The 1MORE brand expanded the range of TWS headphones by launching the ComfoBuds Mini model sales. They support active noise cancellation and are made in a compact package. Of the features, proprietary technology for improving the quality of voice transmission and adjustable noise reduction modes are also noted.
ComfoBuds Mini provide comfort and a secure fit thanks to their small size, ergonomic design and four sizes of silicone ear tips.
1MORE ComfoBuds Mini uses QuietMax Active Noise Cancellation technology with feed-forward and feedback microphones to reduce ambient noise, create a quiet zone, improve music sound and call clarity. The maximum depth of noise reduction is 40 dB.
The ComfoBuds Mini is equipped with multiple listening modes to meet noise cancelling needs in different scenarios, such as crowded public transport, a noisy street, or a noisy office, allowing you to control how much of the world you want to hear.
- Strong ANC mode: No noise, no distractions. Disconnect from the world and focus on your content, even in noisy airports or subways.
- Soft ANC mode: Provide peace of mind while relaxing in a crowded coffee shop or brainstorming in a busy office.
- Wind noise protection mode: This helps reduce the annoying low-frequency rumble that occurs at high speeds or from the wind. You can enjoy the clear sound when cycling and running in windy conditions.
- Transparency mode: You don’t need to take off your headphones. Transparency mode amplifies the sound around you, allowing you to reconnect with your surroundings, so you don’t miss airport broadcasts or a quick chat with passing friends.
Â
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Super small and lightweight | Average battery life |
| Good ANC for cost | No EQ presets |
| Excellent wearing comfort | no aptX |
| Wireless charging | |
| IPX5 rating |
Specification
| 1More ComfoBuds Mini | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | 1More |
| Total weight | 42.3 g |
| Headphone weight (single) | 3.7g |
| Body weight | 34.9 g |
| Headphone size | 17×15×13 mm |
| Case size | 56.5×50×24.5 mm |
| Battery capacity (single) | 34mAh |
| Case battery capacity | 440 mAh |
| Headphone charging time | 70 min |
| Impedance | 32 ohm |
| Frequency Range | 2.400GHz ~ 2.4835GHz |
| Input | 5V 0.7A |
| Bluetooth version | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth range | 10m (open space) |
| Codecs | HFP / A2DP / AVRCP |
| Playtime (ANC off) | 6 hours |
| Playtime (ANC on) | 5 hours |
| Fully charged headphones and case | 24 hours |
| Audio codec | AAC / SBC |
Design
With the naming of the size, everything that is optically important for the 1More ComfoBuds Mini has been said. A single earbud measures a super slim 18 x 17 x 18 mm (L x D x H), making it the smallest headphone we have tested. According to 1More, even the smallest on the market. The earbuds sink entirely into the ear. In any case, there is not much missing from a hearing aid.
1More has placed the charging contacts, a proximity sensor and the obligatory letter for the respective side in the earbuds. The 1More logo is located on the outer surface and a white status LED is on a touch surface. An aluminium grille with a diameter of 6 mm is used at the loudspeaker output.
Inside the status LED and next to one of the charging contacts are the holes for the microphones, of which two are installed per headphone despite the limited space .
That’s it for the earbud; let’s get to the station. This is not that small, rather average. The whole thing measures 56 x 50 x 24.5 mm (L x W x D), but it doesn’t necessarily have to be much smaller.
The features at the station are also average. A multicolored status LED on the front, accompanied by the 1More lettering, a Type-C connector on the bottom and a button on the right flank.
Headphones and fingers have enough space; everything can be handled comfortably. Unfortunately, there is no space for molded foam earplugs. Rubber or silicone will do, but the stiffer foam plugs are too bulky.
There is a great feeling when opening the lid because the magnetic snap-in point is stable when it is fully opened and makes it possible to lay the station down with the lid open.
Headphones Includes:
- Charging station (440 mAh)
- 4 pairs of attachments (XS, S, M, L)
- Guarantee card
- Multilingual operating instructionsÂ
- USB Type-C to USB-A charging cable (30 cm)
Comfort
Small, handy and light at 3.7 grams. The 1More ComfoBuds Mini are hardly noticeable in the ear. Screwed incorrectly, there is no pressure on the ear even after a long-wearing period. Everything is where it belongs.
