1more ComfoBuds

This device can be classified as earbuds because their plastic shells only fit at the entrance to the ear. Although there is a small silicone closure at the front, there are no interchangeable fitting pieces. These rather chic earpieces are made of black or white plastic and are pleasantly light; they have a protruding part at the bottom in which a decorative blue status LED is located. This lights up red when the battery is running low. The charging case with three-colour status LED is compact but, like the earpieces, not particularly robust.

The manufacturer cites a realistic battery life of four hours. As usual, the case increases the total playing time with additional battery capacity, in this case to 18 hours, depending on the volume. Bluetooth 5.0 is used for wireless transmission, with SBC or AAC as codecs.

The touch control on these earphones is reduced to two functions: Double and triple clicks. The factory setting assigns these as start and pause for music playback plus answering and ending calls, while triple taps call up Smartphone voice control. However, if you want to, the functions can also be configured via the free “1more Music” app for iOS and Android. For example, you can configure an alternative volume control or forward and backward track skip. So-called “Smart Playback” can also be configured. When this is activated, the ComfoBuds recognise when an earpiece has been removed from your ear. Playback is then paused and, depending on the setting, automatically resumes when the earpiece is reinserted. Finally, the burn-in function of the drivers offered via the app is worth mentioning.

In practice

Since these are earbuds, the fit in your ear is rather loose and the external insulation is relatively weak. This means that the enjoyment of music in noisy environments, for example on public transport, is impaired by a higher signal-to-noise ratio. However, some people may even see this as an advantage: This is the case when you don’t want to be completely cut off from the environment and when listening to music is a secondary pastime. Fortunately, however, hardly any music leaks to the outside to disturb others.

The fit itself is quite good, but after a while, I felt some pressure. I found the design less suitable for sports due to its comparatively loose fit in the ear, despite their having IPX5 protection class certification against moisture and perspiration.

These earpieces pair with a Smartphone as soon as the charging case is opened. This always worked reliably, but I still have some criticism: when paired with an iPhone 8, playback was repeatedly interrupted when I was walking and had to be manually restarted afterwards. In principle, however, the wireless link was stable and extended across several rooms. I was also irritated by the clicking noises when my earrings hit the plastic housing – I have not noticed anything like this with competitors so far.

When making phone calls, the ComfoBuds can also be used individually. Two microphones on each and a supplementary ENC noise reduction are supposed to ensure good voice quality. In practice, this is fine, but nothing more.

As mentioned, the control functions are reduced, but at least they are configurable. In my opinion, they require a somewhat too powerful click, which was audible in the ear.

Sound

If the fit is not optimal, it’s not just the wearing comfort suffers, but also the sound quality. In my case, this initially resulted in a comparatively low bass content and quite an indirect sound. The frequency response was narrowed at the extremes of the spectrum, and at the same time pressure, dynamics and intimacy suffered. Only when these earbuds were pressed further into the ear during our test does it become apparent that the sound of their large 13.4 mm drivers is quite coherent and rich. In my case, however, the ComfoBuds only delivered a satisfactory result in quiet situations, while the quality in mobile use did not meet my requirements due to the loose fit. A personal trial fitting is therefore highly recommended!