1MORE TRUE WIRELESS ANC

When auditioning the noise-canceling buds in this roundup, the question of why anyone would need to pay more than $200 for any of them nagged me. Exhibit A: the 1More True Wireless ANC, which provides great audio quality, noise-canceling, ambient sound, and decent battery life, all for $200.

Out-of-the-box, the 1More aims to please. Instead of the requisite trio of small, medium, and large round silicone ear tips, 1More provides a broad selection of roundish and oval tips, plus various-size “ear grip” wings to make sure you get the best fit possible.

The slightly bulbous 1More buds do protrude a bit from the ears, but the wings stabilize their positioning to keep them firmly in place. For control, you get not one, but two on-bud methods: tapping each bud’s surface to toggle through the varying noise-canceling/ ambient sound settings; and pressing a small button on the perimeter to manipulate music navigation, calls, and volume adjustment.

The 1More’s most distinctive feature is its silky smooth sonics. With evenbalanced bass, a spacious soundstage, and a detailed presence usually missing from most true wireless buds, it works well with rock/pop vocals, jazz, and classical. Fans of more head-banging or beat-dominant fare should take note that they do lack a certain brassy dynamism and turn-it-up-to-11 loudness.

Not only is the 1More’s sonics up to snuff, but so are its noise-canceling and ambient sound features. There are actually two levels of noise-canceling: Level 1

(suitable for transportation environments), and

Level 2 (people-dominated environments). While both proved excellent during my test, Level 1 was especially effective. The 1More’s PassThrough ambient sound mode alsomade voices sound perfectly natural.

Of course, having an extra level of noise-canceling means an extra level of on-bud tap-toggling, with four sound settings to cycle through. And while they’re all voice-identified, it’s just easier to auto-pause music when needed by taking a bud out than to tap-tap-tap to Pass-through mode. The 1More also lacks a sound customization app—a feature that the pricier buds offer.

The 1More delivers 5 hours playback time with noise-canceling on and 6 hours off, which is about average. With case recharging, you get 16 hours with noise-canceling on, and 22 hours off.

With sophisticated sonics and a complete lack of moisture or dust protection, the 1More, like Sony’s WF-1000MX3, is best suited for indoors use— but at $30 less than the Sony, they represent a better deal.