There’s nothing wrong with shopping for cheap headphones. When I say cheap, I don’t mean quality-wise; I’m talking MSRP. We found the Sony ZX Series wired headphones to be one of the best under $25 scores out there — and now, we’re adding the 1More Piston Fit to that list as well.
These affordable earphones might look like something you would find on Temu, but they offer more in performance and style than most models listed under $100.
Versatile audio and compatibility in a sleek design make these $11 earphones a nice bargain pickup and stocking stuffer for the holidays.
How I found the 1More Piston Fit
I was originally meant to profile the 1More Piston Classic until notified of their discontinuation and lack of availability. My pair also broke after several years of use. Seeking an alternative, I searched for cheap earbuds on Amazon and discovered the Piston Fit.
My recent experiences with the brand have been mostly positive. The PistonBuds Pro are some of the best budget earbuds I’ve tested, and I share that same sentiment about these standard wired earphones.
Why they’re a score
1More deserves praise for how well the company engineered these earphones. Underneath the hood lies powerful dynamic drivers that deliver rich, clean audio highlighted by powerful bass.
The warm sound profile complements modern music genres like EDM, hip-hop and psychedelic rock. Current favorites like Tame Impala’s “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” sounded fantastic. The distorted drums and grumbling bass line produced gnarly reverb that hit my low-end sweet spot. These earphones handled the monstrous bass response on Dr. Dre’s “Kush” much better than I anticipated. The pulsating drums slapped hard and didn’t overpower things, leaving enough room for the intricate synths and stabbing piano keys to breathe over the booming production.
Classical and jazz music lovers will also find the Piston Fit’s sound quality suitable for orchestral recordings. Art Blakey’s “Along Came Betty” was a serene listen that created crisp, peaceful-sounding cymbal taps and soothing horn play. The instrument separation on Donald Byrd’s “Wind Parade” was better than I’ve heard on some of the best true wireless earbuds. Everything from the calm wind chimes to the melodic bass line to the soft violins sounded lively and transparent.
Chic, compact and comfy perfectly describe the Piston Fit’s design. The aluminum casing is sturdy and has a nice shine effect to it that accentuates the branding. You can toss the 0.48-ounce earphones in any carry-on bag or denim pocket and not feel weighed down. The angled sound port slides into your ears and the body rests pleasantly on the concha during lengthy listens. I felt fine wearing the earphones for four-hour stretches before fatigue set in.
The Piston Fit will work with any media device carrying a headphone port. I used them with my iPhone 14, MacBook and different Android smartphones via an adapter. Apple’s Lightning connector allowed for Apple Music lossless sound, but the quality was just decent.
I was more impressed with what I heard from the OnePlus 11. Pairing the earphones with another under-$25 score, the Anker USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapter resulted in brighter sound with clearer mids and highs. Enabling the OnePlus 11’s spatial audio mode amped up the sonics. The striking snares on the Mary Jane Girls’ “All Night Long” smacked my eardrums and stimulated head nods, while the emphasized vocals made the soulful hook more intimate.
Spatial audio through the Piston Fit didn’t work well on all tracks. Bass on Frank Ocean’s “Swim Good” was bloaty and affected clarity. Performance was slightly better when streaming on high-resolution platforms like Tidal, but only a trained ear will pinpoint frequency improvements.
Usability is another highlight on these earphones. The one-button control module lets you operate different functions, including playback/call management (single press), skip track (double press), previous track (triple press) and digital assistance (long press). Yes, you can activate your device’s native assistant (Siri, Google Assistant, Bixby), and the feature works well to execute basic commands like “open Gmail” and “play music on Spotify.”
An audio product this inexpensive is always going to have some imperfections. Noise isolation isn’t the best, so you’ll want to use these earphones in quiet settings to consume audio fully. The wire tangles easily and is extremely delicate; a slight yank will rip it from the 3.5mm plug. Lastly, 1More could have thrown in a canvas pouch for protection.
These are reasonable criticisms. However, the Piston Fit’s great comfort, compatibility and sound quality make them a solid purchase for those that need a reliable backup when their AirPods run out of juice.
