The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds are making waves with their blend of top-tier features and an affordable price tag. Dive into our review to see if they live up to their flagship ambitions.
If you're in search of budget-friendly true wireless earbuds that don't compromise on quality, the TOZO Golden X1 priced at $149 might catch your attention. These sleek earbuds offer premium features typically found in higher-priced models, making them a compelling choice for those who value both performance and savings.
Designed for tech enthusiasts and audiophiles alike, the TOZO Golden X1 earbuds combine a stylish appearance with impressive sound reproduction. But how do they fare compared to competitors in the wireless earbud market? In this comprehensive review, we'll analyze the TOZO Golden X1's specifications, performance, and overall value to help you decide if they're the ideal fit for your audio preferences. Let's delve into whether these earbuds live up to the excitement surrounding them.
TOZO Golden X1 Review: Build Quality
When it comes to construction, the TOZO Golden X1 earbuds are crafted from durable hard plastic, lending a robust feel to both the earbuds and the charging case. The inclusion of gold trim accents enhances their premium appearance. These earpieces are compact and streamlined, designed to fit snugly in most ears. I found the fit to be akin to that of my AirPods Pro, offering a blend of security and comfort.
The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds feature a spacious touch-sensitive area on each earpiece, and the control layout is mostly intuitive. However, I encountered an issue with the triple-press/hold function used to activate ANC and Transparency mode. Sometimes, the earbuds mistakenly interpreted my input as a long press intended for volume adjustment, which was frustrating. I found it more convenient to activate ANC through the companion app.
The charging case is equipped with a digital LED smart display inside the lid, providing real-time battery status for the headphones. It supports both wireless and USB Type-C wired charging, offering versatile charging options. Additionally, the case features a large blinking light on the front that indicates the charging status of the case itself, adding a nice touch of functionality.
TOZO Golden X1 Review: Features
The TOZO Golden X1 Wireless Earbuds employ a hybrid driver setup, blending customized Balanced Armature and 12mm Dynamic Drivers within each earbud housing. This configuration aims to deliver clear treble and deep bass, enhancing the overall music listening experience.
The Dynamic Driver, featuring a Carbon Nanotube diaphragm, is engineered to reproduce bass frequencies down to 12Hz, surpassing the 20Hz threshold of human hearing. On the other hand, the Knowles-branded Balanced Armature Driver is designed to handle frequencies up to 44.1KHz, exceeding the human auditory range.
Moreover, the TOZO Golden X1 is equipped with active noise cancellation (ANC) featuring six different noise-cancellation modes that adjust the intensity of ANC. One mode includes a transparency function, allowing external sounds to pass through so you can remain aware of your surroundings without removing the earbuds. There is also a "normal" mode where all ANC functions are deactivated.
The TOZO Golden X1 Wireless Earbuds are equipped with six built-in microphones that support the active noise-canceling function, boasting a reduction of ambient noise by up to 35 dB. This feature performs admirably in various settings, from home offices to commutes, effectively blocking out high-pitched environmental sounds like climate control systems and low-pitched noises such as voices. The ANC performance rivals that of leading brands like Bose, Sony, and Apple.
Utilizing Bluetooth 5.3 technology, the TOZO Golden X1 offers seamless pairing and stable transmission, ensuring uninterrupted audio playback. The earbuds support standard Bluetooth codecs like SBC and AAC for Apple devices, as well as LDAC for "Hi-Res Wireless" compatible devices, delivering data speeds of up to 990 kbit/s.
The free TOZO APP enhances the user experience by providing access to a range of features, including 16 preset EQ options, customization of touch controls, firmware updates, and access to all six ANC modes. This is particularly valuable as only three ANC modes can be accessed directly from the earbuds.
The TOZO Golden X1 Wireless Earbuds also include an innovative feature called "earprint" within the app. This feature conducts a brief automated hearing test to personalize the EQ settings based on your hearing ability. The app plays tones at various frequencies and volumes, prompting you to indicate if you can hear them by pressing a button.
Based on your responses, the app adjusts the EQ to compensate for any hearing deficiencies, enhancing the audio experience. During my trial, I noticed a subtle emphasis on the sub-bass region, which enhanced certain types of music. However, I ultimately opted for one of the preset EQs, which I found more suitable for my preferences.
Regarding battery life, these earbuds boast an impressive 8-hour playback time per charge. However, this duration decreases to about 4-5 hours when using the high data rate LDAC codec alongside ANC. The charging case can recharge the earphones approximately three times before needing its own recharge.
Despite their extensive feature set, one notable absence is the lack of automatic start/stop playback when removing or reinserting the buds. This feature is commonly found in premium earphones, making its omission surprising.
It would be convenient if the TOZO Golden X1 app allowed for adjusting the Bluetooth Codec, especially the LDAC bitrate. Currently, enabling LDAC through the Android Bluetooth menu defaults to the LDAC Best Effort setting, which dynamically adjusts between 330/660/990 kbps based on the connection quality between the phone and the earbuds.
To access the 990 kbps Optimized for Music setting, users must navigate to the Android Developer Options, which can be a bit cumbersome. Unfortunately, this seems to be the standard approach for many wireless earbuds with LDAC, which is a bit disappointing.
Moving on to the sound quality, the TOZO Golden X1 delivers on its promise of clean treble and deep bass. The soundstage feels expansive and immersive, especially when using the 990 kbps LDAC setting, which I found particularly enjoyable. However, with LDAC disabled and AAC activated, there was a noticeable decrease in transparency and depth, resulting in a more average sound experience.
Even when connected via LDAC, there's a V-shaped tonal balance that adds excitement to the sound. The mid-bass to sub-bass range receives a noticeable lift, complemented by emphasis in the upper mids/lower treble. This upper-end boost contributes to the overall openness of the sound and adds a touch of crispness to the audio output.
