Testing SonoFlow SE HQ31: Noise Cancelling for Under $40

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 offers great battery life, clear calls, and decent ANC, but feels heavy with average sound quality.

Riya Singh March 22, 2025

0 80 4 minutes read

If you’re looking for budget headphones with solid features, 1more SonoFlow SE HQ31 is worth checking out.

After testing them, I found they offer excellent battery life and strong noise cancellation — all for under $60. Even the call quality is surprisingly good.

However, the music playback could be better, and the controls feel a bit awkward. Still, for the price, they’re a good value choice for everyday use.

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 Price and Where to Buy

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 costs $59 / £47 / AU$93 on the official website. It comes in black, blue, pink, and white.

It’s cheaper than models like the $79 EarFun Wave Pro and JLab JBuds Lux ANC, and much more affordable than premium headphones like the $429 Bose QuietComfort Ultra or $399 Sony WH-1000XM5.

1MoreSonoFlow SE HQ31 Design

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 headphones look basic, with bright color options being their only standout feature.

The build quality is decent, with hard plastic on the outside and soft leather on the earcups. They feel sturdy enough to survive drops. The headband extenders are long enough for people with bigger heads.

However, they are heavier than the SonoFlow Pro, and you feel that weight right away. Wearing them for more than an hour feels uncomfortable due to the tight fit, which puts pressure on the ears.

Sadly, there’s no carrying case or pouch included. There’s also no 3.5mm audio jack or cable, and the USB-C charging cable is too short.

1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31 Features

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 headphones come with some impressive features for the price.

You get a customizable EQ with presets, LDAC codec support for better sound, low-latency mode, and spatial audio — all great extras for budget headphones.

They also support Bluetooth multipoint, letting you connect to two devices at once and switch easily between your phone and laptop.

Bluetooth 5.3 works well, providing stable connectivity within 40 feet.

The biggest downside is the 1More app. It’s buggy, crashes often, and makes it hard to change settings. Worst of all, it shows company ads — though you can turn them off. The app also looks outdated and basic.

1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31 Controls

Controls on 1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 are a bit confusing.

The power button handles play/pause and voice assistant, which can be tricky to remember. The volume buttons are even more confusing — they’re programmed backward. Holding “+” plays the previous track, while holding “–” skips to the next.

On the plus side, the buttons are responsive and work well with single or long presses.

Voice assistant support is good — both Google Assistant and Siri respond quickly and accurately.

1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31 Sound Quality

The sound quality on 1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 is just okay — nothing special. The audio feels unbalanced, with too much bass and weak mids. Sometimes, there’s distortion when streaming music on your phone.

What helps is the extra sound features. The customizable EQ and 12 presets in the app let you tweak the sound. Some presets work well — like Bass Reducer for clearer mids and Voice Reducer for boosting vocals.

ANC mode adds more punch to the bass, and enabling LDAC improves clarity on Android devices. Songs sound cleaner with better details.

Low-latency mode works fine for gaming and videos, but you won’t hear a huge difference.

Surprisingly, the spatial audio is decent for budget headphones. It enhances vocals in music but sounds a bit fake with action movie effects like explosions.

1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31 Active Noise Cancellation

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 does a good job with noise cancellation, though it’s not as strong as Bose or Sony. Still, turning on ANC blocks about 80% of unwanted noise, which is enough for enjoying music or podcasts without distractions.

I tested them on my balcony and barely noticed nearby drilling or other low and mid-range noises. Wind noise was also handled well. However, loud sounds like my child shouting or water splashes could still be heard.

Transparency Mode works great. It lets in outside sounds clearly, so I could easily talk to my wife or hear things like the doorbell or fire alarm. It was especially helpful outside, keeping me aware of traffic and other noises during grocery runs.

1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31 Call Quality & Connectivity

The call quality on 1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 is really good. I made several calls in different places, and everyone said my voice was loud and clear.

Even with background noise like construction, barking dogs, or wind, no one complained. The headphones use a 2-mic noise-canceling system (ENC), which blocks out most of the outside noise during calls.

1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31 Battery Life

1More SonoFlow SE HQ31 offers amazing battery life. You get up to 90 hours of playtime on a full charge. Even with ANC on, it lasts 60 hours, which is much longer than many expensive headphones like the AirPods Max or Sony WH-1000XM5.

A quick 5-minute charge gives 5 hours of playtime, making it great for busy days.

Pros and Cons of 1More SONOFLOW SE HQ31

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
🔋 Excellent Battery Life (60–90 hours)	🎧 Heavy and Uncomfortable after long use
📞 Clear Call Quality	🎛️ Confusing Button Controls
🔇 Good Noise Cancellation	📱 Buggy Companion App
🎵 Extra Sound Features (EQ, LDAC, Spatial Audio)	🎶 Average Sound Quality
🎙️ Strong Mic Performance with Noise Reduction	🎒 No Carrying Case or Audio Cable