Archives for February 2019

Best Neckband Headphones Under $150?

For the longest time, I’ve been wanting to review wireless headphones in a neckband design. Then at CES 2019, the opportunity presented itself, which leads us to the Dual Driver BT ANC Headphones from 1MORE USA. This style of headphone is becoming more commonplace as the mobile phone makers have jumped into the audio accessories market. So without further delay, let’s take a closer look at this 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC headphones review.

1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC Headphones Review

What You Need To Know About Operation

1. To pair the headphone to your mobile device, press and hold the power button for two seconds. You should hear “1MORE” shortly afterward. Head to the Bluetooth Settings on your mobile device and pair to 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC. See the user guide for unpairing.
2. Controls are on the left-hand side of the headphone. On the wider portion is the volume rocker switch and the play/pause button. Press the button once to play pause, twice to advance a track, and three times for the previous track.
3. You can also adjust the volume via your mobile device. These headphones can produce thunderous audio so be aware before you go damaging your eardrums.
4. The play/pause button controls phone calls too. Press once to answer a call, once more to hang up, and press and hold to decline a call.
5. On the thinner portion of the controls are the power on/off button. Pressing for two seconds will turn on the device, while four seconds will turn it off.
6. Next to the power on/off button is the noise cancellation switch. Within this control, there’s a low-frequency reduction and an environmental sound enhancement feature.
7. Finally at the end of the left headphone is the hidden USB-C charging port.
8. Playtime lasts for seven hours. Charging of the headphones takes approximately one hour. A solid red light indicates when the battery is charging, while no light indicates when the charge is full. A 10-minute charge will lead to three hours of additional battery life.

Design and Features

Nowadays there are a lot of brands who manufacture neckband headphones. From a design perspective, they’re far from equal. With regard to pricing, I’ve learned that neckband headphones range from a low of $30 all the way up to $400.

The 1MORE Dual Driver ANC BT headphones come with a soft, flexible, and rubbery neckband and hard metallic-looking end pieces. As described above, all controls and ports are on the left-hand side leaving the right side smooth and clean. In comparison, neckbands like the Audio-Technica ATH-DSR5BT and the Sennheiser HD1 In-Ear Wireless don’t have metallic ends, thus making them appear less attractive. (They also come at a higher price.) The quality of workmanship from 1MORE is high, with button and switch placement handled quite well.

Unlike similar models, the earbuds are angled and noticeably so to better fit your ears. Ear tips come in 10.5, 12.5, and 15.5 mm while ear secures come in 18, 19.5, 21.5, and 23 mm. There’s a fourth pair of ear tips included which arrive on the headphones. Unfortunately, I cannot determine its size, but I suspect it’s either 12.5 or 14 mm. Sadly there are no Comply foam ear tips included.

Going for a run? Then insert a pair of ear secures onto the headphones. When used on a treadmill, I didn’t feel the need for ear secures as the headphones held in place. I’d say it’s a personal choice whether or not to use them.

When not in use, there’s the magnetic locking feature, which you don’t see often enough.

Now, these headphones do lack wear detection, and that’s fine. One shouldn’t expect every available feature. What they do have is an automatic shutoff for when the headphones are away from the source for more than 5 minutes. This way the battery won’t drain.

Auto noise canceling (ANC) worked well, but in my testing, this feature wasn’t even needed. When wearing this headset in my gym without ANC, I could barely hear those around me or the background music. I did hear (and feel) the dumbbells hitting the ground though. ANC added a bit more closure from my surroundings.

There’s a low-frequency reduction feature which removes a bit more bass, plus there’s an environmental sound enhancement feature to bring in some ambient background audio.

The 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC headphones are currently available in one color: black and silver.

1MOREAssistant App

There’s an accompanying 1MOREAssistant App for use with the Dual Driver BT ANC headphones. There doesn’t appear to be much here within the app other than a Smart Burn-In feature. According to the main screen, you’ll need to connect the headphones to your mobile phone with the provided cable for the burn-in function to work.

Specifications

What’s In The Box?

Amazon Music Playlist

Audio Performance

In my opinion, the most critical factor regarding headphones is sound quality. The 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC in-ear headphones were tested across music from the artists and playlists listed above.

Now, I would have been remiss if I didn’t test these headphones against two of the hotter albums of the day. Halsey’s album hopeless fountain kingdom was a joy to listen to. I don’t say this because she’s the hottest female (or male) solo artist out there today. I say it because the album is a great listen and sounds even better with the Dual Driver BT ANC. Oddly enough, Halsey’s album is two years old while Queen’s album has music going back 30-40 years. You can thank the blockbuster film Bohemian Rhapsody for bringing Queen back to the limelight.

The first thing I noticed was the depth of the bass and percussion reproduction. I’ve never heard bass this clear from an in-ear headphone before. Most impressive. It’s what you get with a 13.6 mm dynamic driver and proprietary balanced armature. And this didn’t short change the quality of her vocals or the keyboards in any way. I found myself going back to the previous tracks and listening to them over and over again.

The Bohemian Rhapsody Soundtrack from Queen was a gem to listen to. On this album, we get a combination of studio and live tracks offering much diversity. Sit back for an hour and be transported back to the 1980s and their Live Aid performance. You won’t regret it.

After having listened to Dark Pop, EDM Favorites, and Caffeine for Your Ears Amazon Music playlists, I can report that this headset has wholeheartedly exceeded my expectations. Overall, the audio was high-quality and distortion free.

All of my testing was done via Bluetooth. I didn’t feel the need to test via cable, even though this method produces better audio.

Conclusion

From a physical design perspective, the 1MORE neckband headphones are about as good as they get, especially when compared against their competitors.

With the available variety of ear tips and secures, the comfortable fit you seek is within reach. Even after a couple hours of continuous use, which is plenty for most of us, you won’t be complaining. Features like the magnetic catch, quick charge, and automatic disconnect when out of range for 5 minutes, add to the appeal of the Dual Driver BT ANC.

Audio out of the 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC was a home run with its highly detailed sound quality. I doubt you’ll find Bluetooth audio this rich with or without dual drivers. You definitely won’t want to power them off after returning from lunch.

To some, the value proposition is the most important consideration. If you’re paying $50 for neckband headphones, then they’re anything but the best sounding neckband headphones available. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. Fortunately for these headphones, you get far more than what you pay for. I have no issue with the $150 price, and neither should you. Heck, even the packaging is top notch.

What do you think of this 1MORE Dual Driver BT ANC review? Do you agree or disagree with our verdict? Let us know in the comment section below or via social media. We’re eager to hear your thoughts.

Don’t hesitate to head over to 1MORE USA’s Blog and Review Pages to read the latest announcements. These headphones come with a one-year limited warranty.

FTC Disclosure: 1MORE provided Beantown with one (1) Dual Driver BT ANC headphones sample for review purposes. This writer’s opinion is 100% his own and not a paid product ambassador.

All photographs are the copyrighted property of Beantown LLC © 2019.