When it comes to wireless earbuds, the competition is steep, with plenty of low-cost options that offer decent audio.
Spatial audio, decent active noise cancelling – these are features you usually pay a little more for, but have started to appear in cheaper earbuds.
Take the 1More Aero. The wireless earbuds include active noise cancelling (ANC) and spatial audio in a lightweight, lower-cost package. Plus the company has thrown in a few other features for good measure.
These are the first spatial audio buds 1More has produced, and as first efforts go, they’re solid.
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The 1More buds have decent noise cancelling, with four modes: strong, mild, WNR (wind noise reduction) and adaptive. WNR will cut down on wind noise when you are out and about so you get a better-quality phone call, while adaptive mode will let the earbuds decide how strong the ANC should be depending on ambient noise levels.
The QuietMax technology offers up to 42dB of noise cancelling depth at frequencies in the 40-4,000Hz range. ANC technology can block up to 45dB of noise, usually averaging about 30dB, which puts the 1More buds at the upper end of the scale. And 1More says the wider frequency range means it can cut out more ambient noise, such as the city street or your commute.
1More’s first attempt at spatial audio is okay, providing some immersive qualities, but it’s not quite as good as more expensive options
And it works. The buds cut out a considerable amount of background noise, allowing you to concentrate on your podcasts or music free of distraction.
Sound quality is good, too. The earbuds have 10mm drivers, and 12 equaliser presets, ranging from bass booster and acoustic to podcast and vocal booster. That means you can customise the audio for whatever you are listening to, and it has been signed off by Grammy award-winning engineer Luca Bignardi. You will need the 1More Music app to access these presets, but that’s not all the app is good for.
Spatial audio – 3D audio, a type of digital surround sound – is not enabled by default, so you will have to trigger it through the 1More Music app. I’m still not 100 per cent convinced on the head tracking technology for everything. Sure, it can make your listening more immersive if you are tuning in to a live recording, or watching a movie. But do I really need it for whatever pop music I’m listening to on my commute? Probably not.
1More’s first attempt at spatial audio is okay, providing some immersive qualities, but it’s not quite as good as more expensive options.
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You can also enable smart loudness through the app, which allows you to set an intended volume and the earbuds will automatically adjust to make sure bass and treble are retained even at low volumes. Does it add much to the overall experience? It makes sure you keep a bit of the detail, but it doesn’t make things worse, so you lose nothing by enabling it.
The app will show you the battery level of each earbud and how much power is left in the case. You get about five hours with ANC enabled, which is average and, with more earbuds offering better battery life, the Aero may suffer here.
The stems on the earbuds have touch-sensitive controls: double tap to play and pause music, or answer and hang up calls. A triple tap will access the voice controls on your smartphone – Siri or Google Assistant. Press and hold to switch listening mode between active noise cancelling, transparency mode or just to turn it off, perhaps to save battery. You can also access the ANC in the app, and customise these touch controls, changing them to volume, for example, if that would be more useful to you.
They are hit and miss, though. My initial test of the default touch controls took several frustrated taps before the music paused.
Good
The Aero earbuds offer decent audio and great noise cancelling in a less expensive package. They are a good option if you want to get access to more immersive sound without spending a fortune. They are also lightweight, so you don’t feel like they’re about to fall out if you are running or in the gym, and the customisable tips give a good fit.
If the 12 presets don’t suit you, you can also set your own equaliser settings.
Under an experimental features setting in the app, you’ll find the option to connect to two different devices, so you can switch between your phone and your laptop or tablet. It’s a convenience rather than an essential.
Bad
Battery life on the buds is not outstanding. Plus the fast-charge function will mitigate that somewhat, giving you an hour of listening in 15 minutes.
Everything else
The buds are IPX6 rated, so they’ll survive a spell in the rain.
Verdict
A solid set of earbuds with good audio and great noise cancelling, although battery life lets things down a little here.
