The world of wireless headphones is experiencing a boom that no one is talking about. Until recently, we rejoiced and praised headphones that work for 20, well, a maximum of 35 hours on a single charge.
Technical progress and the emergence of Bluetooth version 5.3, these results are far behind, and the new Commo One from Yandex Market is a memorable example.
These full-size “ears” work for 95 hours on a single charge, which in itself is worthy of respect. For many, this will be enough for a whole week of regular autonomous use, or even two. And this is at a price of 4,100 rubles, which is practically for pennies.
But what about the sound and functionality? Are there any additional useful features? I’ve been using it for several weeks and am ready to tell you about it. There are advantages, but also disadvantages. And they have a serious competitor.
Short description
Packaging and equipment
Design and management of complexes
Technical characteristics and battery life
Sound quality
Microphone quality
What’s the result?
Packaging and equipment
Models available in black, white, gray and blue. At the time of writing this review, only the first three black ones I tested were available for order.
The packaging is simple, compact and, as usual for Commo, unashamed. The kit includes the headphones themselves, a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging, an AUX audio cable and instructions.
The USB-C cable is short, which is commonplace. But the AUX is thick, one and a half meters, angular and even with solution management key. I didn’t expect this from budget headphones, to be honest.
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Design and management of complexes
If Commo can be characterized in one word, it is asceticism. The design is based on Commo’s signature minimalism, with a shape similar to something between the super popular Sony and JBL models.
The headphone body is made of soft plastic. It can be easily scratched or stained, so keep that in mind. The height of the headphones is adjusted mechanically, without fixation. To do this, you need to turn on a little force; there is no backlash.
The speakers are covered with acoustic fabric on which the side of the speaker is printed. The ear pads are very soft, covered with leatherette, as is the headband. The headphones do not put pressure on your head at all and are very comfortable to wear. There is enough depth that the ears did not “scratch” the fabric inside, which is commendable.
There is an LED, but only one, dim and monochromatic. It is used to indicate charging or connection progress. Doesn’t light up or flash when you listen to headphones, and that’s right.
The sunroof adjustment key and pause are shown and located on the right earpiece. It’s easy to find them, it’s impossible to confuse them.
Double-clicking the key brings up the assistant’s voice. Yandex, you don’t need to do this on wireless headphones, it’s unintuitive in relation to how it works on most models from other manufacturers. And some of the people who want the next track are disproportionately larger than those who desperately and often need to talk to Siri or Google Assistant.
The next track can be called up by holding down the power button for 2 seconds. Putting your hand there, looking for a rocker and holding your finger for so long is very inconvenient, especially while walking.
Apart from the controls, there is nothing to criticize here – the design is solid and ergonomic, the appearance is beautiful and does not in any way make the model budget-friendly. I saw in the reviews that some had a creaking body, but I didn’t notice this at all with my model.
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Technical characteristics and battery life
The Commo One has 40mm speakers with an impedance of 32 ohms. Wireless connection – Bluetooth 5.3 standard. The only codecs are SBC and AAC, but for this price category you don’t need more.
The 650 mAh battery gives up to 95 hours autonomous work. Just a small number and one of the key models. It is very difficult to see this in reality. Over 3 weeks of daily use for several hours, I charged the Commo One twice. The first one was as soon as I got it. The second – after 3 weeks, with a 20% charge.
The headphones were charged from 20% to 100% in an hour and a half.
Such autonomous vehicles are enough for any turn back and forth, taking into account transport and on-site use. Or you can go out with tents for the weekend and come back without ever touching the USB-C cable to the port. I look at these numbers, then at the AirPods Max with 12-15 hours of work, and I don’t understand what’s going on in Cupertino.
On the downside, the Commo One doesn’t have active noise cancellation or a transparency mode. This is also why they work for so long. So it’s not a matter of some kind of magic or miracles of engineering.
There is also no multipoint, which means the headphones can only be connected to one device at a time.
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Sound quality
Let’s state the obvious right away. This is not a competitor to the top-end Sony, much less the AirPods Max, and especially the second-generation AirPods Pro. There is nothing else unexpected for 4100 rubles.
But Commo One makes up for these 4,100 rubles with a reserve. The middle periods are not bad, the high periods are rather weak. But there is a lot of bass. For my taste, it’s even a little too much, it’s like sitting in a barrel. You can get used to this sound quickly, but it cannot be called balanced. Sound reserve Very big if that’s important to you.
It’s nice to listen to a lot of things in Commo One, but not everything. If your favorite tracks have a lot of bass, or if it is deliberately turned up in them, then the sound completely fades into a dull hammering on the ears. Otherwise, and considering the price, I’m satisfied.
Haylou S35, another top-end headphones under 5,000 rubles
Since sound is a subjective consideration, I compared the Commo One with other headphones that are considered the best among budget ones. This is the Haylou S35, which I praised last year. They are still available in Russia for 3,900 rubles.
The Haylou S35 sound more balanced, although they have a little less bass. The fact that the S35 has ANC, a transparency mode and an application with an equalizer that records into its headphones does not make any difference to the Commo One. On the other hand, Commo One looks better, the fit is better, more comfortable and ergonomic. The design is more reliable, the battery life is one and a half times longer. And the AUX cable included is cool, and not a “snot” for three pennies.
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Microphone quality
Everything is fine in this part. The voice can be heard normally in wireless mode, the words are legible, the interlocutors do not complain. By the way, in wired mode you can speak into the microphone on the AUX cable. Yes, again I praise the AUX cable, but what can I do?
If we compare Commo One and Haylou S35 again, the model from Yandex Market definitely wins both in terms of voice transmission quality and in how immersive it is on the go and on the street. So this is a good option for calls and video conferences.
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What’s the result?
Commo One confidently ranks among the top five best budget wireless full-size headphones. Finding something nicer than them for up to 7 thousand rubles is almost impossible, especially in terms of characteristics. Excellent ergonomics and build quality to create a picture of a successful model from Yandex Market, which I am not ashamed to recommend to a good person.
An absolutely top-end AUX cable separately gets 5 points out of 5 possible, my respect. If you buy these “ears” just for him, I will understand.
However, Commo One themselves have turned the Haylou S35 down a bit: there is no app with equalizer, ANC or transparency mode, the sound is more boomy and too bassy in places. Well, I’ll tell you straight: between 60 hours and 90 hours of battery life, the owner has practically no practical difference. One thing and another – a lot.
At the moment of writing this review, you can buy Commo One for 4,100 rubles on Yandex Market. As a result, excellent affordable wireless headphones and the second success of Yandex Market in this field. I wonder if they will subsequently make such a model, but with ANC.
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📸 All photos in the article:
Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
