1MORE EO323 Multi-Unit Earphones

I actually ordered Triple drivers, but got the wrong ones. Can't really complain since they ended up costing me only 8 euros for shipping.

Build quality:

Build quality is pretty decent with the exception of remote feeling cheap and rattling.

Housings are machine aluminium, cord is coated with kevlar. Cords aren't as microphonic as I assumed.

Fit is confortable and they stay on nicely.

The remote is quite rubbish.
Buttons are hard to distinct by just feeling the remote, buttons offer very little in terms of feedback and the whole thing feels like sth you might find in a 10€ set.

Sound quality:

Dispite of the relatively low asking price (65€) these are one of the best earbuds I've heard in a while.

Response is typical v-shape with a tad muffled mids and quite strong emphasis on bass.
Highs are clear and you can clearly separate all the instruments. Highest end of treble seems to be a tad attenuaded and you might want to boost the upper end +12k a good 3-5 db.

As said earlier, midrange seems a bit muffled. I needed to boost 1-2khz a few decibels to bring singers to the front of the soundstage.
I believe this is the arena where dynamic driver hands the upper end to balanced armature, since there's something not quite right with this band. It's not irritating by any mens, but something you no doubt notice when using these for the first times.

Bass is extended and these earbuds produce lows quite nicely down to 20hz. Bass is a little exaggerated, but these are by no means a "basshead" earbuds. Lowest of lows were a bit attenuaded so I boosted 32hz by 3 db and it sounded ok.
In higher bass frequencies there's something not quite right. May it be resonance or slow decay. I turned 63hz down 2db and 121hz by - 3 after which I was quite happy with the sound.

Now I can enjoy music on these hours continously without playing any attention to the tonal nature of these earbuds.

Bottom line:
These are probably the best earbuds you can get for this kind of money, but I suggest you splash out a little more cash to get the triple driver versions since the price difference can be as low as 10€.

Greetings,
 
This review will be dedicated to a hybrid (1 BA + 1 dynamic) earphones from 1MORE (the guys that make Xiaomi headphones). I'd like also to state that the earphones reviewed are very different from Xiaomi hybrid earphones, both in sound and in bundled extras.
 
I will first describe my physical impressions, and get to the sound later.
 

Physical

 

 

 

 
The earphones arrive in a huge box. It is just the largest earphones box I have ever seen, in fact you could fit in headphones with ease. I've taken a picture of the package with Iphone 6S and a package of Xiaomi hybrids in order to have some proportions of the package.
 

 

 
The box has a paper seal that you have to tear in order to open it.
 

 

This is the view you first get after opening the box. It reminds me of an expensive car, looks really fancy.
 

 
The box has two "levels", this is what is sitting below the initial view.
 

 
Here are all the goodies that come with the phones. An airplane adapter, a box with eartips, hard carrying pouch, and some paperwork.
 

 

 

 
Looks really expensive to me.
 

 

 

 

 
The box is great. The black stitching makes it look classy. The box is hard and has artificial leather coating and magnetic closing.
 

 
Here are the earphones, the reason we are here today.
 

 
The plus is very similar to other Xiaomi/1MORE headphones plugs, gold plated and made from metal.
 

 
The cable is wrapped in a white fabric up to the Y-split.
 

 
The Y-split, metal with the same finish as the plug. From the Y-split to the earphones the cable is not coated, just simple cable. The cable does not feel too fancy.
 

 
The remote control/microphone unit. Unlike the Xiaomi unit, this one control both IOS and Android devices (including volume).
 

 

 

 

 
And here are the phones. Well, they are mostly metal and look and feel fancy. The color is not exacly gold, it's more like rose gold.
As you can see there is a small venting hole.

 

Part 2 - The sound and real life

Prior to auditioning I performed an extensive burn-in to the earphones. I've mostly used the earphones with FiiO X3 II and a broad array of music genres. Mostly lossless formats were used.
 
I'd describe these earphones as neutral, maybe a bit cold. I could not find any music genre that the earphones cold not handle, and really enjoyed the auditioning. Even difficult recordings like the early Metallika albums sounded good with those earphones.
 
