1More, also known in China as 万魔 (Wànmó), is a consumer audio brand best recognised for its headphones and earphones. Established in 2013, the company was founded by a team with extensive experience in consumer electronics design and manufacturing, including former executives from Foxconn. Rather than competing solely on low cost, 1More has built its identity on combining high-quality sound, industrial design, acoustic engineering, and relatively accessible pricing.[1] The brand’s slogan is “Hear More,” reflecting its mission to enable music listeners of all ages and budgets to experience audio closer to the artist’s original intent.[2]

While historical corporate materials describe 1More as having been founded in Shenzhen, China, its current global website lists its international headquarters in San Diego, California. This distinction separates the brand’s Chinese corporate origins from its later international organisational structure.[1][2]

Quick facts

Founding and philosophy

1More was established in 2013 by Gary Hsieh (谢冠宏) and a team of former consumer electronics executives. Prior to founding the company, Hsieh worked at Foxconn and was involved in the development and manufacturing of products for major technology firms such as Apple, Amazon, and Lenovo. This background provided the founding team with significant expertise in large-scale electronics manufacturing.[4]

The company’s founding philosophy was a deliberate departure from traditional contract manufacturing. Instead of designing products exclusively for other brands, the founders sought to create their own consumer brand with a greater emphasis on product design, engineering, and value. This approach became central to 1More’s identity, prioritising good audio, attractive design, engineering, and reasonable price over the production of cheap electronics.[4]

Relationship with Xiaomi

A defining element of 1More’s early history is its relationship with Xiaomi. Xiaomi became an early investor, and 1More was closely associated with the Xiaomi ecosystem during its initial growth phase. Other reported investors included GGV Capital and Singapore’s GIC.[5]

This partnership was most visible through products such as the Xiaomi Piston earphones, which were designed and developed by the 1More team. Contemporary reporting indicates that these earphones achieved massive sales volume, helping 1More rapidly establish itself in the consumer audio market.[3] It is important to note that 1More is not merely a Xiaomi headphone brand; rather, it developed as an independent audio company that benefited from significant early investment and ecosystem participation.

Transition to an independent global brand

While early business with Xiaomi provided manufacturing scale and market experience, 1More subsequently pursued a broader identity. The company aimed to transition from being perceived as a Chinese electronics supplier to becoming an international audio brand. This required developing proprietary products, branding, acoustics, industrial design, and international distribution channels.

In 2014, 1More established its United States operation. By 2015–2016, the company was actively expanding internationally, describing the creation of 1More USA as a pivotal step in entering the North American market.[4]

The English name 1More is read as “one more,” while the Chinese name is 万魔 (Wànmó). Both names were established when the company was founded in 2013, although the English trademark was registered earlier. In December 2015, the company officially announced the Chinese corporate name 万魔声学科技有限公司.[1] The two names refer to the same entity rather than unrelated companies.

The brand’s identity is summarised by its slogan, “Hear More,” which conveys the idea that audio technology should be unobtrusive, allowing the listener to focus entirely on the music.[2] 1More positions itself as a professional audio brand rather than a generic electronics accessory manufacturer, emphasising studio-quality sound, acoustic engineering, detailed industrial design, build quality, and accessible pricing.[5]

Historically, the company described its strategy as offering premium-quality audio at mid-range prices. Founder Gary Hsieh famously framed this positioning by comparing 1More to a “Lexus” in the audio market: premium and desirable without being the most expensive option available.[5] This “affordable luxury” positioning remains one of the brand’s most recognisable characteristics.

1More differentiates itself as an engineering-driven audio company. Its acoustic laboratory focuses on dynamic driver development, balanced armature drivers, diaphragm materials, driver structures, acoustic measurement, active noise cancellation (ANC), Bluetooth technologies, and acoustic algorithms.[1]

Multi-driver technology

Multi-driver earphones are strongly associated with the 1More brand. While conventional earphones often use a single dynamic driver, 1More’s higher-end models have experimented with combinations of dynamic drivers and balanced armature units. This configuration allows different drivers to reproduce specific portions of the frequency spectrum—for example, using a dynamic driver for bass and balanced armatures for mid and high frequencies. When properly tuned, this approach aims to provide greater control and detail.[5]

Collaboration with Luca Bignardi

Italian sound engineer Luca Bignardi is a key figure in 1More’s audio identity. Described by the company as a four-time Grammy Award-winning sound engineer, Bignardi has been involved in tuning 1More headphones to achieve an accurate representation of the artist’s intended sound.[5] This collaboration allowed the brand to present a narrative combining engineering, acoustic measurement, professional sound engineering, and industrial design, distinguishing it from generic manufacturers.

