And the SonoFlow SE HQ31 are the latest cans to enter the chat.
And the call quality is surprisingly good.
However, these headphones have some notable flaws in terms of music playback and awkward controls.
Does that take away from their value?
Four colors are sold: black, blue, pink, and white.
The bold and bright colorways are the headphones only attractive trait.
Build quality is fine for surviving hard tumbles to the concrete.
Hard plastic surrounds the entire exterior and skin-friendly leather covers the earcups.
The extenders are long enough to accommodate listeners with larger head sizes.
Wearing the headphones felt cumbersome after an hour of wear.
On top of that, the tight clamp force applied unwanted pressure to my ears that caused discomfort.
The extremely short USB-C to USB-A cable is disappointing too.
You get a customizable EQ with presets, LDAC codec support, low-latency mode, and spatial audio.
Thats an awesome list of perks to have when factoring in the low MSRP.
Another major feature at your disposal is multipoint technology.
It works well for seamless switching between iOS/macOS and Android devices.
Bluetooth4.3 runs smoothly and maintains strong connectivity within a 40-foot radius.
Where the SonoFlow SE HQ31 take a huge hit is the app experience.
It even runs company ads, which can be disabled, but is so unnecessary.
1MORE SONOFLOW SE HQ31 review: Controls
1Mores control scheme is a bit wacky.
These headphones have the play/pause and digital assistant functions assigned to the power button.
Sounds confusing, right?
The volume rockers are an even bigger headache.
Not only do they switch on the skip track and previous track functions, but 1More programmed them backward.
The headphones demonstrate reliable speech recognition viaGoogleAssistant andSiri.
Voice commands are registered and executed accurately on both voice bots.
Its not bad, per se, but its not enticing or resonant either.
In addition, theres some occasional distortion when streaming on mobile devices.
The sound features are what salvage the sonics.
1Mores customizable EQ lets you personalize audio to your hearing.
There are 12 presets in the app, though only half are worth selecting.
ANC mode provides extra thump with compromising bass.
The sampled drums on Naughty by Natures O.P.P.
The hi-hats and the distorted chorus harmonies on The Breeders Cannonball sound much clearer.
Spatial audio generally sucks on headphones under $100.
That isnt the case here.
At the same time, theyre no slouch.
Turning on ANC eliminates close to 80% of unwanted sounds.
Wind resistance was strong as well.
Certain sounds were unavoidable.
Transparency mode is top tier.
The feature helped most outdoors, increasing my awareness of emergencies and street traffic during daily grocery store runs.
The numerous calls I made in different environments were met with positive feedback.
Family and friends praised the loudness and clarity of my voice.
Background interference wasnt an issue either.
No one brought up the construction sounds, dog barking or gusty winds that occurred when chatting outside.
All credit goes to 1Mores ENC 2-mic array that put a kibosh on environmental fracas.
Some of their models crush thebest noise-cancelling headphonesin battery life.
This version of the SonoFlow is no different.
A full charge nets you 90 hours of listening time.
As if that werent enough, a 5-minute charge generates 5 hours of listening time.
1MORE SONOFLOW SE HQ31 review: Verdict
The SonoFlow SE HQ31 drive a hard bargain.
Call quality and special features perform better than expected.
Noise neutralization holds up well for music listening and voice calling.
Several audio technologies help enhance sound output.
Lastly, youre getting between 60 90 hours of usage per charge.
These headphones arent without their shortcomings.
Again, the soundstage isnt anything to brag about.
The clamp force and excessive weight become fatiguing.
Not to mention 1Mores app and control scheme require serious polishing.
Are there better headphones for under $100?
Both the SonoFlow Pro andSony WH-CH720Ndeliver greater comfort and sound for a few more dollars.
Nonetheless, the SonoFlow SE HQ31s pros outweigh their cons, making them a quality pickup for the price.
