1More is building a considerable range of earbuds, and the all-new 1More Evo become the company's third release of 2022.

And let me tell you, these are the best of the bunch so far.

The 1More Evo are premium earbuds, oozing class and style, delivering excellent sound quality, a hybrid-driver design, adaptive ANC, and support for LDAC high-res audio.

Better still, they're priced under $200, making the 1More Evo buds an extremely competitive proposition.

So, has 1More upped the ante, raising the bar for sub-$200 earbuds? Here's what you need to know.

1More Evo Style and Comfort

I've tried two pairs of 1More earbuds recently and owned a couple more besides. The 1More Evo is easily the most stylish of them all, elevating these flagship buds ahead of their counterparts.

Where previous 1More buds have come with a plastic case, the 1More Evo case is an all-black anodized aluminum alloy. The pill-shaped case is cold and smooth to the touch, and the 1More logo engraved in rose gold is an excellent touch. The hand-touch feel is really nice. You'll also find rose-gold accent rings on the back of the earbuds, continuing the color throughout the overall design for a sense of continuity. As the case is made from anodized aluminum, it should resist scratches fairly well, but that's not something I ever set out to specifically test, so you'll have to take your chances, I'm afraid. The anti-slip coating on the bottom of the case is a nice touch, too.

The buds themselves are an all-black affair, bar the rose gold accent and the 1More logo found under what looks like a transparent plastic. But, on closer inspection, it is actually a glass-like ceramic material that boosts the overall look of the 1More Evo and adds an extra touch of style.

Now, the 1More Evo buds aren't the smallest earbuds you'll lay your eyes on this year. That title goes to another 1More creation, the Comfobuds Mini. The 1More Evo buds weigh 5.7g (0.20oz) per bud. They're not overly weighty when you pop them in your ears, if at all, and they weigh just 0.3g more than Apple's AirPods Pro—while fitting in a heap more tech, too. They protrude from my ears a little more than I'd like due to the slightly larger earbud profile (and perhaps smaller than average ears?!), but again, it's not a major issue, and it will absolutely depend on your ears.

As ever, you'll find different ear tip sizes in the box. In this case, there are five different options available to you, ranging from XS through to XL, which will help you to find the perfect ear tip fit. Switch them out, find the best fit, and your music will sound better. For me, once the buds were in my ear, they weren't going anywhere, even during a gentle jog.

And best of all, there's a sticker in the box, which is obviously worth an additional point under review.

1More Evo Connectivity and Battery Life

Let's talk about battery life and connectivity: two of the most important features of any earbuds.

The 1More Evo's deliver up to 5.5 hours of playback with ANC on, rising to around eight hours with ANC switched off, which, if you can land somewhere between the two, makes battery life one of the Evo's best features. Other battery life drains come into play here, too. For example, if you're using adaptive ANC, it might use a little more juice than, say, sticking to Strong ANC. Furthermore, the Bluetooth codec you use also affects battery life, with higher resolution codecs like aptX HD or LDAC requiring more power.

The carry case can deliver between 20 to 28 hours of additional playback. Again, this depends on the settings you use on the earbuds themselves, but you should get at least three full charges before you have to search out a power outlet. The fast charge option also delivers up to three hours of playback on a rapid 10-minute charge, while the carry case also supports wireless Qi charging.

Where the 1More Evo buds really deliver is in the Bluetooth department. The buds use Bluetooth 5.2, the latest Bluetooth version at the time of review, along with the AAC, SBC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs. The inclusion of LDAC is what's most important here. Sony's Bluetooth codec allows for high-res audio streaming with a maximum transmission rate of 990kbps at 32 bit/96kHz. Using LDAC's optimum audio mode definitely makes a difference to your audio output, even though it is at times difficult to discern the difference. After all, you're still using Bluetooth, and even season audio reviewers can struggle to hear the difference, myself included.

The difference is evident when you look at the amount of data each codec can deliver. For example, AAC has a maximum bitrate of 264 kbps, while LDAC's slowest option delivers 330kbps, plus LDAC has a middle tier that transmits 660kbps. But here's the rub, in more ways than one.