Bass - it's fast and well controled, without affecting other frequencies. I didn't feel the low end too extended.
Mids - those are nice, the vocals sound nice and clear, really close and intimate. I found enjoying male vocals more than usual .
Highs - due to usage of the BA units the highs have a lot of details, and some of the recordings really sound special with those (especially Hi-Res).
 
Soundstage - not too wide, but there is good instruments separation and a sense of space.
 
The earphones are very forgiving, I had no problem enjoying a majority of my music.
 
The fit is good, but in order to hold the earphones securely I had to use the largest ear-tips that come with the earphones. If you intend to do sports activity with those I'd suggest getting earhoocks/better ear-tips, because of the weigh and the shape of those earphones.
 
 

Final thoughts, conclusions

 
I really liked those earphones. They look and feel classy, they do so much things just right. The packaging and the stuff that comes with the earphones are just exceptional, so if you intend to provide them as a present you won't be forgotten for sure.
 
 
The earphones were provided for review by www.gearbest.com

At the time of the review, the 1MORE hybrid in-ear monitor was was on sale on Gearbest’s website. Here is a link to their listing of the product:
 
http://www.gearbest.com/earphones/pp_265759.html
 
Introduction
Here we go again, another hybrid earphone to review… BOOYAH!
 
Every time I turn around there’s another hybrid earphone hitting the market. Things are changing that’s for sure! Getting your hands on a hybrid earphones used to mean shelling out a good amount of cash well in excess of a hundred dollars or more. That is, until now! Hybrid earphones are not only becoming much more reasonably priced, they have the sound quality of higher end models.
 
I’ve written a couple reviews for Gearbest. From the beginning I’ve told them that my intention is to share reviews of flagships and premium products that the Head-Fi community would like to know about. They agreed, and the first two headphones they sent were a hit. Upon completing my last review, I thanked them for the opportunity, and asked them to please keep me in mind for future premium audio products. The next day I received a shipping notice. What came in is the 1MORE hybrid earphone. No objections from me! Until Gearbest runs out of great headphones to review I’m going to keep covering products. This is a great opportunity for the Head-Fi community to learn about some lesser known earphones and manufacturers.
 
Disclaimer
I was given an opportunity to review the 1MORE earphone in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I am in no way affiliated with 1MORE. I would like to take this time to personally thank Gearbest for the opportunity.
 
My Background
I AM NOT a numbers and graphs audiophile or sound engineer. Personal audio enthusiast? Absolutely! Headphone junkie? Possibly…
 
There’s something about quality DAPs, DACs, Amplifiers and Earphones that intrigues me, especially if they can be had for low prices. I will buy the $5 to $500 earphone that looks promising, in hopes that I will discover that one new gem that can compete with the big names in this industry. If you look at my Head-Fi profile you will see that I have purchased MANY different headphones and earphones, ranging from from dirt cheap to higher end products. For me, this hobby is more about getting great price to performance ratio from a product, and have a variety of different gears with varying builds and sound to mix and match. With personal audio gear, we tend to pay a lot of money for minor upgrades. One thing I’ve learned over the last few years is that just because a headphone has a higher price tag, it doesn’t mean that it has superior build and sound quality.
 
I’m always looking for great audio at a great price. I’m after headphones and IEMs that give me the “WOW” factor. I can appreciate different builds and sound signatures as long as they are ergonomic, and the sound is pleasing to the ear. It is my pleasure to share my experiences with audio products and make recommendations based gear I have owned and used.
 
REVIEW

The 1MORE Hybrid comes in a black box with a white band on the exterior. The front is very simple, featuring nothing but the company name written on the band and also on a metal tab on the box.
 

The back of the box shows the name of the product in several languages, and also has specifications written in English.
 

Removing the band, I noticed that this is a very premium box worthy of flagship products that would usually cost much more than the current asking price. A velvet and foam cutout displays the earphones and a very nice synthetic leather carrying case with a magnetic clasp.
 

Removing the top layer of foam revealed an owner’s manual, airline adapter, shirt clip and a small black cardboard box that holds an assortment of tips. The packaging is seriously incredible, and honestly too good for the asking price.
 
Specifications and Accessories
 
Specifications

 

The carrying case that comes with the 1MORE hybrid is really cool. The synthetic leather and red stitching case is about the size of a pack of cigarettes and has a magnetic clasp on the top.
 

