1 More audio is a relatively young company based out of San Diego, California that specialises in budget friendly in-ear earphones. In a relatively short space of time, 1More has garnered quite a reputation for itself among audiophiles for its range of audio products.

Its Triple Driver earphones in particular are very well known and popular amongst audio aficionados. Are the Triple Driver earphones really that good? Or is it just a case of undeserved hype? Let’s find out:

PACKAGING THAT PUTS EVEN APPLE TO SHAME

I rarely start reviews by talking about a products packaging. Actually, I don’t even mention it in most cases. But in this instance, the packaging is a sight to behold. 1More must really believe in the axiom “first impression is the last impression” – as the Triple Drivers come in a really smart and striking flip box with oodles and oodles of accessories thrown in.

Opening the box reveals the earphones themselves with the history of the company and a small message written on to the side  a really nice and personal touch. There are hand drawn sketches of the earphones and their various components scattered all over the box – which add to the charm.

The accessories include a premium case made of genuine leather, 9 sets of ear tips (6 made of silicone and 3 made of foam), a shirt clip and a dual prong airline adapter. I have seen earphones/headphones that cost five times as much as the Triple Drivers that do not come with as many (and as high quality) accessories as these.

DESIGN, COMFORT

The design is a little reminiscent of offerings from Bose and Sennheiser – subtle, classy and elegant. The earbuds are made from aluminium and look and feel quite premium. In fact, the build quality is top-notch and there are no rough edges to be found.

The inline remote located underneath the right earpiece is a different story however – the buttons are mushy and hard to press and the quality of construction is uninspiring. It is the only blot in an otherwise extremely well thought out, sleek looking and well made pair of earphones.

The Tripe Driver earphones not only look good but are quite comfortable to boot. The earphone housings are not very large which makes listening to them whilst lying down very easy and comfortable. The fact that the 3.5mm jack is not L shaped – which reduces cable strain – is a bit disappointing.

The multitude of tips provided in the box also ensure a good fit. While your personal mileage may vary, I could listen to them for hours without any fatigue or discomfort. While the inclusion of foam tips is appreciated – they are not of the highest quality and are quite average.

EXCELLENT SOUND QUALITY

Sound quality is the most important parameter when it comes to judging a pair of earphones – with design, comfort and build quality all coming second. The Triple Drivers not only sound exceptional for the price, they beat out many earphones far above the price ladder.

Sound signature

Like the name implies, the 1More Triple Driver IEMs have three drivers – 2 balanced armature drivers and a dynamic driver. The dynamic driver takes care of the bass and lower mids while the balanced armature drivers are tasked with handling the upper mids and highs.

This is a combination that is rarely seen at this price point and to its credit, it works really well resulting in a sound signature that is fairly neutral, detailed and easy going.

None of the frequencies outshine each other – the lows, mids and highs more or less have an equal presence in the sound mix. However, they do have a slightly ‘V’ shaped sound signature where the bass and treble stand out. Bass is tight, controlled and punchy. It sounds natural and real with no artificial bloating.

While vocals are clear and expressive, mids are ever so slightly recessed.If you are looking for earphones with a higher emphasis on mids, the Shure se215 provide a more forward vocal response but they lose out on clarity.

Treble is where the Triple Drivers shine. The treble is detailed, crisp and sparkly but never becomes harsh. They do not suffer from the artificially peaked high-end response that the similarly priced triple driver Fiio F9 suffer from.

Soundstage

The 1More Triple Drivers excel in layering and instrument separation. You can easily make out each distinct instrument and songs with multiple instrument layers don’t sound muddled. For this price, you will struggle to get this level of precision and detail elsewhere. The soundstage is as good as you can expect from earphones of this stature.

Noise isolation

1More provides 9 pairs of tips in the box – 6 sizes of silicone tips and 3 pairs of foam tips. The noise isolation with the foam tips is incredible for passive noise isolating earphones. The silicone tips are not able to block that much external noise but in my use I felt that the foam tips do end up accentuating the bass slightly.

SHOULD YOU BUY THE 1MORE TRIPLE DRIVER EARPHONES?

In one word – yes. If you care about sound quality and are willing to invest a little money to upgrade your audio experience, then the Triple Drivers provide a great balance between comfort, sound quality and value.

While there are a few niggles here and there, the Triple Drivers offer great value for money for Rs. 8,990 and provide a smooth, fatigue free listening experience with a sound signature that is quite balanced. The level of detail also far exceeds their price. The fact that they are extremely comfortable and well built is just icing on the cake.