Today we are looking at the 1More Sonoflow Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones, retailing for $99 USD.
Disclaimer: We were sent the 1More Sonoflow for this review free of charge. I only covered the import taxes and fees. All thoughts and experiences with the product are naturally my own.
1More
Three Foxconn executives received an investment from the Chinese technology giant, Xiaomi Corp, and established a premium audio company called 1MORE Inc. in Shenzhen, China. Shortly after that they expanded into the USA and established their second headquarters in San Diego, California. The company aims to offer premium-quality audio gear at affordable prices. They have been taking on big players in the audio industry on a global scale. They have received multiple awards for their products in the past from notable sources such as iF, Reddot & CES. We reviewed a lot of 1More gear before, to check those reviews you can click here. Today, we are looking at the Sonoflow, which rivals ANC-enabled wireless headphones on the market with its competitive price tag.
1More Sonoflow Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
After two impressive headphones, the Triple Driver Over-Ear and the Spearhead, 1More surprises us with the Sonoflow, a brand-new wireless headphone that comes with a rich feature set. The Sonoflow utilizes 40mm DLC (diamond-like carbon) dynamic drivers and LDAC-enabled Bluetooth 5.0 chipset with ANC capability. On top of these, the Sonoflow boasts a 70-hour-long battery life. Sonoflow comes with 1More’s proprietary QuietMax noise cancellation technology, which we experienced with the 1MORE EVO and liked a lot! Sonoflow is available on 1More’s website with a price tag of 99 USD, but the site offers a lot of periodic discounts and coupon deals, so you can buy Sonoflow for around $80 USD, which is basically a steal. I recommend you keep an eye on the website. Here are the highlights & specs of the Sonoflow, below.
Specifications & Highlights
40mm driver with a DLC (diamond-like-carbon) composite diaphragm & soft PET film
QuietMax ANC Technology
x5 Beamforming microphones with an AI-powered algorithm
Bluetooth 5.0 + LDAC, AAC, SBC Codec Support
ANC & Transparency Modes
5 Mins Fast Charge = 4-5 Hours Playback | Full Charge = 80 Mins
Battery Life ANC On: 40-50h | ANC Off: 60-70h (LDAC & AAC)
1More Music App Support & 12 Pre-Calibrated EQ Profiles
250g Weight
Packaging & Accessories
Sonoflow comes in a well-designed cardboard box. The box design has similar aesthetics to the 1More gear we reviewed earlier this year. Some of the product’s features are listed on the front side, just below the product name. When we take a look at the back, we see that a comprehensive list of the product’s features is listed in multiple languages. A label with the product’s serial number and barcode is also located here.
When we open the box, we are greeted by Sonoflow’s textured fabric carrying case in a protective plastic bag. There is also a user manual in the box. Once we open the zippered carrying case, we see the headphone itself and the cables that come with it in a small fishnet compartment. Inside this fishnet compartment, you will find the product’s USB-C charging cable and 3.5mm AUX cable for wired listening.
The quality of the included cables, the feel and texture of the carrying case, and the build quality of the headphones feel very premium. The gray fabric texture of the carrying case synergizes nicely with the gunmetal finish of the headphones. The inside of the case is also darker, closer to anthracite, and has compartments for the earcups. For this price, I have to say I’m quite impressed.
Design & Build Quality
Even though most of the Sonoflow is made of plastic, the build quality is very good. The finish feels premium and has a slight metallic shimmer under a light source, which sets it apart from other headphones in this price range. In addition, the faux leather used on the headband is very soft. There is a 1More logo embossed on this faux leather headband and this is another factor that increases the premium feel and vibe of the product. The skeleton of the headset is made of aluminum and you see these aluminum arms whilst adjusting the earcups. I like 1More’s color choice. The gunmetal finish looks sexy, chic, and elegant. In addition, the cushions are very soft and have a smooth texture similar to the faux leather used in the headband. The inner material of the ear cushions is memory foam.
When it comes to the design of the headphones, there are small dotted grilles on the earcups that look very nice. The rounded edges that accompany the oval structure of the earcups look great in my opinion and the black ear cushions and headband area match well with the gunmetal finish. The inside of the earcups is bright red, 1More’s signature color. The left and right indicators are printed in a very large font inside these earcups, where the drivers reside. The earphones feature a dual-cup foldable design and can be conveniently portable.
As for comfort, the 1More Sonoflow’s lightweight 250-gram construction, soft ear cushions with memory foam, and soft headband provide a good experience. If you wear glasses, you need to wear the headphones for a little while for optimal comfort. If not, the headphone is quite comfortable, the clamping force is just right and the adjustment mechanism works well. I can wear it for extended periods without any fatigue.
Controls & App Support
There are 4 buttons on the product, power button, NC button, volume up, and volume down button. When you press and hold the power button for 2 seconds, the device turns on and you hear the power on theme sound. When you hold this button for 5 seconds you hear the closing theme sound and the product turns off. To answer calls, you only need to press this button once. Press it 2 times and you can redirect the audio to your phone. To reject a call, you have to press it once and then hold it for 2 seconds, which is a bit tricky. To activate the voice assistant, you also have to double-press the power button. As for the NC button, there are 3 modes, ANC ON, Pass-through, and ANC Off and they are activated in rotation. Press this button once to switch between them. When you press the Volume up button once, you increase the hardware volume of the Sonoflow by one level. Pressing it once and then holding it for 2 seconds allows you to switch to the next track. The volume down button works identically.
To cancel the active pairing of the product, press and hold the plus and minus buttons for 5 seconds to put the product back into pairing mode.
I think the only part I’m not happy with Sonoflow is the controls. The button placement of the product is not very well-thought. The location of the buttons is not comfortable to use, which undermines the overall experience a bit. I’m used to controlling the wireless gear via my phone, so I’m not affected by this, but I still think a simpler layout could have been designed as there is plenty of space on the cups.
Let’s talk about the 1More App. The 1More Music is available both on Apple Appstore and Google Play. Since the LDAC codec is only available on Android, I’ll use an Android phone for maximum compatibility with Sonoflow. Let’s start by noting that the 1More app does not offer as many options for Sonoflow as the Evo. Immediately after installing the app, it recognized the Sonoflow headphones we connected to our phone and we were greeted with a menu accompanied by a picture of the headphones. Through the app, we can activate LDAC and choose from 12 custom-made EQ presets by Luca Bignardi. We can also activate or deactivate ANC and pass-through modes from this menu.
In addition to these, there is also a sub-menu where we can update the firmware of the device wirelessly. I often find that the EQ options in the app of any wireless headphones I listen to are not enough, so I turn to third-party apps, and there is one that I use often. If you are an Android user, I recommend you try PowerAmp Equilizer. On a side note, if you want to pair Sonoflow with more than one device, you can activate this feature under the experimental features sub-menu, through the small button on the top right section of the app.
Click here to go to the second page of this article, or use the jumps below.
Page 1: 1More, Sonoflow, Packaging & Accessories, Design & Build Quality, Controls & App Support
Page 2: Connection Stability & Battery, ANC, Call Quality, Sound Quality, Last Words