The included shirt clip is made of metal. The airline adapter is premium as well. There isn’t very many pairs of tips that come in the package, but the ones that are included are of nice quality.
 
Housings

1MORE has created a housing that is a break away from what I am accustomed to. It is not only a hybrid in terms of its speaker configuration but also in its physical design, using a combination of ergonomics from both in-ear monitors and earbuds. The fit is similar to the Dunu Titan line of in-ear monitors.
 

They are a combination of metal and plastic. I was concerned about how they would hold up under daily use, but upon writing the review, and using these as my daily driver for the last three weeks I have no complaints. Metal parts are made of a gold finished lightweight aluminum. There is a metals tubing that leads to the cable. I originally thought this would be a hindrance, but it honestly works phenomenally for taking the earphones out of my ear. Plastic parts are white (they also come in black). It’s hard to explain the design so I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. While the style of these aren’t really my cup of tea, I can see people with similarly designed phones and DAPs really liking them.
 
Cable, Y-Split, Cable Jack, Strain Reliefs

The cable is a little underwhelming. It’s a fairly frail and thin cable. It’s wrapped in a woven fabric material from the jack to the Y-split, then a rubber material from the Y-split to the housings.  A white cloth cable? It’s asking to get dirty, this is for sure! The Y-Split is a barrel shaped piece of gold aluminum similar to the housing. The jack is a straight design gold plated 3.5 mm plug with a gold tinted aluminum jacket that matches the rest of the design. Strain reliefs are short rubber pieces that are adequate.
 
Functionality

A three button microphone/remote is located about six inches down from the right housing. The 1MORE mic/remote is designed to be used with Android devices. I am able to play, pause, skip tracks, answer calls, hang up calls and activate voice controls with the center button. I can control volumes with the up and down buttons. Testing it with my LG G3, all buttons worked flawlessly. The buttons were easy to use without looking.
 
When using the 1MORE hybrid for phone calls, I could hear voices come through clearly. When talking with friends and family, they reported my voice coming through at a three on a scale from one to five.
 
Ergonomics, Fit and Microphonics, Isolation
The 1MORE earphone is designed to be worn cable down. They can be looped over the ear, but it was a slightly awkward fit. Because of this worn down was my preferred option.
 
Wearing them cable down, the fit is very nice. The rounded housing rests on the lower part of the ear, taking pressure off of the tip and making them very comfortable and easy to wear for hours. However, wearing them this way makes microphonics noticeable. Wearing them cable up, microphonics were virtually eliminated. Isolation is pretty average for a universal-in ear monitor. You will hear surrounding noises, but not when music is playing.
 
Sound Review
I did my demo with my usual gear. I used an LG-G3 with the latest firmware for portable and smartphone use, and either my Shanling H3 or Sony Walkman F806/Cayin C5 amplifier for a high fidelity portable use. For desktop use I used my Toshiba Satellite Laptop in combination with a HIFIMEDIY Sabre ES9023 USB DAC/Bravo Audio Ocean Tube amplifier with a Mullard 12AU7 tube for higher impedance, and a Fiio E18 USB DAC & Amplifier in both high and low gain. Both were run at 24 bit, 96000 Hz. I also tested them with other DAPs and amplifiers as well. I used Google Music downloaded in its highest download quality (320 KBPS) and I also streamed FLAC via Tidal streaming service. I also used purchased and downloaded tracks in MP3, FLAC, WAV and DSD. I make sure that any gear I test has sufficient playtime before writing a review.
 
I used my usual same songs for testing gear:
“Limit to your love” by James Blake (bass speed, punch, response)
“Doin’ it Right” by Daft Punk (sub bass)
“Get lucky” by Daft Punk (bass to midrange transition resolution, male vocals)
“Madness” by Muse (soundstage, separation)
“Some nights” by Fun (soundstage and male vocals)
“The soundmaker” by Rodrigo y Gabriela (texture and imaging)
“Bassically” by Tei Shi (bass to midrange resolution, female vocals)
“Skinny Love” performed by Birdie (female vocals, acoustic playback)
“One” by Ed Sheeran (male vocals, acoustic playback)
“Outlands” from the Tron Legacy Soundtrack (symphonic presentation, imaging)
“Sultans of swing” by Dire Straits (detail, separation, balance)
“And Justic for All” by Metallica (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)
“Ten thousand fists” by Disturbed (driver distortion, treble response, rock playback)
 
Note: Other tracks were used, but the listed songs were primarily used to assess and break down the gear’s response.
 
