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The last time we reviewed a pair of earbuds from 1More, it was the entry level 1More Q10. And while I tend to use over-ear headphones more (such as their Sonoflow series, for which we have another review in the works), there’s no denying the ease of use (and carrying around) that comes with a good pair of earbuds. So, today we’re climbing up the ladder, and checking out the 1More Q20.
1More Q20: what they are
To put it simply, these are a pair of true wireless earbuds that come with a charging carrying case. Unlike the Q10, the 1More Q20 offers my preferred setup, which is replaceable silicone ear tips. These allow you to get the size that fits best for you, or even replace them with sound-isolating foam ear tips. They also offer up some functionality that we think should be table stakes for anything you’re looking at for earbuds – active noise cancellation.
The noise cancellation
To be sure, ear tips can do a lot to block out external noise (particularly the foam style). However, if you really want that noise cut out, you need Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). I found that it worked quite well with the 1More Q20, both when I was riding on the train, or even sitting next to a running furnace. Those repetitive background noises just melt away. Of course, should you need to hear things (and don’t want to take the earbuds out) you can switch to a pass-through mode.
They also have the option to turn ANC (and pass through) off, which means they’re running in standard mode (which also cuts battery consumption some). This is the mode I like to use when I’m out on a walk or jog, so I can hear what’s going on around me. Speaking of battery, you can get 4 hours of runtime with ANC on, and 5.5 hours with it off. The charging case of course can top things off, which can get you up to 30 hours before you need to recharge the case.
Using the 1More Q20
Once charged, when you first pull the 1More Q20 from the case, they’re in pairing mode. Hook those into your phone, and you’re off to the races. There are touch-sensitive surfaces that you can use to control the sound, but the one I interacted with the most was cycling through the ANC Modes (off, on, pass through). This is done by a press-and-hold on the right earbud. Which means, when you’re putting the earbuds in, you’re going to likely end up switching the mode.
One other note about switching modes – if you’re just listening to audio, you can easily change the modes. Once you’re in a phone call, however, the mode is locked (at least, I couldn’t figure out any way to change it). Whether the ANC was off or on, phone calls and meetings seemed to come through just fine. The ANC did an excellent job of blocking out outside noise, and the earbuds themselves reproduced sound quite well.
Given the smaller drivers, the sound of course is not going to be hitting you with massive bass. That said, I thought the 1More Q20 worked amazingly well for listening to podcasts or casually having a music playlist going in the background. In other words, perfect for when you need some audio distraction for a boring task. And for work calls, whether hooked to my phone or laptop, they did an excellent job as well.
Wrapping things up
So, as you can see, the 1More Q20 has a lot going for it. As compared to the Q10, I wouldn’t say the sound quality is noticeably different, but you do have a much more comfortable fit in the ear, and you do also get ANC, which the Q10 does not offer. While the MSRP of the 1More Q20 is $59.99, they’re currently available for just $19.99 which is a bargain in our book. You can get them over at Amazon, or of course directly from 1more.com
1More Q20 Tech Specs
| Model | Q20 |
| Earbuds Charging Time | 1.5hours |
| Case Charging Time | 2hours |
| Playtime (ANC Off) | |
| Earbuds Fully Charged | 5.5 hours |
| Case and Earbuds Fully Charged | 30hours |
| Playtime (ANC ON) | |
| Earbuds Fully Charged | 4hours |
| Case and Earbuds Fully Charged | 22hours |
| Speaker Impedance | 32Ω |
| Bluetooth Range | 10m |
| Bluetooth Version | Bluetooth®5.3 |
| Bluetooth Protocol | HFP / A2DP / AVRCP |
| Earbuds Input | 5V~0.5A |
| Working Temperature | 0℃ ~ 45℃ |
| Frequency Band | 2.400GHz ~ 2.4835GHz |
