Perhaps many who read this review feel the same way I do. The brand or the brand name TOZO was not known to me until now or I had never heard of this manufacturer. TOZO was founded in June 2015 in Seattle (USA) with a clear goal. The manufacturer wants to develop premium products in the areas of consumer electronics, smartphone accessories and wearables and offer excellent service worldwide. Today, we check whether TOZO has achieved these self-imposed goals by testing the TOZO Golden X1 Earbuds, which, at the time of the review, are the manufacturer’s flagship in-ear headphone product. This is also noticeable in the price. With € 127.49 *, the TOZO Golden X1 already belong to the rather higher-priced in-ear headphones.
Technical data
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 |
| Features | Hybrid Dynamic driver & Balanced Armature driver, LDAC support, Environment & Active Noise Cancellation, LED display, Frequency range from 12Hz to 44.1KHz |
| Active Noise Cancelling | ANC up to 42 dB (6 different modes adjustable via app) |
| Codecs | LDAC, AAC, SBC |
| Driver | 12 mm (Dynamic driver) + Knowles Balanced Armature driver |
| Battery runtime | 8 h (+ 32 h recharge in charging case) |
| Charge ports | USB-C and Qi wireless |
| Fast charging | 20% after 10 min charging (approx. 2 |
| Water protection | IPX6 |
| Price | € 127.49 * |
Packaging & Scope of delivery
The TOZO Golden X1s come in a shrink-wrapped and overall very high quality looking cardboard box made of black cardboard. This is enclosed in a thin sleeve from the factory, on which pictures of the product, all important technical data and a list of the most relevant features can be found. The wrapped box is made of a very high-quality black cardboard and has a magnet for closure. To open the box, you have to open it like a book. On the inside, you can see more product images and a frequency chart.
On the right side of the box, TOZO positions the Golden X1 in two separate holders. Below that, we find the charging case, which has been encased in an additional protective film, as well as two boxes with the USB-C charging cable and the silicone attachments for the Earbuds. In total, the manufacturer includes six pairs of different sizes with the Golden X1. Furthermore, the accessories include a short but easy-to-understand user manual.
Design & workmanship
As the main color, the manufacturer has chosen a plain black with a smooth surface texture for both the charging case and the earbuds. Furthermore, the logo has been printed in the form of gold letters on the top of the case and the outside of the earbuds. This combination of black and gold gives the TOZO Golden X1 a simple elegance. Furthermore, the color chosen for the visible side of the ear studs is not black but gray. In addition, the gray color has a very fine speckling, which is probably to counteract unsightly fingerprints. The golden charging contacts fit perfectly into the overall look and keep the Earbuds in the case without any problems even when shaken strongly.
Particularly noticeable when opening the case are the digital charging indicator and the two battery icons on the Earbuds. This digital charging indicator always makes it possible to directly see how full the batteries of the case and in-ears still are, without having to pair the earbuds with a smartphone beforehand. This saves time and is very practical overall. An additional button inside also makes the charge level reappear if it is no longer visible.
Overall, the design looks very simple and the gold accents give the case as well as the earbuds a slightly noble look. The choice for the LEDs was also discreet. TOZO chose the colors white (charged) and red (battery level below 10%) for the charging indicator on and in the case as well as for the signal LEDs in the Earbuds.
The workmanship of the Golden X1 is impeccable in terms of the in-ears. We could not detect any paint or processing defects. In most cases, this also applies to the case. Unfortunately, a clacking noise was heard from the lid in our case and it could be moved very easily when closed. Moreover, the lid falls shut again even when touched lightly. A little more resistance would have been desirable here.
Carrying comfort
With the medium-sized silicone attachments, which were on the Golden X1 ex-factory, a firm press as well as a slight twist was enough and both Earbuds sat in the right position for me and stayed there. Even during long conversations, the earbuds did not loosen again. Thanks to the soft earpieces, the Golden X1 could be left in the ear for several hours without any discomfort or “overstimulation” of the pinna.
Since every ear is different, TOZO fortunately does not skimp on the silicone attachments and includes the Golden X1 a total of six pairs in different sizes. There should certainly be something suitable for every ear.
What did not work so well with the TOZO Golden X1 is the use in a lying position. Especially when the surface is a bit harder, the earbuds bore into the ear unpleasantly due to the weight of the head. For this use case, the Golden X1 are a bit too clunky or stand out too far from the ear cup.
Sound
A particularly important aspect of headphones is of course the sound quality. In this area, the TOZO Golden X1 could clearly convince. Out-the-box, the Golden X1 have a rich bass, which is generated by the dynamic drivers. This bass doesn’t seem exaggerated and fits very well into the overall picture. The Balanced Armature drivers from Knowles also ensure that the mids appear natural and clear. Overall, the TOZO Golden X1 offer a very good sound experience even without the app. However, with ANC enabled, the sound quality is even slightly better than without it.
For even more trained ears, the app offers 16 different equalizer settings for specific use cases. These include dance, deep or piano, etc. Optionally, however, you can also store your own EQ configurations via the app. This is a very practical feature.
