Headphone Comparison: Shure SE215 vs. 1More Triple Driver (E1001)

In the $100 price range, the Shure SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver (model no. E1001) easily stand out as two of the best in-ear headphones. Both are well-built, good-sounding earphones that are suitable for all-around everyday use and for simply enjoying music at home. Both offer great value for the money, especially if you can get them for just around $70 or less.

However, the two earphones have different strengths, which makes it more difficult to choose between them. In this head-to-head comparison, we’ll give you a detailed look at their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their similarities, to help you see which earphones are more suitable for you. To be more specific, the SE215 mentioned here is the original wired model.

Quick Look

Design

The SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver are about even in overall design, with both headphones edging out the other in several categories. The Shure headphones are better-built and more comfortable and have a more stable design. They are available in more color options and feature a detachable audio cable, which adds to their overall durability.

On the other hand, the 1More headphones have a more stylish design and come with better accessories, including more ear tip options and a more premium travel case. Unlike the Shure product, they also include an in-line remote, allowing them to win by default in the controls category.

Fit

The SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver are both wired in-ear headphones or earphones with angled nozzles and multiple ear tip options. Like other earphones, they are much more breathable than over-ear and on-ear headphones since they don’t cover your ears at all. But unlike earbuds such as the Apple EarPods and the Bose SoundSport, their tips go inside your ear canals, which can be an awkward sensation for some people.

Although they belong in the same headphone category, the two earphones are different in overall fit and comfort, with the Shure product offering better comfort and stability. They have an over-the-ear design, which means the audio cables connecting to their earpieces go over your ears, making for a much more stable fit. You can freely bend the ear hooks in the audio cable, which retain their shape when adjusted, to make the earphones more secure. Shure includes three pairs of silicone ear tips and three pairs of foam ear tips in the box.

Despite their ear tips entering your ear canals more deeply, the SE215 are more comfortable for long listening sessions and are some of the most comfortable earphones. But it’s not a landslide victory for them in this category, as the 1More Triple Driver also have some good points. In addition to having a shorter audio cable that some people will prefer, they include more ear tip options and a shirt clip for better cable management.

They have six pairs of silicone ear tips and three pairs of foam ear tips, giving you more options to experiment with different ear tips to find the most comfortable fit. Unlike the SE215, they have a more common cable-down design, which means the audio cables connecting to their earpieces simply hang down from your ears. This makes for a less stable design compared to an over-the-ear design, with the earpieces more likely to get yanked out of your ears when the audio cable gets caught into something.

If you want earphones that are more comfortable for extended listening, have a more stable fit for sports use, and provide a better in-ear seal, the SE215 are the better option. But if you prefer earphones with a more common cable-down design, more ear tip options, a shorter cable, and ear tips that don’t enter your ear canals too deeply, the 1More Triple Driver are more suitable for you.

Build

While the 1More Triple Driver seem better-built due to their more premium look and metal frames, the SE215 are the better-built earphones. They are built like a tank, featuring sweat-resistant hard plastic casings that feel very sturdy and durable. Their thick, Kevlar-reinforced audio cable is also detachable and can be easily replaced with either official Shure cables or third-party cables, which further adds to their overall durability.

The build quality of the 1More Triple Driver is also good. Their earpieces are made of aluminum alloy with a sandblasted textured surface while their audio cable is similarly Kevlar-reinforced. Unlike with the Shure earphones, their audio cable is both braided and rubberized – the lower half that ends with the analog plug is braided while the upper half, which splits into two and connects to the earpieces, is thinner and has a rubber coating. Unfortunately, the audio cable is not detachable, which can be a deal-breaker for some people.

Both earphones are extremely lightweight and have no official IP ratings for dust and sweat resistance, which is hardly surprising for non-sports earphones. Regarding aesthetics, the SE215 have a simpler and more discreet look while the 1More Triple Driver, as mentioned, look more premium due to their stylish casings. The Shure earphones are available in four colors (clear, black, blue, and white, with the latter two being special editions) while the 1More earphones are only available in gold and silver.

Controls

The 1More Triple Driver win in this category by default. Unlike with the SE215, their audio cable has an integrated three-button remote for basic functions. You can use it to manage your calls and music, adjust the volume, and activate the supported voice assistant on your mobile device. It’s easy to use and has responsive buttons that are not too stiff. With their in-line remote – which also has a built-in mic – the 1More earphones are more suitable for all-around use.

For the SE215, an in-line remote is optional. Like most other wired headphones designed primarily for listening to music, their default audio cable lacks an in-line remote for call and music management and volume control. If you buy the official Shure audio cable that includes an in-line remote, you get the typical three-button control scheme for call and music management and volume adjustment. You can also look into third-party audio cables if you prefer something cheaper.

Portability

Both the SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver are very portable headphones that are easy to carry with you for everyday use. They are highly compact and extremely lightweight, with their audio cables being the only thing you need to worry about when carrying them from place to place. Both also include travel cases, but their cases fall under different categories.

