KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
To test the Triple Driver BT, I used it for two weeks while listening to music and watch videos to get an idea for the sound and overall comfort.
Build quality and comfort
Starting with build quality, though, the Triple Driver BT feels like a well-built product. It is not very heavy at all – my scales have the total weight at 40g – but the earphones themselves feel durable and relatively premium thanks to their aluminium alloy housing.
The silicon neckband, with its plastic sections at the bottom, doesn't feel as solid as something like the RHA MA750 which uses a lot more metal across its build, but then again the Triple Driver BT is lighter as we mentioned and feels overall more flexible. In any case, I don't have any concerns about these breaking or anything like that, and I certainly had no issues during my time testing these earphones.
My main issue with them comes from wearing them while moving. I'm not even talking about using them while on the treadmill or anything like that – but I found even when just walking down the street, the neckband would bounce around a fair bit and eventually fall to one side of my neck so it wasn't sitting straight. This felt a little uneven when it happened, and it also caused one side to drag down on the cable. In practice, this meant every few minutes I found myself re-positioning the neckband so it wasn't wonky.
I've not had this issue with other neckband earphones before – both the RHA MA750 or the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear Wireless sat on my neck with no issues – and I think it is to do with how light the Triple Driver BT is. I couldn't say for sure, but I feel if it were heavier – perhaps if those plastic sections at the end of the neckband were metal – that would help ‘anchor' the neckband in place and stop it bouncing around.
The earphones themselves fit my ears very well, however, so use while stationary was not a problem. A pair of silicon tips come attached by default, but I quickly switched these out for the 11mm foam tips that I have been using on my Quad Driver ever since I reviewed those earphones. I found these give me a good seal and don't slip out as much as the silicon tips do. In any case, as we saw on the last page, there is a wide range of tips included – no less than 9 pairs in the box – so there should be something for everyone.
Sound, Bluetooth and battery
Now, sound quality is where I had the highest hopes for the Triple Driver BT – I've loved using the Quad Driver over the last few months, so if 1MORE has been able to essentially get that same, smooth sound into a wireless package, I would be one very happy man.
In terms of the overall sound presentation, there is a definite similarity to the Quad Driver – what I mean is, both earphones emphasise the bass, with a smooth mid-range and generally laid-back treble. That being said, I don't think the Triple Driver BT is on the same level as the Quad Driver, and that is for one main reason – the bass.
Both earphones are bass heavy – there's no denying it. But where the Quad Driver has a prominent bump to the mid-bass, it still feels tight and controlled – it gives a lovely warm tilt to music without taking over the whole mix. The Triple Driver BT, on the other hand, feels loose and bloated in comparison, and the bass muddies up the mid-range as well.
For me, that is a shame – the idea of a loud and thumping bass might well appeal to some, but the Triple Driver BT low-end just feels lacking in precision and control. Depending on what music you listen to, the problem can get better (or worse.) For instance, lighter tracks like ‘Happier' by Ed Sheeran sound fine – the bass isn't overbearing but still lends a warmth to the presentation. Flick on some hard rock or house, though, and the bloated low-end does become very noticeable.
As for the mids, as I mentioned the bass does muddy this area which takes away from the smooth sound I feel 1MORE is going for. There is still decent overall clarity and the vocal presentation is slightly forward which can help give a sense of closeness, but I do feel that these mids could be a lot more inviting if the bass was more controlled.
Treble response is good, however. Where the Quad Driver I would say has a slightly recessed high-end, the Triple Driver BT is a bit more resolving but without ever being harsh or sibilant. That gives an overall slightly more detailed sound which I think definitely helps balance the overall sound considering the loose bass response. It's still by no means a bright or emphasised treble, but there is definitely a bit more sparkle to the Triple Driver BT than what I am used to with the Quad Driver.
In terms of soundstage, these are pretty standard for in-ears – there's not much width there and its generally quite a close sound, but it's pretty much par for the course when it comes to earphones. Imaging and layer separation is decent, but again I feel you would be able to pick out precise parts of the mix with more accuracy if it weren't for the looser bass response.
Moving on now to the Bluetooth connection, the Triple Driver BT makes use of Sony's LDAC codec to provide 990 kbps transmission. Recent Android phones released over the last year or so should support LDAC – my Pixel 3 had no issues operating at the maximum bandwidth available. iPhone users won't be able to use LDAC, but AAC is also supported.
I generally had no issues using the Triple Driver BT with my phone – it connected fast and I didn't experiencing it dropping out. Connected to my 2016 LG TV, however, I did notice a fair bit of latency where the audio was lagging about half a second behind the video, which is a shame. I suppose it is understandable considering the lower bandwidth connection as the TV is older, but it is still not ideal and I've not had the same issue with the RHA MA750.
Battery life is also a slight let down. 1MORE claims you should get up to 7 hours of music play time, and while I'd say that is generally fairly accurate, it's just not that great. The MA750, for instance, easily lasts for over 10 hours – for a neckband type earphone, I think the Triple Driver BT could do better. If it had bigger batteries in the neckband, which would weigh a bit more, not only would it last longer but that might also help with the movement issue I talked about at the top of the page.
Mic
Lastly, just a brief touch on the mic as there is one integrated into the neckband of the Triple Driver BT. Overall, I think it sounds pretty decent – as mentioned, there is a slightly compressed feeling to the sound, but it is quite audible and overall not a problem to use when conducting calls.
