1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones Review

We purchased the 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

We expected good things from the 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones given their premium price and impressive packaging, but the story is more complex than you might think. Whether you love or hate them will depend on what you listen to.

Design: Never judge a book by its cover

There is no denying that unboxing these earbuds is an exciting experience - right up to the point where you realize that 1MORE clearly invested more in the packaging than in the product. The box itself is something of a work of art, modeled after a hardcover book complete with fake pages along three edges. It opens to reveal the earbuds and accessories attractively displayed within (though be careful, or the contents will come tumbling out). If you really enjoy opening new gadgets the Triple Drivers are especially fun to unbox.

Build quality is uneven—we appreciated the tough kevlar reinforced cable, and the aluminum earpieces should stand up to more abuse than their light weight would indicate, but the inline control dongle feels cheap and plasticky, and its durability is questionable. Functionally, though, the inline control module is a high point. It’s highly responsive and includes volume and play/pause/virtual assistant activation buttons. 

The kevlar cable, in addition to being deceptively strong, is highly tangle resistant. This makes the earbuds easy to stow and quick to unpack, and in general the Triple Drivers travel well.

Included are an assortment of ear pieces which alter the sound and fit of the earbuds, as well as a clothing clip and storage pouch. These are useful accessories, and a dual prong airline adapter is also included, a welcome addition for frequent flyers.

Comfort: Easy on the ears

Whatever else you say about them, the 1MORE Triple Driver Earbuds feel good, and the included extra earpiece tips will help you find the right fit for your ears. We were able to listen for long periods of time without discomfort. This lightweight construction is especially advantageous, as no band for securing the earbuds is necessary.

Sound Quality: Inconsistent quality

An earbud lives or dies depending on the quality of the sound it produces, and for 1MORE Triple Driver the situation is complex. Your experience will vary wildly depending on your taste in music and the sound you crave. For some music they’re great; for others, they’re absolutely awful.

Sound quality in general can be improved through experimentation with the included extra earpieces, but these earbuds don’t work for some kinds of music. They don’t suit rock, as we discovered listening to Fanclub’s latest album “Vulture Culture” and to the Black Keys. We found that the very warm, rich quality of the 1MORE Triple Driver tends to blend mid tones in such songs together in an unappealing way.

However, when we listened to less chaotic music like Gordon Lightfoot or the Vitamin String Quartet, the effect of these earbuds was quite pleasing and the issues we had with rock songs disappeared.

Our experience with other media was also mixed. A Youtube gaming commentary video was perfectly fine to listen to with the 1MORE Triple Driver, but an audio book (the excellent “We Are Legion” by Dennis E. Taylor) didn’t sound so good. However, the music video of Yuve Yuve Yu was a fine listening experience. 

Your mileage will vary based on what you listen to, though when it comes to hands free phone calls, the built-in mic delivers very good audio quality, and for this purpose these earbuds excel.

Price: A potential bargain

As long as your music tastes fit within the Triple Driver’s niche, they’re a bargain given at an MSRP of $80. But if you listen to a broad range of music and other audio content you may end up being disappointed by their inconsistent performance and prefer a cheaper, more well-rounded pair of earbuds. It’s worth noting that those cheaper headphones likely won’t last as long, and the Triple Drivers offer better sound quality within their niche. 

Competition: More consistent quality

Panasonic ErgoFit: For under $10 the Panasonic ErgoFit actually provides better sound quality for a wider variety of audio content than the 1MORE Triple Drivers. For music that benefits from the warm, rich tones, the 1MORE is superior, and the ErgoFit suffers in terms of build quality and comfort. However, unless your musical tastes fall into the 1MORE niche the ErgoFit is obviously the better buy at an eighth of the price. 

RHA T20i In-Ear Monitors (Gen. 2): For about twice the price of the 1MORE Triple Driver you can experience truly excellent audio quality with the RHA T20i In-Ear Monitors (Gen. 2). These earbuds deliver wonderful sound, great customizable comfort, and premium build quality. Not only will they likely exceed the lifetime of the 1MORE Triple Driver, they provide a wholly superior experience. The only advantage the 1MORE Triple Driver has over the RHA T20i is in terms of weight and bulk—the T20i take up more space in your pocket, are more difficult to pack, and can actually be a substantial weight when worn. The Triple Driver is compact, lightweight, and less tangle prone than the T20i.