A year ago, the Chinese audio brand 1More introduced the ColorBuds, which were unparalleled in terms of wearing comfort and had an accessible price tag. The 1More ColorBuds2 headset goes one step further, by offering the same advantages and noise reduction.
1More ColorBuds2
Recommended retail price € 79,-
Colour Black, White, Gold
Link Bluetooth 5.2
Battery 55 mAh (earpiece), 410 mAh (charging case)
Weight 5 grams (earpiece), 35 grams (charging case)
Features microphone, noise reduction, ambient sound mode, IPX5
To upload USB-C, wireless
Website www.1more.com
8 Score 80 
- Pros
- wearing comfort
- noise reduction
- Price quality
- Negatives
- Battery life
- app
When I wrote a comparative test about different bluetooth in-ear headphones a year ago, the 1More ColorBuds came out as a buying tip. The no-nonsense earphones excel in wearing comfort, attractive price and relatively good sound quality. This wearing comfort is mainly achieved by the light weight and small design of the ears. In addition, rubber tips provide a custom fit, so that they stay in your ear without you noticing. The 1More ColorBuds2 go the extra mile with the addition of noise reduction, an ambient mode that allows sound to pass through and a water-resistant construction. The app has also been overhauled. That is also allowed, because the market for wireless earphones is changing rapidly and when it comes to wearing comfort, there are many equal options.
The price is also a bit lower. At the time, the 1More ColorBuds were only available for around 100 euros in the Netherlands. At the time of writing, the ColorBuds2 are available for a euro or 80 at the Amazon web store.
Small and nice
The ColorBuds2 thus have sound modes such as noise reduction and ambient sound transmission. Additional microphones are required for this. 1More therefore had to make a small concession in terms of weight. This second generation is 0.8 grams heavier than the first generation, an earpiece weighs 4.9 grams instead of 4.1 grams. As a result, 1More has been able to retain the battery capacity and the same size. An understandable choice, especially since the playback modes take their toll on the battery. That small difference may slightly detract from the wearing comfort, but the 1More ColorBuds2 are still very comfortable; you hardly notice (and see!) that you are wearing anything in your ear.
The sound quality has also been overhauled. Of course, you are not ahead of the curve when it comes to this, given the price level. Still, the sound detail is quite audible and everything sounds balanced. However, you will not get a full and powerful sound from this ColorBuds2. When you turn up the volume for a more powerful sound, you notice that the bass sound becomes muffled and drowns out the highs and mids.
The revamped app does not add an equalizer to tune the sound to your liking. You can, however, create a personal sound profile based on your preferences. But unfortunately no real difference is made.
Apart from the lack of an equalizer, the app is not really worth a positive mention. Of course you can use it to update the firmware and adjust the tap controls to your liking. But you don’t get much more than that. For example, there is a mode to start a soundscape, such as the sound of a running stream or wind blowing through the trees. This is not very relaxing, as the sound fragments last a few seconds and repeat continuously.
Listening modes
Of course there are microphones present in the ColorBuds 2. You can use these to make phone calls or to record sound of acceptable quality. They are also used for the operation of the playback modes. The noise reduction does not filter out all the ambient noise, but works well beyond expectations. You can close yourself well to work concentrated. The mode that allows ambient noise to pass through works acceptable.
Battery Life 1More ColorBuds2
When you use the 1More ColorBuds 2 without noise reduction or sound transmission, you will last the longest with a charged battery. Expect an hour or six. If you do use these playback modes, you can use your charged earphones for a maximum of five hours. That is a bit short and unfortunately a downside of the small comfortable size in combination with noise reduction. It takes a lot of energy, which the small batteries do not have.
The charging box is compact and can be charged via the USB-C connection or wireless charger. In addition, the box has enough capacity to fully charge the earphones almost four times.
Alternatives to the 1More ColorBuds2
Of course, there is always room for improvement with wireless in-ears under a hundred euros. However, don’t let this distract you. The 1More ColorBuds2 are an excellent deal. You won’t find earphones that are more comfortable and sound better for this price range. If you are looking for a step higher in terms of app (equalizer), battery life and sound quality, then you have to pay more for that. Think of the Nothing Ear(1) or the Samsung Galaxy Buds2.
Conclusion: buy 1More ColorBuds2?
Are you in the market for affordable earphones? Then you will not find better alternatives in this price range than the 1More ColorBuds2. For 80 euros you have earphones with acceptable sound quality, excellent noise reduction and wonderful wearing comfort. The battery life could be better, as well as the app.
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