1More is on a roll right now. Fresh off the release of their staggeringly impressive SonoFlow ANC headphones, the consumer audio company released a new set of earbuds called the Aero in late October. The sixth entry into their earbud line-up, the Aero promises a lot of Apple AirPods Pro-like features, including spatial audio, ANC, head-tracking, and more. After our great experience with the SonoFlow, we were keen to review the Aero. Thankfully, 1More sent over a pair for us to do just that. Here’s what we found.
1More Aero ANC Earbuds
Setting Up the 1More Aero ANC Earbuds
Linking the 1More Aero to my iPhone was easy. After removing some plastic from the case and then taking some plastic tabs off the earbuds, the unit was ready to pair with my device through Bluetooth. Syncing was quick and straightforward, and you could just leave it alone there. Still, I highly recommend downloading the 1More app, as it has access to a lot of the features you’ll need for the unit, including playing with the EQ, setting up multipoint, remapping the playback controls, checking battery life, and more. While I wish pairing the unit initially prompted you to download the app right away, it only adds a bit of (optional) setup time and is worth it to get the most out of the Aero.
1More Aero ANC Earbuds Design
The Aero is going to look pretty similar to most modern earbud designs, as the stick-like silhouette of the AirPods looms large. However, the Aero is slightly longer in its tail, so to speak, than earbuds, which provide plenty of space for your fingers to tap the playback controls. The case is a flattering, clamshell-like design that’s flat on the bottom. As such, the case sits nicely in my hand, with a bit of heft to it, making it easy to find if it’s jostling around in a bag or coat pocket. Otherwise, the rest of the design is straightforward and doesn’t particularly stand out, which isn’t bad but rather maybe just a touch boring.
1More Aero ANC Earbuds Performance
If the 1More Aero ANC earbuds design is slightly underwhelming, it’s because most of the product’s ‘wow’ factor is in the performance. Priced at $110 (at of publishing this story, there is a $20 off coupon you can clip), the Aero punches well above its weight in its features and overall performance. On the feature side, Qi charging, IPX5 protection (low-pressure water from any angle, handy for light rain running or those who may sweat a lot), and multipoint connectivity are extremely compelling additions for a set of earbuds at this price.
Sound-wise, the Aero fares pretty well. Songs off of Arctic Monkey’s “The Car” felt appropriately epic, and the synths of most of Tame Impala’s catalog of work also sounded strong. I’d describe the sound as clean, with little variation in overall tone. That’s to say, it doesn’t lean towards being base-forward like some earbuds on the market, but the included EQ functionality on the app allows you to dial in that specific tone you’re looking for with ease. I typically don’t tinker with EQ but did here mainly because the application made it so easy to do so and hear real results in the process. The spatial audio feature works well, too, but it is definitely more of a value-add than something I’d say is a must-have feature.
I was impressed with the ANC, especially at this price point. Outdoor and indoor noises were reduced significantly and fared well on the DC Metro in terms of reducing that overall station noise. Transparency mode also works well and is always a welcome addition. However, it did take me a while to figure out how to actively move through the touch controls. For a while, I thought I needed to actually tap the super small 1More logo on the earbud itself before realizing I could tap the lower two-thirds of the stem. Once I figured that out, the overall listening experience was much better, even if it was a bit of a hassle to tap through ANC off, ANC-strong, and then pass through. The three different taps are not a deal breaker, but it’s slightly annoying if you meant just to pause a song and you accidentally hold and press too long.
The battery life of the 1More Aero ANC earbuds settles in around five-ish hours with the ANC on and active and about seven or so with it off, and then it can give an hour of chargeback for every five minutes spent in the case. So while you probably can’t go a full day of listening on a single charge, that should be a decent amount of life to make it through the day.
When I previewed the Aero, I was especially curious about the “Smart Loudness” feature that 1More boasted about, which is supposed to provide a higher quality audio experience even when the earbuds are even at a lower volume. In testing this feature, I couldn’t really ascertain if it was making much of a difference one way or another.
One last thing worth putting all on its own: I’m shocked at how comfortable the Aero is in my ear. The easy pun to make here would be that they’re so light you’ll forget that you’re even wearing them, but I found myself doing that from time to time. Some earbuds can be fussy and maybe even hard to listen to, but that’s certainly not the case here.
The Verdict: Should You Buy the 1More Aero ANC Earbuds
The Aero doesn’t quite make the splashy impact of the 1More’s SonoFlow, but if you’re looking for a set of cheaper ANC earbuds that punch above their weight, there’s a lot to love here. I just wish I was as taken with them as I was their over-ear sibling.
Pros:
- Good sound
- Good ANC
- Good price
- Makes a compelling case for the corresponding app
Cons:
- Unremarkable design
- Some features aren’t as cool as they seemed
- Battery life isn’t bad but isn’t great, either
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