If you want to get even more out of your TOZO Golden X1, you can activate the use of the LDAC codec on your connected device. However, the activation also automatically leads to a somewhat low battery life of the earphones.
Active Noise Cancelling
The Active Noise Cancelling of the TOZO Golden X1 basically works well. Even the typical ambient noise of an open-plan office could be filtered out well. However, it was noticed that rather lower noises, such as voices, are attenuated. Sounds in higher frequency ranges, such as crackling, birds chirping or signal tones from smartphones, are unfortunately not suppressed quite as effectively.
Alternatively, TOZO offers a total of six modes via the app: Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Reduce Wind Noise, Leisure Mode, Normal Mode and Custom Mode. Furthermore, the Golden X1s also have an Environment Noise Cancellation feature, which is supposed to filter out ambient noise for the communication partner. According to feedback from interlocutors, the feature unfortunately did not work very well, at least with voices.
Since there are definitely situations where the activation of the ANC functions is rather annoying, the Golden X1s with and without the app offer the option to deactivate the ANC or to switch the Earbuds to a transparent mode. If this mode is activated, the ambient noise is picked up by the microphones and forwarded to the ear. This basically works very well, but you directly notice that the ambient noise has been converted. Unfortunately, a slight but permanent noise is also audible in this mode. However, this can only be heard when nothing is played via the Golden X1.
Microphone
In total, TOZO installs 12 microphones in the Golden X1 which should particularly benefit the ANC. Otherwise, however, the voice quality with the Golden X1 is rather average. Where the voice still seems relatively clear in quieter environments, the voice quality becomes increasingly blurred in louder environments. You can basically still be understood by the other party, but the TOZO Golden X1s don’t cover themselves with glory in this category. Accordingly, these headphones are definitely not suitable for professional sound recordings. For phone calls or a team call, however, the quality is fine.
TOZO App & Operation
First things first: neither is it mandatory to use the TOZO app, nor are you forced to create a user account. Especially with regard to the rating, which is a very poor 2.1 stars out of 653 reviews, I was initially put off. After starting the app, you are first greeted by the possibility of performing a hearing test, so that you can adjust the Golden X1 to your own hearing.
Furthermore, there are four tabs in the app as well as a gear wheel in the upper right corner for updates, firmware information and for reconfiguring the touch control. Of the four aforementioned tabs, two hide useful features like the control of the six ANC modes and the EQ settings with the 16 predefined profiles. Furthermore, you have access to audio tracks with special ambient sounds (e.g. thunderstorm, forest, rain, city, etc.).
The other two tabs unfortunately only show more TOZO products and/or advertisements or link to the account creation.
In addition to the app, the Golden X1 can also be controlled via gestures. Depending on the configuration, you can tap the earbuds to adjust the volume, deactivate ANC or pause the song. Unfortunately, the Golden X1 does not have in-ear detection. So if you take out an earbud, the music doesn’t automatically stop playing.
Battery life
TOZO claims a total battery life for the Golden X1 of 8 hours for the Earbuds, plus 32 more hours after charging in the charging case. Unfortunately, these numbers were not reached in our practical test. With ANC, we achieved a maximum of 5 hours on one charge, without ANC a maximum of 6-7. If you also use the LDAC codec, the times decrease even more. The battery in the charging case could not keep its promise either. If the case is fully charged, the Golden X1s could be fully charged a maximum of three times. Thus, instead of the stated 40 hours in the worst case, just half (with ANC) to two thirds (without ANC) are achieved. That’s a bit meager.
Conclusion
The TOZO Golden X1 can convince overall with a good overall package. The sound quality provided is very good even without using the app and the ANC basically works as it should, but has certain weaknesses at higher frequencies. The design of the Golden X1 remains simple and elegant, and the wearing comfort is also excellent. The provided app basically does not require an account, is quite clear and offers many additional modes for the ANC as well as the sound settings. The IPX6 certification also shows that the in-ears can easily handle sweat or short water contact. That is particularly practical for sports.
The battery life of the Golden X1 with activated ANC is negative or only average. More than 4-5 hours were not possible. This value is unfortunately very far away from the advertised 8 hours. Even without ANC, the Earbuds lasted a maximum of 7 hours. Furthermore, the Golden X1s only offer a very average speech quality and the build quality of the casing does not match the advertised price in our opinion.
TOZO currently charges € 127.49 * for Golden X1. We are still nowhere near the high-end range here, but the in-ears are no longer cheap either. Nevertheless, the TOZO Golden X1 offer many features for this price, such as a very good sound quality and a good ANC, as well as a high wearing comfort. However, the biggest drawback from our point of view remains the only average battery life.
TOZO Golden X1
Workmanship
Comfort
Sound quality
Recording quality
Features
Value for money
87/100
The TOZO Golden X1 offer many features, such as a very good sound quality and a good ANC, as well as a high wearing comfort. However, the biggest drawback in our opinion is the only average battery life.
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