1MORE Penta Driver P50 Wired In-Ear Earphones Review

Overview

The 1MORE Penta Driver P50 are wired in-ear earphones with a genuinely unusual pedigree: five drivers in each shell — a single diamond-like carbon (DLC) dynamic driver handling the lows, plus four planar magnetic units covering mids and highs — tuned by Grammy-winning sound engineer Luca Bignardi. Released in late 2023 at a $169.99 MSRP and now street-priced around $120–$140, they sit at the top of 1MORE's wired lineup as the company's flagship IEM, and they make an unusual but compelling case for gamers: zero wireless latency, studio-grade detail, and a detachable cable with a built-in microphone that works with PC, console controllers, and phones alike.

The pitch is aimed at two overlapping audiences: audiophiles who want planar-level clarity without the $500+ price tag, and gamers who have noticed that the competitive crowd increasingly reaches for wired IEMs instead of bulky gaming headsets — the same way esports pros moved from giant over-ears to featherweight in-ears years ago. The P50 isn't marketed as a "gaming headset" — it's an audiophile IEM that happens to be excellent at gaming, the same niche occupied by Sennheiser's IE 300 and the budget 1MORE Triple Driver line it replaces.

This review synthesizes press coverage from TechRadar, Headphonesty, and Headfonics, lab measurements from Audio Science Review, and owner feedback across Amazon and Reddit. The short version: the P50 delivers sound that punches far above its price, with real caveats around the stock cable, the fit lottery, and a tuning that divides opinion.

Build Quality and Design

The P50 marks a clean break from 1MORE's older straight-down Triple and Quad Driver designs. Each shell is a compact matte-black plastic body with a transparent resin faceplate showing a starry-sky shimmer pattern and the 1MORE logo, plus a small gold vent near the nozzle. The aesthetic is understated — reviewers consistently describe it as looking at home in a professional studio setup — and the matte finish resists fingerprints well.

The defining design choice is the over-ear cable routing with 45-degree angled nozzles and pre-formed ear hooks. This is what separates the P50 from most budget IEMs: instead of the cable hanging straight down (which pulls the buds out of your ears), the cable hooks over your ears and stays put. TechRadar called the over-ear design "a little fiddly at first, but comfy and convenient after a few uses," and owner reviews echo that — once you've worn them a couple of times, the fit becomes second nature.

Each bud weighs about 3.5–4 grams, which is remarkably light for a five-driver IEM. Headphonesty's reviewer reported wearing them for hours without fatigue, and the weight essentially disappears after a few minutes. The shells sit flush against the outer ear with nothing pressing on the ear lobe — a detail Headfonics specifically praised.

Where the design starts to stumble is the stock cable. The gold-plated MMCX connectors and oxygen-free copper (OFC) conductors are genuinely good, but the outer wrap is thin, springy, and tangle-prone. Headphonesty called it "cheap and flimsy feeling," and Headfonics noted the cable tangles every time it comes out of the pouch, and contributes to the earpieces rotating out of position during on-the-go use. The MMCX connectors themselves have a loose rotational tension — combined with over-ear routing, the buds can slowly rotate in your ear and break the seal, which is the single most common comfort complaint across professional reviews. The good news: the cable is fully detachable, so an aftermarket MMCX cable is a $20–40 fix, and most reviewers recommend budgeting for one.

The accessories are generous: five silicone tips (XS–XL), three foam tips, a 3.5mm-to-USB-C dongle that passes through the mic and controls, and a soft pouch. The pouch is a downgrade from the hard cases on older 1MORE models, and Amazon owners have flagged it as flimsy — several say a hard case would have been worth the extra cost.

Key Features

• Five drivers per bud: One DLC dynamic driver for lows, four planar units for mids/highs — an unusual hybrid configuration that gives the P50 genuine technical headroom. For context, the Sennheiser IE 300 at a similar price makes do with a single dynamic driver.
• Grammy-winning tuning: The frequency response was designed by Luca Bignardi, a Grammy Award-winning recording engineer. His philosophy leans toward emotional, engaging sound rather than clinical flatness.
• Detachable MMCX cable with inline mic: Gold-plated MMCX connectors let you swap cables freely, and the stock cable includes a three-button inline remote with a MEMS microphone — a rarity in the enthusiast IEM space, and essential for gaming chat.
• USB-C dongle included: The 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapter passes through both the microphone and the volume controls, so the P50 works with USB-C-only phones and laptops without losing mic function.
• Hi-Res Audio certified with a 20Hz–40kHz frequency range.
• 32Ω impedance at 105dB sensitivity: Easy to drive from anything — a phone dongle, a controller's 3.5mm jack, or a laptop — no amplifier required.
• 28dB passive noise isolation from the seal, with 45-degree angled nozzles and pre-formed ear hooks for a secure fit.

Performance

Sound Quality

The P50's sound signature is V-shaped — boosted bass and treble with a warm lower midrange — and it's tuned for engagement rather than neutrality. Bass performance is the standout: deep, controlled, and textured, with real authority on electronic tracks and game soundtracks. Headphonesty described the low end as hitting "with pinpoint precision and authority," and ASR's measurements confirmed strong bass response once a proper seal is achieved.

