1More Comfobuds 2 Bluetooth 5.2 Semi-In-Ear TWS
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Model: 1More Comfobuds 2
Price: MSRP Approx $59.99
Website: 1More, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC063
Manufacturer Specification:
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual
2 x Pairs ‘Earflaps’
2 x 1More Stickers
1 x Warranty QR
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the very belated @regancipher review of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Back in February I reviewed the original Comfobuds here at headfi, scoring them quite positively for their better-than-average performance across most of the major variables, however they’ve always played second fiddle to the SoundPEATS TrueAir2 in the battle of the semi-in-ear ‘Airpod-killers’, despite an innovative and unquestionably comfortable design, as you would expect given the name.
This release came hot on the heels of their much-acclaimed Comfobuds Pro, going back to the original design, but with some small changes. They’ve added Bluetooth 5.2 support, gaming mode, increased battery life, and altered the material of the flappy bit that rests on your ear.
Semi-in-ear is generally my preferred style of earbud, so I was hoping for great things from the Comfobuds 2 – it was going to be interesting to see if they are still playing catchup to SoundPEATS after the release of their Air3.
Unboxing - 8/10
The unboxing experience with 1More always has a touch of class. What can I say – I’m a sucker for a panda sticker! It feels very reminiscent of the original Comfobuds, with the major difference being the addition of alternative ‘flaps’ – they’ve made the material softer, and also made them removable. For hygiene purposes, this has to be a good thing.
The user manual is in a number of different languages: Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian. 1More also include a QR code for warranty purposes.
The Case - 7/10
Taking photos of white cases is one of my least-favourite pastimes – I’ve broken from my usual tradition of plain white background here to give you some action shots.
The case on the original Comfobuds was tiny, but still had a very premium feel to it. The follow-up feels a lot less premium, with a flimsy hinge and more lightweight design. Sure, they’ve shaved a gram off the weight, but it definitely feels like a step backwards.
On top is the 1More logo, and the same ‘traffic light’ battery indicator – always a welcome addition to any case. The look has evolved from pearlescent white to a powder-coat-style semi-matte bright white, with a larger, but badly-finished lip for flipping the case open. Whilst arguably easier on the eye, again, it feels like a small step in the wrong direction.
Inside it is a familiar sight – L and R are displayed in the middle of the pogo pin charge connectors, and a button in between them allows you to reset or re-pair. There is no pushing down on the stem to remove like the Comfobuds Pro – these just pull out with relative ease. The buds rest on the top with little magnetism pulling them into the case.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but does support quick-charge, and can be charged very quickly with USB-C – 30 mins gives you three hours, with the port located at the rear – my preferred charge point location, as it can rest on your desk whilst conveniently letting you know when you can take them out and about. The back also exposes their slogan ‘One More, Hear More’, printed on the metallic-look surround supporting the hinge, just as it was on the first Comfobuds, although the charge port is now lower, so if the hinge does get damaged, at least your charging socket is marginally better protected.
The lipstick-style case is nicely proportioned at just under 7cm wide, around 2.5cm tall and a depth of 3cm. This makes it ideal for slipping in your pocket for a trip out, and the weight of just 35g – whilst contributed to by its relatively inferior build quality – also makes it really portable.
Ergonomics - 9/10
Again, the differences are quite academic between this and the first edition. The buds are slightly shorter, measuring 39mm in length, but the major difference is the flap. Rather than a rubberised-finish, this time it feels like softer silicone-type material, but it is certainly more comfortable than the first edition, and as mentioned earlier, more hygienic.
The red dustproof netting which surrounds the speaker is still there – albeit slightly more compact – and that goes for the design in general – it looks ever-so-slightly more streamlined, and that adds to the stability - they pass the shake test comfortably, pardon the pun. There is no issue with them staying in your ear, but they still give quite obvious sound leakage due to the refined nozzle – more so than the original, trading-off comfort for sound isolation.
The outside shows a lighter, but still present, 1More logo and strip-style ambient mic, protected by a matching-red dustproof net, with the touch control area just above. Unlike the SoundPEATS Air3, taking them out of the case doesn’t immediately start initiating controls, which was a big frustration with that model.
On the inside, there is a pressure-relief hole and charging connectors – they’ve also incorporated in-ear detection, which can be toggled in the app. The ergonomics throughout make them very comfortable to use for the duration of their battery life – to the point you can forget they’re in your ears.
They weigh 4.26g – heavier than the original, but the weight is all in the head, so it doesn’t affect the displacement – in fact, it improves it.
The Comfobuds 2 are extremely stable. The buds retain the IPX5 WR rating, making them fine for a trip out in the rain, but not for swimming or showering.
