Reviews

21 Best Sounding True Wireless Earbuds (2020)

1More True Wireless ANC IEM

Setup

These earphones sound very different depending on which of the four modes you have activated. Unfortunately, you’ll have to traverse the modes if they’re placed back in the case.

  • Normal: This more has a balance towards the treble. Timbre is a mess and the mids are a bit coarse, wiry, and recessed. It lacks solidity, warmth, and coherence. Bass is really light in this mode.
  • ANC Mode 1: Way too much bass but warmer and more forward. Mids are still a bit coarse.
  • ANC Mode 2: Better than both normal and ANC #1. A good balance of bass, forwardness, warmth, and density. You do lose quite a bit of treble and midrange detail, however.
  • Ambient Mode: There are weird thinness and bulge in the sound. Sounds close to the normal mode.

Listening will be done in ANC Mode 2.

Sound

Although not the blackest of backgrounds, the first thing I noticed is how well it resolves details – if you’re paying close attention. Although it doesn’t have that golden hue, there’s more tangibility and apparent resonances, especially with piano recordings. There isn’t a lot of air but plenty of smoothness and resolution. It’s not very tactile or “stringy” so delineation comes off a little soft. The edges of the sound seem to have more density than the midrange – so voices will come off clean and clear but flat.

In ANC #2, you’ll get thick warmth and an overall soft and cozy atmosphere. Bass is also quite punchy in this mode (especially in comparison to “normal” mode). In the end, there’s something a little off about how the music is imaged. Drums and strings would appear in the foreground when they’re supposed to be balanced on the sides and the mids seem a little further back at times. Nevertheless, I still found the 1More to be engaging enough.

Comparisons

  • 1More Stylish True Wiress: The Stylish doesn’t get as loud and is thick cross the board while the ANC has more clarity and shine in the midrange. The ANC separates the mids and bass much better – and is a clear upgrade.
  • Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless: The 1More sounds closer to a reference system. Even in ANC #2 mode, the 1More blows the Sennheiser out of the water with more texture, dimension, focus, and better tone. It sounds far more nuanced in comparison. The Sennheiser sounds dull, sleepy, and soft.
  • Bose Soundsport Free Wireless: The Bose has more bass thump, proper shine, and coherence over the 1More. The Bose is more forward while the 1More is more recessed with some coarseness. The 1More has more tonal color and clarity, but not nearly as smooth. The 1More sounds a bit messy while the Bose is 100% analog.
  • Jabra 65t: More colorful over the Bose Soundsport Free, but not as smooth. Flatter and not as dynamic as the 1More ANC but has more sparkle.
  • Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro: 1More has a flatter sound (not as spacious) but more solid and forward. In ANC #2, it sounds more neutral, relaxed, and smoother. The Soundcore is more “alive” and precise. It builds up the atmosphere and tone of the recordings in a more vibrant fashion.

Side Notes

  • It’s hard to get a good fit with these IEMS for some reason. I had to use a smaller tip. Might be due to the vertical nozzle shape.
  • When you take an earbud off, the music will pause, and you’ll have to double click to replay. Most TWS earbuds would just continue playing.

Who should buy this?

As far as sound quality, I wouldn’t pay full retail price for these. Each mode has its own sound and it’s tough to be a consistent listening experience with the 1More ANC TWS earphones. Optimistically speaking, you have four modes to choose from (lol). It does sound more natural than half of the buds on this list but also has its own problem with articulation and coherence. Perhaps some of these issues could be solved with a firmware update. We’ll see.

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Jay Luong

Mr. Audio Bacon himself. An open-minded electrical engineer and software developer by trade. I have an obsession with the enjoyment of all things media - specifically in the realm of music and film. So much heart and soul (and money) go into the creation of this artistry. My aim is to find out which products get me closer to what the musicians and directors intended.

View Comments

  • Very nice article and I tend to agree with most if not all your assessments. I own most of these headphones and am a headphone addict. Clearly sound and headphones reviews are very subjective. I appreciate all your efforts here! Well done!

