Potent noise cancellation for the price

I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

If you can look past a weak app and cumbersome on-ear controls, the 1More SonoFlow headphones reward you with quality audio performance and surprisingly robust active noise cancellation for under $100.

Although affordable true wireless earbuds with quality active noise cancellation (ANC) have become increasingly common, reliable over-ear noise-cancelling headphones largely remain a considerable investment. The 1More SonoFlow headphones are thus notable for delivering remarkably capable noise cancellation for just $99.99. They also produce a pleasing sound signature and feature a high-end design for the price. On the downside, their companion app lacks polish and their on-ear controls could be easier to use. Ultimately, Anker's Soundcore Space Q45 headphones offer better ANC and a far better app experience for $149.99, but if you can't afford to spend over $100, the 1More pair is a capable alternative.

Available in dark gray with black highlights and striking red cloth grilles on the interior of each earcup, the over-ear SonoFlow headphones look more expensive than their price suggests. The memory foam earpads and headband—both of which feature imitation leather wraps—feel soft, plush, and comfortable for long listening sessions.

Internally, 40mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 20Hz to 20KHz (or 20Hz to 40KHz if you opt for the LDAC codec). The headphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 and support the AAC, LDAC, and SBC codecs, but not AptX. For the price, this is a solid range of codecs, though plenty of Android users would gladly swap LDAC for AptX, even if the former doesn't always provide its hi-res audio capabilities. The headphones also offer multipoint connectivity for up to two devices, such as a laptop and a phone.

The left earcup’s side panel houses the USB-C port for the included USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable, while the right earcup enables passive listening via a 3.5mm jack with the included audio cable. The right earcup also houses the power/pairing button, plus and minus buttons for volume control, and a NC button that toggles the ANC. Unfortunately, these aren't the only functions these buttons control. The power button also handles playback, calls, and access to your phone's voice assistant depending on how many times you press it. Meanwhile, the plus and minus buttons also allow you to navigate forward or backward a track. A typical three-button controller with a central multifunction button and dedicated volume buttons would have been simpler and far less prone to misfires. 

The headphones flatten to fit inside the included zip-up, hard-shell travel case, which features gray fabric lining on the exterior. Internally, the case has a mesh pocket that lets you store the charging and audio cables.

1More estimates that the headphones can last roughly 70 hours (ANC off) or 50 hours (ANC on) per charge, but your results will vary based on your typical listening volume. 1More claims the 720mAh battery takes 80 minutes to fully charge from empty, and that five minutes of charging can get you five hours of playback time.

Even at this price, the 1More app (available for Android and iOS) is disappointing—it's bare-bones at best and feels like a rough beta version.

The main page displays an image of your connected headphones, while a battery life estimate and a scrollable menu reside below. The Listening Modes section here allows you to switch between Strong (ANC On), Transparent, and Off modes. Strangely, the screen flashes “Set-up complete” every time you switch modes. And we're not sure about the "Strong" descriptor; it implies the existence of another selectable ANC mode, but none is present.

Below the mode settings, there's an icon with an image of EQ faders, but the only option here is to pick between 12 non-customizable presets. You don't even get a visual representation of what each preset does. Aside from the Default EQ, options include Acoustic, Bass Reducer, Bass Booster, Classical, Deep, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Lounge, Podcast, Pop, and Vocal Booster. To the app’s credit, some of the presets are useful—Bass Reducer and Bass Booster don’t destroy the audio balance, for instance—but we would still much prefer a fully adjustable EQ.

You also get a poorly implemented Soothing Sounds section, which results in a spinning wheel notification when you tap it. When the section finally loads, it defaults to Summer Rain and shows a full-screen photo that matches the loop's description. This could potentially be soothing if it lasted even 10 full seconds, but the loop annoyingly fades out and then abruptly restarts. The same is true for the Medium Fire, Drizzle (which isn’t even five seconds long), Thunderstorm (which has some wind, but no thunder I could discern), Breeze, Spring Water, Bamboo Forest Wind, Snowing, Underwater, Outer Space, Gale, Field, and Forest loops. There are far too many options to name here, but none is soothing because of the short playback time.

Rounding out the app are two sections we usually just see in the settings menu: Firmware Upgrade and Quick Guide. In the dedicated settings menu, you can access a Smart Burn-In function (this is harmless to try but far from necessary) and an Experimental Features section (with only the multipoint connectivity option), as well as FAQ, Contact Us, and About 1More sections. In light of its overall bugginess and lack of on-ear control customization options, we're not sure the app is worth a download.

On the plus side, the SonoFlow headphones offer relatively impressive noise cancellation for the price. They respectably dial back low-frequency rumble (like you hear on an airplane), though not to the same degree as the $399.99 Sony WH-1000XM5, which certainly isn't a surprise. They also impressively cut back the lows and mids from a recording of a busy restaurant with clanging dishes and clamorous conversation. Again, the Sony headphones handles this task more effectively, but they also cost four times the price.

The aforementioned Anker Soundcore Space Q45 headphones are slightly more effective than the SonoFlow as well. Both the Anker and Sony models also offer adaptive ANC that adjusts based on your head movements, though you might find this feature distracting.

Although the ANC doesn’t seriously impact the audio performance here—a common issue with cheap ANC headphones—you might notice an ungraceful spike in volume when you toggle it, though the headphones correct themselves after about a second.

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones deliver a powerful low-frequency response with complementary bright highs. The bass doesn’t distort at top volume levels and the lows still sound full at more moderate volumes.

Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the sound signature. The drums on this track get a serious amount of boost, but don't ever sound overly thunderous, likely because the headphones sculpt the high-mids and highs to match. In any case, the latter emphasis lends the drums a little extra tap and snap. Callahan’s baritone vocals get some low-mid richness as well as plenty of high-mid presence; they retain a strong sense of clarity and definition. The acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits sound crisp, though the mids are a bit scooped.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives plenty of high-mid presence, which allows the drum loop’s attack to retain its punch. Meanwhile, the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with solid depth, though not the kind of subwoofer-style rumble we might expect these headphones could deliver. Boosted Bass mode adds a little heft, but it’s mostly in the lows and low-mids, not the sub-bass realm. The vocals on this track sound clear, with just a little additional sibilance.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, come across as bright and rich. The lows aren’t overly emphasized, but they exhibit some additional body. The focus is still squarely on the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals, however.

You could argue that LDAC codec support is a waste here because the default sound settings and all of the presets are highly sculpted and you can't dial in a flat sound signature. This would indeed be more of an issue if the headphones were pricier, but LDAC support and capable drivers for under $100 isn't a very common pairing.

The beam-forming five-mic array works well. Every word from a test recording on an iPhone came through clearly and crisply.

We’re impressed with the 1More SonoFlow's rich bass depth, crisp highs, and LDAC support. Better-than-expected noise cancellation and premium build quality also add value. That said, a clunky app and control layout brings the experience back in line with the price. We more highly recommend the Anker Soundcore Space Q45 headphones for $50 more—the additional money gets you a well-designed app and slightly better ANC. We’re also still fans of the older Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones ($199.95 list, but available now for much less), which offer high-quality sound and decent ANC. Of course, if you want the ultimate ANC performance, you need to step (way) up to the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Bose QuietComfort 45 ($329). But for just under $100, the SonoFlow headphones are a solid deal.

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I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

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