First, LDAC uses more battery, especially while using the high-res 990kbps option (note, only the 990 version holds the "high-res" name). That's down to the fact you're asking your devices (both the 1More Evo buds and your connected Bluetooth device) to encode and decode more data, and that requires more power. Second, while the vast majority of Android devices now support LDAC natively (since Android 8.0), iPhones still do not offer native support for LDAC. So even if you buy the 1More Evo buds and connect them up to your iPhone, you won't find an option to switch to LDAC. Obviously, this is not 1More's problem but an issue all iPhone users face regarding most high-res Bluetooth codecs.

Furthermore, while using SBC and AAC, I experienced zero dropouts or glitches when paired with my Android device. However, once switched to LDAC, I did experience occasional dropouts. Whether or not this is just down to my device and the earbud pairing wasn't clear, but there are no reports of this being a widespread issue, so it's likely a me problem, not a 1More Evo problem.

1More Evo Sound Quality and ANC

1More has packed features into the Evo buds, that's without a doubt. The Evo uses a hybrid driver design that combines 10mm dynamic drivers with balanced armature drivers to deliver a better, more balanced sound than the dynamic drivers can produce alone. The balanced armature drivers allow greater precision, too, which in turn allows high-res audio to sound as it should, or at least give you a better chance of hearing the difference.

So, the tech behind the 1More Evo buds is solid, but how does that translate into audio performance?

1More has delivered an excellent set of earbuds here, especially when considering that these retail for sub-$200. Most impressively, the 1More Evo soundstage is wide and spacious, allowing audio to fill the earbuds and sound as it should. There were one or two moments where the buds tripped over themselves, but only on particularly complex arrangements, like Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians (note: if you want to test your earbuds, that's a great track to try out!), bringing the harmonies to the fore and allowing the Pulses to cascade over each other.

Elsewhere, I found the bass on the 1More Evo's also worth a specific mention. 1More's official tuner, Grammy Award-winning composer Luca Bignardi, has got a lot right with these buds, the low-end well represented across different genres. You don't have to stick on dubstep to reveal the accuracy here; stick on The Chain and listen to John McVie's bass, for example. No, it won't be the "cleanest" version you'll ever hear, but damn if that doesn't sound great for a pair of mid-range earbuds. What's that? You do want dubstep? Take Benga's 26 Basslines for a spin, as the Evo's lapped it up.

Overall, you have to say that the 1More Evo's hybrid driver design is a success. Each part of the EQ has space to breathe, while instruments are easy to place throughout, and there is almost zero distortion or muddying between.

1More Evo Active Noise Cancellation

You'll also appreciate the 1More Evo ANC, which is rated to block around 42dB and works well up against a range of noise.

The Evo's can make use of 1More's Adaptive ANC tech, whereby your earbuds adjust to your surroundings and automatically switch up the level of ANC. While I do tend to stick with standard ANC options (in this case, Strong), the Adaptive option did adjust to sudden changes in ambient volume.

All in all, you won't experience complete silence, but it blocks out enough audio that you'll be able to focus on your work, your gym session, or otherwise without unnecessary interruption.

1More Music Companion App

Earbud companion apps can be hit and miss, but the 1More Music app is definitely one of the better options. For many earbud users, Anker's Soundcore app is the best or approaching it, and I'd say the 1More Music app is gradually pushing towards a similar standard.

Particularly of note is the SoundID custom EQ builder that you can use to create a unique sound profile for 1More products (any compatible 1More product, not just the Evo buds). Whether you use this or not will depend on how the tuning works for you. SoundID plays you a snippet from a song in two different tunings, and you choose the version that appeals most to your hearing.

Beware, though, as tuning your 1More Evo buds and the SoundID towards one genre can make others sound worse, so it's not always a uniform approach to EQ leveling. Whereas the Soundcore app bases its custom tuning on an integrated hearing test, which gives it greater relevancy across all genres as it isn't tuned to just one.

Play around with it and see how it affects your music; you might love it.

The 1More Music app also features other EQ presets, customizable touch controls, a smart burn-in option, and a few other handy tools. If you buy the 1More Evo buds, grabbing the 1More Music app to go with it is a must.

Are the 1More Evo Buds the Best Mid-Range Earbuds?

Defining the "mid-range" of earbuds is difficult, but the 1More Evo buds priced at $170 fit the bill perfectly.

Combining great style with excellent battery life and sound quality and with a companion app that actually delivers useful features, the 1More Evo buds are one of the best mid-range earbuds on the market right now.

Should you buy the 1More Evo buds? Yes, you should.