1More SonoFlow Review

Our 1More SonoFlow Headphones Experience

The 1More SonoFlow feels nicer than its lower price would initially indicate. We were pleasantly surprised the moment we pulled them from the box. While they are lightweight enough to be mistaken for a toy headset, they feel durable and better quality than we expected, with a design that seems to mimic higher-end options. They come with a case, a USB-C cable, and a 3.5mm to 2.5mm audio cable.

Connectivity is a bit hit or miss with the 1More. With Apple and Android devices, forming an initial wireless connection is easy and reliable. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection is stable, with a measured range of 138 feet in an outdoor setting. However, trouble can occur when trying to connect to a second device.

Intuitive button controls and a user-friendly app make most features run smoothly, but connecting to multiple devices can be frustrating. When pairing the headset to a laptop instead of a phone, the connection process is time-consuming and inconvenient. We had to disconnect the phone's other connected devices before the headset could be paired. The app does not list connected devices, making it challenging to manage connections or instruct the headphones to forget devices.

We love the long-lasting battery on the 1More. It lasts longer than most competitors, but even better, it has a quick charge that provides hours of continuous listening. We think it is perfect for those who travel or anyone who struggles to remember to charge devices regularly.

In addition to ANC, the headphones feature a Transparency mode that lets external sounds from the environment pass through. The Transparency mode is functional, but doesn't sound natural.

Phone calls are “good enough” with voices that are better and clearer than average. While they may not be our top choice for frequent chats, they excel in most locations, and we enjoyed using them for online meetings and calls in quieter environments with minimal background clutter.

Sound Quality

For fun, high-quality sound at a budget price, the SonoFlow is the ticket. We enjoyed the way the sound mix is sculpted, with the lows and highs pushed to center stage, creating a pleasing, punchy persona that works across any genre. Its powerful 40-millimeter dynamic drivers deliver a balanced sound across all volume levels without becoming too boomy or shouty, even when cranked to the max. You'll hear finer details and feel more immersed with some ultra-premium headsets, but for the price point, the SonoFlow stands out, with great sound quality that rivals many higher-cost models.

Sound Quality Ratings

Product	Bass	Mid-Range	Treble
Best	9.6	9.4	8.9
Average	6.9	7.2	6.3
1More SonoFlow	6.7	6.7	6.2
Worst	4.2	4.0	2.5

With a sound profile expertly tuned by Grammy Award-winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi, you know it's good. The bass has a pleasing warmth and distinctive (albeit slightly undetailed) presence in thumpy Hip-Hop tracks like “Dis Generation” by A Tribe Called Quest and in smoky Regional Mexican instrumentals like “Lejos (En Vivo)” by Marca MP.

Unfortunately, the mids don't get the same princess treatment as the lows and sound somewhat underemphasized. However, vocals and guitars still sound clean and textured, adequate for singer-songwriter and indie rock artists like Widowspeak, Maya Delilah, and Taylor Swift. The highs are dialed up just enough to add excitement to the mix without becoming harsh or tinny, though we wish there was a little more vibrancy at the higher end of the spectrum to fully enjoy all the details. We think most people will be stoked with this blend.

To complement our experience, we assessed sound quality in our state-of-the-art audio lab. The resulting frequency response gives a broad overview of the SonoFlow's sound signature and helps us determine which musical genres shine and which feel lackluster.

The SonoFlow tracks the general layout of our Target Response Curve, indicating that the blend of emphasized lows and highs complements a variety of musical tastes. The bass is slightly higher than our Target Curve, and we felt that subtle bass-heavy power when listening to funk or rap tracks. The mids are lower and narrower than those of our Curve, pushing some vocals and instruments back from the center stage, which is particularly noticeable in singer-songwriter mixes.

The highs above the 5600 Hertz fall below our Curve, validating our experience of wanting a bit more sparkle to fully enjoy this range. Still, many users will appreciate this “V-shaped” mix, particularly rock and pop enthusiasts who prefer a punchy and enthusiastic listening experience.

Soundstage

The earcups are roomy, letting sound bounce around and play within your ear folds to create an immersive feel, but they could use a tad more expansion.

