

I'm obsessed with modern boutique analog synths—some of my favorites instruments in this realm are the Landscape Audio Stereo Field and HC-TT,  the Soma Enner, the Koma Field Kit, and the Lorre Mill Keyed Mosstone.

From my studio days, I'm comfortable using Pro Tools, and in recent years have branched out to other realms of creative software, like Adobe Premiere and After Effects.

I stream music, but I also still buy albums, digitally or on vinyl, and encourage anyone who wants fair compensation for musicians and engineers to do the same.

I also play lots of Wordle.

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