1MORE SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones

So many headphones, so little time. Aw, what am I saying? We always have time for lazing around while listening to a new pair of headphones (while being able to say that we are busy working). In that, we tend to do that a lot thanks to the unlimited number of models that are out there in the world. Now 1MORE, a company with a notable reputation, has added one more to the mix with the 1MORE SonoFlow Wireless ANC Headphones.

That’s right. Another pair of ANC headphones to choose from in today’s product lines. ANC is taking over as more of a common feature now. No longer limited to expensive brands like Bose or Sony. Now, it all just comes down to “how much” ANC you are looking for. This helps to determine how much you can plan to spend.

The SonoFlow headphones are an inexpensive model that brings with them many features that one would find attractive. Features like ANC (of course) as well as up to 70 hours of listening time. All in a comfortable design.

That design includes incredibly soft pleather padding for both muffs and under the headband. By soft, I mean it feels a lot like a lamb-skin jacket cut thin, turned into a pillow, and packed with the most comfortable foam. I might be a little over-the-top in my description, but it really does help translate my own feelings about wearing them or running my fingers across the pads.

Overall, the design features some common approaches while maintaining a somewhat unique visual throughout. The color tones are balanced nicely and the materials used feel durable while also lightweight. Allowing the headphones to both look good to the eyes and also feel good on your noggin.

They come in a nice carrying case that allows them to fold up and take a little less space while storing them. The muffs are labeled for each side and so is the carrying case. This way there is no questioning which what they are supposed to properly fold to pack inside (unlike some of the Bose models that may take a few tries to fold them in the right direction).

Even the case looks great, featuring a nice brushed or “jean” pattern through out. It is semi-hard and perfectly durable for protecting them while they are stored away inside any style of bag (ie, backpack) or case (ie, carry-on or Pelican, etc).

All-around they look nice, feel nice, and weigh hardly a thing.

They feature USB-C charging (this is finally starting to become a thing across most devices) with quick-charging. Allowing you to get up to 5 hours of listening with just 5 minutes of charge (on a proper wall adapter that also supports this).

You have the minimal buttons that one would need, including a power button (that also acts as your play/pause for tracks or answering/rejecting phone calls), two volume buttons (that also act as your previous/next track), and an ANC button that switches between the ANC modes (on, off, or transparency mode).

A wired-connection (wire included) is available for wired listening. This allows the headphones to work with any device, even if it doesn’t support Bluetooth.

There are 5 ENC microphones spread throughout the headphones that help to cancel out background noises during phone calls as well as assist you in hearing your environment when transparency mode is enabled.

Beyond the carrying case, it also comes with that USB-C cable as well as the 2.5mm to 3.5mm cable for wired devices (as I just pointed out). It also has simple instructions and a card with company/contact information.

Performance

The battery life is absolutely one of my favorite things to discuss with this model. It offers up 50-70 hours of listening depending on if ANC is enabled or disabled. So if you just want to use them for normal listening, they will last for what feels like forever. Having the quick charge support helps a lot as well, helping to maintain a modern design.

My colleague compared the headphones to Audio-Technica’s Sound Reality model when it comes to battery life since it too can provide up to 70 hours of listening time. They actually do compare in various ways, although the A-T model sounds better while this one offers a few more features, including ANC (where the A-T model does not). Offering for a decent balance in features comparing the two side-by-side.

This is where EQ comes into play. They offer 12 different EQ settings within the app that you can select between. Giving you some of the most common scenarios (although, most of us have agreed that having a custom EQ would be better). These EQ options are noticable and help a bit depending on the genre of music you are listening to. I’ll speak more about the app in a moment.

Update: 1MORE has updated the firmware to allow for custom EQ! Users can not create their own EQ for their own personal preferences. Both the app (v4.7.3+) and the firmware of the headphones (v1.0.5+) need to be updated for this feature to work.

One of the company’s highlights is the fact that the headphones support Sony’s LDAC Bluetooth codec. A codec that comes with support for up to 990 kbps and 24 bit 96.0 kHz audio while using them wireless with a device that also supports LDAC (which most flagship phones do). This makes for a big deal, although you have to enable it in the app (and possibly your Bluetooth settings as well), as you can see in the above two images.

Having support for LDAC is a premium feature for making sure you squeeze as much as you can out of that Bluetooth signal. You are still limited to the overall range of the headphones themselves, but it at least lets you maximize that.

As for that range, these headphones seem to feature your common smile-curve when it comes to EQ. They have crisp highs and noticable lows. The mids, however, are just ok. This is quite common in most affordable models in the market.

ANC is also just ok. This is where you ask yourself “how much” ANC do you need? If you a decent amount covers you, then so do these headphones. As that feels like a good word to summarize the ANC effect down to. Decent. It won’t compare to the likes of Bose or Sony, but it also comes in at a third of the cost (or less, depending on which model you compare them to). The ANC isn’t exactly entry-level, but it only barely comes close to mid-range at the same time. So they fall somewhere in between. The benefit of this is that they don’t sound or feel as awkward with it enabled.

The Transparency Mode does its job well. Allowing you to hear everything around you. In case you want to be aware of what’s going on around you while still being able to listen to your favorite tunes. Phone calls sound pretty decent as well. It won’t be the absolute best experience for the other person on the line, but they hold up to most models within this price range.

The App

You may be familiar with the app if you’ve owned any previous 1MORE model that supports the company’s app. The app will automatically identify the model you are listening to and provide you with the options it supports. Including the 12 channels of EQ, ANC mode options, enabling LDAC, and checking for any firmware updates. You’ll also find “Soothing Sounds” in there, although you likely won’t use that much for an over-ear model like this (I guess it all depends on each individual though).

Again, it would have been nice to have a custom EQ option in the list so that you can play with it manually. I think this could help dial them in to the best possible performance for each individual. However, they at least give you plenty of options to pick from. (Again, this feature has been added in a firmware update)

The app also walks you through using the various function of the headphones (ie, the functions of each button). Offering a quick tutorial the first time you load the app with the headphones connected.

Our Conclusion

These headphones are very comfortable and lightweight. Allowing you to listen for hours at a time without being physically worn out by them. The battery life is wonderful and so is having a decent amount of ANC for noisier environments. Having LDAC support is nice as well.

I just wish it had that custom EQ option so that you can dial it in further. Each person hears a little differently, so this would help squeeze the most out of them. Update: This feature has been added, beefing up the quality of this model a bit. This has risen the score (below) some.

They do currently have a coupon that allows you to save $20 in your purchase (at the time of writing this). You just enter “SONOFLOW20” via the 1MORE website or clip the coupon on Amazon page if ordering from there. This allows you to get the most value out of your investment with this model.

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