1More the audio brand has now come up with a new series/sub-brand for cheap wireless earbuds under the omthing branding. We got the opportunity to try out their newest omthing By 1MORE AirFree tws buds. These come at a price tag of INR 2,499 and claim to offer a lot for the price. So should you pick these over other the competition? Let us find out in our review.
omthing By 1More AirFree TWS Features
- Bluetooth Version – 5
- Drivers – 7mm Dynamic Drivers
- Controls – Touch Controls
- Earbud Weight – 4g
- Claimed Battery Life – Up to 4 Hours/ Up to 20 hours with the case
- Number of Microphones – 2 (each side)
- Rating – IPX4
Package Contents
- omthing By 1More AirFree TWS
- Quick Start Guide
- Charging Case
- USB Type C charging cable
Design
Starting with the design, the AirFree sport a generic design for the case and the buds. The case has a matte finish, and the AirFree’s only come in just one shade, which is Black. The matte finish on buds and the case is always welcomed as it cuts down on smudges and scratches.
The whole construction is done in high-quality plastic. The lid offers a satisfying click when opening or closing the case. The buds have a large housing that carries the drivers and battery while getting a shorter stem to fit the logic board. The buds themselves are lightweight, coming in at a shy of 4g each. Unfortunately, since this is the first product under omthing branding, we see it stamped everywhere from the case to the buds themselves, which is annoying.
There are no status LED’s on the buds themselves; instead, you get a multi-coloured LED on the case, just below the lid lip. At the same time, the Type-C charging port is placed on the backside of the case.
Performance
The pairing process is simple, and the earphones power on as soon as they are taken out of the case. The buds pair as a different unit and can be used in an individual setting. These come with a 7mm dynamic driver on each side and pack a punch for the price. Given the price, you get access to protocols like the aptX or LDAC instead; all the basic ones like AAC and SBC are covered.
We found the sound stage balanced with a slight emphasis on the bass, which the brand is also advertising in their promotional material. Indian audiences love audio products with a decent amount of bass, and these should suffice most users. While the sound stage is balanced, given the smaller driver, these do lack depth. We didn’t really notice any static noise present, which is quite common on TWS units. The touch-sensitive areas are sized well, and the touch commands work as intended.
While the competition is giving ANC, the AirFree’s come packed with quad mics and ENC. This environmental noise cancelling works as intended, and during our testing periods, we didn’t notice any issues. Talking about the battery life, the omthing by 1More AirFree’s are above average at best here. With volume levels set at 50%, the buds lasted us just shy of 4 hours on a single charge and about 17 hours with the case. These results are sort of in line with the actual numbers put forth by the brand. Both the buds and the case took about 2 hours for a full top-up.