Play as Yuma Ilvern and stop the Empire from exploiting the power of the ancient dragons, including the soul of the Shining Dragon within you. With the help of your friends, realize your destiny, save Astoria, and unleash the strength you’ve always had locked away.
In the original game, previously released only in Japan, Imperial Princess Excella was an unplayable character, but in the new “Refrain Mode” in Shining Resonance Refrain, both she and Dragonslayer Jinas can be added as party members for a new experience – just be sure to save this for your second playthrough to avoid any spoilers! As an added bonus, all of the extra cosmetic items and side quests are included in this remaster.
Dragons were long thought to be extinct, and because Yuma holds the ability to transform into the Shining Dragon, he was taken as a captive of the Empire. With the help of the Dragoneers, Sonia, princess of Astoria, pleads with Yuma to aid them in their fight to save their land from the Empire’s dominion. Typically timid, will Yuma find the courage to realize the strength he has within him?
It's review time again, and I knew this product was coming... but I didn't know how fast. I don't check the mail daily, but Ms. Daisy gave me the heads up about another package. So I went and saw this package just waiting to be opened. So I made my way to the office to dive in... ASAP!
One thing I really enjoy about the 1More Headphones reviewed thus far is the boxes. I've had the honor of reviewing all sorts of products... but 1More goes the extra mile to showcase the concept art of the final model inside the box. I think they do that to show you where it started alongside the finished product... and I really like that. Not to mention how nice and sturdy the packaging is. Outside of the outer packaging, you have the inner box (that reminds me of a book) with a magnetic gold plated clasp.
In this beautiful-looking box, you get...
The in-ear headphones (clearly) have a nice quality feel to them.
Shirt clip... which is a plus that should accompany every pair of in-ear headphones if they don't go around the back of the neck because the weight and tug of the cord will cause them to slowly come out of your ears (and that usually happens when you don't have a free hand to put them back in). This steel clip is clean and even if you're wearing a button-up or a polo... it fits in.
A plane adapter... so you can continue enjoying your headphones versus the el cheapo ones on the plane (which are okay compared to nothing, but I'd prefer better if I have access to better).
A gold-plated 1/4" adapter
Leather case with a strong magnetic clasp inside the flap to keep your headphones and other enclosed items nice and safe (no pleather here). I'd advise taking this case with you if you don't plan on keeping these headphones on your shirt while en route to wherever... because it would suck to lose them or have something unnecessary happen.
Last but definitely not least... are the variety of Ear Tip sizes.
Before giving my thoughts regarding the quality... I just wanted to let you know (if you didn't know already), I'm sooooo NOT a huge fan of earbuds & in-ear headphones. I've dodged reviewing all sorts of audio products because of this, but whether or not I like something is beside the point because these reviews are for... you (so I'm trying)! One of the biggest reasons is the fact that my ears are super sensitive, and I need something that feels good to my ears if they're going to touch or go in my ears. I was chatting with someone who felt that my reviews would be even better... because of that fact. I'm no stranger to in-ear headphones or earbuds, but it's always been something of a frustrating experience for me. So how do the 1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones measure up? Well... keep reading.
I'm glad these are our very first in-ear headphones to review because... they're pretty nice, and I like to focus on the positive. If I have to lay into something out of frustration (with valid points in place), I'll let er' rip, but luckily that's not the case here.
I have other headphones (laying around here somewhere) which I put to use during the times I want to doze off to ASMR, but I appreciate it when companies go the extra mile of providing different size ear tips (love it... love it... love it). I'd usually get the cheaper ones based on my experience, but if you want to get in-ear headphones and make use of them often... grab a pair like the 1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones with the swappable size ear tips because that made the difference for me. I never said all of them suck, but I was never willing to take the risk of ending up with a sucky pair (yep... I said "sucky"). That said... with the right ear tip size, the quality can be appreciated even more because they're positioned where they need to be.
So... before even listening to the headphones, I tested out sizes to find out which was the best fit for me. They range from 10mm to 14.5mm ear tips, which include foam tip options that range from 11 to 14.5mm. I ended up with the 10mm ones, and they're the most comfortable in-ear tips I've ever used because I've never had a pair with different size options... so best believe me when I say that... size matters (get your head out of the gutter, we're talking earpieces people!).
