Review: 1More SonoFlow Pro Wireless ANC Headphones (HQ51)
Chris Saldivar
Just a couple of months after we posted our 1MORESonoFlow review,1MORE released an updated model of their flagship over ear wireless ANC headphones. The 1MORE SonoFlow Pro takes much of the build from the SonoFlow, but sprinkles in various improvements. You still get Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio Wireless certified audio professionally tuned by four-time Grammy award-winning sound engineer, Luca Bignardi. LDAC and 1MORE’s QuietMax noise cancellation technology also makes a reappearance. However, the SonoFlow Pro features some updates, such as a whopping 100-hour maximum battery life.
Let’s dive right into the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro (HQ51) wireless ANC headphones, currently priced at $87.99, to see what you can expect for under $100.
Offered in Black and Blue color options, a purchase of the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro Wireless ANC Headphones comes with a USB-C to USB-A charging cable, a hard shell carrying case, and a 3.5mm cable for wired use.
Build, Features and Comfort
Much of the physical make of the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro mirrors that of its predecessor, the 1MORESonoFlow. So, much I have to say about the SonoFlow Pro will match what was said about the SonoFlow. As such, we will dive into what was the same between the two headsets and what is different.
The 1MORESonoFlow (Pro) houses 40mm drivers that sport a DLC (diamond-like-carbon) composite diaphragm and soft PET film. The DLC diaphragm focuses on delivering clear detailed sound while the PET Film devotes itself to the presentation of the bass. The High-Res Audio presentation is then reinforced by the LDAC codec, producing a lossless transmission rate of 990kpbs.
The 1MORE SonoFlow Pro’s drivers have had their magnetic circuitries optimized for better transient performance. Their diaphragms have also been modified for better vibration. The difference in sound performance between the SonoFlow Pro and SonoFlow headsets might come off as negligible to many. However, at the end of the day, the SonoFlow drivers that we liked in our previous review just got a bit better.
The headset features protein leather earpads with similar soft cushioning for the headband. The headset is quite flexible, allowing you to fold it flat for around-the-neck wear or fold into itself to fit into its included carrying case.
On the right cup, you have volume controls, a 3.5mm jack, a power button, and an “NC” button for toggling between the headsets main three listening modes. The power button controls the headset’s power when held down. However, the same button, when tapped, manages the playing and pausing of media as well as phone call handling. Similarly, the volume buttons also have dual purposes. Holding volume down triggers “next track” while holding volume up triggers “previous track”. The headset’s three listening modes are ANC (active noise cancelation), Pass-Through, and “Off”, where off plays your media without either of the other modes being active.
The left ear cup houses the headset’s USB-C power port…
One of the most notable features of the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro is its now 100 hours of maximum battery life with ANC inactive. With ANC active, the headset then gives you up to 65 hours of continuous playback. This is only five hours less than the maximum battery life of the previous 1MORESonoFlow headset, with ANC inactive. These lifespan ratings are based on non-LDAC usage with the headset playing at 50% volume. However, that is still an impressive amount of usage from a full charge. On top of that, five minutes of charging will quickly give the headset five hours of playtime.
Like its predecessor, the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro sports a straightforward but solid build for under $100. Headset controls are easy to manage and develop muscle memory for. The headset’s light 250g weight and leatherette cushioning allow the headset to remain comfortable for hours on end. Considering the SonoFlow Pro’s laughably long battery life, you are going to obviously want it to be as comfortable as possible. Toss in a version 5.4 upgrade in Bluetooth connectivity and you have yourself an effective headset build for only $87.99.
More Features and Performance
The 1MORE SonoFlow Pro also uses a different app from that of its predecessor. The 1MORE companion mobile app allows you to access the main assortment of the headset’s features, outside of its onboard controls. Upon opening the app for the first time, the app displays a quick guide that briefly explains the headset’s onboard controls.
Using the app, you can toggle the various listening modes, access preset EQ’s, create your own custom EQ’s, and activate the LDAC high-definition codec. Outside of LDAC you also have Spatial Audio for a more surround sound experience and a Gaming Mode which focuses mainly on reducing sound transmission delay.
The 1MORE app is simple and straightforward, giving you access to the many mainstream wireless headset options and functions. While the LDAC listening mode was my preferred usage style for the SonoFlow Pro, I did like the new inclusions of Spatial Audio and Gaming Modes. As you would expect, Gaming Mode does not give you the level of high-definition sound that you would get from LDAC, since it is focused on low latency. However, the sound was still pretty solid. That said, I did not notice much in latency when using LDAC anyways, so LDAC is what I stayed with.
This then leads us to the overall sound performance of the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro, where my experiences did not deviate much from what I got from the previous SonoFlow headset…
When it came to performance, the 1MORESonoFlow (Pro) was quite impressive. As I do with any headset that offers LDAC, I turned on LDAC from the moment I saw the option. With the SonoFlow (Pro)’s very long battery life, I was not at all worried about the somewhat increased power drain that using LDAC tends to lead to. From there, I tried out the various EQ presets that come packaged within the app, starting with the default sound presentation, Studio. Here are the EQ’s that stood out the most.
