1More Sonoflow review: premium headphones, on a (sort-of) budget

The 1More Sonoflow marks a first for audio brand 1More. After a string of successful wireless earbud releases, the Sonoflow is the maker's first go at over-ear headphones. And let me tell you, it's pretty much an instant success.

With active noise cancellation and wireless connection now increasingly commonplace, the 1More Sonoflow will find itself with plenty of big-name competition among the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market, but being intrigued by the affordable price point, I wanted to see how they'd stack up. 

I can't use earbuds because they either A: fall out, B: are painful, or C: both, so I'm someone who needs good over-ear headphones. Plus a decent pair of those always wallops even the best earbuds when it comes to audio performance.

I received a review sample of the 1More Sonoflow and have used them extensively for the last month, at work in video meetings, during gaming and to listen to music and watch films. And what greeted me was instantly encouraging.

1More Sonoflow review: Design

Out of the box, the headphones come in a neat dark-grey fabric zipper carry case, where inside I found the headphone unit, a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio jack cable. The cables are stored in a small net inside the lid, while the headphones are folded inward in a pocketed slot to prevent any rattling or damage to them.

The headphones themselves are an understated black and dark grey proposition, but clad in high-quality matte plastic and plush faux leather. The inside is clad in a red cloth, with a right and left indicator. 

The charging port is located on the left cup, while the right hosts the 2.5mm jack, the power, ANC and volume-control buttons. They're placed far enough apart for you to quickly learn which is which so you can control it without removing the headphones to look at what you're doing. 

All in all, I got a strong sense of style and quality right from the off, making me very keen to check out the features and performance of the unit.

Features

The headline feature on the 1More Sonoflow is the active noise cancellation, which when done right, is a brilliant feature, but often botched on budget headphones (or rather, headphones that don't require a payment plan). There's also wireless Bluetooth connectivity, with a stated range of 10 metres (in an open environment), and the maker claims that the 720mAh battery can give you up to 70 hours of listening time before having to charge it again. 

The ANC both has a 'full' noise cancellation and transparency mode, which lets in a certain amount of outside noise. The audio is certified to support lossless LDAC codec and transfer rates of 990 kbps.

Performance

Having mostly been using a bass-heavy gaming headset for the last year and a bit, the initial response to the 1More Sonoflow's sound performance was a muted one. The bass didn't pounce at me with overwhelming force, and the sound felt more subdued in general.

However, I soon realised that my ears were simply readjusting to proper sound after the more juvenile thump of my previous pair. Listening to electronic music, the level of the bass in Underworld's 'Dirty Epic' or 'Push Upstairs' embraced the profile of the song rather than overpowering it, while the highs of The Chemical Brothers' 'The Private Psychedelic Reel' were perfectly balanced with the thumping drumbeat. Rock and pop proved similarly pleasing, with the drums in The Beatles' 'Tomorrow Never Knows' or the guitar profiles in any Soundgarden song shining through a balanced sound experience.

Watching films or playing games was equally delightful, and wearing the headphones for long stretches at a time never led to fatigue for me, although the faux leather cups do feel quite warm after a while (but that's a universal thing rather than any fault of 1More's). 

The 1More music app will also help you adjust the sound profile to your exact standards, and can boost the bass more should you so wish, either using preset profiles or a 10-band equaliser. 

The noise cancellation also worked very well. It blocked out traffic noise from my nearby road, as well as any close-by environmental noises, such as my child playing with their friend in a room five metres away (they were both supervised by an adult, don't worry). Meanwhile, Transparency mode dulls the outside world while letting in enough sound for me to notice the doorbell or a family member calling my name. 

Often in cheaper headphones, ANC will produce a noticeable hiss in transparency mode, but I could only notice a slight one here when listening to low-volume audio, such as podcasts, snooker commentary or the like. It really is on par with much more expensive headphones in almost every category.

Battery life also proved to be absolutely fantastic. I used them for days on end before I even got to the "Battery medium" announcement when I turned them on, and when I finally started running low on juice, an overnight charge set me up again for the next couple of weeks.

The Bluetooth connection was also strong, and while it claims it needs an open space to stretch to 10 metres, I was able to go downstairs and make myself a cuppa in my kitchen while the music kept flowing from upstairs, through two walls and a floor/ceiling, at least 6 metres away in a straight line. 

Price

The 1More Sonoflow currently retails at £89.99 / $99.99, but there are often discounts available on its website and other retailers. The Sonoflow isn't a super-cheap pair of headphones, but for the features and performance you get, it undercuts its direct competition by a large amount.

Should I buy the 1More Sonoflow?

Do you need new headphones? Do you want active noise cancellation? Do you want long-term comfort? Then I honestly can't find a reason for you not to buy the 1More Sonoflow. They're much cheaper than other headphones with equal performance, and much better than most headphones with an equal price tag. The ANC isn't amazing, but it's easily good enough for me, and while the bass isn't outrageous, it can be boosted via the app, and the nicely balanced sound profile more than makes up for that for me, making them a good candidate for competing with the best headphones for video-editing too. They look stylish and classy, and the carry case just adds to the entire premium experience of using the 1More Sonoflow. A hearty recommendation from this audiophile.