The Shure earphones include a zippered soft case with a clip while the 1More earphones include a slightly more compact and more premium-looking faux leather hard case with magnetic clasps. The 1More carrying case is the better one, not only because of its more premium design but also because it provides better protection against physical impact and minor water exposure. This gives the 1More Triple Driver a slight edge over the SE215 in this category.

Accessories

Although the SE215 include more accessories than your typical earphones, the 1More Triple Driver are the winner in this category. As mentioned, they come with six pairs of silicone ear tips and three pairs of foam ear tips. In addition, they include an airplane adapter, a shirt clip, and a hard case for storage. The airplane adapter is useful for frequent travelers while the shirt clip allows for better cable management, which is especially beneficial if you want to use the earphones for running.

The SE215, on the other hand, include three pairs of silicone ear tips and three pairs of foam ear tips, which means they are still on the generous side, as many earphones – including those selling for a much higher price – usually come with just three pairs of ear tips. Aside from the ear tips, the SE215 also include a cleaning tool and the aforementioned soft case for storage.

Performance

There is no runaway winner between the SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver in this section, as they have different strengths. The Shure earphones have a fun but darker sound profile and provide better passive sound isolation. Their detachable audio cable also opens up more connectivity options, making them more versatile. On the other hand, the 1More earphones have a better-balanced and more neutral sound profile. In addition, they win the mic category by default, featuring a good in-line mic for phone calls.

Sound

The SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver are both good-sounding earphones that will satisfy most consumers, but their sound profiles are not the same. The Shure earphones have a darker sound profile, with slightly less detail, but they are more fun. They are especially great for guitar-centric genres and are also suitable for bass-heavy music.

Their emphasized bass is deep, controlled, and better than that of the 1More Triple Driver. Their neutral mid-range is also great, with good balance and excellent detail and clarity, but their recessed treble lacks detail and can be too sharp in some tracks. The special editions of the earphones – the blue and white models – have a cleaner bass with better extension.

Meanwhile, the 1More Triple Driver have a more neutral and better-balanced sound profile with a more open soundstage. They are more all-around earphones suitable for different music genres. Their bass is deep, precise, and more pronounced compared to the SE215 while their mid-range is clean and detailed but slightly recessed. While the Shure earphones have a better bass response, the 1More Triple Driver have a much better treble – their emphasized treble is smoother and has more detail.

Isolation

The SE215 have significantly better noise isolation than the 1More Triple Driver. In fact, they are some of the best in-ear headphones when it comes to reducing background noise. Their noise isolation is excellent and even better than some headphones with active noise cancellation technology. They are good at reducing low-frequency noises and are great at blocking out ambient chatter and high-frequency noises.

Their sound leakage is also lower and is practically a non-issue even when listening to music at high volume. This allows you to listen to music and videos at high volume without disturbing people around you, which is especially beneficial in certain situations – like during flights and in a quiet office.

Although the 1More Triple Driver also have low sound leakage, their noise isolation performance is only decent at best, with their shallower in-ear seal being the chief reason. They are still good at reducing background chatter and high-frequency noises – which is more than enough for many people for everyday use – but they are poor at blocking out low-frequency noises.

With their more effective in-ear seal and better noise isolation, the SE215 are the better earphones for listening to music in noisy places. They are more suitable for reducing ambient noise in the office and during flights and commutes. Furthermore, they are the better option if you want to block out noise while working out in a crowded gym. But they are not recommended for outdoor runs, where you need to be more aware of your surroundings for safety.

Mic

Like in the controls category in the design section, the 1More Triple Driver win by default in this category. Unlike the SE215, their audio cable includes a remote with a built-in mic and a multi-function button for call management. The built-in mic is quite good, with good recording quality and decent noise reduction capability. You can use the earphones for non-business calls even in moderately noisy places, but they are not suitable for phone calls in very loud environments.

Battery

Both earphones are completely passive wired headphones and lack any kind of active features that require an internal battery for operation. You can use them as much as you want without worrying about running out of battery at an inconvenient time – like during a very long flight.

Connectivity

Similar to most other wired headphones, both the SE215 and the 1More Triple Driver include an analog audio cable that ends with a 1/8 in (3.5 mm) plug. This allows for easy compatibility with many devices, including smartphones, laptops, and portable music players. Since they are wired earphones, both are free from latency issues, which is beneficial when watching video content on the internet and gaming.

The SE215 are more versatile, though, mainly because of their detachable audio cable, which opens up different connection possibilities. You can easily replace the default audio cable with a different one – like a Lightning cable, a USB-C cable, or an analog cable with an in-line remote. You can also convert the earphones into fully functional wireless earphones with the Shure Bluetooth module.

As mentioned, the 1More Triple Driver have a non-detachable audio cable, making it harder to replace if it gets damaged or if you simply want to switch to a different cable. You do have the option to buy a variant that includes a Lightning cable with an in-line remote for iOS devices, but it’ll cost you more.

Wrap-up