Studio (default) – Studio does a pretty good job at giving you an even sampling of the high, mid and low ranges. Percussion comes in clean, instrumentals are vibrant, and the bass has a very nice presence without being too overbearing. As a “default” preset EQ, Studio gives you a very nice representation of the kind of sound quality that the SonoFlow can offer. If you never changed the SonoFlow’s EQ settings, this EQ produces a nice sound presentation that you can live with.
Bass Reducer – You pretty much get the same presentation that Studio gives you with the low ranges almost fully removed from the presentation. Having tried as many headsets as I have, I can say that this was the most potent version of a canned bass reduction EQ that I have experienced. If you hate bass, then this is the EQ for you.
Bass Booster – As its name suggest, this boosts the bass significantly. Despite being boosted, the bass still stays at a level that is not at all overbearing.
Acoustic – This EQ boosts the instrumentals, while strangely making the overall volume of the sound presentation feel noticeably louder. This seems to be the only EQ that somehow changes the volume of the sound being played.
Vocal Booster – This EQ boosts vocals as its name implies, yet it does so while taking away from the bass. It does not take away as much bass as “Bass Reducer”, but it is effective at letting vocals have the focus.
Hip Hop – To my surprise, this was my favorite preset EQ for the SonoFlow. This EQ gives almost as much bass as Bass Booster, yet it gives you much cleaner percussion and nice vibrance to the vocals. While many of the packaged EQ’s do much to give focus to vocals, instrumentals, and bass, this was the only EQ that gave me the emphasis on the percussion that I wanted. As I favor bass and percussion, this was the EQ for me. This was the EQ setting where I felt I experienced the best that the SonoFlow had to offer.
1MORE’s QuietMax ANC on the SonoFlow is very effective. With audio at just 65% volume, even the loudest of backgrounds are drowned out well by the noise cancelation. I had the chance to truly experience the SonoFlow’s ANC in a busy bar.
While the occasional loud yelling could be heard here and there, it was still pretty muffled. As such, I was more than impressed with the results, as the ANC did a great job at keeping me focused on my media.
Interestingly enough, the ANC feature now also works when using the SonoFlow Pro in wired mode. This is something that I did not know was an inability of the previous SonoFlow headset until now.
Meanwhile, Pass-through worked about as well as I would expect from a “transparency mode”, giving me a good amount of audio awareness of my surroundings. I was able to enjoy my music while maintaining my attention to subway announcements and street traffic.
Neither of the listening modes gave you an option for adjusting their level of intensity. You only have the choice of activating either mode or having both off. Nevertheless, each mode got the job done without affecting the sound presentation coming from the SonoFlow’s drivers.
When I learned that there was a new app for the SonoFlow Pro, I was hoping that 1MORE would have included this “intensity-adjusting” feature I was clamoring for. That said, this feature would have been more of a nice-to-have than a necessity. So, I did not hold it against the SonoFlow Pro and the new app.
When it comes to call quality, the SonoFlow’s beamforming mics do a good job at focusing on the wearer’s voice during calls. Call participants on the other end mentioned that they could hear the occasional vehicle driving by whenever I handled calls outdoors. However, the SonoFlow’s focus on my voice was so prominent that those background sounds never distracted others from my speech.
The battery life of the SonoFlow Pro noticeably surpasses that of the SonoFlow, making it the new battery life king when it comes to over ear headsets. With a maximum of 100 hours of usage, and a 65-hour maximum with ANC on, this headset will last you a very long time. A 65-hour lifespan from a full charge is more than what many other headsets can give you with ANC off. This impressive battery life is then backed by the SonoFlow Pro’s fast charge feature, which gives you five hours of listening from only five minutes of charging.
As far as performance is concerned, 1MORE’s SonoFlow Pro Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones give you a solid experience for a still modest price point.
Final Thoughts
The list of upgrades from the 1MORESonoFlow headset to now the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro is pretty short. However, that only fortifies the $87.99 SonoFlow Pro as a solid headset for its sub $99 price point. You still have a headset with a clear and solid sound presentation, impressive proprietary ANC, and laughably long battery life on a single charge.
If you are already a SonoFlow headset owner and are looking to upgrade to the SonoFlow Pro, you would have to gauge whether a noticeably longer battery life is worth your money. This is because much of the quality and performance of the SonoFlow Pro remains the same. However, if you do not already have the SonoFlow headset, then it is a matter of a $28 difference between 1MORE’s best value over ear headset vs its very best one.
As I said with the SonoFlow, if you are looking for a pair of basic wireless ANC over-ear headphones for a bargain price point, you will get that and much more from the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro headset.
You can check out the 1MORE SonoFlow Pro Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones for yourself by clicking here.
† We were provided a 1MORE SonoFlow Pro wireless headset for review purposes and were not compensated for this review.
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