Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

1More promises personalized audio via the first SoundID-enabled headphones

 

This story is part of our continuing coverage of CES 2020, including tech and gadgets from the showroom floor.

Recommended Videos

Headphone maker 1More and Sonarworks, an audio technology company, have joined forces at CES 2020 to give you an option you may not have experienced before: The ability to tailor the way your music sounds based on your headphones, your age, your sex, and your personal taste.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

This concept isn’t new — you can download and try the Sonarworks True-fi or SoundID apps for your phone right now. If your headphones are among the supported models, you can use these apps to modify the way sound is processed, hopefully leading to a better quality of audio than you could get through your headphones alone. But because the system is app-based, it’s awkward to use and may not work with all of your favorite music sources.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Later this year, Sonarworks’ SoundID technology will be embedded into 1More’s Music app. At the same time, 1More will release a new set of Bluetooth headphones that are designed to accept these SoundID settings within their firmware. Once you create a SoundID profile within the 1More Music app and upload those settings to your 1More headphones, you can shut down the 1More app and enjoy the SoundID sonic alterations from any music source.

Sonarworks claims that its audio personalization technology — which uses machine learning algorithms that were trained with what it claims is the “biggest ever research into sound preferences” — makes a significant difference to the sound you hear. “Over 78% of listeners prefer SoundID-enabled audio delivery over the factory default settings of any single headphone model,” according to the companies’ joint press release.

If that claim is accurate, 1More’s partnership with Sonarworks could be an important point of differentiation for its new headphones when they go on sale. But I’m going to start from a position of skepticism. I recently downloaded the Sonarworks SoundID app on my iPhone 11 and used it to personalize the audio for my Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones, which happen to be among the models that SoundID currently supports. I wasn’t especially impressed by the results.

After going through the customization calibration process which involves providing your age and sex — two parameters that Sonarworks says can affect the way you hear sound — and then listening to a series of sound adjustments to determine what kind of sound I like, in my case, I ended up with virtually no change to the way the Beats sounded. There could be good reasons for this, I suppose. Maybe I simply prefer completely flat EQ to the options that SoundID offered me, or maybe my Beats cans are already very well suited to my sonic tastes.

Regardless, the point is this: In order for you to value the integration of Sonarworks SoundID into 1More’s headphones, you’ll need to be among the 78% who think their music sounds better after calibrating the headphones with SoundID.

We’re big fans of 1More’s products — the brand has consistently impressed us with its headphones and true-wireless earbuds as being exceptional values. We’re eager to put their new SoundID-enabled headphones to the test and we’ll let you know what we think as soon as we get the chance.

Follow our live blog for more CES news and announcements.

Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
1More’s $99 ComfoBuds Mini may be the smallest ANC earbuds
Hands seen holding 1More ComfoBuds Mini wireless earbuds.

With the $99 ComfoBuds Mini, 1More has added another product to its ComfoBuds line of wireless earbuds that also includes that ComfoBuds and ComfoBuds Pro. This time, the company is claiming a world's first -- the ComfoBuds Mini are apparently the smallest earbuds you can buy that feature active noise cancellation (ANC). They're available starting March 15 in black and sand colors at 1More's website and various retailers.

When you look at photos of the tiny earbuds nestled in their egg-like oval charging case they're reminiscent of Google Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds A-Series, but the ComfoBuds Mini are considerably smaller and lighter at just 3.7 grams each (the Pixel Buds each weigh 5 grams). Plenty of folks would like to use wireless earbuds, but if you have really small ears, you've probably encountered difficulties getting a comfy and secure fit. These new ComfoBuds might be the answer.

Read more
1More’s ColorBuds 2 boast way more features and a lower price
1More ColorBuds 2 in gold.

We know from experience that 1More has a proven track record for delivering premium audio products at affordable prices, and its latest true wireless earbuds, the $80 ColorBuds 2, appear to be no exception. Packed with active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, and wireless charging, you can buy them today in black, white, and gold. And 1More is offering a $10 discount for orders received before October 5 if you use the code "COLORBUDS2."

They're the most recent set of true wireless earbuds from smaller brands that manage to include a huge array of features for well less than $100, putting pressure on more established brands like Jabra, whose recently released Elite 3 also cost $80.

Read more
1More’s $95 ComfoBuds Pro are the latest AirPods Pro alternative
1More ComfoBuds Pro

If you've been considering buying Apple's AirPods Pro, but have remained hesitant because of their relatively high price, 1More has a possible solution. Its ComfoBuds Pro true wireless earbuds provide a virtually identical feature set for $95 -- that's $154 less than the AirPods Pro's regular $249 price.

Available in a satin-finish black or matte white, the ComfoBuds Pro use the same elongated stem shape as the original ComfoBuds, which debuted earlier this year, but they provide a better seal with your ear canal thanks to the use of silicone eartips. But their key feature is hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC), which makes them an interesting alternative to the much pricier AirPods Pro.

Read more