Having reviewed quite a few pairs of 1More earphones in recent months, I was quite surprised when these new pair of 1More ComfoBuds 2 Wireless Earphones arrived on my doorstep. Had the manufacturer inadvertently sent me back the same pair of 1More ComfoBuds Pro that I had reviewed and returned?
A closer examination though revealed that these were the 1More ComfoBuds 2 (CF2) and while I had reviewed the original and the “pro” true wireless earphones, these had flown under my radar.
The new 1More ComfoBuds 2 splits the difference between the two previously reviewed models as it brings the tuning options from the pro and the base feature set of the original model; if you don’t need ANC, the CF2s will be what you’re looking for.
The Skinny
From an industrial design perspective, very little has changed between the three models; they all share a very similar shape and the charging cases are also very similar.
All 3 are stick buds in the AirPod style with the liquid metal inspiration and slightly tapered shape. The Pro and CF2 have removable tips that the first generation lacked making them an easier fit and I had zero issues with any of them.
The original and CF2 are available only in black or white, while the Pro offers a deep blue as an option as well.
The original and CF2 are both IPX5 rated while the additional mics on the Pro (for ANC) drop it back to IPX4. The CF2 has 4 microphones for improved call quality but does not have ANC which is only available on the Pro model. The original and the Pro both sport Bluetooth 5.0 while the CF2 has been updated to version 5.2 and adds low latency mode for gaming.
The egg-shaped case remains the same with its USB Type-C charging port and roughly 3 charge cycles to the battery. 15 minutes of charging time buys an hour of listening time as well.
What has changed is the battery life in the earpieces; which is now roughly five and a half hours before requiring a recharge. This is an improvement over the original and longer than the Pro (if ANC is enabled).
I already had the 1More app installed from previous 1More reviews so it was easy to pair the 1More ComfoBuds 2 to my Samsung S20. The CF2 paired quickly and easily with the connection established as AAC, which is the best option on the CF2 since aptX is not supported.
Pairing
Immediately after pairing, I was notified that a firmware update was available for the CF2 so I allowed it time to update before proceeding. 20 minutes later, I was done updating the earpieces and ready to start listening tests. The 1More app does have a built-in burn in process as well for those that wish to utilize it.
Options in the app for the CF2 are also kind of a hybrid of features from previous versions. The app features a battery status display at the top and options for smart playback, custom settings, gaming mode, firmware update, equalizer, product guide, and soothing sounds below.
The smart playback option allows enabling or disabling auto-play/pause when the earpieces are removed from the ear. The custom settings allows for changing the touch controls on the earpieces and to my mind these two could be combined under a settings heading.
The gaming mode turns low latency on or off. The equalizer offers twelve (12) preset options tuned by Luca Bignardi and Sonarworks. Some of these offer a nice change of tonality while others were a bit much for me and I did find myself wishing for the option to customize the equalizer to my liking as none were exactly what I would have selected.
The soothing sounds option offers quite a few different gentle sounds to play in the background and was originally added for the ComfoBuds Z that were designed to put you to sleep. The downside to its inclusion with the CF2 is that the option to auto-shutdown after a preset time isn’t present in the app for this model, so it will effectively run until manually shutoff.
Sound
The good news is the base signature on the Comfobuds earlier models was pretty solid so the somewhat less than perfect EQ may not be needed anyway. The 1More ComfoBuds 2 lists the same diameter driver (13.4mm) as the previous two models, but makes no mention of the coating on the diaphragm so while it may be the same driver as the pro, it is simply not possible to tell from the specs provided.
Having been pleasantly surprised by the original ComfoBuds, I knew better what to expect this time and the same sonic signature of previous models is largely intact.
The sub-bass emphasis of earlier models is still present and like the previous models, once past the sub-bass bump, the tuning becomes fairly linear all the way to the treble. The mid-bass is not overdone and has some punch but doesn’t take over and the lower midrange is still quite clean sounding and detailed.
They do have enough bass bleed to carry a little warmth into the lower midrange; guitar growl has a good sharpness to its attack and lower vocals have solid weight and texture. The lift in the upper midrange and lower treble is also still present and seems slightly more forward sounding than the previous Pro model.
There is roll-off above 8kHz that limits top-end air and sparkle but also keeps the CF2 from becoming fatiguing. Overall, all the ComfoBuds models share a fairly safe tuning where it doesn’t let any one element dominate the signature and avoids adding to frequencies that tend to be harsh or fatiguing. Balance is definitely the word of the day here in regard to the overall sonic signature and tonal balance.
Conclusion
I’ve been recommending the ComfoBuds Pro as a good budget alternative to the Apple AirPods, and for those who need ANC, the Pro is still the best option. If you don’t need ANC and want more bass and a better seal than the first generation ComfoBuds offered, then the ComfoBuds 2 are a nice option and will currently save you $20 off the Pro’s price tag.
Where to buy: $59.99 $50.99 at 1More.com
