In Review: 1More ComfoBuds Mini

Last month, we introduced you to the 1More ComfoBuds Mini. Since that time, we’ve gotten a pair in for review, and I’ve been using them as part of my morning jog routine, listening to both podcasts and music. So, what do you get with the 1More ComfoBuds Mini?

I’m glad you asked. Because, you know, that’s the whole purpose of this place, for us to give you a closer look at things before you click on that purchase button. To set the table stakes for just about any wireless earbuds you’re going to find these days, let’s talk at a high level what you’re getting with the 1More ComfoBuds Mini. You’ve got two small (about the smallest I’ve tested so far) earbuds that sit deep in your ear, paired with a case that charges them up once the buds are placed back in. Those earbuds also have touch-sensitive portions that allow you to control things like playback, answering (or hanging up on) calls, and even engaging your voice assistant.

Where the 1More ComfoBuds Mini starts to pull away from the competition is the fact that the charging case is also Qi-enabled. While you could plug in a USB-C cable to charge up the case, the ease of just dropping it on a Qi pad (like this one) is just absolute ease of use, and something that is rare in the earbuds I’ve tested, particularly in a case the size of some flavored water drops.

The next thing that separates the 1More ComfoBuds Mini from the competition is the inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC). This is very common in over- and on-ear headphones, and makes sense for something that you’re using in your day-to-day in our world of remote meetings. Why in earbuds? For me, it means I can keep a lower volume set on my phone, while still balancing being able to hear what I’m listening to, as well as any noises around me that I need to be aware of. And with these, you can tune the ANC to what you need as well. For me, I’ve got it dialed in that I can clearly hear my tunes, but can also hear vehicles as I make my way to the park or trail. For those in the gyms, it should be plenty ample to tune out whatever the building decided to pipe in that day.

Speaking of tuning, that’s another area that the 1More ComfoBuds Mini really shine. I was expecting something like I experienced from Anker (see that review here) – and while it was more similar, it was way more user-friendly. Rather than taking you through what amounts to a hearing test, 1More first has you set what type of music you most often listen to. Once that’s set (I went with a crunchier rock guitar) it plays on a loop. It then steps through a number of tweaks, asking you to choose if you preferred A or B (and you can keep flipping between them), sort of like what the eye doctor does. After getting through that, then it should be dialed into what you like to hear, and not just some preset.

For spoken-word podcasts (real-play TTRPG, if you want to know), audio comes through crisp and clear. For my music, this is where it really shines. For one, the 1More ComfoBuds Mini provide a surprising amount of bass for how small the drivers are. Though I’m not an audio expert (and don’t have perfect hearing), I will admit that the bass can tend towards the muddy end. But when you’re listening to things like older Metallica, Tool, Disturbed, Ghost, and Green Day, it actually fits the songs quite well. Over the top of that, there are crisp highs, where the guitars and percussion shine through. Again, while not as perfect a reproduction as a good pair of over-ear headphones will give, I was more than happy with the soundwaves that these little earbuds were able to push to my ear drums.

A lot of that is due to the ANC, but it’s also with the seal that the silicone ear tips that come with the 1More ComfoBuds Mini. I sized up one level from what was installed, and it was perfect. Again, not a solid a seal as having foam ear tips would be, but it works better than you’d expect. You see, it’s not just those tips, but also the body of the earbuds that help block out sound. These are so small, they are really set deep in your ear (see the photo above) so sound is more easily blocked. Being so small, I also didn’t have any issues with them bouncing around as I did my best to jog down the trail.

So, let’s summarize – ANC to block out some measure of outside noise, a sound profile that can be tuned to the music style you like, and a profile that stays in your ear as you’re active. Sounds about perfect, right? The one minor nit to pick is with the ANC profile. While it works, you have to reset it every time you pull the earbuds out of the case. It’s easy enough to reset with the phone app, but that it can’t remember that it was set to ANC On (instead of defaulting to off) is something I’ve not experienced on any other bluetooth headphones. Still, a minor gripe.

Battery life, on the other hand, has been stellar with the 1More ComfoBuds Mini. I have been using them for about a month, for 45-60 minutes per day during the work week. I charged the case when it first came in, and I’ve only taken the charging case down to about 40% (with the earbuds at 100% each time I place them in). I realize that will come down over time, but it’s a pretty nice starting point for a pair of earbuds in my experience.

In short, the 1More ComfoBuds Mini offer a very solid mix of utility and tuning that make them an easy recommendation for someone looking for a pair of earbuds to use while they work out (or around the house), and to be able to hop on the occasional phone or Zoom call. For all of that, they’re also reasonably affordable as well. Coming in either black or white, they’ll run you $99.95. Sure, that’s a premium over whatever no-name buds you can find online, but you’ll have a much better listening experience – and usability – over the long run with these for sure. Check them out over at Amazon, or directly at 1more.com

Details from 1More

• SUPER MINI, LIGHTWEIGHT & COMFORTABLE – With extra mini size, featherweight (3.7g each) and ergonomic design, the ComfoBuds Mini can provide superior comfort and a secure fit, you will get an “invisible” wearing experience. Four soft silicone eartip options are provided for your perfect fit.
• COMPACT DESIGN, INSTANT SILENCE – ComfoBuds Mini adopts 1MORE’s proprietary QuietMax active noise cancellation technology to provide true quiet. Up to 40dB noise cancellation depth brings you a more immersive listening experience. And the earbuds come with multiple ANC modes to fit different scenarios.
• TINY MICS, CRYSTAL-CLEAR CALLS – Two microphones in each earbud combined with a DNN algorithm work together to focus on your voice and filtering out surrounding noises, keeping your voice sounding clear for every call.
• PREMIUM AUDIO PERFORMANCE – Tuned by a 4-time Grammy award winner, the ComfoBuds Mini are engineered to deliver a powerful, balanced sound with a 7mm dynamic driver. And the integration of SoundID technology allows you to get your perfect sound that fits your ears and preference.
• CONVENIENT WIRELESS CHARGING – The ComfoBuds Mini TWS earbuds can power up super easily on the go with Qi-compatible wireless charging, say goodbye to tangled cables.

Specs

• Model: ES603
• Earbud weight (Single): 3.7 g
• Case Weight: 34.9 g
• Gross Weight: 42.3 g
• Earbud Dimension: 17 × 15 × 13 mm
• Case Dimensions: 56.5 × 50 × 24.5 mm
• Earbud Battery Capacity (Single): 34 mAh
• Case Battery Capacity: 440 mAh
• Earbuds Charging Time: 70 min
• Case Charging Time (Wired): 90 min
• Speaker Impedance: 32 Ω
• Bluetooth Range: 10m (Open space)
• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth® 5.2
• Bluetooth Protocols: HFP / A2DP / AVRCP
• Playtime* (ANC Off):
  • Earbuds Fully Charged Music Playback: 6 hours
  • Case and Earbuds Fully Charged Music playback: 24 hours
• Playtime* (ANC On):
  • Earbuds Fully Charged Music Playback: 5 hours
  • Case and Earbuds Fully Charged Music playback: 20 hours
• Audio Codec: AAC / SBC
• Input: 5V 0.7A
• Working Temperature: 0℃ ~ 45℃
• Frequency Range: 2.400 GHz ~ 2.4835 GHz