1more sonoflow anc Reviews: The 1More SonoFlow is the manufacturer’s first wireless ANC over-ear! Because Amazon kicked TaoTronics & Co., the variety of products and thus the competition in this area was recently significantly reduced. That can never be good for us consumers. Finally we have new competition for Soundcore & Co!
1MORE SonoFlow ANC Over-Ear
- 1More SonoFlow ANC Over-Ear
- ANC in-ears in the portfolio for a long time
I was wondering why 1More didn’t take this step much sooner. While the first ANC over-ear is only now being launched on the market, the ANC in-ear area has been around for a long time and has been quite successful. That’s how the 1More NeoBuds Pro got me very much in terms of sound in the test and the ANC is also impressive!
The active noise suppression is not at the top level, nothing can beat Sony at the moment, but you can definitely compete with Soundcore & Co. in the area of ANC in-ears! I am therefore pleased that 1More is finally attacking the over-ear segment and that there is a little more movement on the market.
Packaging & scope of delivery
The 1More SonoFlow comes in a printed box, inside which there is a chic, textile-covered transport box in addition to the operating instructions. This in turn contains the over-ear itself, as well as a USB-C charging cable and a jack cable.
Visually inconspicuous but valuable!
In terms of design , unlike Apple with the AirPods MAX, for example, they didn’t come up with something totally crazy, but stayed with the tried and tested. The 1More SonoFlow is only available in dark gray with black upholstery and is made mostly of lightweight plastic. With a weight of only around 250g, the headphones are pleasantly light and around 50g lighter than the Soundcore Space Q45, which should have a positive effect on wearing comfort.
1More sets color accents in bright red. These can be found unobtrusively on the inside of the handset when you are wearing it. Both the jack connector and the USB-C connector are marked with the same color. The headband is also reinforced with metal and can be pulled out about 3 cm on each side.
In terms of workmanship and material, I have nothing to complain about with the 1More SonoFlow Over-Ear. The headphones make a good, high-quality impression. It is perfectly produced and there are no production errors, very good!
Sound of the 1MORE SonoFlow Over-Ears
Technically, the 1More SonoFlow over-ears, like most wireless over-ear headphones, are equipped with a dynamic driver with a membrane diameter of 40 mm . 1More speaks of a “Diamond-like-Carbon” membrane. As always, the manufacturers want to say with this somewhat cryptic choice of material that the membrane is particularly tear-resistant and therefore has particularly good swing properties.
The headphones were voted on by a certain Luca Bignardi, who appears to have won four Grammys, congratulations! Soundcore also likes to adorn itself with award-winning audio engineers, usually with 20 of them at the same time, the show-offs. But even that says little about the sound quality and is by no means a guarantee for an audiophile sound image.
In the test, the 1More SonoFlow ANC Over-Ears deliver a remarkable low tone. Deep sub-bass frequencies are also reproduced powerfully, so I enjoy the headphones with electronic or generally bass-heavy music. The performance is also basically very solid in the midrange and in the treble. I think around 80%-90% of headphone users who mainly use Spotify or mp3 files will be absolutely satisfied with the sound of the 1More SonoFlow.
In the comparison test with the Soundcore Space Q45, the slightly more expensive over-ear delivers a few more sonic details that tend to get lost in the crowd with the 1More SonoFlow. In addition, the dynamic and spatial feeling of the sound is somewhat better. But the Soundcore headphones are also a mid-range model and the sound is by no means on the level of, for example, a Sony WH-1000 XM5.
From my point of view, the differences and the added value due to the slightly better sound are so marginal that if you reduce the headphones to the sound, you can definitely speak of a better price-performance ratio with the 1More SonoFlow!
Active noise cancellation
There is also active noise suppression, which, like the in-ear headphones, is marketed under the “QuietMax” brand. This is hybrid ANC technology with internal and external microphones.
In the test, the active noise suppression is good, considering the price of less than €100, in my opinion even very good. The 1More SonoFlow suppresses background noise on a very similar level as the Soundcore Space Q45. Both headphones reduce monotonous and constant ambient noise, such as public transport, well.
Less monotonous noises, such as voices, for example announcements in the ICE in the test, are filtered less well and are clearly more audible despite the ANC being switched on, albeit muffled.
