1MORE is a brand we have enjoyed many a review in the past with the last model we covered being the 1MORE Fit SE Earbuds S30. In this review, we test out the 1MORE Sonoflow ANC which is the brand’s 1st over-ear headphones that come with ANC. The 1MORE SonoFlow are available in 3 colours – Black, Blue & Silver and is available via Amazon for £89.99.
First Impressions
1MORE keeps things simple with the design of the headphones and the provided app. The Sonoflow sound great and the ANC works well plus with 70 hours of battery life reduced to 50 hours if you use the ANC function. You will struggle to find fault with these overhead headphones that offer an amazing level of comfort all day long.
The 1MORE Sonoflow are a decent pair of all-rounders at a price point that won’t hit you hard in the wallet they are under that £100 mark which represents excellent value for money. You will also be pleased to know the 1More Sonoflow come with a compact and premium zip case with a hard shell to protect the headphones on the move. Also included in the case was the 2.5mm to 3.5mm AUX cable for wired listening and the USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
Design
The 1More Sonoflow has a simple design, quality hinges, and a matte-like finish on the plastic build, which has an outer finish that is smooth to the touch.
The earcups are made using soft memory foam, and inside the cup is a red fabric lining. They are fully adjustable and very lightweight, weighing only 250g. The soft earcups and cushioned headband will allow you to wear these for long periods without ear fatigue.
The only thing to consider is I could not find if they have an IP rating so consider this fact before purchase especially if you’re thinking of using them in the gym or get caught outside in the rain. This is the UK it a very high possibility this could happen.
As you might expect, all the controls can be found on the right earcup with the left earcup simply having the USB-C charge port. On the right cup, you have four physical buttons with the multifunction button acting as your power, play/pause and phone call control. Next to that are the volume controls which also double up to skip to the next track or jump to the previous track. Finally, you have the ANC button that multiple presses will switch ANC on/off and pass-through mode.
Features
When it comes to pairing these headphones when you switch them on for the first time they will automatically go into pairing mode. Just go into your settings on your phone click on the Bluetooth option and select 1More Sonoflow. Also, make sure you download the 1More app it’s vital when it comes to customisation such as EQ presets etc.
The 1More app is a little basic when you compare it to the offering from Jabra for example. The app provides a quick guide to using the headphones and allows easy access to listening modes such as ANC or transparency mode and firmware updates.
If you select the sound options you will find a selection of 12 EQ presets such as studio, classical, Bass Booster, and Hip-Hop. It’s nice to have the options but I would have liked to also have the chance to create a custom EQ.
Also in the app under the experimental features section, they have put the multipoint pairing which works well but I would hardly call it an experimental feature. The shortcut button allows you to switch on spatial sound or low latency when gaming.
Under the settings button, you will notice there is something called smart burn-in. What this is it allows the user to burn in their headphones. The point of burning in headphones is to stress the headphone driver and lose the diaphragm. It can be said that burn-in can improve the sound quality.
Another feature of the 1More SonoFlow is the battery life like the OneOdio Focus A5 the battery life is a feature you will be glad they provided and with 70 hours (ANC Off) or 50 hours (ANC On) and when testing these over the Christmas period 1More has been very accurate when it comes to the battery life. When you do get through all the battery life you find you are provided a USB-C charging cable and a five-minute charge gives you just under 5 hours of extra charge. If you need to fully charge these headphones you can do in just under 2 hours.
Last but not least the 1More SonoFlow are connected using Bluetooth 5.0 and is also supplied with a 2.5mm to 3.5mm TRS cable. It is worth knowing if you do use wired mode volume adjustment, track navigation will happen only via your mobile and ANC is not available at all.
Sound Quality
The 1More Sonoflow not only offers excellent sound which we will go into shortly but it also comes with ANC and the noise cancellation from these headphones did a very good job. When you consider these headphones are under the £100 mark they perform like they are more expensive.