Audio – 7/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The audio on the original Comfobuds wasn’t bad at all by semi-in-ear standards, although they sound pretty terrible by comparison these days! This release is an improvement, but it still isn’t great out of the box.
On receipt, firmware v4.00.02 had such an elevated low-end that tracks would distort very easily, and the treble also sounded far too raspy. Pushing the buds close onto your concha betrayed this bizarre tuning decision. This was certainly not the 1More sound-signature that Luca Bignardi put his name to.
By the time v4.00.07 came around, the default EQ setting had levelled-off the spike in the lower frequencies, but when you push the buds far in your ear, the subbass lift is still quite apparent.
Fortunately, the 1More app has a plethora of EQ options – however the majority sound dire. Deep is quite reminiscent of the originals – it lifts the gap in the mids at around 1K, and I ended up settling on Electronic – it levels off the bass a bit whilst retaining the mid-bass, and doesn’t compromise too much on the clarity.
The Achilles heel is seemingly the thing that makes them so good though – the fit. With a slightly tighter push onto your concha, the sound changes drastically, but in their natural position they can sound rather thin, and when pushed too hard, the bass is overwhelming. As a result, you can spend quite a long time either adjusting them or hunting through the EQ’s in the app trying to get the sound right, even from track-to-track…then a marginal movement and you’re back tweaking again. Frustrating.
Whilst out of the box they lack the rounded performance of the Air3 and punchy Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro, the airy soundstage is most welcome, and overall, it’s not bad once you get it tweaked to your liking. The Comfobuds 2 have lots of redeeming features, and whilst they aren't the best for sound of this form factor and fit, they certainly aren't the worst.
Call Quality - Indoors – 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Calls on the T60BT are fine indoors. Your voice comes through reasonably clearly without thinning out too much, although ambient sounds will produce quite obvious crackles. On Zoom or Teams, they again perform quite adequately.
Outdoors, your voice sounds a little muffled – there is some obvious compression, but nothing like the older Airoha-chip-based buds (such as that in the FIIL CC2). Whilst they combat wind reasonably well, traffic and splashes are not removed altogether – they are still audible without being too prominent – but compared to budget buds like the QCY T13 or SoundPEATS Air3, where they compete for clarity, they lag behind a little in naturalness, and that’s what 1More are competing with at this price point.
The Comfobuds 2 appear on my 2022 Call Quality YouTube video here:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
As you would expect, 1More have not exactly maxed out on the features at this price point. Steering clear of Qualcomm these days, 1More can’t offer aptX support, although latency is respectable (claimed 90ms), and can be improved further by initiating gaming mode via the app.
The app actually isn’t bad by TWS standards – it offers OTA firmware updates, customisable controls (albeit only double and triple tap) which as a result allows you to control volume from the touch control area, which is in the same place as before – the head of the stem. You can choose between volume, voice control or toggling tracks.
There are some other nice touches, such as in-ear detection, which can be toggled on, off, or to pause only – a handy feature – and you can also play ‘soothing sounds’ through the app too, although it isn’t too soothing when the loop finishes and it just suddenly stops! A nice idea though.
The app also allows EQ, as mentioned previously, although the majority of the templates are pretty horrible sounding and there is no 5-band custom setting like with many apps – you can use Wavelet on Android though.
Speaking of Android – I get some odd, occasional messages pop up on my OnePlus phone, even when I’m using the buds with another device, with the Airoha chip name and a request asking me if I want to control it. Not sure what this means - kinda looks like Google Fast Pair has been half-implemented.
They also support single mode – just leave one in the case.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is good by semi-in-ear standards, consistently hitting within 75% of the claimed 6-hour mark, and although the case could offer better at just 24 hours total, the ‘15-minute juice for 3 hours playtime’ warp-charge is a great feature that definitely softens the blow.
A full charge takes just two-hours, so they’re a decent travel companion.
Final Comments
The Comfobuds 2 are a fair upgrade to the original, adding in some essential ‘me too’ features rather than re-inventing the wheel. 1More have retained, even improved, their comfort whilst bringing them up-to-date, with Bluetooth 5.2, improved battery life, customisable controls, app support and gaming mode.
To their credit, they improve over many semi-in-ear releases, such as the SoundPEATS Air3, by optimising the user experience (outside of getting the EQ right!) - fit is exceptional, the additional replaceable tips increases hygiene and improves the likelihood of them sitting in your ears (a common problem for buds of this form factor), and the LED's on the case, lights on the buds, app, quick charges, very easy to operate case and controls (i.e. they don't suddenly initiate the controls on removal due to the design) and rock-solid stability have made them my go-to for listening to audiobooks or podcasts when out for a walk, at least if the traffic has died down and the need for a 'seal' is less. In this environment, or if you don't like the invasiveness of silicone tips, they fare pretty well.
