The 1More ColorBuds 2 are noise-cancelling true wireless earphones that offer an accurate sound signature and sport a water-resistant build for $79.99. That alone would’ve been enough to recommend them about a year ago, but there’s a lot more competition today, even in this relatively affordable price bracket, and it makes some of the quirks here stand out. For instance, instead of simple user-adjustable EQ you have to create ineffective sonic listening profiles, and on-ear controls are limited compared with other models. Neither of these issues are deal breakers, and the ColorBuds 2 are solid earphones for the price, but we still recommend the identically priced Anker Soundcore Life P3 more highly.
Standard Design, Few On-Ear Controls
Available in a fairly nondescript black, gold, or white build, the ColorBuds 2 offer a secure in-ear fit and ship with four total pairs of silicone eartips in various sizes. Internally, 7mm dynamic drivers deliver the audio.
The touch-sensitive panels on the outside of both earpieces mirror each other by default, with a double tap to control playback and call management and a triple tap to summon your device’s voice assistant. A long hold on either earpiece switches between ANC and ambient listening modes. You can adjust these controls in the app, and, for example, opt for volume controls on the earpieces instead. But because they are missing a single-tap control option, you inevitably have to sacrifice one set of functions to add another.
An IPX5 rating means the earpieces can withstand light splashes from any direction; neither sweat nor light rain should be an issue. The pair won’t survive moderate-to-heavy faucet pressure and you can’t submerge them, however. The charging case isn’t water resistant either, so make sure to fully dry the earpieces before docking. Most ANC pairs offer a rating of only IPX4, so the ColorBuds 2 are slightly ahead of the pack in this regard.
The charging case is tiny, with an eggshell-like finish and a flip-top lid. A USB-C port sits on the back for charging (the box includes a USB-C-to-USB-A cable), while the front of the case has a status LED and the interior has a manual pairing button for connecting to a new device.
1More estimates that the ColorBuds 2 will last roughly between six and eight hours per charge (depending on whether ANC is on), with an additional 18 to 24 hours in the charging case (again, dependent on ANC usage). Your results will also vary based on your volume levels.
The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 and support the AAC, AptX, AptX Adaptive, and SBC codecs.
1More Music App Settings
The 1More Music app for Android and iOS lets you switch between ANC and ambient pass-through listening modes. You also get the option to adjust the on-ear controls, as mentioned, plus update the firmware.
However, instead of enabling you to adjust the in-app EQ to taste, 1More insists on building a sound profile for you based on your choice between a few sets of cheesy track snippets. This overly complicated process is annoying and not scientific. We would much prefer a simple, five-band EQ.
Above-Average ANC for the Price
The ColorBuds 2 deliver decent noise cancellation. They successfully dialed back powerful, deep low-frequency rumble in testing, like you might hear on a plane. They also cut back the lows and mids in a recording of a loud, busy restaurant, though the higher frequencies easily made it through.
We didn’t notice any significant high-frequency hiss added to the equation, which is impressive for a pair of affordable noise-cancelling earbuds. That said, the noise cancellation experience here is still very much in line with the price—don’t go in expecting to get anywhere near the level of quality offered by a class-leading pair like the $279.99 Sony WF-1000XM4.
Balanced Sound
The ColorBuds 2 offer an accurate-leaning sound signature; they slightly boost the bass and highs, but nothing moves too far forward in the mix.
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the ColorBuds 2 deliver a powerful low-frequency response. At unwise listening levels, the lows don’t distort. At more moderate volume levels, the bass depth still sounds powerful and matches well with the sculpted highs.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, better reveals the overall sound signature. The drums on this track get extra bass presence, but not to the point of excess. Callahan’s vocals receive a pleasant balance of low-mid richness and high-mid crispness.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives an ideal amount of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain its punch in the mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat arrive with solid depth, too. The vocals on this track sound clean, with perhaps a smidge of added sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, benefit from an ideal balance. The lower-register instrumentation sounds rich and full, but ultimately plays an anchoring role to the bright, higher-register brass, strings, and vocals.
The mic offers average intelligibility. We could understand every word we recorded with the Voice Memos app on an iPhone, but Bluetooth audio artifacts and a slightly weak signal hampered the clarity. Regardless, on a strong cell signal, callers should have no trouble understanding you.
A Solid Value, But Strong Competition Abounds
The affordable 1More ColorBuds 2 sound good and offer surprisingly decent ANC. They also feature above-average water resistance. These positive qualities make 1More’s decision to implement a gimmicky sound profile feature in place of an easy-to-adjust EQ somewhat forgivable, but we would still prefer more flexibility in that regard, as well as for the on-ear controls. For the same price, we recommend the Editors’ Choice award-winning Anker Soundcore Life P3 earphones more, which have adjustable ANC and traditional EQ. If you’re looking for the best ANC in the true wireless realm, meanwhile, you have to spend significantly more—at $280, the aforementioned Sony WF-1000XM4 and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are the two best models we’ve tested.
