1More S51 Earbuds: in review
Another open-ear option
Back over the summer, we brought you a review of the 1More S20 earbuds, my first foray into an open-ear format. Since that time, I’ve been spending some time with another pair - the 1More S51 - and we’ve got some thoughts to share with you.
1More S51: what they are
Simply put, they’re earbuds, but they’re not ones that rest inside your ear canal. So, if you find those eartips to never fit well, or hurt after a while, these can do the job. Likewise, if you find over-ear or on-ear headphones creating pressure and discomfort, these get the job done.
They simply hook over your ear (just like those first bluetooth earbuds for calls did back in the day), and the driver is resting in your ear. This leaves things a little more open so you can still hear what’s going on around you (say, someone calling out your name in the house). True, this is not going to give you audiophile-level sound reproduction, but bluetooth earbuds were never going to do that anyways.
For me, the tradeoff for the spatial awareness around you is well worth it. Then again, I tend more towards spoken-word listening (read: podcasts), which is not really affected as much by the open approach. With music, you’re more apt to notice the bits you’re not hearing in a favorite song. People talking though? These are excellent for.
Why you might want open-ear earbuds
That’s something you want to think about. If you’re looking to be totally immersed in what you’re listening to, complete with active noise cancellation blocking out the sound around you, that’s not these. On the other hand, if you just need some background audio (be it spoken or music) to provide some mental distraction while you focus on tasks, while still being aware of your surroundings? That’s where these come in.
For instance - if you’ve got an older car without a bluetooth connection - these are a great way to take a hands-free call or listen to music (I’d recommend just one earbud on in this case), while still being able to hear what’s going on in traffic around you.
Or, maybe you like to go for walks or bike rides along extremely busy roads - or otherwise need to be aware of what’s happening around you. Here again, these serve that purpose very well. One other solid option here is for gaming. Sure, you won’t be immersed in the game, or be wowed by high-fidelity bass. But these are low-latency, so you won’t be distracted by a mismatch in audio vs video. And they’ll still allow you to hear when something goes crash in the next room - or the kids get suddenly, suspiciously, quiet.
Wrapping things up
Given the price point of the 1More S51 ($89.99), these are not really for someone who’s sort of curious if the open-ear approach is for them (for that person, maybe the S12 or S30 would be a better option). This is the higher-end choice for someone who prefers this format and style, and are perhaps looking at it to do some gaming (whether on the go or at home).
For me, it’s still not an everyday usage, but I appreciate the flexibility to hear what’s going on around me, as well as being able to use one earbud or another, extending run times. If you’d like to add these to your personal lineup, you can get them in black or white directly from 1more.com, or for ten bucks less over at, where else, Amazon.
Tech Specs
Model: S51
Earbud weight: (Single)9.5 g
Case Weight: 58g
Gross Weight: 75g
Material: memory titanium alloy
Earbud Battery Capacity (Single): 60 mAh
Case Battery Capacity: 575 mAh
Playback
single earbud 11 hours
40 hours total with charging case ( AAC 50% volume )
2C Fast charge: 10 minutes of charging = 3 hours of use， Earbuds Charging Time
Case Charging Time (Wired): 120 min
Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth® 5.3
Audio Codec: AAC/SBC
Input: 5V=0.5A
Waterproof: IPX5 waterproof and sweatproof
App: Supports app connection and customization
Controls: Touch controls
Latency: Supports low latency mode for gaming ( Latency under 80ms )