However, if it's music you're primarily interested in, you'll probably find the sound is a bit of a chore to get right, and given they're priced considerably higher than the QCY T12 and SoundPEATS Air3, you'll have to be a big 1More fan to choose these over the competition outside those specific use-cases.
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 77%
Other 1More Regancipher Reviews:
Comfobuds Pro
Comfobuds
Colorbuds
Omthing Airfree
Stylish
About 1More:
In the past years, as a professional headphones brand, 1MORE has won many international awards, including 38 International Design Awards (such as iDEA, Red Dot Design Award, GOOD DESIGN AWARD, iF Design Awards and etc.), 12 CES Awards, 3 EHA Awards and 19 VGP Awards.
In addition, many of 1MORE’s headphones have been receiving awards from top-tier media outlets across the world and are being highly recommended by those editors who rigorously tested our products to ensure they meet the highest standards in the headphone market. These media include but are not limited to Forbes, Rolling Stone, WIRED, Digital Trends, CNET and more.
4-time Grammy Award-winning Sound Engineer Luca Bignardi uniquely tunes all of 1MORE’s headphones to deliver a precise representation of the artist’s intended sound.
1MORE has branches in the US, the UK and China. Our channels reach 40 countries and regions, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.
Instagram: regancipher
YouTube: regancipher
Model: 1More Comfobuds 2
Price: MSRP Approx $59.99
Website: 1More, Aliexpress Store
Review Reference: RC063
Manufacturer Specification:
- Brand: 1More
- Model: Comfobuds 2 ES303
- Driver: 13.4mm Dynamic Driver with Sonarworks Sound Calibration
- Chipset: Airoha Luoda AB1562A
- Mic: 4-mic ENC
- ANC: No
- Codecs: AAC, SBC
- App Support: Yes
- Touch Volume Control: Yes, customisable via the app
- Gaming Mode: Yes
- In-ear Detection: Yes
- Earbud Weight: 4.26g
- Earbud Dimensions: 39.3mm stem length, 17.8mm depth
- Gross Case & Buds Weight: 35g
- Case Dimensions: 68mm (length) x 29mm (width) x 26mm (height)
- Case Charge Capacity: 410mAh
- Quick Charge: Yes, 15 min for 3 hours use!
- Full Charge Time: 40 + 80 minutes (total 120 minutes)
- Wireless Charging: No
- Input: 5V 1A
- Single Use Playtime: Up to 6 hours
- Playtime with Charge Case: Up to 24 hours
- Bluetooth Range: 10m advertised
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP 1.7/ A2DP 1.3/ AVRCP 1.5
- Water Resistance: Not listed, apparently IPX5
- Firmware Version Tested: V4.00.07
1 x Pair Wireless Earbuds
1 x USB Type-C Charge Case
1 x USB Type-C Charge Cable
1 x User manual
2 x Pairs ‘Earflaps’
2 x 1More Stickers
1 x Warranty QR
Real Life Experience
Welcome to the very belated @regancipher review of the 1More Comfobuds 2. Back in February I reviewed the original Comfobuds here at headfi, scoring them quite positively for their better-than-average performance across most of the major variables, however they’ve always played second fiddle to the SoundPEATS TrueAir2 in the battle of the semi-in-ear ‘Airpod-killers’, despite an innovative and unquestionably comfortable design, as you would expect given the name.
This release came hot on the heels of their much-acclaimed Comfobuds Pro, going back to the original design, but with some small changes. They’ve added Bluetooth 5.2 support, gaming mode, increased battery life, and altered the material of the flappy bit that rests on your ear.
Semi-in-ear is generally my preferred style of earbud, so I was hoping for great things from the Comfobuds 2 – it was going to be interesting to see if they are still playing catchup to SoundPEATS after the release of their Air3.
Unboxing - 8/10
The unboxing experience with 1More always has a touch of class. What can I say – I’m a sucker for a panda sticker! It feels very reminiscent of the original Comfobuds, with the major difference being the addition of alternative ‘flaps’ – they’ve made the material softer, and also made them removable. For hygiene purposes, this has to be a good thing.
The user manual is in a number of different languages: Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Korean, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian. 1More also include a QR code for warranty purposes.
The Case - 7/10
Taking photos of white cases is one of my least-favourite pastimes – I’ve broken from my usual tradition of plain white background here to give you some action shots.
