INTRODUCTION

   I may not be much into wireless headphones/earphones while at home or the office but when working out, on foot or even while using public transportation that's a must for me so I’m always looking to get my hands on every new model i possibly can. Now as some of you may recall i did test the new Elite/Active 75t models by Jabra which i consider to be among the best ones in the market currently (review here/here) but the JBL Live 300TWS also performed extremely well (review here) so i was wondering if there was something even better out there. 1MORE claims that their current flagship model, the THX certified True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones (EHD9001TA) are just that (especially after their latest firmware update) so to see if they are correct, I’ve been using a pair of those since the beginning of September.

   1MORE specializes in acoustic design and development, smart software and wearable audio products. Born with a profound mission to deliver superior quality audio at a consumer-friendly value, 1MORE has shipped 38 million headphones globally in over 25 countries in just the past 4 years. Additionally, 1MORE’s products have received multiple industry and design awards including prestigious CES Innovation awards, RedDot, iF Design awards and other major industry accolades.

   The True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones by 1MORE were released earlier this year and right from the get go they amassed quite a few important awards including the 2020 VGP, CES Innovation and iF Design ones. To achieve this 1MORE used the tri-core QCC3034 programmable Bluetooth v5.0 Audio SoC by Qualcomm (features support for the aptX HD/AAC/SBC codecs, Kalimba DSP, cVc Noise Cancellation, Broadcast audio technology and the TWS and TWS Plus technologies) with two 10mm dynamic drivers paired with balanced armatures (20Hz-20KHz frequency response with 32Ohm impedance), dual noise-cancelling microphones and two 55mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which can keep the earbuds going for up to 6 hours (5 hours with ANC on). The True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones are also the world’s first THX certified true wireless headphones that also feature a full passthrough mode, proximity sensor and not one but two ANC modes (mild/strong thanks to the all-new QuietMax active noise cancelling technology suite which according to 1MORE combines hybrid ANC technology, dual driver sound, precise audio tuning, dual band ANC + wind noise reduction in one suite to produce the optimal HiFi audio environment. As with most high-end TWS models in the market 1MORE also bundles a small storage box (Qi charging compatible) with the EHD9001TA which also doubles as a recharging case and thanks to its 410mAh internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack it can provide up to a total of 22 hours of playback time to the earbuds. So, time to see if the True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones by 1MORE do indeed surpass their competition (a quick comparison with two of its immediate competitors can be found here).

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Just like with previous models the front of the box has a picture of the earbuds right next to the company logo and the main product features.

The product features and specifications are printed at the rear of the box in several languages.

Once again, the front opens up like a box to reveal both the product and several drawings (probably early ones).

Along with the two earbuds and the charging case contained inside the box are 3 sets of silicone triangular eartips, 4 sets of silicone circular eartips, 3 sets of silicone O-hooks, 1 set of silicone bullhorn hooks, carrying/storage pouch, USB type-c cable, 1MORE sticker, 2D barcode warranty paper and of course the user manual.

THE EHD9001TA

This may not seem as very important to some people but the fact that 1MORE bundles not 1 not 2 but a total of 10 different sets of eartips is quite impressive and should prove invaluable to some consumers.

The earbuds of the EHD9001TA weigh 7.9g each and unfortunately are not IP rated (the glossy part on the front of each earbud also doubles as the ANC and pass-through on/off button).

Each earbud measures 38x18x28.5mm in size and as you can see, they are quite bulky (even larger compared to the JBL Live 300TWS).

At the rear of each earbud we find the ENC microphone and the multifunction button (on/off, answer/end calls, activate voice control, next track and increase volume for the right earbud - on/off, play/pause, previous track and decrease volume for the left earbud).

A driver exhaust port is located at the top of the earbuds.

2 metal pins are placed at the rear of each earbud (probably parts of the infrared sensor).

3 charging pins are located on the interior of the earbuds.

Inside each earbud 1MORE has placed massive 10mm drivers which they've paired with their very own balanced armatures (that more than explains their size).

The 63.2g heavy charging case is long and short.

To have a better idea about its size i placed it right next to the charging case bundled with the JBL Live 300TWS.

This charging case has a charging LED at the front and the USB-C port at the rear.

It's also magnetic which means you just have to place the earbuds and they will get secured inside automatically.

1MORE MUSIC APP

To fully utilize the EHD9001TA you will need to download the 1MORE Music Android/iOS App.

Once you've enabled bluetooth on your smartphone the True Wireless ANC In-Ear Headphones will appear in the initial screen.

As you can see the main tab shows everything such as battery life for each earbud, ANC levels, pass-through mode, smart playback mode and of course available firmware updates (our sample had the latest one installed).

CONCLUSION

   The EHD9001TA happens to be a product I’ve been waiting 1MORE to ship over for months so when they finally did, I was very interested in seeing how it would perform. In that regard at least I am fully satisfied since it produced exceptionally clear and accurate mids and highs with a very good and deep amounts of bass. Really now I used the EHD9001TA with the M15 by FiiO and numerous FLAC tracks and the end result was superb. Unfortunately, however when used with a “regular” smartphone I found its volume levels to be less than what I’d like (for example the Elite 75t did better here than the EHD9001TA) and that somewhat disappointed me. Yes, I don’t know if the same applies for every smartphone out there but that’s what happened with mine (Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro/9 Pro). Overall, however no problems in the performance segment. Battery life is also very good even though you’ll probably never see even 5 hours from these earbuds (personally I recorded 4.5 hours without ANC turned on and less than 3.5 hours with it turned to strong mode – almost at 80% volume). One of the most important features of the EHD9001TA is its ANC and I have to admit that even at strong setting there’s no noticeable sound distortion/change than with it turned off. Unfortunately, and this is somewhat important for me, the EHD9001TA are not IP certified which means they may get damaged even while working out due to sweat. This of course is not ideal for a pair of high-end TWS earbuds so I really can’t figure out why 1MORE chose to go down that path instead of at least providing some protection.

   Currently you can grab the EHD9001TA TWS directly from 1MORE for a price of USD161.99 inside the USA (1MORE.com) and for 179.99Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price which is certainly balanced for what you’re getting. Yes, they may not be perfect but you’re still getting impressive audio quality, equally great 2-stage ANC, very good microphone ENC and good battery life and all these things make the EHD9001TA one of the best TWS models you can get today which is why they clearly deserve our Golden Award.

PROS

- Impressive Audio Quality (10mm Drivers / Balanced Armatures / THX Certified)
- QuietMax ANC (2 Stages / Zero Impact On Audio Quality)
- Passthrough Mode
- Dual Noise Cancelling Microphones (ENC)
- Battery Life (Up To 22 Hours Total)
- Great Fit (10 Different Eartips)
- Proximity Sensor
- Qi Charging
- Bluetooth v5.0

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Not IP Certified (Dust / Water Proof)
- Overall Size