OneMelon Waterfall review: High quality at an attractive price
The OneMelon Waterfall are wired earbuds with 4 drivers: 2 balanced armatures and 2 dynamic drivers. Excellent specs, but how good do they actually sound? We find out in this review.
In this article
Pros and cons
Here are the pros and cons of the OneMelon Waterfall.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✔️Very good sound ✔️Sturdy build ✔️High-quality IEM at a good price |
❌Slightly heavier (metal) |
OneMelon Waterfall specifications
- Price: ~80
- Cable: 3.5mm audio jack
- Connectors: 3.5mm
- Bluetooth: no
- Cable: 3.5 audio jack
- 4 drivers
- 2 dynamic drivers
- 2 balanced armatures
- Material: metal
- Microphone: yes (inline)
- Sensitivity: 108dB
- Freq. response: 7Hz-40000Hz
- CE certification: Yes
- Manual: NL & EN
OneMelon Waterfall sound
The first thing you notice about the OneMelon is that all frequencies come through clearly. More so than with big-brand earbuds around €100.
Let's start with the lows and highs. I'll get to the mids afterward.
The low end (the bass) is just how I like it. Plenty of bass and no subwoofer-like thumping in your ears. The highs and lows are balanced. And the bass works well with the percussion and hi-hat (high frequencies). Nothing grates on me. Even after long listening sessions, I'm still comfortable with these earbuds.
Earbuds in this price range often have a clearly V-shaped frequency response. The lows and highs are prominent, but the mids take a back seat. That's not the case with the OneMelon Waterfall.
The mids come through clearly. And as we often point out, those frequencies are the foundation of sound quality.
Compare them with earbuds costing €100 or more, and these OneMelon earbuds still hold their own, or even come out ahead. In sound and build quality alike. More on that later.
Sound quality score: 9
In short: the OneMelon Waterfall comfortably live up to expectations.
The sound is very good. These aren't earbuds with woofers or excessive bass. Instead, you get beautifully balanced sound that brings out the best in your favorite music. Given the price, these earbuds really surprised us.
Microphone: are the OneMelon Waterfall good for calls?
The microphone on the OneMelon Waterfall is very good. Compare it with all (yes, all) wireless earbuds, and the OneMelon outperforms every one of them.
But is that a fair comparison? No. Wired earbuds don't have to encode your signal using complicated codecs before sending your recorded voice. Wireless earbuds do.
The OneMelon picks up your voice and sends it straight to your device through the cable. And here's the result from the OneMelon Waterfall:
That's quite something. Clear, good sound. And a good volume level too, which isn't always a given.
I made this recording using my phone's USB-C port. I used a short adapter cable, and there's no audible interference or loss of quality. So that works well.
Microphone score: 9
The earbuds also pick up the lower frequencies in your voice nicely. Those are usually the first to disappear with cheaper earbuds and microphones. Here, they come through just fine.
The microphone is on the cable, by the way. That puts it a little closer to your mouth.
So these earbuds work well for phone calls, or for plugging into your laptop for video meetings.
Fit: how do the OneMelon Waterfall feel?
Wired earbuds can fall out of your ears. The entire weight of the cable hangs from the earbud. In effect, the cable tugs on it slightly, which doesn't help the fit.
But before I get sidetracked: the OneMelon Waterfall cable runs behind your ear. And that really is a clever idea. It keeps the earbud perfectly in place.
Have long hair or wear glasses? I don't expect either to be a problem, though I haven't tested it. Your glasses can easily sit over the cable behind your ear. If you have long hair, you'll probably need to lift it out of the way before putting the earbuds in.
Fit score: 8
The earbud itself is metal. That feels premium and solid. Metal is heavier than plastic, but it doesn't bother me. I find these OneMelons more comfortable than earbuds that go straight into your ears. Much more comfortable, in fact.
The ear tips are white and fit well. I use the Medium size, but you get 3 different sizes in the box. You can also snap foam ear tips onto the earbuds, which is what I did after a few hours. I found those more comfortable. Don't push the foam ear tips on too far, though. Press them on gently until you hear a 'click'. Don't push any further after that. Otherwise, the little speaker sits too close to your ear canal. I didn't find that comfortable.
Earbud controls
Wired earbuds never have a huge range of controls. You control the OneMelon Waterfall with just 1 button. Sounds simple, but does that limit what you can do? Not really.
Press 1 time to play or pause. When a call comes in, press once to answer it, provided the earbuds are connected to your phone. You can hang up too. Just press 1 time again. Pretty intuitive so far.
The OneMelon Waterfall manual has a page dedicated to the controls. Here's a picture:
Next song? You can do that too. Press the button 3 times. Press 2 times to go to the previous track.
Is it ideal? Well... let's say not quite. There's room for improvement. I still prefer earbuds with separate buttons for volume control or skipping tracks.
On the other hand, 9 times out of 10, not all the buttons work when you connect earbuds to a laptop. And I mostly use my wired earbuds with my laptop.
Controls: 7
In short: the controls are fine, but separate volume or next/previous track buttons would be better. Still, I notice I'm almost pleased to finally find something negative to say about these OneMelon earbuds. That probably tells you how positive we are about them.
Metal build: strong and durable
The earbuds have a metal build. You don't see that often. Usually, it's the same flimsy plastic. Not here. The material is strong and solid, giving the earbuds a thoroughly premium feel.
To be honest, I'm really clumsy with earbuds. No idea why I still do all the earbud reviews for Eardopes, because I drop them all the time. Maybe you can relate: they're such tiny things. Small, but never cheap.
That's why I never understand why manufacturers don't make really tough earbuds. Out of metal. Well, sometimes they do: these OneMelons are a case in point.
And I've already dropped them a few times. Yes, these earbuds too. But they can take a knock.
If you have laminate flooring, I think the floor might give way before the earbuds do. They're literally metal earbuds, which you don't see often. The booklet has a rather poetic introduction about a strong, lasting friendship. And that feels about right. I can't see these earbuds breaking anytime soon.
Conclusion: are the OneMelon Waterfall good?
Here's the verdict from our OneMelon Waterfall test:
| Score | |
| Sound | 9 |
| Microphone | 9 |
| Fit | 8 |
| Controls | 7 |
For me, these are the best wired earbuds under €100 I've ever worn. As long as you like beautifully balanced sound.
Love subwoofers and excessive bass? Choose different earbuds. Are you an audiophile who wants to pick out every instrument in your favorite recording? Go for the OneMelon Waterfall. I think the metal build is a fantastic choice.
Alternatives
Which earbuds would you like us to compare these with? Let us know, and we'll get to work.
Others also viewed:
- Browse all our wireless earbud blog posts
- These are the best earbuds under €50
- These are the earbuds with the best microphone
- Also check out the best earbuds for running
- Also check out our hands-on with the Eardopes B6 pro.