These headphones seem to have a lot going for them:
3 balanced armatures
Diamond-like carbon dynamic driver
Streamlined anodized finished sound chamber
Expertly tuned by a Grammy Winning sound engineer
If that isn't enough... these are the world's first THX Certified headphones. If you aren't familiar with THX, it's a little company founded by... George Lucas (y'know... Star Wars?).
Fun fact: THX certification is given when the audio equipment (whether it be cinemas, home theatre, or in my case... headphones) plays back sound that matches the quality in the actual mixing studio. Our very own "SDGT Theme" music (heard in the video) revealed slight squeaks from the instruments that the recorder picked up when heard through these headphones. I'm sure it wasn't The Flying Carpet Merchant's intent, but I think its pretty cool and reveals the rawness of the session's end results.
That said, the bigger question is... "How do they sound?", and I'm happy to report that these headphones deliver crisp clear (badass) sound. I noticed if I'm listening to a quiet storm playlist and I happen to turn up the volume, it's nothing that makes me want to snatch the headphones out of my ears... the increased volume merely increased the oomph (depth... that is). If the audio recording's crap, that's different, but... I noticed how the increased volume differed from other headphones. The ASMR sounds excellent with this, which lets me hear everything down to the faint whispers, light breathing, etc. while receiving something like a virtual haircut or suit fitting.
On the flip side, when I sought to really test the sound quality via a film... the headphones also delivered. Of course, I had to watch one of the latest Star Wars films (consider this the... Duh of the Day), the bass was rich, all the various explosions felt right, you could hear the pulse of the lightsabers a lot clearer... so yeah, pretty badass. I can't forget about the games. I played Just Cause 3 while wearing these headphones... and they're equally impressive. The explosions can be felt via the bass, maybe not as much as the 1More Spearhead VR headphones (from the previous review) which have a super bass VR shockwave... but they don't need it.
I appreciate the fact that 1More went the extra mile to get THX-Certified because it's not a requirement to make an awesome pair of headphones. At the same time... that says something when you're looking to get your hands (or should I say ears?) on a quality pair of headphones and you want to ensure that they give your media library... justice. Not only that, go back to the fact that the freaking headphones were tuned by a Grammy Winning sound engineer (which I'm sure is one of the reasons they were able to obtain the certification). They had someone there who knew what they were doing. So shout out to Luca Bignardi.
The design of the headphones is clean with a pop of color, nothing flashy and cheesy, which gets a thumbs up from me. I'd even go for an alternate pop of color, like a gold plating instead of the red and it still wouldn't be flashy because it's just that subtle. The headphones feel durable... but like all headphones with wires that don't detach, they leave me feeling paranoid when it comes to snags. I feel safer with in-ear headphones and earbuds compared to over-ears and so forth when it comes to snags. If the cord doesn't detach and over-ear headphones are around your neck, they might end up being a permanent detach... so that's one thing I give to in-ear headphones and earbuds. The controls look nice... although I'd prefer to have some icons engraved in them or on the side, it's still a clean look (just looks sort of naked).
I've used the 1More Quad Driver In-Ear Headphones throughout the day, and even overnight for about 5 days straight. My tolerance level is still high, they haven't annoyed me and I've enjoyed the clear sound. My ears aren't hurting and with the right size ear tips attached, I almost forget they're in my ears. That's something I've never experienced before, and I can say that I prefer the feel more so than over-ear because they're lighter.
The only con I will give is one thing that I give all in-ear headphones, and that's the need to periodically push them back into the ear fully. It's not as constant as other in-ears I've experienced, but I just think it comes with the territory of having in-ears. I shrug my shoulders because I've been able to watch movies and shows in full before the need to adjust (which doesn't include a lot of movement). Speaking of movement, with the shirt clip on... I don't have any tugs when I look around.
The price of these headphones will run you $199USD, which after using them... yeah, I can see why. I don't even have another price as far as the sweet spot is concerned, it's where it should be.
Overall, these 1More Quad Driver In-Ear headphones are THX Certified and after my experience during this review... I'm happy to say that I've come across a pair of in-ears that are worth the money. Not just because they're comfy in-ear headphones, but the quality is there, not just with music, movies, and games... that includes phone calls (so thumbs up to the team).