The case on the original Comfobuds was tiny, but still had a very premium feel to it. The follow-up feels a lot less premium, with a flimsy hinge and more lightweight design. Sure, they’ve shaved a gram off the weight, but it definitely feels like a step backwards.
On top is the 1More logo, and the same ‘traffic light’ battery indicator – always a welcome addition to any case. The look has evolved from pearlescent white to a powder-coat-style semi-matte bright white, with a larger, but badly-finished lip for flipping the case open. Whilst arguably easier on the eye, again, it feels like a small step in the wrong direction.
Inside it is a familiar sight – L and R are displayed in the middle of the pogo pin charge connectors, and a button in between them allows you to reset or re-pair. There is no pushing down on the stem to remove like the Comfobuds Pro – these just pull out with relative ease. The buds rest on the top with little magnetism pulling them into the case.
The case doesn’t support wireless charging, but does support quick-charge, and can be charged very quickly with USB-C – 30 mins gives you three hours, with the port located at the rear – my preferred charge point location, as it can rest on your desk whilst conveniently letting you know when you can take them out and about. The back also exposes their slogan ‘One More, Hear More’, printed on the metallic-look surround supporting the hinge, just as it was on the first Comfobuds, although the charge port is now lower, so if the hinge does get damaged, at least your charging socket is marginally better protected.
The lipstick-style case is nicely proportioned at just under 7cm wide, around 2.5cm tall and a depth of 3cm. This makes it ideal for slipping in your pocket for a trip out, and the weight of just 35g – whilst contributed to by its relatively inferior build quality – also makes it really portable.
Ergonomics - 9/10
Again, the differences are quite academic between this and the first edition. The buds are slightly shorter, measuring 39mm in length, but the major difference is the flap. Rather than a rubberised-finish, this time it feels like softer silicone-type material, but it is certainly more comfortable than the first edition, and as mentioned earlier, more hygienic.
The red dustproof netting which surrounds the speaker is still there – albeit slightly more compact – and that goes for the design in general – it looks ever-so-slightly more streamlined, and that adds to the stability - they pass the shake test comfortably, pardon the pun. There is no issue with them staying in your ear, but they still give quite obvious sound leakage due to the refined nozzle – more so than the original, trading-off comfort for sound isolation.
The outside shows a lighter, but still present, 1More logo and strip-style ambient mic, protected by a matching-red dustproof net, with the touch control area just above. Unlike the SoundPEATS Air3, taking them out of the case doesn’t immediately start initiating controls, which was a big frustration with that model.
On the inside, there is a pressure-relief hole and charging connectors – they’ve also incorporated in-ear detection, which can be toggled in the app. The ergonomics throughout make them very comfortable to use for the duration of their battery life – to the point you can forget they’re in your ears.
They weigh 4.26g – heavier than the original, but the weight is all in the head, so it doesn’t affect the displacement – in fact, it improves it.
The Comfobuds 2 are extremely stable. The buds retain the IPX5 WR rating, making them fine for a trip out in the rain, but not for swimming or showering.
Audio – 7/10 (for the price paid), 7/10 (raw score)
The audio on the original Comfobuds wasn’t bad at all by semi-in-ear standards, although they sound pretty terrible by comparison these days! This release is an improvement, but it still isn’t great out of the box.
On receipt, firmware v4.00.02 had such an elevated low-end that tracks would distort very easily, and the treble also sounded far too raspy. Pushing the buds close onto your concha betrayed this bizarre tuning decision. This was certainly not the 1More sound-signature that Luca Bignardi put his name to.
By the time v4.00.07 came around, the default EQ setting had levelled-off the spike in the lower frequencies, but when you push the buds far in your ear, the subbass lift is still quite apparent.
Fortunately, the 1More app has a plethora of EQ options – however the majority sound dire. Deep is quite reminiscent of the originals – it lifts the gap in the mids at around 1K, and I ended up settling on Electronic – it levels off the bass a bit whilst retaining the mid-bass, and doesn’t compromise too much on the clarity.
The Achilles heel is seemingly the thing that makes them so good though – the fit. With a slightly tighter push onto your concha, the sound changes drastically, but in their natural position they can sound rather thin, and when pushed too hard, the bass is overwhelming. As a result, you can spend quite a long time either adjusting them or hunting through the EQ’s in the app trying to get the sound right, even from track-to-track…then a marginal movement and you’re back tweaking again. Frustrating.
Whilst out of the box they lack the rounded performance of the Air3 and punchy Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro, the airy soundstage is most welcome, and overall, it’s not bad once you get it tweaked to your liking. The Comfobuds 2 have lots of redeeming features, and whilst they aren't the best for sound of this form factor and fit, they certainly aren't the worst.
