CES 2017

If you are a premium headphone devotee, you already know all about 1MORE. Their headphones are all the rage on headphone forums, and with good reason. Their sound-quality bang for the buck is simply outstanding. Now, 1MORE has added one more reason to get excited.

When I first heard 1MORE’s triple driver in-ear headphone last year, I was blown away. For starters, the idea of shoehorning three drivers into an earbud form factor was darn impressive. Then when I listened to them, I was even more blown away; much more than a mere exercise in one-upmanship, the three drivers delivered terrifically good sound quality. I was not surprised as I observed the buzz that quickly grew around the young company. Now 1MORE has done it again, this time with four drivers, each dedicated to a separate frequency band.

The triple model (still available at $100) features a diamond-like carbon dynamic driver for the low end, and two balanced armature drivers for higher end reproduction. The new quad model adds an additional balanced armature to further extend the already high end.

Befitting its new premiere status, the quad headphone gets new anodized-finished housing; it is said to be styled after jet engines and in any case looks quite deluxe. It also uses a Kevlar-clad OFC cable, as well as a new 3-button mic remote. Of course, you still get nine different eartip sizes, airline adapter, and a leather carrying case.

As with the triple model, the new quad was tuned by Grammy winning recording engineer Luca Bignardi. On the show floor, the headphone sounded extraordinarily good, and the tonal quality instantly reminded me of the triple’s sound, but the ambient noise level precluded any serious audition. I will follow up with a more careful critical listening session and get back to you.

The new quad retails for $200 and will be available at the end of January.