And that’s without getting to the 28 hours of battery life or the Smart Loudness tech that protect audio quality no matter where you go.

The 1More Aero is a great overall package that delivers Apple’s big selling point—spatial sound—for a fraction of the price. Surely 1More hasn’t knocked it out of the park again?

1More Aero Style and Comfort

1More has opted for an ear stem design for the Aero buds, and the overall aesthetic is very similar to the 1More ComfoBuds 2 released towards the end of 2021. Available in black or white, you’ll note that Aero stems do seem longer than you’ll find elsewhere.

I like the difference in style, the longer stems with almost pointed tips setting the Aero buds apart from a market filled with AirPods clones. The pointed tips of the Aero also feature a small LED that shines through when you pair them with a new device or place them in the charging case, which is another nice touch.

In the Aero box, you’ll find four different silicone ear tip pairs, allowing you to switch between S, M, L, and XL. Once you find a comfortable size for your ear, the Aero will fit quite nicely in place, even when taken out for a run or brisk walk.

The clamshell charging case leaves a little to be desired. Its overall style is good, and the ability to flick the case open with one hand and put the earbuds in with the other is great. But the magnet holding the lid in place isn’t the strongest, and on the one occasion I did drop the 1More Aero during testing, the earbuds flew from the case. Still, it’s a good, pocketable size.

One thing I like about the 1More Aero is how responsive and accurate the wear sensors are. As soon as I move them from my ears, the Aero pauses my currently playing audio, resuming almost instantaneously when I pop them back in. It’s a small thing, but a small thing that’s been done really well. There is an option to disable the wear sensors in the 1More Music app, but given they work so well, I’m not sure why you would.

The touch controls, for me, are a little hit-and-miss. Having experienced the joys of Nothing’s Ear Stick controls and those becoming the new “must have,” figuring out the nuance of a touch control was a little frustrating. That said, the 1More Aero touch controls do work once you figure out where the touch control sensor is actually located, and its level of sensitivity.

1More Aero Battery Life and Bluetooth Connectivity

Battery life is another plus point for the 1More Aero buds, with up to seven hours of playback with ANC switched off, falling to around five hours when switched on. There are another 21 hours of playback on the charging case for a total of 28 hours without ANC, falling to around 20 hours with ANC.

The five hours with ANC switched on isn’t the best in class or anything, but it’s a good showing for earbuds at this price point. The 1More Aero also supports fast charging, picking up a very respectable three hours of playback on a 15-minute charge. Wireless charging is also available.

Audio support comes from the AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, which is fine, but no higher-resolution audio codecs are available. However, the 1More Aero does offer multipoint support, which you’ll have to enable in the 1More Music app (more on the companion app in a moment).

1More Aero Sound Quality, ANC, and Spatial Audio

Let’s start the most important section with a brief reminder on spatial audio: what is it, and how does it work?

1More Aero Spatial Audio

Spatial audio refers to an immersive sound experience engineered to appear as if has a 3D quality. So, if you’re sitting in front of your computer playing music and move your head from left to right, the audio will remain centered on the computer, making it sound as if you are moving around it. Most people will know Spatial Audio through Apple’s branded version of the technology, though pseudo-3D immersive audio technology has been around for a while. There’s no doubt that Apple’s implementation has brought the idea of immersive audio through headphones and earbuds to a much broader market, though.

1More’s Aero spatial audio is a fun, if interesting, addition to these buds. It’s a blanket application. Once spatial audio is switched on in the 1More Music app, it applies to all audio, regardless of source. For music that supports spatial audio, it’s decent enough, and you’ll certainly spend a few moments moving your head from left to right and tracking the audio around the room. However, as a fairly budget implementation of the tech, it is limited to moving precisely in that manner rather than with a more developed (and consequently, more expensive) option like Dolby Atmos.

1More’s spatial audio comes with at least one major plus point: price. Apple’s AirPods 3 retails for $169, while Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 4 retails for $150. For the quality you get with both of those products, they’re actually really well-priced. But if you want to try some spatial audio and keep a little change in your pocket, the 1More Aero at $109 will do just that.

There are some downsides, of course. I’d like the option to turn off head-tracking while using spatial sound. Furthermore, the spatial sound application is blanket and, therefore, doesn’t really suit every track. It’s not a huge gripe, mind.

1More Aero Sound Quality

Aside from spatial audio, the 1More Aero delivers a good overall level of audio quality. The default EQ setting works well and lends itself to a wide range of genres but has a slant towards the low-end and mid-range frequencies.

The Aero bass is plenty strong for a set of earbuds, though isn’t overpowered. You’ll note the clarity on tracks like Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain or Massive Attack’s Angel, two tracks that test different aspects of the low-end. It’s a good overall performance.

To get a full view of the 1More Aero, try throwing on a track like System of a Down’s B.Y.O.B. The overlapping riffs and transitions, rapid switches in tempo, and wide range of drumming styles are a decent test for any set of earbuds (or headphones, for that matter), and it sounds clear and crisp on the 1More Aero. For a similar test with a different genre, Planetary Assault System’s Desert Races multi-layered synth masterpiece is a great option.

1More Aero ANC

The 1More Aero ANC also works really well, with several different modes to choose from. There are the standard options, like Strong and Mild, but then you also have Wind Noise Reduction and Adaptive. Admittedly, I spent the most time using Strong ANC, but having extra options for different scenarios is always welcome.

In terms of actual noise canceling, the 1More Aero offers strong performance, blocking out a good range of sound.

1More Music App

For all of 1More’s earbuds and headphones, the 1More Music companion app is strongly suggested. The app is the control room for the 1More Aero, featuring ANC settings, smart burn-in options, customization for touch controls, customizable EQ, and more.

One of the most interesting features of the 1More Music app is Smart Loudness, which attempts to use AI tuning to compensate for poor audio quality or dips in frequencies. Its competency is varied, and you don’t always get the full gist of what it is trying to compensate for, but it does appear to provide a slightly fuller, broader sound.

You’ll also find the customizable EQ in the app. It comes with a range of EQ presets but also has a great customizable EQ featuring 10 changeable frequencies. The option to change up to 10 individual frequencies is more than you find on most other customizable EQs, and it’s great to see 1More giving its users the freedom to tweak their audio settings.

Some of the “bigger” earbuds and headphone manufacturers could learn a thing or two!

Should You Buy the 1More Aero Earbuds?

Yes, you probably should. The 1More Aero retail at $109, which is a snip for the audio quality, range of features, and general performance of these mid-range earbuds.