  • I think this is probably the best audio review comparison for a buyer that I've ever read. No. Not probably. Actually it is the best. That's because you've written the good AND the bad about every product. Never said one item is better absolutely. Explained what you liked and why, which is VERY important as I might like something that you don't. Though most importantly, you compared the items at the end with both the good and bad points in a comparative way. This grouping of descriptions and comparisons actually makes your ranking list not very useful and confusing, BUT! makes the whole review useful and informative and can help a person decide which product THEY would like. I still like my old Wf-1000x buds but was looking for something, probably by now, better. By reading your reviews I might actually rank the new Sony buds as number one (though I'd have to hear them of course). The beauty of your reviews is that I can actually get some idea of what I WOULD actually like and what to try first. Awesome writing and well thought out.

    • Thank you, Mark. It's interesting because some days, I don't mind having something further down the ranking list for the "unique" qualities it presents. It's sometimes about the mood or about the appreciation of a certain type of sound. Although I prefer a more natural sound, I sometimes still enjoy the "fantasy" that some of these headphones provide. It amazes me how much information is capture by the microphone - which I don't think even the performers or engineers knew about. I did perform this experiment for my own record keeping. Figured it'll give me a good reference point for things I hear in the future. Everyone enjoys music differently and I'm glad I was able to help.

  • Great review. I have settled on 3 sets of earbuds for my everyday use.

    1. Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro - For home use. I agree wholeheartedly about your remarks regarding these earbuds, and now Soundcore has added a 7 band EQ allowing you to custom eq them, so that's fantastic. Their relatively weak IPX rating and substandard call performance keeps them from being my "go to" phones, but when I am at home, these are the ones I pick up.

    2. Sony WF-1000XM3 - Although not as good sounding as the L2P, The sublime ANC of these buds makes these my default travel gear, edging out my Bose QC35ii over the ear cans. The sound isolation on these is actually better than my Bose. And the portability of them is self evident. No IPX rating makes them strictly for plane trips and similar use cases. Definitely a niche product, but once you travel with ANC, there's no going back.

    3. Soundcre Liberty Air 2 - These are my default "out and about" phones. The slight trade off in sound quality is more than offset by the smaller case, stronger water resistance and call quality. The soundcore app allows you to EQ them quite a bit, so I can get good sound even in environments that are not conducive to it.

    • I've bought a pair before. I don't think it's worth comparing to the ones up here. Not super great in my opinion

  • I have been looking for exactly such an analysis. I have been looking for a TWS for exactly the same purpose as yours except that call quality is a semi-important factor. I mostly use iFi xDSD for Bluetooth receiver with JVC FD0X or Sony MD855. Anyway, it would be interesting if you could rate Galaxy bud live that has an open design with a bass duct and 12mm driver. My interest in it for its call quality and I heard it is better than galaxy bud+. Thank you.

  • Thank you so much for your review man!!!! I tried many earbuds and the M&D MW07 GO is a clear win on sound quality in my opinion! So detailed, precise, layered, immersive and just beautiful sound in all genres. I can hear many new sounds in the same old songs and music that I listen over and over again. I have been a Bose fan for so long but M&D will be my new faith on sound quality. Thank you for such a professional and honest review!!! Appreciate it!!!

  • This is has become my go to reference source - the care and attention to detail that went into this is amazing; so, Thank You! I have always struggled with pure ranking lists and have been skeptical of kickback bias. I have been on a quest to find the highest call/mic quality without sacrificing my music preferences. This has served as a good cross-reference. I was generally happy with the Momentum TW's call-wise; however, was never a big fan of how music sounded through them (although I really wanted them to be good). That combined with the flaws ("volume min / volume min / volume min") drove me away. I am on the phone all day for work and like to listen to music in between. I'm currently using Jabra 75t's and they seem pretty good for both purposes - the extra bass doesn't bother me too much but heavier music tends to sound a little muddled to my liking.

    Has anyone else had good experiences with TWS with the right call quality / musicality balance? Always open to opinions and suggestions.

    Thanks!

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