1More initially gained recognition for wired in-ear headphones, particularly the Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones, which became a signature product due to its combination of multiple drivers, sophisticated tuning, and accessible pricing. Early notable products included the Single Driver, Dual Driver, Triple Driver, Quad Driver, Penta Driver, and Piston-series earphones.

As the industry shifted toward wireless audio, 1More expanded its portfolio to include Bluetooth earphones, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, ANC headphones, sports earbuds, over-ear wireless headphones, open-ear products, and portable speakers. Current international offerings include the ComfoBuds, ColorBuds, PistonBuds, SonoFlow, EVO, Aero, and S-series.[5]

Major product categories

• True wireless earbuds: Includes the ComfoBuds, ComfoBuds Mini, ComfoBuds Pro, ColorBuds, PistonBuds, and EVO families, targeting everyday consumers seeking compact wireless solutions.
• Wireless headphones: The SonoFlow family represents the brand’s focus on wireless over-ear headphones with ANC capabilities.
• Wired audiophile earphones: The historically significant Triple Driver, Quad Driver, and Penta Driver models cater to listeners who prioritise wired audio and complex driver configurations.
• Open-ear and sports audio: Products designed for comfort, exercise, and situational awareness.

1More places significant emphasis on industrial design, aiming to combine Chinese manufacturing scale with international aesthetics and professional acoustic engineering. This focus was strategic during the company’s early international expansion, serving to challenge perceptions that Chinese consumer electronics were necessarily low-cost or poorly designed.[4]

The brand has received numerous design and product awards, including iF Design Awards, Red Dot Design Awards, GOOD DESIGN Awards, IDEA awards, CES Awards, EHA Awards, and VGP Awards. Specific totals vary across regional websites and time periods, so award counts should be treated as company-reported and time-dependent.[2][5]

1More has established operations in the United States, United Kingdom, and China, with distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.[5] Its international strategy involved competing against established audio brands such as Apple, Beats, Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, JBL, and Audio-Technica. Rather than competing purely on price, 1More sought to occupy the middle ground between inexpensive mass-market products and expensive audiophile equipment.

The brand’s market positioning can be understood as affordable premium or enthusiast consumer audio. It sits above generic budget audio and mass-market consumer electronics but below mainstream premium and high-end audiophile brands. The core proposition is that thoughtfully engineered headphones should not require an excessively high price point.[2]

Distinction from Xiaomi

Although Xiaomi was a crucial early investor and ecosystem partner, 1More and Xiaomi are distinct entities. 1More developed its own independent brand identity and international product portfolio following its initial success within the Xiaomi ecosystem. Contemporary reporting explicitly identifies Xiaomi as an investor rather than classifying 1More as a Xiaomi product line.[5] A precise description is that 1More is an independent Chinese-founded audio brand that received significant early investment and business support from Xiaomi.

1More represents a transition in the Chinese electronics industry from traditional OEM/ODM models toward original brand creation. The company’s trajectory—from manufacturing expertise to product development, original branding, and global consumer presence—places it among a generation of Chinese technology firms moving up the value chain. Its goal was for consumers globally to recognise 1More itself as the brand, rather than viewing it merely as a manufacturer for Western labels.[4]

Strengths and challenges

Strengths
* Strong price-to-performance philosophy
* Extensive engineering experience in headphones and earphones
* Distinctive industrial design and award history
* Professional sound-tuning credentials
* Successful transition into modern wireless audio

Challenges
* Intense competition from established global brands like Sony, Bose, and Apple
* Brand recognition that is generally stronger in Asian markets than among mainstream Western consumers
* A complex product lineup with numerous generations
* The difficulty of maintaining a premium positioning while justifying higher prices compared to budget alternatives

Historical dates and milestones are based primarily on 1More’s corporate history and contemporary reporting.[1][2]

1. 1MORE正式更名为万魔品牌_1MORE
2. about-1more
3. 1More: China’s Answer to Beats – 1MORE
4. 1MORE Headphones Quickly Making Waves With Industry Experts And Consumers For The Company’s High-Quality, High-Value Design Philosophy
5. 1MORE Headphones – 1moreglobal