Call Quality - Indoors – 7.5/10, Outdoors - 7/10
Calls on the T60BT are fine indoors. Your voice comes through reasonably clearly without thinning out too much, although ambient sounds will produce quite obvious crackles. On Zoom or Teams, they again perform quite adequately.
Outdoors, your voice sounds a little muffled – there is some obvious compression, but nothing like the older Airoha-chip-based buds (such as that in the FIIL CC2). Whilst they combat wind reasonably well, traffic and splashes are not removed altogether – they are still audible without being too prominent – but compared to budget buds like the QCY T13 or SoundPEATS Air3, where they compete for clarity, they lag behind a little in naturalness, and that’s what 1More are competing with at this price point.
The Comfobuds 2 appear on my 2022 Call Quality YouTube video here:
Connectivity, Controls and other Interactive Features - 7/10
As you would expect, 1More have not exactly maxed out on the features at this price point. Steering clear of Qualcomm these days, 1More can’t offer aptX support, although latency is respectable (claimed 90ms), and can be improved further by initiating gaming mode via the app.
The app actually isn’t bad by TWS standards – it offers OTA firmware updates, customisable controls (albeit only double and triple tap) which as a result allows you to control volume from the touch control area, which is in the same place as before – the head of the stem. You can choose between volume, voice control or toggling tracks.
There are some other nice touches, such as in-ear detection, which can be toggled on, off, or to pause only – a handy feature – and you can also play ‘soothing sounds’ through the app too, although it isn’t too soothing when the loop finishes and it just suddenly stops! A nice idea though.
The app also allows EQ, as mentioned previously, although the majority of the templates are pretty horrible sounding and there is no 5-band custom setting like with many apps – you can use Wavelet on Android though.
Speaking of Android – I get some odd, occasional messages pop up on my OnePlus phone, even when I’m using the buds with another device, with the Airoha chip name and a request asking me if I want to control it. Not sure what this means - kinda looks like Google Fast Pair has been half-implemented.
They also support single mode – just leave one in the case.
Battery Life - 8/10
Battery life is good by semi-in-ear standards, consistently hitting within 75% of the claimed 6-hour mark, and although the case could offer better at just 24 hours total, the ‘15-minute juice for 3 hours playtime’ warp-charge is a great feature that definitely softens the blow.
A full charge takes just two-hours, so they’re a decent travel companion.
Final Comments
The Comfobuds 2 are a fair upgrade to the original, adding in some essential ‘me too’ features rather than re-inventing the wheel. 1More have retained, even improved, their comfort whilst bringing them up-to-date, with Bluetooth 5.2, improved battery life, customisable controls, app support and gaming mode.
To their credit, they improve over many semi-in-ear releases, such as the SoundPEATS Air3, by optimising the user experience (outside of getting the EQ right!) - fit is exceptional, the additional replaceable tips increases hygiene and improves the likelihood of them sitting in your ears (a common problem for buds of this form factor), and the LED's on the case, lights on the buds, app, quick charges, very easy to operate case and controls (i.e. they don't suddenly initiate the controls on removal due to the design) and rock-solid stability have made them my go-to for listening to audiobooks or podcasts when out for a walk, at least if the traffic has died down and the need for a 'seal' is less. In this environment, or if you don't like the invasiveness of silicone tips, they fare pretty well.
However, if it's music you're primarily interested in, you'll probably find the sound is a bit of a chore to get right, and given they're priced considerably higher than the QCY T12 and SoundPEATS Air3, you'll have to be a big 1More fan to choose these over the competition outside those specific use-cases.
Price Weighted Score: 80%
Raw Score: 77%
Other 1More Regancipher Reviews:
Comfobuds Pro
Comfobuds
Colorbuds
Omthing Airfree
Stylish
About 1More:
In the past years, as a professional headphones brand, 1MORE has won many international awards, including 38 International Design Awards (such as iDEA, Red Dot Design Award, GOOD DESIGN AWARD, iF Design Awards and etc.), 12 CES Awards, 3 EHA Awards and 19 VGP Awards.
In addition, many of 1MORE’s headphones have been receiving awards from top-tier media outlets across the world and are being highly recommended by those editors who rigorously tested our products to ensure they meet the highest standards in the headphone market. These media include but are not limited to Forbes, Rolling Stone, WIRED, Digital Trends, CNET and more.
4-time Grammy Award-winning Sound Engineer Luca Bignardi uniquely tunes all of 1MORE’s headphones to deliver a precise representation of the artist’s intended sound.
1MORE has branches in the US, the UK and China. Our channels reach 40 countries and regions, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Australia, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam.
