1more E1026BT-I

Accessories

These headphones come in eye-catching cardboard packaging, the inside of which is decorated with pencil drawings from the technical department of the manufacturer. Inside, there’s two oval-shaped drivers, an artificial leather case, USB cable, plus plastic bags. There’s also four different earpiece pairs (ranging in size from XS to L) in order to accommodate a good fit for the listener. What’s more, there’s three pairs of ear hooks (called O-Hooks by 1more) included, which we’ll talk about in a little detail later. The overall quality of both the in-ears and case is impressive and suggests a high value level. Switches on top of the earpiece have responsive pressure points, while the case is of a decent size.

Out of the box and into the ears

Thanks to Bluetooth 5.0, these in-ears pair quickly and reliably with computer or smartphone devices. Pairing is confirmed via a chirpy voice notice, with the melodious voice a refreshing change from what you might expect with headphone models from other manufacturers. It should be noted that the 1more E1026BT-I operates a little differently than other systems. Rather than a fixed master-slave connection, things are negotiated afresh after each connection, as well as being negotiated according to different criteria. This ultimately means that both drivers can be master. This has some key advantages for the listener. For one, if you decide to listen to music with only the right or left earpiece, you can enjoy complete audio via the chosen side. This is ideal if you’re looking to keep one ear free to listen to the outside world. If one element is damaged, you can also continue using the other until a replacement arrives. The battery level can also influence which driver becomes master and which one slave. In practice, this means that you shouldn’t wait around for too long after connecting the first earpiece to connect the second, or else the device might register there no second earpiece exists, keeping it mute during playback. If this happens, the second earpiece needs to be manually switched on to complete pairing.

Sound

Music transmitted wireless via AA|C or aptX codec to the 7mm titanium drivers sounds pleasantly balanced, full of bass and very clear. Modern mixes are full and penetrate deeply into the ear. Highs are clear enough, but can get lost in the crowd. This doesn’t impede too much on the overall quality of the sound potential of these in-ears, but does set them aside from the best options available from competitors. All in all, these in-ears from 1more sound good. Integrated microphones also deliver good levels of speech intelligibility

Controls

Control of these headphones comes in the form of an easily accessible button found on the left and right earpieces. A single press handles Play/Stop function, while two presses let you skip back. A third button press lets you skip forward. All this works rather smoothly. Holding down the button for longer yields control of yet more commands, while a double press when playback is paused brings up the digital assistant. A long press turns the device on or off. Calls can also be answered by clicking once when an incoming call alerts, while a long press terminates an active phone call. Volume control is also straightforward, while the virtual assistant can also be used to initiate outgoing calls.

The runtime of these in-ears is specified as 6.5 hours by the manufacturer, however this is at an average volume setting of 50 percent. With the charging case provided, you can enjoy up to four full charges of your device on the go, which means a total of 24 hours of runtime are possible if you’ve always the charge case to hand. That’s all pretty impressive and, during my test of the product, I didn’t ever encounter an empty battery situation.

Criticisms

Although the selection of fittings and ear hooks delivered with these 1more in-ears is impressive, the earpieces and ear hooks had a tendency to fall from my ear every now and again, particularly when I bent forward to reach for something or performed anything too extraneous. This is of course a considerable concern when dealing with a system that lacks a cable to prevent a breakage from a fall. I have worn and tested several True Wireless in-ears of various designs from numerous manufacturers and not one have had a situation where an earpiece has fallen free of the ear. I suspect the issue here is down to the ear hooks, with the round shape not providing a good fit. Perhaps a sail-shaped or oval hook would have been a better option here, allowing for a snugger hold. As everyone differs when it comes to ear anatomy, this is definitely an area where 1more could use some focus to ensure future models perform better.