Many premium headphones come with the likes of noise cancellation and Bluetooth. But the 1more triple driver in-ear earbuds take a different approach. The hi-res audio buds come in a wired earbud form factor, opting for a slimmer profile than on- or over-the-ear cans while upping the driver count. Read on the following 1More Triple Driver review to learn more.
1More Triple Driver Review
1. Design and comfort
When a piece of tech appears to deliver a little too much for your money, it’s probably because there’s a trade-off somewhere. In the 1more Triple Driver, this doesn’t come in the design, build, or presentation, however.
They sport a smart-looking two-tone look featuring gold and dark brown and are fashioned from aluminium. Next to true high-end triple-driver earphones such as the Shure SE535, they look rather normal in size too.
There are two practical knock-ons of the triple-driver array. First, pull the tips off and you’ll see the 1more Triple Driver have giant apertures. This isn’t native to multi-driver designs – the Shure’s apertures are tiny – but it’s all about how the engineers work out the interior design. According to 1more’s diagrams, the balanced armatures actually live in the ‘tube’.
There’s even a pair of chunky foam tips, which are what I’ve been using for the most part. The comfort is fine rather than great, but virtually all triple-driver earphones have some element of the fit that turns people off. Normally it’s a cable, which demands to run over your ears – something you don’t have to worry about with the 1more Triple Driver.
Isolation is only fair, too. That said, a decent amount of treble noise is attenuated so it isn’t a reason to walk away.
A short way down the 1more Triple Driver’s right bud there’s a three-button remote designed for iPhones and Android owners alike. You can play/pause button, and alter the volume. These buttons are gold, set to almost match the earpieces, and are made of aluminum rather than the usual plastic. The housing is plastic, which is a good decision when it would likely otherwise be too heavy.
2. Performance
Sound quality is where the 1MORE Triple Driver stands out. While the balanced but slightly warm sound signature didn’t blow us away at first, we came to appreciate the balance and detail provided by the Triple Drivers.
Music is exquisitely detailed with a good sense of space. Instruments are layered and complex songs don’t sound muddled as each instrumental layer remains audible. While there are more detailed in-ear headphones out there, you’ll have to pay much more for the minute increase in performance.
The mids are lush and work to highlight human voices. There’s a slight mid-bass bump that gives the 1MORE Triple Drivers a warm tonal balance, even more so than the 1MORE Quad Drivers.
Speaking of the Quad Drivers, the Triple Drivers can’t match them in terms of detail, space, or balance – but the differences between the siblings are so small that it’s really hard to fault the cheaper Triple Driver. If you want more overall refinement, detail and build quality, however, go for the Quad Drivers.
Bass is very good with great extension and impact. The mid-bass bump helps give the headphone an overall warm sound without it taking over.
Last but not least, the 1MORE Triple Drivers create a nice seal to help seal out noise. While they don’t feature any active noise cancellation, passive noise isolation is more than enough to drown out the world during your commute.
3. Sound quality
The 1more Triple Driver has two balanced armature drivers and one dynamic driver, the kind used in around 99% of earphones.
To reduce this to the basics, the balanced armature drivers are great for clarity and accuracy, the dynamic type better at delivering powerful bass. The dynamic one lives in the back part of the earpiece, while 1more’s own diagram makes it appear as though the balanced armatures sit right by your eardrum.
Either way, this kind of driver array is almost unheard of at this price. It’s important not to get duped by the superficial value-for-money factor, however. A 10-driver headphone could still sound poor.
The 1more Triple Driver is good-sounding earphones, but they don’t really belong in the company of other £300 triple drivers.
Stepping back for a minute, the 1more Triple Driver’s basic sound character is one with a focus on bass at the very top end of the mids and the treble.
Most triple-driver pairs have a much more balanced approach, typical of a true high-end earphone. The 1more Triple Driver is instead out to impress.
The accentuated high treble gives an impression of excellent detail, really making the texture of higher-register vocals apparent. On the other end of the scale, the robust bass is there to add a bit of fun and power to the 1more Triple Driver mix.
