TOZO NC20 Pro Earbuds Review - The Price is Right
Getting a good set of earbuds can be a challenge. Generally, you have two options. The first is the classic cheap and cheerful models that range from $80 to $120 and do the job, but not always very well and often without some pretty important features. The other is the pricey models; they have all the cool tech like noise-cancelling and pass-through, often have higher build quality, but the damage they do to your wallet is closer to $300 or more. But what if you had something that offered a low price with high-end features? You might be sceptical; I know I was, but the TOZO NC20 Pro Earbuds proved that you can have the best of both worlds, with only a few little sacrifices and niggles to get in the way.
So let’s start with the price. Currently, they are being sold directly from TOZO for $126 AUD. Not the cheapest pair of buds out there, but certainly in what I would call the low-price bracket. But here is where it gets interesting: for that price, you get some seriously high-end features, including:
- Spatial Audio and Low Latency Mode for Entertainment
- Smart AI features like an AI voice assistant and real-time translation
- 12mm SDLC-enhanced dynamic driver
- Up to 52dB adaptive Active Noise Cancelling
- A Touchscreen charging case
That is a pretty nice list of inclusions. But that doesn’t mean much if they aren’t implemented correctly. Thankfully, after a couple of months of use, I can say all the advertised features not only work, but work pretty darn well.
The first thing I want to talk about is the touchscreen case. I loved this case; the idea of being able to edit the settings, equaliser, sound mode, and more on the go without yet another bloody app installed on my phone was brilliant. I hate apps so much, so when I found out I could do everything on this little case, I nearly cheered. Of course that means that if you are going for a walk, you need to put the case in your pocket, but hey, a small price to pay to not put up with more crap on your phone. Yes, the TOZO NC20 Pro’s still have an app, and if that’s your bag, it does the job pretty well, but for me, the freedom of the touchscreen case was just brilliant.
It did have one slight problem that I noticed, especially when I was in the middle of a walk or doing some kms on the elliptical machine; every so often, the touchscreen rubbed against my leg and would unlock. Then the motion of my leg would turn the volume down or up. It took me a little bit to work out what was happening, but once I did, it was an easy fix. Perhaps in a future model or update, a more secure lock feature might be considered to avoid just such an occurrence.
Earbuds live and die on their sound quality, and the NC20s are no slouch. They are not the best quality in terms of range or bass, but they are still pretty good and easily better than my pair of JBL’s that cost about the same amount. You are getting a good, but not great, sound output, which is clearly a cost cutting conssesion but I suspect that unless you have a really expensive set of Sony or Bose buds nearby, you won’t even notice. The sound quality remained good, even at high volumes, and the bass never sounded like it was distorting the music. I had to fiddle with the EQ settings to get it to where I like it, maybe a little more than usual, but that is hardly a big deal considering it was something I only had to do once.
Active Noise Cancelling, or ANC, is such an important feature in a set of buds these days, and the NC20s have implemented it well here. The greatest test you can give ANC is on the SAAB puddle-jumper plane flights from Canberra to Sydney, and I have to say it did a great job of silencing the external noise. That is no mean feat, let me tell you. The passthrough mode, however, is a bit rough. It works, and you can clearly hear people talking to you through the buds if you have it on, but they all sound robotic. It is odd to have a flight attendant asking you if you would like a drink while sounding like an Autobot.
The battery life is pretty impressive, though not as impressive as the claims on the box. With all the features on, TOZO claims you should get about 40ish hours, but my estimates put it closer to 30. They do hold charge well, and I never experienced any battery drain if I hadn’t used them for a little while. I could get more time out of them if I turned off things like ANC, but who wants to do that? 30 hours is good enough for me, especially at the price.
As for gaming, I was once again impressed. To get the best out of them, I turned on the low-latency mode and had to fiddle with the EQ again, but once set, I was good to go. I used them with both my Switch 2 and my Xbox Ally X, and they worked flawlessly. Windows had a little trouble recognising them at first, but considering how patchy Windows can be with Bluetooth at times, I am hardly blaming TOZO for that. Once playing, they brought the sound from games to life in a competent manner; once again, not amazing quality, but certainly solid. Considering their price and features, I would consider the NC20s the perfect second pair of earbuds to stick in your Switch or Handheld PC case, so you always have a set ready to go when travelling.
Finally, the fit. Unlike so many earbuds I have tried before, the TOZO NC20s fit in my ears without slipping at all. Most earbuds, especially with this sort of design, tend to fall out of my ears quite often when I am talking or smiling, but that wasn’t the case here. I went to the gym, had conversations, and hiked, but they never once felt like they were going to fall out of my ears. There are, of course, different-sized plug rubbers so you can get the right personal fit, but if you have suffered from earbuds falling out before, the NC20s might be worth a look.
There is one issue I would be remiss in not mentioning. On the occasions I went for a walk without the case, I had instances of the right earbud dropping sound if I took them off and put them in my pocket. I would take them out, order a coffee or have a chat, and when I put them back in, the right bud wouldn’t work. This was easily fixed by putting them in the case, then taking them out again, but it was annoying. To be fair, though, I have experienced similar problems with other earbuds, so I suspect it is something to do with the way they auto-sleep when you take them out of your ears. It didn’t happen often, but it did happen enough to be a little annoying.
All in all, the TOZO NC20 Pro Earbuds are just about the best bang-for-buck buds I have ever used. A heap of high-end features at a fairly low-end price. That is a great combination, especially with the cost of living at the moment. The build quality seems great; all the features work as advertised, and while the sound quality won’t set the world on fire, it won’t let you down either. The perfect second set, a set for the kids or just for the money-conscious out there. I honestly believe the TOZO NC20 Pros won’t let you down.
