Audio Performance

The 1MORE Portable BT Speaker is equipped with a 3.3" planar (meaning, it's parallel with the surface) woofer and a 1" tweeter. The speaker drivers use a D-class amplification for a total power output of 30 W. According to the specifications, the speaker can achieve up to 102 dB SPL and be comfortably used in rooms of up to 45 m² (around 500 square feet). These are some bold claims, although I quickly realized they have a strong footing in reality. The 1MORE Portable BT Speaker can get really loud, louder than pretty much any other Bluetooth speaker of comparable size I have had a chance of listening to, and I went through a lot of them. More importantly, cranking the volume up doesn't distort it into oblivion on even bass-heavy tracks.

1MORE does so by using clever DSP (Digital Signal Processing). The algorithm manipulates the frequency output in relation to the listening volume. In other words, it will automatically decide how much lows, mids and highs to produce at each volume level. For example, if you're listening at a low volume, the DSP will create a bit of extra bass to prevent your music from sounding dull and lifeless. It's basically like the built-in "Loudness" feature found on many stereo amplifiers. The DSP also takes care of something 1MORE calls the "Virtual Bass Technology". The built-in woofer operates within the 70-5,000 Hz frequency range. If the content you're playing has something happening below 70 Hz, the DSP will create a set of harmonics that mimic the missing frequencies in order to trick the brain into perceiving them as actual energy being produced by the speaker. I wasn't able to dig up more information on what's happening here on a technological level, but what I can tell from my listening tests is that the speaker does manage to stay cohesive and pleasant regardless of the volume.

The built-in speaker drivers (and the DSP, I would assume) were tuned by Luca Bignardi, a Grammy-winning sound engineer 1MORE regularly collaborates with. In a mono setup (1 speaker), the Portable BT Speaker sounds quite energetic, meaty, and distortion-free regardless of its volume level. It sounds much larger than it physically is, not only because of its loudness as its saucer-like shape also has something to do with it. With both speaker drivers positioned in parallel to the surface, the sound is spreading upward and in all directions, which creates sort of a "holographic" soundstage. On the other hand, you'll be very aware of the fact that the tweeter isn't pointed at your ears, like it ideally should be. When I angled the speaker to get the tweeter to face me, the sound opened up, and I heard more details in the vocals, guitars, and other instruments, although the bass lost some of its thickness. That's because the speaker cleverly uses the surface it's sitting on to improve the overall bass presentation. With that in mind, it's best to keep the speaker in its natural position and simply enjoy its punchy bass, pleasant mids, and smooth, inoffensive highs. You're not using a portable Bluetooth speaker to get a true hi-fi experience anyway.


In a stereo setup where two of the 1MORE Portable BT Speakers are wirelessly paired and used together, things get even better. There's enough volume, depth, width, clarity, and overall richness of the sound to cover a larger outdoor area. If someone showed me two of these speakers and asked if I'd use them for a party, I'd probably laugh. However, after turning them on and hearing how loud, clear, and pleasant they sound that not only is a possibility, but something I'd happily recommend. As a stereo pair, they also work great in an office or a home environment next to your PC or in your living room. Aside from making the sound even fuller, pairing them up vastly improves the soundstage and general "size" of the sound, which makes sense as it's now coming out of two separate "saucers". If you can stretch your budget to grab the 1MORE Portable BT Speaker Stereo Bundle, definitely do so as you'll greatly benefit from the versatility and sound quality of these speakers. 1MORE's pricing seems fair. They'll charge you $99/€79 for one speaker and $149/€129 for a bundle of two—that's a 50% discount on the second speaker.

Microphone Performance

The built-in microphone allows you to use the 1MORE Portable BT Speaker for hands-free calls. If someone calls you while your phone is connected to the speaker, you can answer either on your phone or by pressing the power button on the speaker. You'll hear the caller through the speaker, and the microphone will pick up your voice. Even though the microphone quality isn't anywhere close to great, I ran into no issues when I used it for phone calls with the speaker sitting on the table, next to my keyboard. As such, it falls into the "good enough" category.