Soundstage Ratings

Product	Expert ear Soundstage Score
Best	9.6
Average	6.7
1More SonoFlow	5.6
Worst	3.2

It has a great horizontal spread but lacks some height compared to some premium models. For example, when listening to the groovy and instrument-dense track “Baby” by Brittany Howard, individual sounds can be pointed out to a specific location on a virtual stage, but they don't feel like they are completely filling the floor-to-ceiling space.

Comfort and Fit

1More appears to have drawn design inspiration from Bose when fashioning the SonoFlow, with a similar design to the original QuietComfort. They are great for marathon listening sessions. We wore them for up to eight hours without experiencing sensitive zones or sweat spots. The clamping force feels so perfect, even Goldilocks would be sold. They have enough force to handle some decent head bobbing, but not so much that they put pressure on your ears.

The earpads and headband are made with plush cushions wrapped in breathable faux leather. They aren't waterproof, so gym goers will want to minimize sweat buildup. The earcups are among the largest, measuring at a spacious 62 x 41 millimeters. But despite the plush materials and large dimensions, the headphones don't feel bulky. At just 255 grams (or 0.6 pounds), they feel almost like a toy.

Noise Cancellation

The SonoFlow has one of the best noise-canceling technologies on a budget. The overall 24-decibel sound reduction is substantial. Still, it can't compete with premium models that block more than 30 dB.

Active Noise Cancelling Reduction

Product	Low	Mid	High
Best	26.6	26.6	46.7
Average	15.6	22.4	36.9
1More SonoFlow	15.6	21.0	36.2
Worst	-0.5	9.0	32.9

1More's QuietMax technology uses five microphones to sense sounds in the environment and a special algorithm to cancel them. The noise cancellation technology is mainly active in the sub-800 Hertz frequency range, similar to other ANC models.

The ANC is particularly effective at blocking human speech, though occasionally some louder conversations come through as mumbles. We could distantly hear keyboards, microwaves, and door knocks.

App and Controls

While the 1More Music app lacks device management, it does offer a fun mix of EQ customizations. The 12 EQ presets are sufficiently variable to cover a wide range of musical genres, and the 10-point manual slider allows you to sculpt the sound profile to your exact liking.

Controls

All of the button controls (no touch commands here) are easy to use and reliable. On the left side, a multipurpose button performs various functions, including managing phone calls, pausing music, and powering off. On the right are buttons for noise cancellation and adjusting the volume (or skipping tracks).

Connectivity

The SonoFlow features Multipoint technology, allowing two devices to be connected simultaneously. However, this feature is prone to errors and cumbersome. Multipoint is buried under the “Experimental Features” in a hidden menu. Once enabled, entering discovery mode to connect a second device becomes a problem. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. It reliably maintains the connection when it works, provided the headphones remain powered on. As soon as the headset is turned off, Multipoint is disabled, and you must go through the process again. Every. Single. Time.

Battery

With a measured 50-hour playback time, the SonoFlow has one of the longest battery lives among headphones supporting ANC.

According to the manufacturer, five minutes of charging will provide five hours of playtime, and eighty minutes will fully recharge the battery. If you are away from a charger and your headset dies, you can plug it into your device and continue listening.

Call Quality

With five microphones and an AI-powered voice isolation algorithm, the SonoFlow does a good job of relaying voices for phone calls. While its overall performance is above average, calls are not crystal-clear.

The SonoFlow functions almost as well in rowdy, noisy environments as in quiet, controlled spaces. We simulated a phone call from a roaring subway with loudspeaker announcements and busy booming railways. There's a bit of graininess to the caller's voice, and background noises aren't fully removed, but the caller remains loud and easy to understand.

Our buzzing office space is filled with the sounds of multiple voices in the background, prominent clacking keyboards, clicky mice, and a low-frequency fan hum.
Simulated calls allow for controlled, side-by-side assessments, but testing call quality with real-life phone calls is equally essential. From our audio studio, we hear the true baseline voice quality. We made phone calls with male and female speakers from a quiet conference room. The SonoFlow performed well, but the clarity wasn't as impressive as our simulated calls. A slight hissing sound at the end and beginning of some words resulted in a somewhat grainy quality, but not so much that callers were challenging to understand.