1MORE is a Taiwan-based audio company and they’re making huge moves in audiophile-land. Their quad driver IEM recently won the Los Angeles Audio Show 2017 Alfie Awards in the Personal Audio category. If that wasn’t impressive enough, they also have the backing of musician Jay Chou. Their goal is to produce uncompromising quality (both in sound and build) at an affordable price. Let’s see how they did with the 1MORE MK802 Bluetooth headphone.

Key Features

• 40mm Beryllium Drivers – Beryllium is dense but light making our drivers more detailed without tinniness or distortion. PEEK polymers are flexible but resilient making our diaphragms deliver deep bass and improved response time.
• Volume is independent of transmitting device
• Over 15 hours of battery life
• 5 months of standby power
• Built-in mic with 26 hours of talk time
• Wired option in case you run out of juice
• Around 10 meters of Bluetooth range
• aptX HD support (Few headphones support this codec)
• Adjustable bass

Build & Packaging

When I first received the MK802, I was surprised at the level of detail 1MORE put into just the packaging of the headphone. From the little accessories icon and sticker to the secondary color on the inner box and matching core cable.

As far as the build quality for the headphones themselves, nothing short of excellent. It puts some of the bigger name and pricier headphones to shame. I thought all the primary buttons were easily accessible and provided the proper amount of tactile feedback. The cups were easy to adjust and position and the pads are comfy. I also enjoy the synthetic titanium blue headband and cups (also comes in red).

Comfort

These headphones are technically over-ear but for the best comfort, I would treat them like they’re on-ear. Instead of encompassing your entire ear into the cup, slide it a bit forward or back. They were initially very snug but relaxed over time while still providing sufficient isolation. Fitting it this way allowed me to listen for 8+ hours without discomfort.

Sound Quality

1MORE offers an app that burns in your headphones (to relax the diaphragms) and enables you to call upon the app of your choice with a push of a button on the right side of the headphone. I don’t know of any other wireless headphone company that takes sound this seriously. The burn-in process indeed opened up the sound and provided greater dynamics and clarity. I believe the process spans over 70 hours so I would just run it overnight.

Equipment used:

• Late 2013 Macbook Pro laptop
• Nexus 6P cell phone
• MSI GS40 laptop

Compared to other Bluetooth headphones, I thought the MK802 was tuned incredibly well. It’s the perfect balance of detail and musicality (going in one direction usually takes away from the other). It turns out this was 1MORE’s intention. The MK802 was tuned by a Grammy-winning sound engineer: Luca Bignardi. Kudos to 1MORE for going to such lengths to ensure the best sound quality. Other vendors should be taking notes. 1MORE is not messing around and I have a feeling they’re soon going to be an even bigger player in the personal audio space.

When you Google “Best Bluetooth Headphone” you’ll most likely see that the Jabra MOVE wireless headphone ($99) is heavily revered. I figured this would be a great reference. I also had the Audio Technica ATH-DSR7BT ($299.99) and ATH-DSR9BT ($549) on hand. Let’s get to the comparisons.

vs. Jabra MOVE Wireless

• 1MORE MK802 has
  • much more resolution and air, dynamics, separation
  • a much lower noise floor
  • more bass, slam great sound
  • much more air, especially noticeable with brass and woodwinds
  • a cleaner sound
  • a more realistic and coherent sound
  • much better timbre and tone
  • a smoothness over the Jabra
• Jabra MOVE has
  • a ton of sparkle and treble energy
  • a slightly unnatural timbre. Voices and instruments don’t sound natural.
  • a thinner sound
  • an amazingly black background
  • a lack of coherence but a fun signature nevertheless
  • fantastic separation of actors
  • a more forward midrange
  • a more vintage and exciting sound

vs. Audio Technica ATH-DSR7BT

• The 1MORE MK802 has
  • more shine, crunch, and resolution
  • more treble energy and clarity but comes off a little bright and peaky at times
  • a much lower noise floor
  • better separation of instrumentation
  • more engagement and “fun-factor”
  • some harshness and edginess depending on the volume but never abrasive
  • a weightier and punchier bass response
  • better vocal and instrument reproduction and textures
  • more intelligible vocals
• The Audio Technica AT-DSR7BT has
  • more smoothness
  • a leaner sound
  • a more laid-back and relaxed sound

vs. Audio Technica ATH-DSR9BT

• The Audio Technica ATH-DSR9BT has
  • more coherence, grip, and smoothness
  • a more neutral sound
  • more nuanced and detailed while maintaining a 3D space
  • an unprecedented level of realism and air
  • more comfort
  • a slightly recessed midrange
  • more transparency, dynamics, and a lower noise floor
  • an incredible amount of depth and dimensionality
  • much more resolution
  • much lower and higher extension
• The 1MORE MK802 has
  • more punchy bass
  • more musical engagement
  • more tactility and comes off more visceral due to the denser tonality

Conclusion

Sometimes I’ll reach for the 1MORE MK802 over my $4,500 Abyss AB-1266 or even my Meze 99 Classics just due to the convenience of being wireless. With the MK802, I have piece of mind that there’s still charge and will provide me with hours of music. If you treat it as an on-ear headphone (by shifting the cups a bit forward or back), discomfort isn’t an issue, even with long-term listening.

The MK802 had the best bass out of all the Bluetooth headphones I tested (I kept it at its maximum position). It even rumbles better than some wired headphones. The mids are sweet and never overpowering. I was particularly impressed with its ability to retrieve the tiniest of details and the ease to which it resolves the delicate nuances of recordings. It could sound a tad edgy at higher volumes but at “safe” listening levels, this is a nonissue for me. Compared to other wireless headphones, the 1MORE MK802 just sounds better tuned and more like real music. Although it wasn’t as smooth as some of the other headphones, it’s very impactful and euphoric while remaining faithful to the harmony of the music. For that reason, it is my preferred Bluetooth headphone.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know the price of the MK802 during the review. I have so much gear coming in from various vendors, I usually just unpack, take photos, and listen. My guess would’ve been around the $400 mark. That said, the 1MORE MK802 ($149) sounds absolutely incredible, not just for the price, but in general. Take into account the build quality and packaging and I don’t know how these guys make money from this thing. In regards to sound quality, the MK802 will be my reference Bluetooth headphone for future reviews. 1MORE is now on my radar and I can’t wait to see what else they come up with.