review – I’ve worn and used countless sets of earbuds and headphones, but very few with active noise cancellation. How does this relatively new technology perform in the 1MORE PistonBuds Pro wireless earbuds? continue reading!
What is it?
The 1MORE PistonBuds Pro are a set of in-ear wireless earbuds featuring a flip charging case with USB-C port, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and up to 30 hours of playback time.
What’s in the box?
- 1 pair of PistonBuds Pro earbuds
- charging case
- 12” USB-C cable
- user’s manual
- 4 pairs of ear tips, from extra small to large size
Hardware Specifications
- “QuietMax” hybrid active noise reduction, the maximum noise reduction depth is up to 38dB
- 10mm dynamic driver
- Low Latency Game Mode
- AAC codec
- 12 Studio Grade EQ via 1MORE MUSIC app
- Improve call quality
- IPX5 waterproof rating
- Bluetooth 5.2
- Touch controls on both earbuds
- Smart Play Auto Pause/Play Sensor
- Battery Life
- ANC off: 7.5 hours per earbud + 22.5 hours with charging case = 30 hours total
- ANC on: 5 hours per earbud + 15 hours with charging case = 20 hours total
- Quick charge, 5 minutes = 1 hour play time
Design and Features
Granted, I own not one, but two sets of top-of-the-line ANC earbuds: the venerable AirPods Pro and Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earphones. The full price of both earbuds is around $250, and while comparing these top-of-the-line earbuds to the more conservatively priced PistonBuds Pro isn’t a fair comparison, it’s impossible not to.
First, let’s cover general observations. I appreciate the design and size of the PistonBuds Pro. The case fits instantly into a pocket, charges via USB-C, and has a fairly sturdy magnetic lid that stays closed when pushed around in a backpack or pocket.
There are also some small magnets to hold the earbuds inside the case. I love anything that snaps right into place, and each earbud slides in and out of its tiny house smoothly. There is also a crisp click when the lid closes, which is never satisfying for me.
Pairing is simple, follow the generic “press and hold the button on the case” method to connect the earbuds to your device. 1MORE does have an app you can download for your iPhone or Android phone, and while not required, it does allow for more customization of the EQ and ANC settings.
Once paired, the PistonBuds connect quickly when taken out of the case. There are small sensors inside the earbuds that can detect if they are in your ears. Removing one earbud will pause playback and resume playback when the earbud is put back in your ear. It feels like something 1MORE doesn’t need to include, but is a pleasure to have.
Each earbud has a touch sensor on the outer metal plate that responds to double taps to pause/play and triple taps to activate the device’s voice assistant. Strangely, the long touch is reserved for the “end call” function. I’ve always found touch controls a bit finicky. Fortunately, the PistonBuds require at least two taps to perform any kind of function, so they’re not prone to accidental triggering. Considering you can simply pop an earbud out to pause music, the controls on the earbuds are pretty much useless to me.
A key feature of any in-ear headphone is the inclusion of perfect-fitting rubber ear tips. PistonBuds come with 4 ear pads ranging from extra small to large. I needed to use a large size to create a good seal, which made a world of difference in terms of sound quality and sealing from outside sounds. This is also the first step in getting Active Noise Cancellation to work properly.
The Pro versions of the PistonBuds include this ANC feature, however, they are only rated at 38dB. I’m not very good at remembering what this noise level means in the real world, so I googled 40dB and found out that the PistonBuds effectively block out the dull roar of…I had to laugh at this…library . Or, perhaps more realistically, a minimal urban ambient sound.
Walking around my neighborhood with earbuds on, I can still hear cars whizzing by, people across the street talking, and music playing in the windows. They are not very loud. Usually it’s almost a pain if I turn other earbuds over halfway, but for some reason these never seem to be loud enough to block out a lot of sound.
I tried it again in a quiet room with a fan running and a nearby wall clock ticking, and the ANC was at least good enough to block steady noise. Browsing through the standard playlists I used to test music, from hip-hop to classical, the PistonBuds sounded okay. Not the worst, but far from excellent. Overall, even fiddling with the EQ settings in the app, they sounded flat.
It feels like most of the heavy lifting of sound reduction is done by finding a good seal with the rubber ear tips. ANC just gives it a little push.It is not No. But it’s far from great.
Battery life is very close to what is mentioned in the stats, and even with ANC turned on, they’ll get you through most of the day.
Overall, the PistonBuds Pro are decent, even much better than many low-end wireless earbuds I’ve tried. I’m usually pretty critical of sound quality, so it turns out most people will find these to be very good. They certainly have the build quality and features of more expensive earbuds, following the typical “do what Apple does but cheaper” approach.
I just wish the ANC and sound quality were better. As much as I’d love to say “save your money, drop the Sony, and get these bad boys”, that would be disingenuous. Instead, they’re just fine. But for many people, that’s enough.
what do I like
- compact suitcase
- good battery life
- Nice extras like ANC and touch controls
Areas for improvement
- Overall sound quality is ok
- In noisy environments, ANC is terrible or nonexistent
- Build quality is also good
final thoughts
1MORE’s PistonBuds Pro are a solid entry into the ever-expanding world of active noise-cancelling earbuds.Although the overall sound quality is only fine — and ANC apparently won’t come close to a set of AirPods Pro or high-end Sony earbuds — they Yes It’s quite a step up from those default “phone-in” earbuds that you carry around with you.
price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
source: Samples of this product are provided by 1 more.
