Our Verdict
Below-average mixed usage headphones. They aren’t the best sounding headphones, and our test unit was mismatched, which won’t be suitable for critical listening. Their design doesn’t isolate enough low frequencies for daily commuting, but their portable design makes them a decent option for sports if you use a bigger sized tip for stability at the cost of comfort. The in-ear fit might also not be comfortable for a whole work day at the office. Their poor sub-bass will make movies lack punch, and their small cable range won’t be great for watching TV or for gaming.
- Minimal leakage
- Compact and comfortable design
- Poor noise isolation
- Sub-par audio reproduction.
Sub-par for neutral listening. Their sound signature isn’t flat, and they sound mostly muddy while lacking sub-bass and being too sharp in the treble range. Our test unit also had mismatched drivers which creates a bad stereo image. They also don’t have a companion app since they are wired and passive in-ears.
Mediocre for commuting. They don’t isolate much noise and won’t be a great choice for a daily commute since they let in engine rumbles. The in-ear fit might not be comfortable for long flights. On the upside, they are very portable, and you can mask more ambient noise by raising your listening volume since they don’t leak too much.
Decent sports headphones. They are very portable and breathable which is great for sports. Unfortunately, they aren’t the most stable headphones and can easily pop out of your ears during physical activity.
Below-average for office use. They don’t isolate ambient chatter well, and the in-ear fit might not be the most comfortable for a whole work day. On the upside, they don’t leak too much so you can listen to your music at higher volumes without bothering colleagues and you won’t have to worry about battery life since they are wired, passive headphones.
Mediocre for gaming. They are wired headphones, so you don’t get any latency issues, and they have a decent microphone that works with consoles and PCs. However, their sound signature is sub-par, and our unit had mismatched drivers, which would make it difficult to pinpoint where video game sound effects like footsteps are coming from.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Dec 13, 2018: Review published.
- Updated Dec 11, 2018: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The 1More Piston Fit are cheap wired in-ear headphones that are similar to the Piston Classic. They have a disappointing sound signature and are fairly cheaply-made when compared to the less expensive Classics. However, they are comfortable for in-ears and have angled earbuds that some may find more comfortable. Unfortunately, they don’t isolate much noise, and our test unit had mismatched drivers and poor stereo image. They are budget headphones but their performance is sub-par when compared to other models in the same price range. See our recommendations for the best cheap earbuds and the best wireless earbuds under $50.
The 1More Piston Classic are better headphones than the 1More Piston Fit. The Classic perform better in pretty much every test over the Fit, which is surprising since they are a cheaper variant. The Classic are better-built thanks to a braided cable and metal parts, have a more balanced sound, and even come with a good hard case. On the other hand, the Fit have an angled earbud design and a slightly better microphone for calls.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve 2017 are way better headphones than the 1More Piston Fit. The Anker are more comfortable, better built, have great audio reproduction, and shouldn't have any stereo image issues. The 1More are wired, so they don't have latency issues like the Anker, have a better in-line microphone, and you won't have to worry about battery life. This shouldn't outweigh the better sound and comfort of the Anker. Even if the Anker are a bit more expensive, they provide a better value to performance overall.
The Skullcandy Jib Wireless are better headphones than the 1More Piston Fit. These wireless headphones are more stable for sports, have better sound quality, and don't have mismatched drivers like the Piston Fit. On the other hand, they are cheaply made and have a sub-par battery life, unlike the wired Piston Fit.
The Sony MDR-XB50AP Extra Bass are better headphones than the 1More Piston Fit. They have a more balanced sound, isolate more ambient noise, and barely leak. The Sony also feel more durable than the 1More. On the other hand, the 1More feel more comfortable thanks to their very small and lightweight earbuds, and they have a better microphone for calls.
Test Results
The 1More Piston Fit’s style is a mix of the Piston Classic and the Triple Driver. They look similar to the Classic, but with the angled-earbud design of the Triple Driver. They are in-ears, so they aren’t very flashy or bulky, and won’t stand out much. However, they look more high-end than what their price suggests, but looks are deceiving as their build quality is average. They also come in a few color variants (dark grey, blue, silver, and pink) to suit your style.
These headphones feel fairly similar to the Piston Classic. They have an above-average comfortable fit for in-ears, but in-ear headphones may not be for everyone. They have very small earbuds and feel very lightweight. The buds are also angled, so they feel a bit more stable, and are barely noticeable. They come with a few tip options for you to find the best fit, but not as many as the more expensive 1More Triple Driver.
The control scheme of the 1More Piston Fit is very easy to use as there is only one button on the in-line remote. This multi-purpose button gives you common functionalities like play/call management and track skipping. Unfortunately, you don’t get volume controls, which is disappointing, and the button feels a bit mushy and doesn’t have great feedback.