The mids are where the tuning gets interesting. Male vocals get a resonant, authoritative presence from the warm low-end, and female vocals are rendered with rich emotion and layering. Acoustic instruments sit slightly recessed, but remain clear. The treble is sparkly and exciting — perhaps too much so for some ears. Headphonesty flagged "occasional sibilance in treble frequencies," and Headfonics noted cymbals can mesh together in complex arrangements. ASR's lab measurements found an over-boosted lower treble and under-boosted upper treble, a tuning Amir described as "truly odd" — though he also found the IEM responded exceptionally well to EQ, sounding "very nice, with high resolution, clean and open" once corrected.

The practical takeaway for gaming: footstep and gunshot cues sit in the boosted treble range, so the P50 is actually well-suited to competitive shooters out of the box — the tuning that audiophiles find quirky is the same tuning that makes in-game audio pop. Imaging is competent but not class-leading: instrument separation is good, but Headfonics noted the soundstage is modest rather than enveloping.

Gaming Use

Wired IEMs have one unassailable advantage for gaming: zero wireless latency. No dongle, no Bluetooth codec delay, no battery anxiety mid-match — just a cable. The P50 plugs straight into a PS5 or Xbox controller's 3.5mm jack, a PC, the Switch, or a Steam Deck, and the inline mic handles party chat. The 28dB isolation blocks out room noise — fans, family, lawnmowers — without any ANC electronics.

The mic quality is the weak spot. It's a MEMS microphone with no noise cancellation, which reviewers describe as fine for calls and casual chat but not great in loud environments — the same caveat that applies to most inline-mic IEMs. If you need broadcast-grade voice, a separate mic or a boom-mic cable for the MMCX connector is the fix.

The main gaming-relevant caveat is the cable itself: the springy stock cable catches on desk edges and chair arms, and the rotating MMCX connectors can break the seal mid-match. Both issues disappear with an aftermarket braided MMCX cable, which feels like a required accessory rather than an optional upgrade.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Exceptional detail retrieval for the price — five-driver hybrid delivers planar-style clarity that punches well above $120
• Zero-latency wired connection ideal for competitive play, with broad compatibility (PC, consoles, Switch, Steam Deck, mobile)
• Featherlight 3.5g shells with a secure over-ear fit that stays put during long sessions
• Detachable MMCX cable with inline mic and controls — upgradeable and repairable
• Includes USB-C dongle with mic pass-through, plus five silicone and three foam tips
• 32Ω/105dB sensitivity means no amplifier needed — works from anything

Cons:

• Stock cable is thin, springy, and tangle-prone; the MMCX joints rotate easily and can break the ear seal
• Tuning is divisive: boosted treble can be sibilant on some tracks, and ASR's measurements show an unusual frequency response that benefits from EQ
• Fit is a lottery — a recurring number of owners report the included tips are too small to achieve a proper seal
• Inline MEMS mic has no noise cancellation; party chat quality suffers in loud rooms
• Soft pouch instead of a hard case, and no dedicated app or software

Who Should Buy This

The 1MORE P50 is for the gamer who prioritizes audio fidelity and zero-latency performance over convenience. If you play competitive shooters where a footstep cue can decide a round, if you're tired of Bluetooth audio delay in wireless earbuds, or if you want one pair of earbuds that does double duty as a music rig and a gaming rig, the P50 is a compelling buy — especially against $150+ "gaming" earbuds with far less capable drivers.

Skip it if you need true wireless freedom, active noise cancellation, or a boom-mic-grade microphone. And if your ears run large, budget for aftermarket tips — the fit complaints are real enough that 1MORE's own site reviews and Amazon both feature multiple owners who couldn't find a seal with the included tips.

Alternatives to Consider

• 1MORE Triple Driver ($35–50): The P50's predecessor remains a phenomenal budget IEM with similar tuning DNA at a third of the price — the value pick if you don't need the planar treble detail.
• Sennheiser IE 300 (~$150–200): TechRadar's top pick for wired earbuds; a single dynamic driver with a warmer, more forgiving tuning and a premium build — better for music purists, pricier.
• SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds ($159.99): If you must go wireless, the GameBuds offer 2.4GHz low latency, ANC, and game-specific EQ presets — the strongest TWS gaming earbud, though with documented reliability quirks and none of the P50's raw driver capability.

Verdict

The 1MORE Penta Driver P50 is an audiophile IEM that happens to be a great wired gaming earbud — not a gaming product that happens to sound okay. The five-driver hybrid delivers detail and dynamics that embarrass products twice the price, and the zero-latency wired connection plus inline mic makes it a legitimate competitive-gaming choice across every platform. But it's not for everyone: the stock cable feels like an afterthought and nearly demands replacement, the fit is a genuine lottery for larger ears, and the treble-forward tuning splits opinion hard — ASR's measurements found it "odd" while TechRadar and Headphonesty both rate it strongly. If you're willing to budget $20 for a better cable and some aftermarket tips, the P50 is outstanding value at its current $120–140 street price. If you want plug-and-play wireless convenience, look elsewhere.

Score: 7.5/10 — superb sound and zero-latency gaming chops for the price, held back by a weak stock cable, fit variability, and divisive tuning.