1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones REVIEW Fantastic Quality Sound
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I have had the pleasure of testing numerous headphones over the past few years. At first glance, it may not seem that there are that many differences. However, the more you review and evaluate the headphones, you will start to notice some large and some subtle differences. The first step is to decide what type of headphones interest you. You can have intra-aural (in-ear phones/buds or IEM), supra-aural (on-ear) or peri-aural (around ear) styles. There are drastic differences between the above styles and the pros/cons are covered in detail in a variety of web sources. Personally, I never use the on-ear style as the bass, nor comfort are ever that good. I typically split my listening between in-ear style and over-ear style headphones. I had not found that “best” headphone until I was introduced to the Quad Driver IN-Ear Headphones from 1More.
When it comes to packaging, there is passable, there is attractive retail packaging and then there is plain simple pride. The products from 1More have gone beyond quality retail packaging, into the realm of quality. The cover of their package shows a larger than life version of the 1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones. It is glossy, shiny and the red accent stands out amazingly well on the flat black background. Your eye cannot help but be drawn to the headphone. I appreciate that the cover lets the visual representation of the headphone stand and they do not overwhelm you with details. The back of the slipcover is a different story, however. Flipping the packaging over, you will be met with the multi-lingual description of the product and many of the specifications of the product: In-ear style, weight 18.5g, In-Line remote control, microphone, 1.25-meter cable length, gold plated 3.5mm cord, and a promised frequency range 20–40,000 Hz. The design of the product is meant to provide some noise canceling ability while providing a very comfortable experience, even with prolonged use.
When you remove the slip cover, you will get to experience even more luxury from 1More. The black cover of the box is bound beautifully and feels like a hardback book. The front panel has a very appealing red tracing, akin to a heart rate rhythm strip. Along the side is a golden colored magnetic closure with “1 More Design” imprinted. Lift this up and open the book. Inside you will appreciate a creme colored background. To the left (the flap), you have a small paragraph from Luca Bigarndi, Grammy Winning Sound Engineer. To the right, you have the headphones and accessories.
1More provides a robust accessory package with this kit. In addition to the headphones, you receive a really nice leather storage case, an airplane adapter, a lapel clip, a 1/4″ adaptor and a total of 9 pairs of different ear tips: 14.5mm foam, 13mm foam, 11mm foam, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14.5mm silicone tips. The headphones are robust, built of a kevlar cable, which resists tangling. The ear pieces are designed for comfort, with a 45-degree bend to match the angle of the ear canal. Located 5 1/4″ from the right ear piece is the 1 9/16″ controller. The device will work with both android and apple to advance the track, move to the previous track and to adjust volume/make calls. With four included drivers in each of the earpieces, you can expect quality sound with the premium packaging. Add all of the above to the amazing design and these headphones really shine.
I tend to use the same songs to test all of my headphones. If you have read any of my reviews, you will know that I like Eagles “Hotel California,” Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Somebody to Love.” I typically also use “The Longest Time” by Billy Joel. To test the bass I have tended to use Dark Knight Joker Theme “Why So Serious,” the Gladiator Soundtrack and the opening scene Star Wars episode 3 Attack of the Clones. To test the quality of sound and upper range I tend to use Far and Away and Braveheart Soundtracks. I try to use similar songs to give the headphones/earphones etc a fair comparison. The 1 More in-ear earphones passed the above song tests with flying colors.
When it comes to music, audiophiles have as many opinions as there are websites. Although I have tested many headphones, I am no audiophile and will never claim to be. However, I use their advice to broaden my scope and to evaluate/learn about new songs and headphone abilities. This is how I learned about soundstage. These headphones have an amazing soundstage ability. To test this, please navigate to Yosi Horikawa’s Wandering EP and listen to the variety of sounds (Bubbles, Wandering, Letter, In The Distance). You will think ping pong balls are dropping all around you or people are walking around you. Additionally, listen to Yosi Horikawa’s Kingdom of Frogs song or you can listen to Altered Tensions-Testarossa for a really interesting constellation of noises. For a really creepy experience, go to Audiocheck.net and listen to their knocking demonstration (Original Binaural recording). You will possibly jump the first time. If you are still uncertain about soundstage, this is the quality that you can hear sounds as if they are in the environment. The most basic explanation I have encountered is deep/full 3D surround sound.
To test the range of the headphones, I use the Audiocheck.net site. Using the Test file 10–200 Hz Sweep + Voice Over, I was able to confirm the lower range of the device to be at 20Hz. Humans cannot hear below 20Hz and this is an accurate portrayal. The bass of these quad drivers is very strong and as long as you have a good fit with your ear canal, you will truly enjoy songs like never before. I found that there was no sound from 10Hz-20Hz and thus there was no appreciable harmonic distortion. If concerned, you can use the same site to evaluate for distortion.
Even though most of my headphones have drifted towards the wireless/Bluetooth types, due to the iPhone 7/7plus removal of the 3.5mm port, I still have some wired varieties. I am thankful that Apple included the lightning to 3.5mm dongle. For those of us who have the iPhone 7/7 plus, the dongle allows us to use the 3.5mm attachment. Truthfully, this adds very little to the length of the cord. I am a huge fan of the in-line controller of this device. Typically the controller adds weight to one side of the earphones and causes drag on that ear. I did not really notice much effect on these earphones. The angle of the earphones and the variety of tips encourage a better/lasting fit. I did not experience ear fatigue with these, even listening at an hour. In fact, I was able to run on the treadmill with these in my ears, without feeling that they were going to fall out.
These headphones are superior to the triple driver 1More headphones and may be the best earphones I have tried to date. There is no power, no battery, nor anything to charge. These headphones are simple to use and powerful in sound. Additionally, the Kevlar based cables prevent the earphones from becoming tangled. Without Bluetooth connection/interference, the 1 More Quad Drivers do not suffer from video to sound lag. There are many wireless in-ear headphones, typically those using less than Bluetooth 4.0, that have disparate sound/video connection. This has proven time and again to be an annoyance.
If you are looking for a corded pair of headphones that provides dynamic sound, quality soundstage, rich full bass and accurate instrumentals, look at the 1More Quad Drivers. I appreciate the effort from Luca Bignardi in the design of the headphones. The controller is useful without being overly heavy and the earphones remain secure and comfortable as well. The microphone seems to pick up on the voices of the caller without catching much ambient noise. I have never liked this style of microphone for calls. My wife noted it was much less tinny and weird than some of the other headphones. She felt it was an improvement. Combine the quality of the 1More Quad Driver set with the Belkin Lighting to double lightning adapter and you can charge while listening. This will allow you to get more listening time.
After testing the device, I feel that these are a definite winner in the headphone market. I would rate the device at 5/5 for the quality of sound, weight, and packaging.
Learn More about 1More by visiting their website.
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Originally published at macsources.com on March 10, 2017.