I wore these in my home office and they cancelled out the noise my mini heater and when I took these with me on a train journey to London recently I was surprised by the level of unwanted noise that was completely drowned out and even when I was at London Liverpool St station yes some high-pitched noises could still be heard but when you stood in the same place with ANC on then switched it off you could notice a huge difference. If you are looking to enjoy your music or podcast without unwanted sound from the office or your daily commute these are well worth considering.
They also have a transparency mode for when you need to hear what is around you for example you are walking down a busy street or you’re at a station and are waiting for an announcement this mode makes an excellent effort in allowing you to hear what is around you and your favourite tracks at the same time.
When it came to audio quality, I listened to a wide range of music and also a few podcasts. The 1More Sonoflow comes with dual 40mm drivers, which provide the user with powerful bass and crisp, detailed highs. You will also notice that the 1More app gives you a range of EQ presets which did change the music. For example, listen to something with a strong bass level and turn on the “Bass Booster” preset and you are provided with an impressive thumping bass without distorting even at a high volume perfect for the bass heads among us.
If you were to listen to something more classical such as the Theme Tune From Schindler’s List by John Williams and select the “Classical” EQ preset this provided us with a rich and expansive quality to the sound and with more of a clear sense of definition.
Now these presets were a nice addition to have and you will enjoy trying them out. The presets are a great starting point for fine-tuning the 1More SonoFlow to your taste. If you want to go back to the default EQ settings simply just select the studio preset.
In addition to the EQ presets these headphones are also supported with Sony’s LDAC Hi-Res audio format as well as SBC & AAC codecs which is good news for iOS users. Unfortunately, they do not come with aptX Adaptive which will not please the Android users in the room. Now to fully benefit from Hi-Res Audio it’s important to use high-quality streaming services such as Tidal, Amazon Music or Apple Music as a platform such as Spotify is not known for its Hi-Res music library.
When it comes to the sound quality itself tracks with Sub-Bass content these headphones will deliver a powerful low-frequency response with bright highs. The bass doesn’t distort when the volume is at higher levels. Listen to something with far less deep bass in the track and this is where these headphones shine and you get a better sense of the sound signature listen to “Ed Sheeran Photograph”. The drums on this track get a good boost without sounding thunderous. This could be because the headphones sculpt the high-mids and highs to match. You also notice the drums get a little extra tap. Ed’s vocals get some low-mid richness as well as plenty of high-mid presence you still get a strong sense of clarity and definition.
Listen to something with more of a classical tone such as John Williams’s Theme From Schindler’s List and the track in these headphones comes across as bright and rich without the lows being overly emphasized but exhibiting some additional body.
Can you use these to make calls? These headphones allow you to make and receive calls and boost 5x ENC microphones (environmental noise cancelling). When testing the 1More Sonoflow when having a call I could still hear a few unwanted office sounds around me a quick work call was fine however I would question how useful they would be when on a conference call.
Verdict
The 1More SonoFlow are an excellent pair of headphones for anyone looking for a decent pair of over-ear ANC headphones without spending hundreds of pounds. At £89.99 it’s easy to see why we have awarded these our What Gadget Recommended Award.
They tick all the boxes when it comes to the features they provide I would like a bit more effort spent on the 1More app but for now it does what you want it to and the EQ presets work which is surprising compared to some brands that offer the same.
I was impressed with the depth of bass, crisp highs and LDAC support. The ANC quality is a lot better than I expected and the premium build quality makes these a stand-out pair of headphones. Improve the call quality a bit more and improve the app and this would be a 5-star review all day long!
Why should you buy these? Well if your budget is only £100 these are excellent value for money, incredibly comfy and fully adjustable. The 70-hour battery, excellent ANC and even a robust carry case mean these are perfect for the daily commute.
Product Rating
Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound Quality: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value For Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5 stars
The 1More SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones are available via Amazon for £89.99
Thanks for reading this review, please continue to support us and check out our other reviews and follow us on Social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below.
Recent Comments