Despite several weeks of use and frequent direct comparisons, I cannot be sure whether the ANC of the 1More SonoFlow or the Space Q45 is better. So I can only come to the conclusion that both headphones perform about equally well.
These mid-range models cannot do anything against the active noise suppression of the top manufacturers, such as Sony ‘s WH -1000 XM5. Especially with less monotonous noises, the expensive flagship models still have a considerable ANC technology advantage.
Wearing comfort & headset
The 1More SonoFlow headphones offer very good wearing comfort in the test . With its relatively low weight of around 250g, it does not become uncomfortable even after a long period of wear. I also find the ear pads with memory foam to be comfortable. The material fits well around the temples of my glasses and yet doesn’t press too tight. Even without ANC switched on, it shields you from the outside world so well.
Unfortunately, the 1More SonoFlow is only of limited use as a headset. At home, or generally in quiet surroundings, you can make calls with it. However, it is quite exhausting for the conversation partner to follow the conversation outdoors or as soon as there is background noise.
Operation & App
The 1More SonoFlow Over-Ear is equipped with a total of four control buttons. There is no additional touch panel on the back of the handset. Also, the functions of the buttons cannot be customized in the 1More app.
In addition to the ANC button, which can be used to switch between ANC, transparent mode and normal mode without ANC, there is a play/pause button and a volume rocker.
Double -pressing the Play/Pause button also activates the voice assistant. Confusingly, holding down the volume down button selects the next track and holding down the volume up button selects the previous track.
The other app functions are kept relatively clear . There is an equalizer with 12 presets, as well as a manual control EQ that can be saved as a separate preset. Multipoint can also be activated under the somewhat cryptic-sounding “Experimental Settings” item. Overall, the app is not translated into German quite as cleanly. So I also find the term “hearing modes” for the various ANC modes a bit funny.
In addition, there is of course the possibility to install software updates on the 1More Sonoflow, an in-app quick guide to the over-ear and a few white noise sounds under “soothing sounds”.
Bluetooth & range
The 1More SonoFlow Over-Ears are equipped with a Bluetooth 5 module that offers a solid connection stability at around 15 meters in an open area in the test. As always, it’s a little less indoors, depending on the nature of the obstacles.
In addition to the AAC and SBC codec, the built-in Bluetooth module also supports the high-resolution LDAC codec. I could not find a significant difference in sound between the AAC codec with iPhones and the LDAC codec with Android.
In addition to wireless Bluetooth connection, the headphones are also equipped with a jack input. However, the over-ear switches off automatically when the cable is plugged in. Unfortunately, the ANC cannot be used via a cable connection, which is a shame!
Market-leading battery life
Soundcore’s new ANC over-ear, the Space Q45 , hasn’t been on the market for long. The runtime was one of two unique selling points on which the entire advertising campaign was based. With a lot of fanfare they boasted a runtime of up to 50 hours, at least 20 hours more than the competition from Sony!
Now 1More simply stands up and promises a running time of 70 hours , which is a smooth 20 hours more. However, the test showed that the value of 70 hours refers to the runtime without ANC switched on , while Soundcore specifies the value with ANC.
The running time of the two headphones is very similar. In the test with a mixed volume of 50%-70% and ANC switched on, I was able to achieve a runtime of around 45 hours. Still a top value and definitely competitive!
Conclusion – a round headphone!
The 1More SonoFlow is a very good start for the company’s first ANC over-ear! As is to be expected given the price of less than €100, it is of course not a top model, but in the good middle class. It offers really good active noise cancellation for the price range. Nevertheless, a comparison with, for example, Sony’s WH-1000 XM5 is quite unrealistic, there are worlds in between.
In terms of sound, it is very solid, Soundcore’s Space Q45 delivers a touch more details and a slightly better sense of space, but considering the price difference, I would still go for the 1More SonoFlow in the price range of less than €100. The subtle differences are not that serious and neither will satisfy an audiophile.
Pros
- weight + comfort
- Sound and ANC in relation to the price
- mobile app
- Duration
Cons
- Headset
- Translation of the app
- Operation may be confusing at first
If you are looking for a cheap Bluetooth over-ear with ANC, you will get round headphones with a very good price-performance ratio here! 1more sonoflow anc video below.