Like most in-ears, the 1More Piston Fit are very breathable since they don’t trap heat under ear cups. They won’t make you sweat more than usual when exercising, making them a decent choice for sports and long listening sessions.
They are very portable headphones thanks to their in-ear design and will fit easily in your pockets. They can easily be carried on you at all times, but unfortunately, they don’t come with a case like the Piston Classic and Triple Driver.
They do not come with a pouch or case, which is disappointing considering both the Piston Classic and Triple Driver came with solid cases.
The build quality of the 1More Piston Fit is a bit worse than the less expensive Piston Classic. They don’t have a nice braided cable, and the in-line remote is made out of plastic, while the Classic’s is made out of metal. Nevertheless, the earbuds are fairly similar and should survive a few accidental drops without too much damage.
The Piston Fit are fairly stable headphones, but not as much as other in-ears we’ve tested so far. They barely put any pressure within the ear canal, which makes them comfortable, but it also means the small buds can easily be pulled out of your ears. They do not come with any stability fins or accessories for sports, which is disappointing considering their name suggests they are sports headphones. They are wired headphones, so you’ll need to be careful not to get the cable stuck or hooked on something, which will easily yank the headphones out of your ears.
The frequency response consistency of the Piston Fit is excellent. If the user is able to achieve a proper seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, then they should be able to get the same bass and treble delivery each time they use the headphones.
The bass is sub-par. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 60Hz, which is mediocre. Their low-bass is lacking by a bit more than 10dB which means they have very little sub-bass and won't be able to produce the thump and rumble that is common in EDM, hip-hop, and film scores. Additionally, the overemphasis in high-bass could make the sound a bit muddy and boomy.
The 1More Piston Fit have a decent mid-range. Low-mid is over our target by 5dB, making vocals and instruments thick and mixes cluttered and muddy. The range is mostly flat and even, but the drivers are fairly mismatched, which is negatively impacting the imaging score.
The treble response is mediocre-at-best. The majority of the range is overemphasized by about 5dB and will make sibilances (S and T sounds) sharp and piercing on already bright tracks, especially that the right driver performs quite brighter than the left one.
The imaging performance is sub-par. Weighted group delay is at 0.15, which is very good. The GD graph also shows that the entire group delay is within the audibility threshold. The spikes in group delay below 20Hz are not in the audible range, so shouldn't have a noticeable negative effect on the sound. However, our test unit showed significant mismatch between the L/R drivers which results in a skewed and uneven stereo image. This means one side will be heavier and holes will be present in the stereo field. This suggests poor quality control.
The 1More Piston Fit have a poor soundstage. Creating a large and speaker-like soundstage is partially dependent on having a speaker-like pinna activation. However, due to their in-ear design, the 1More bypass the pinna and don't interact with it. Therefore, their soundstage will be perceived to be small and located inside the listener's head. Their closed-back design also means that their soundstage won't feel as open as open-back earbuds like the Apple AirPods (1st generation) Truly Wireless and the Bose SoundSport Free.
The noise isolation performance is sub-par. They barely isolate any noise in the lower frequencies, where the engine rumbles sit, making them a poor choice for commuting. They achieve about 9dB of isolation in the mid-range, which is below-average and 25dB in the treble range, which is decent.
The leakage performance of the Piston Fit is good. The significant portion of their leakage is focused between 2KHz and 7KHz, which makes the leakage very thin sounding and mostly consist of S and T sounds. However, the overall level of the leakage is low. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage at 1 foot away averages around 36dB SPL, but peaks at about 62dB SPL, which is above the noise floor of most offices.
The in-line microphone of the 1More Piston Fit is decent. In quiet environments, speech recorded or transmitted with this microphone will sound relatively thin, and lacking a bit of detail but quite easy to understand. They do a good job of separating speech from background noise in moderately loud environments, like a busy street, but could struggle in noisier conditions, like a subway station.
The in-line mic has a good recording quality. The LFE (low-frequency extension) of 261Hz indicates a speech sounds relatively thin. The HFE (high-frequency extension) is at 3.3KHz, and there's also a noticeable dip around 6KHz. This shows that speech recorded or transmitted with this mic will lack some detail and brightness. It could also be prone to pops and rumble noises.
The in-line microphone of the Piston Fit is average at noise handling. In our SpNR test, they achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of about 19dB, indicating they are best suited for quiet and moderate environments. However, they will struggle to separate speech from ambient noise in loud situations.
They are passive headphones that do not require a battery.
These headphones don’t have a companion app to enhance your listening experience.
These are not Bluetooth compatible headphones.
They practically don’t have any latency since they are wired headphones, which will be suitable for watching video content and gaming.
They have a 1/8” TRRS audio cable with an in-line microphone that's compatible with consoles and PCs.
The 1More Triple Driver do not have a dock. If you need a headset with a dock that also has a wired connection for gaming or watching movies, then consider the Astro A50.
