Wireless Performance
Stability and Range
Once again I assumed wrong in thinking that the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini would have less than stellar range and thought they must have a very small antenna. I was wrong. I guess size doesn’t matter, it’s the performance that counts.
To my surprise, I got a good distance away from the source in a straight line. I got a good 37 feet away from my mobile device which still runs on 5.0 but I also ran another mobile device with a 5.2 radio and only obtained a few feet more in distance for a total of about 39 feet.
Latency
Since the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini run on a Bluetooth 5.2 radio I would have thought latency is almost nonexistent but there is a small and noticeable delay. It’s not too bad and it seems around the typical 0.2 seconds.
That type of delay is unnoticeable while making phone calls and definitely nothing to worry about listening to music. I made sure my devices were set at low latency but it did not make a difference.
Select Comparisons
Shanling MTW300
$129.00
Technical
There are many similarities between the Shanling MTW300 and the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini including the fact that the MTW300 is also part of a three TWS lineup that includes the MTW100 and the MTW200.
The main internal component inside the MTW300 is a Qualcomm QCC3040 which transmits over BT 5.2 with aptX, AAC, and SBC codecs. The MTW300 uses a smaller 6mm carbon nanotube diaphragm single dynamic driver.
Design
One other common characteristic that the Shanling MTW300 has with the 1MORE ComfoBuds Mini is its small size but the smaller of the two is still the ComfoBuds Mini and they also weigh less.
However, once you hold the Shanling MTW300 cradle in your hands the build difference is night and day. The MTW300 cradle is metal and heavy feeling but the rounded shape still makes it pocket friendly but you will feel the heft.
Performance
For sure, the MTW300 has a softer and more polite sound signature. Perhaps too shy but it does seem to contribute to the fact that the MTW300 uses less battery power to operate and pushes forward to first place in this comparison when it comes to battery life.
The overall MTW300 sound signature is V-shaped with a rather pronounced bass response and a reduced amount of midsection. Their main weakness was given the spotlight when I ran the tone sweep and found a dip above 8 kHz and they also produced lots of noise above that frequency.
Far as ANC goes, the Shanling MTW300 has none but is not bad at blocking out external noise. As as the app is concerned this is another area the MTW300 lacks in plus although there are a full set of touch controls at your disposal they are not re-assignable.
Lypertek PurePlay Z5
$129.99
Technical
If you really feel that size does not matter then Lypertek makes the Z5 which is a very good TWS that is feature-rich and the ANC implementation is quite effective but of course, has the larger earbuds compared to the Comfobuds Mini. With a good number of features and good sound, the Z5 has become a favorite of mine.
The Z5 uses an even more upscale Qualcomm QC3046 which is also a BT 5.2 chip that throws into the mix aptX with adaptive HD plus SBC and AAC. The rest of the features list includes touch controls, ANC, a full-featured app, and a feature called LDX which is an optimized sound preset.
Design
There is a high contrast far as design here since the ComfoBuds Mini are very small and the Lypertek Z5 is larger with a stem design that anchors into the ear canal and this design is actually ideal for people who jog and active people.
Since one of the negative aspects of the ComfoBuds Mini is the ear tip mounting system and the fact that they are sensitive to tip insertion and seal the Lypertek package gives the buyer more tips including some foam tips. You get a total of 10 sets so the Z5 wins in this area.
Performance
I like the overall sound signature the Z5 presents because it has one of the widest and best depth projection of the group plus it has a good frequency response and a rather wide dynamic range compared to similar sets.
Another characteristic I personally like about the Z5 is the punchy and dynamic aspect of the overall sound character which is what I feel impresses people the most about the Lypertek sound tuning.
Klipsch T5 II True Wireless ANC
$149.00
Technical
Running a mystery chip just as the theComfobuds Mini do, the Klipsch T5 II ANC is a formidable TWS set nonetheless with lots of the useful features that are expected of a good set.
An app that leaves little to be desired, with a good set of onboard controls plus a well-rounded overall package and presentation.
Similar to the LDX feature of the Lypertek Z5, the Klipsch T5 2 ANC has DIRAC which is a tuning company out of Sweden that improves sound quality via the use of some patented DSP correction and time correction methods. This uniquely tunes the T5 2 ANC for the best sound possible.
Design
The Klipsch T5 2 ANC was designed with quality first in mind and I could tell the minute you feel the cradle and look inside to see very the close tolerances in construction. The earbuds fit inside like a hand-in-glove and everything is nice and tight-fitting.
The earbuds have a rather unconventional shape yet are rather comfortable. It seems a lot of thought went into this TWS design. To me, they have the best shape for mounting aftermarket tips which is a plus and I wished all TWS makers took this route.
Another different aspect of the T5 2 ANC is that they use a push-button rather than the more common touch control panel. I say if it works then fine but if the touch control is implemented correctly then it would be my preferred choice.
The push-button requires some inward force to press and the action would mash the earbud into the ear and the action could cause some discomfort.
Performance
If you listen to the Klipsch T5 2 ANC with no DIRAC they sound rather bland, flat, and somewhat lifeless. Once you turn that feature on then things improve considerably. Dynamics, attack, and the overall frequency response improves over the stock sound.
Even if the soundstage improves but they still remain medium-sized in perception. The T5 2 ANC has an upfront speaker-like presentation that puts vocals forward and center while it spaces out instruments a bit outward and forward.
Our Verdict
Although the 1MORE Comfobuds Mini TWS has a modest price they still do not hold back on the major creature comfort features that one expects from a modern-day set of wireless buds. The fact that they are so small just adds to their general appeal and to the overall package.
Of course, ‘sausage-fingered’ people might have issues handling the tiny shells and activating the touch panel when inserting them but you get used to them. It is a fair tradeoff for having a wireless TWS that is so light and small that you barely feel them on.
Add to that some decent sound, good battery life, some decent software features, and the novelty of having the smallest TWS around seem to all add up. The small stature has a high appeal with the general masses and it seems everyone I show them to wants a pair now.
1MORE ComfoBuds Mini Specifications
- Model: ES603
- Earbud Weight (Single): 7 g
- Case Weight: 9 g
- Gross Weight: 3 g
- Earbud dimension: 17 × 15 × 13 mm
- Case Dimensions: 5 × 50 × 24.5 mm
- Earbud Battery Capacity (Single): 34 mAh
- Case Battery Capacity: 440 mAh
- Earbuds Charging Time: 70 min
- Case Charging Time (Wired): 90 min
- Speaker Impedance: 32 Ω
- Bluetooth Range: 10m (Open space)
- Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth® 5.2
- Bluetooth Protocols: HFP / A2DP / AVRCP
- Playtime* (ANC Off): Earbuds Fully Charged Music Playback: 6 hours
- Case and Earbuds Fully Charged Music playback: 24 hours
- Playtime* (ANC On): Earbuds Fully Charged Music Playback: 5 hours
- Case and Earbuds Fully Charged Music playback: 20 hours
- Audio Codec: AAC / SBC
- Input: 5V 0.7A
- Working Temperature: 0℃ ~ 45℃
- Frequency Range: 400 GHz ~ 2.4835 GHz
