When we received the 1MORE Colorbuds True Wireless In-Ear Headphones, we were quite excited to review them. They looked and felt great in our hands. Designed with exceptional attention to detail, these earbuds are a treat to look at. They come in four striking colors. Fortunately, we received the finest of them all, the Twilight Gold. The other three colors, Midnight Black, Spearmint Green and Sakura Pink, are almost as aesthetically pleasing as the gold, flaunting beautiful metallic finishes. For just $99, the Colorbuds are definitely not priced like a premium item but for sure come off as one.
Accessories
1MORE didn’t go over the top with their accessories but still went the extra mile. The buds come with six extra eartip sizes carefully sealed in a pouch. Additionally, you’ll find a warranty card, charging cable, instruction manual and a 1MORE sticker. The company could’ve taken the bare minimum route by not adding the sticker. But little gestures like these prove how dedicated a company is to providing its consumers nothing less than the best. While extra eartip sizes may be a common accessory these days, free merchandise isn’t as of yet. The instruction manual is translated in 12 languages, which further goes to show the thought and consideration put into the product.
Design
The 1MORE Colorbuds are designed in such a way that they exude sophistication. The body of the carry case is plastic but feels surprisingly expensive it feels in your hands. The plastic is thick and of premium quality. The carry case, despite being made from excellent quality plastic, manages to remain lightweight, small and portable.
The design of the carry case is fairly minimal. All it sports is a USB-C port on its back and a battery indicator LED in the front. Upon opening the case, press the battery indicator button to see how much juice is left. The magnetic case closes with a satisfying click. The earbuds also have magnets in them and produce a nice sound when tucked in correctly.
Ergonomics
The company boasts the Colorbuds’s ergonomic design that provides comfort and enhances portability. I fully agree with the company’s statement regarding the ease of sporting the buds thanks to their design. I worked out in these and felt like I was wearing a set of over-ear headphones. They barely moved! I have relatively small ears and most in-ear headphones always find a way to pop out. However, the Colorbuds stayed glued to my ears. The only downside of the design is the large size. In the age of striving for polarizing design, these big chunks of plastic are relatively hefty.
Pairing
This is my only major quibble with the Colorbuds. The pairing feature is pretty disappointing. Upon initiating the process, the light in the center of the carry case began to alternate between red and blue. This implied that pairing had begun. After the buds finally connected, they disconnected in just a few seconds. After a first few unsuccessful attempts, I finally got a stable connection. But it didn’t last long. Soon after pairing, one earbud disconnected on its own and I had to restart the pairing process. The company’s claim of instant pairing on lifting the lid of the carry case may have been a little exaggerated.
Controls
I have come to detest earbuds that have touch-enabled controls unless they’re designed extremely well. Touch panels tend to be finicky. You have to be very careful with your tap pressure and angle; one small mistake could activate voice assistance or skip a song. I prefer either tiny buttons that you can conveniently toggle or a touch panel that isn’t annoying. Navigation on the 1MORE Colorbuds certainly isn’t terrible, but it could be better. It took a while to acclimate to the pressure and directional sensitivity.
Audio
Considering the price range, the soundstage on these is impressive. Every instrument is given its own designated space and has a whole layer to itself. You can hear the vocals and instruments separately; they don’t compete for the stereo field. With a soundstage this wide, no part of the song felt clustered. 1MORE advertised a ‘full-range balanced armature delivering abundant details’ and they did not overstate anything here.
Playing Call of Duty, I realized that the low frequency response on these buds could have been better. It’s not terrible but it has room for improvement. The Colorbuds delivered pretty good treble and high-frequency sounds. Sadly though, explosions didn’t quite have that theatrical thump and I really felt its absence.
The wireless buds have an impressive SPL capability and the sound, as a result, was loud and clear. The volume levels are perfect for gaming or listening to music. Additionally, the sound leakage from the Colorbuds is close to none. During a test call, my friend concluded that about 80% of my background noise was muted. Considering that the earbuds don’t come with ANC technology, that’s a pretty good score.
Battery
I easily got five hours from fully charged Colorbuds. That’s a little less than their advertised six hours but just as impressive. I went four days without charging the carry case and still used the buds for around five hours per day. Battery-wise, it’s safe to say that the Colorbuds won’t disappoint.
Final Verdict
The 1MORE Colorbuds have their share of pros and cons. While their sound is great and battery life is impressive, their pairing process and controls need a major upgrade. All in all, considering the price point, the buds are nothing less than a steal.
Is It Hardcore?
Pretty much.
The Colorbuds may be lacking in terms of controls and the pairing process may need a complete redo, but their sound is immaculate. They also boast a visually appealing body, great design and a powerful battery.