The first pair of headphones I ever purchased was an upgrade to my freebie buds, many years ago. The $99 IEMs I retrieved from the local store were supposed to be a step up in the right direction. And while the company shall remain nameless, I can tell you that even then my untrained ears could detect they were complete crap. The vocals were far too recessed and everything felt well… sloppy. Thankfully, the IEM market has grown up quite a bit since that time, and now we have a much better selection and higher quality playback to select from. 1MORE is one of the few company’s pushing for high quality at a true budget pricepoint. The $99 Triple Driver In-Ear is actually the most expensive universal fit IEMs of their current lineup. Their dual driver and piston classic earphones cost a mere $69 and $19, respectively.
The Triple Driver from 1MORE pumps its magic juice courtesy of 2 balanced armature drivers and one dynamic driver. While there are smaller housings on the market, the size of the Trip is about average for the category, and much smaller than many of the multi-BA offerings of the high end of personal audio. I found the angled earpiece to be very comfortable, a move in the right direction from many of the straight-on approach of most IEMs. Comfort was at a near maximum for the universal-fit style and little help was needed to get the right fit and seal going straight out of the box.
For those who require a bit more tweaking, 1MORE included several tips of varying sizes and material to help fine tune your experience. Also included in the box is a sizeable amount of accessorized goodies, including a cable clip (a must-have to reduce cable microphonics), carrying pouch and in line controls. While not a requirement for good sound, the packaging was shockingly upscale for the price, including Apple-like box organization and a book-like theme. 1More’s presentation for this product is succinctly polished and thought out, moreso than most audiophile companies tend to put forth anyway. The aluminum alloy body feels very sturdy and even lays it down with a two-tone decorative housing.
Another impressive feat is achieved within the design of the earpiece tip. Although it seems like something that would be commonplace in today’s saturated IEM market, not nearly enough IEMs have a design that allows for easy attachment and removal of earpiece tips. The Triple Driver features a very nice locking design on the extension that works very well with the included tips, both for ease of use and secure and comfortable fit. The entire housing rests comfortably in the ear, the angled design is well done and helps contribute to a good seal which is imperative for a proper bass response. Again, comfort here feels surprisingly good for a universal fit IEM. The sharp 90 angle of the connection between shell and wire works, and is an interesting simplicity from the creative solutions of around-the-ear and anywhere-but-down options of many other design attempts.
The sound of the Triple Driver is ever-so-slightly V-shaped to my ears, which is to say that the bass and the treble feel slightly elevated against the canvas of mid-focused, upstream audiophile pieces. Even with this slight elevation, bass response is tempered, juicy, and very fun to listen to. The elevation in the highs grabs a good chunk of the vocal presentation along the way, so it feels as though there is concrete articulation in the corresponding band as well. Listeners of Rock or Dance may not even notice this small enthusiasm for either end. The detail and coherency across all three drivers is surprisingly astute for $99, and dare say – even higher. It took samples all the way up the outstanding ALO Nova at $499 to finally top the clear cadence of the Triple Driver. Even so, the plunge of the low end remains a source of entertainment for those who come along for the ride. The enthusiastic thump is a perfect segue for 808 drums beats and those that love the feeling a rotund low end bouncing around their ear canals. In a budget without limits, yes, there are better sounding IEMs floating around the market but none that really beat a $99 pricepoint as handily as the Triple Driver.
The first thing that jumps out about the TD is its comfort. It’s a variable which doesn’t often play at the forefront of evaluation enough. IEM fit can be a make or break situation for long listening sessions and the way this piece rests in the ear is remarkably cozy, thanks to an angled tip and well-distributed weight. The application to the ear canal required little extraneous adjustment and applied an easy seal in which bass rang through, a feat rarely seen among smaller designs and micro IEMs from companies like Jaybird which can often times rely on the silicone or foam eartip to support all the weight of the connection. The energetic frequency response of the drivers may be a perfect match for the $99 market this product lives and breathes in. It’s exciting to listen to and will no doubt provide plenty of get-up-and-go for fans of any musical genre. The Triple Driver from 1MORE kicks out the jams in a way that is very appealing for mainstream and the audio enthusiast who wants a comfortable go-to that you can take out in public without worrying about taking a big hit if they get lost or stolen. It appears that the $99 earphone has come a long way in the past few years and I for one, am glad to hear it.
From the manufacturer:
“1MORE aims to bridge the gap between consumers and audiophiles. We want you to hear your music the way the artist intended it. To do this, 1MORE collaborated with internationally acclaimed producer and sound engineer Luca Bignardi to perfect the final tuning to deliver a precise representation of your favorite artist’s intended sound.” “This provides us with a sound signature that is both consumer – and – audiophile friendly”
More info: https://usa.1more.com/
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KB9K9Z0/