Movements during sports and other activities also leave the earbuds cold. Due to the close fit to the auricle, they develop very little of their pull in any direction. What others solve with ear hooks, the ComfoBuds Mini manage with their small dimensions.
Another advantage of the size is, of course, the compatibility with different ears. These earbuds should probably also fit children but at least cover most adult ears.
A disadvantage of the small design is the lower protection provided by the rubber attachments for the aluminium grille. The grille is somewhat exposed at the front; there is no real crumple zone for dirt before it hits it.
Of course, you don’t have these problems at the station. The shape and size fit perfectly into the trouser pocket, and the low weight of 34.9 grams is almost irrelevant. If you want to criticize something, then a slight accumulation of fluff in all corners.
They are coming back to clean up the buds. Small amounts of water are acceptable for this. 1More provides the earbuds with the usual IPX5 protection. You have to be more careful at the station; this again has no verified water protection.
Connectivity
1MORE ComfoBuds Mini does not need to be turned on manually. They are independently activated and even automatically pair with each other immediately after opening the lid. The case has a button to quickly “hang” the earbuds to another Bluetooth device without removing them from the case. ComfoBuds Mini also turns off by themselves once in the charging unit.
Manual control is carried out by clicking on the sensors. Thus, you can answer the call, end the connection, turn the player on or off, and activate the voice assistant. These are the default settings, and you can influence them if you use the proprietary 1MORE Music utility with some useful options.
In particular, the IR sensor allows smart playback technology to control the audio stream, turning off and even turning on the music when you take the headset out of your ears and put it back in. In the application, the user can choose only autopause, full auto control, or turn off the smart function altogether.
And then, there is a section with custom sensor settings. You can bind new functions to be double and triple pressing it. For example, volume control or track change. Few manufacturers allow the buyer to program the sensors of TWS headsets manually, but this is a beneficial option.
There are two 1More Apps, 1More MUSIC and 1More Assistant. This app works without creating an account and gives the user access to many more settings than the standard touch controls allow. The various ANC modes can be switched through here; it is also possible to update the firmware or change the touch assignment.Â
Back at 1MORE Music, a mini-library of soothing sounds contains dozens of high-quality ASMR tracks in the vein of “rain noise” or “a gentle breeze.” Each lasts about half an hour. You can meditate under these tracks or turn it on before bed to calm your nerves.
The 1MORE Music app displays the charge level of the headset and case, helps you update the device’s firmware, and contains a detailed guide on its operation and a few more features. It is convenient and intuitive, but there may be problems regarding the stability of the connection with the headset.
Sound
So far, the size has given the ComfoBuds Mini some advantages. But when it comes to sound, more significant drivers are usually better. To mitigate the disadvantage somewhat, a graph driver is used. However, their diameter is only 7 mm.
The lack of high-resolution audio codecs is a bit of a shame. The ComfoBuds Mini has neither LDAC nor LHDC, not even aptX. Instead, you use SBC and AAC, which is at least combined with a Bluetooth 5.2 chip.
It’s amazing what you can get out of the headphones, especially in the low range. So don’t expect anything wild, and you’ll be surprised with strong bass and balanced mids. Even the treble range is primarily convincing and only loses a bit of precision in the last meters. All of this is maintained across the board, even at maximum volume.
The selling feature of 1MORE headsets is QuietMax’s development – a hybrid noise reduction system so complex and cunning that it’s time to devote a separate article. In general terms, QuietMax combines dual-driver playback technology, a built-in tuner for sound quality calibration, two-way ANC (Active Noise Cancelling), and a wind noise reduction process using speakers in one bottle.
By default, with ANC turned off, ComfoBuds Mini works like standard in-ear headphones from the mid-budget segment: well-defined frequencies, juicy but not too assertive sound range, and correctly balanced. No ear-cutting peaks, no dirty rattling at maximum volume.
But as soon as you go into 1MORE Music’s “listening modes” and activate hybrid noise reduction, the soundstage is saturated with surprisingly deep, velvety bass. The inclusion of ANC, the sound quality does not deteriorate due to the degradation of the upper-frequency range; on the contrary, it becomes almost premium.