Source Selection
The 1MORE hybrid is designed to be used with a cell phone. They are listed at 32 ohms, but are easily driven by my LG G3. I couldn’t turn the G3 past ¾ volume before they were too loud to listen to.
 
When using them with various sources, I noticed they worked really well with my Fiio E18. Using them with this DAC/Amplifier streaming higher bitrate files from my computer, they sounded very spacious and detailed. The 1MORE hybrid will upscale well with a good portable source. Do this for best results.
 
Sound Signature

The 1MORE hybrid has a relatively well balanced signature that works with all genres. There isn’t any type of music I listened to that the 1MORE doesn’t play well. They have a warm tilted midrange with slight midbass forwardness and lifted upper midrange that doesn’t perceptually go overboard. Treble is clean and relaxed at upper registers. Albeit not extreme, resolution varies from dynamic to armature drivers from what I could hear. All in all, the 1MORE hybrid performs at a level that exceeds it’s asking price.
 
Bass
Bass is slightly forward and lifted at midbass tones. Although sub bass tones are audible, they take a slight back seat to a dynamic mid bass that avoids being overbearing or fatiguing. Although the bass of the 1MORE earphone is formidable, listening to them I feel that the midrange and upper treble frequencies play at a level of resolution that slightly outperforms the dynamic driver. It isn’t blatant, and only noticeable during critical listening.
 
Midrange
Midrange on the 1MORE hybrid is honestly fantastic. Instruments and vocals sound very natural and with a slight warm tilt. There is a lift just above 2k, which helps finish vocals with a nice bite. Nothing seems over or underdone to my ears, The upper midrange bump is tastefully done.
 
Treble
Treble rolls off after 4k, and doesn’t have any spike until around 11k. This makes the 1MORE hybrid top end seem smooth and slightly rolled off at the range of sibilant sounds. This gives them a sense of being extended and smooth at the same time.  
 
Soundstage and Imaging
The high resolution and of the armature drivers actually gives them a really nice sense of space. Soundstage and imaging are very good for an in ear monitor. This might be the 1MORE hybrids biggest strengths.
 
Comparisons
 
Astrotec AX-35 ($60 to $90 USD on many sites)
Astrotec was one of the original sub hundred dollar hybrids. They are a dual design with one dynamic and one armature driver.
 
Comparing the two, the AX-35 can’t compete with the more complete and higher quality sound of the 1MORE hybrid. The AX-35 seems like a midbass heavy and fuzzy sounding earphone in comparison. I don’t think there’s one thing about the 1MORE sound that isn’t superior.
 
Build quality is a draw. I have issues with the build quality on both cables. I give the 1MORE an edge for their mic/remote. Accessories is close. 1MORE has a nicer carrying case but AX-35 has more tips.
 
 
Hisoundaudio HSA-AD01 ($120 to $130 USD on many sites)
Fast forward to current days hybrids with the newly released HSA-AD01. The AD01 is a hybrid that puts an emphasis on bass and has an overall warm yet detailed presence. I find these very enjoyable.
 
Comparing the two, the AD01 seems to have a more sub focused and also more responsive bass presence. Midrange on the 1 MORE is more tonally balanced and clear. The 1MORE also has a a more extended but slightly less natural treble presence.
 
1MORE gets the edge for accessories. They offer an exceptional case, while the AD01 doesn’t offer anything. The AD01 gets the edge in terms of tip selection.

 
Conclusion
I was impressed with the 1MORE hybrid. They have a packaging and sound that exceeds their asking price. If 1MORE was able to match the build quality to match the rest of the package (particularly the cable quality) and improve the style just a bit, we would have the new king of budget hybrid earphones on our hands. Still, even as they are they are an incredible deal for their price and the best hybrid I’ve heard in their respective price range.
 
If you have an Android phone and would like to max out on sound quality for fifty dollars, I have no problem suggestion the 1MORE hybrid.
 

Thanks for reading and happy listening!