Unlike traditional ANC technology, which combines the simultaneous suppression of sounds passing through a wide range of frequencies and sounds of intense intensity, QuietMax allows the user to choose the most comfortable environment for him.
The third ANC option activates the WNR (Wind Noise Reduction) wind protection, a particular preset for users who prefer active pastimes in nature. When enabled, the music scene remains saturated, but the microphones operate in a reduced sensitivity mode to reduce wind noise and allow the wearer to hear what is happening.
There is also a separate “transparency” mode, which generally disables ANC and redirects microphones to capture ambient sounds. One drawback: all presets that enable the QuietMax functions slightly increase battery consumption. Thus, headphones without recharging with ANC enabled will work for about five hours, and without it – about six.
Once the ANC mode is selected, the headphones remember, after which they work in it even without pairing with the utility, but you will have to use 1MORE Music to switch it. The manufacturer did not provide the ability to change the mode using the same touch buttons, which would not be superfluous.
Pairing
As always, the pairing works quickly and reliably. Unfold the station and find and pair the earbuds. It’s ready to go. If you have already installed the app, the buds can also be connected via QuickPair. New devices are coupled via the button on the station. There is no voice output; everything is implemented via various signal tones.
Nothing has changed in the basic control; this is still unusable, at least for me, but can be adjusted as desired in the app.
- Double-tap L/R: Pause / Play
- Triple tap L/R: voice assistant
- Hold L/R for 2 seconds: ANC Strong / ANC Medium / Transparency
- Tap L/R twice when calling: answer / hang up
- Press and hold L/R for 2 seconds when calling: Reject
- L/R in the cradle, triple tap: Reset
Of course, the controls are rather poor. However, in the app, you can adjust this and even set a volume control on the buds. However, it is not possible to determine for yourself which ANC modes the touch control rotates through. The preselection is fixed.
Voice quality
Two microphones have been integrated into each earbud. But both are not in the best places. One is on the inside of the ear, and the other is outside. Both have no direct, short way to the mouth.
Nevertheless, 1More was able to convince with the voice quality in the past. So what about the ComfoBuds Mini with that? The answer is:Â not perfect, but convincing based on the arrangement.
However, it must be clear that many foreign voices are also transmitted. Due to the orientation into the room, the microphone cannot distinguish which voice is yours. However, continuous noise is reduced quite effectively, albeit not completely. But the transmission quality is quite good. So despite moderate noise cancellation, the voice is captured correctly and reproduced vividly.Â
There is no need to worry about distances when considering the Bluetooth range. 25 meters is usually not a problem, only when obstacles come between the Minis collapse. In such a case, you can expect 15 meters.
Battery
Small earbuds usually also have a small battery. Of course, this also applies to the ComfoBuds Mini. Only 34 mAh per earbud is installed. The station can at least fall back on 440 mAh.
34 mAh isn’t much, but we’ve had significantly larger earbuds with small batteries. So don’t expect world-class endurance runners. 1More states 6 hours without and 5 hours with ANC, while the earbuds are nailed at 50% volume. But these values ​​can probably only be achieved under optimal conditions.
In the 60-80% range, 4.5 hours without ANC and 3.5 hours with ANC is much closer to reality. This is a good value compared to other earbuds, some of which achieve similar results with larger batteries.
There is no need to worry about the playback being too quiet. The ComfoBuds Mini are loud enough for all circumstances.
In just 10 minutes, you can get 1.5 hours of battery again, but only when listening at 50% volume and without ANC. Overall, the headphones need a comparatively long 70 minutes; the station is only 20 minutes longer to be fully charged. If you use Qi wireless charging, you have to calculate double the charging time for the station.
Conclusion!
The 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini is surprisingly high-quality headphones with sound or design. They can be misleading with their budget appearance, but they have a rich, well-balanced sound in practice.
QuietMax technology visually, and not somewhere on paper, demonstrates the advanced properties of the product to the user. The question of the price of 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini remains open, which has not yet been announced in our region. If it does not exceed the cost of the ComfoBuds True Wireless, we will have a solid contender for the best budget TWS headset of 2022.
