Tozo Golden X1 TWS – Hybrid Bluetooth ANC LDAC Sound
Tozo Golden X1 is a $149 USD pair of IEMs or in-ear monitors, with an interesting transport case that has a display to tell you how much battery they have left, with a hybrid BA + 12mm dynamic driver setup, and with some of the better ergonomics out there. They even support LDAC, so today we will be reviewing them and also compare them to other similarly priced IEMs, including GravaStar Sirius P5 (139 USD), AXS Professional Earbuds with ANC (150 USD), and Mifo S from Sports&Outdo (169 USD).
Introduction
There is not much information available about Golden X1 and the parent company Tozo, but this seems to be the first encounter I have with them. From what I can tell, the company seems to be having a pretty fair website, they have been supported by some of the big review / tech channels such as Unbox Therapy, and they also have good tech for their products, including LDAC support. As an Amazon Influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases, and using the purchase links in my reviews helps me maintain this Website and Youtube Channel. The writing on the Tozo Website is in part a translation from a different language, as it has quite a bit of odd phrasing and a lot of misspelling, but the product does exist, and this language barrier has never been a problem before for companies, and they do get better in time.
I’d like to thank Tozo for providing the sample for this review, in exchange for my honest opinion. This review is a description of my personal experience.
Product Link
You can grab one from www.amazon.com here – https://amzn.to/3OvOzz9
If you’re in the UK, you can grab one from www.amazon.co.uk here – https://amzn.to/3Orhq7N
And if you’re from Europe, you can grab one from www.amazon.de here – https://amzn.to/3HHI4FH
Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort
All TWS Earphones have two separate parts, the earphones and the transport / charging case. The case here is important because it also charges and has an extra battery, as within a TWS IEM you can’t really place a very large battery without making it rather heavy and uncomfortable to use. The case of Tozo Golden X1 is even more special than that of other TWS IEMs, as it has a little indicator that shows you how much battery the case has left, in digital numbers, and also shows you when each IEM is charging and how much battery it has.
The build of the IEMs is good, and they are supported by Knowles Balanced Armatures and have Hi-Res certification. WE have Bluetooth 5.3, with support for LDAC, and we have ORIGX PRO, which isn’t exactly clear what it does, but seems to be something unique to Tozo. Somehow, the company missed to announce the ANC as a feature in the name of the product, so it is not immediately evident that they have Active Noise Canceling, but they actually do have. There is no aptX HD, aptX or LHDC, only LDAC, AAC and SBC support.
The battery life of the IEMs is quoted to be 8 hours on a single charge, which is around 4-5 if you’re using LDAC and high volumes, but the case has around 4 extra charges, so they can easily last for a week of gym usage, or 2-3 of actual continuous usage. The case works with Wireless Charging, and has Type-C Fast Charging as well, taking around 2 hours to be fully charged. It also takes the IEMS two hours to go from 0 to hero (100%) charge. The battery life, if using ANC, LDAC, EQ and max volume (you’ll likely do this), can be as low as 2-3 hours for the IEMs, with the case holding 4 extra charges.
Although I would say that I dislike additional apps more than anybody out there, as I have to have so many of them, Tozo has an app, which allows you to use EQ profiles, and it is actually decent, it gives you much better control for the ANC functions of the Golden X1, and it is pretty straightforward and intuitive. This being said, the app is annoying, it asks for your mail and to make an account, and there is a skip button, but it is small and hard to find, plus the app needs too many permissions and wants to have notifications permission, which is against what I’d like it to have. To update the IEMS, you have to place them in the charging case and keep the lid open. You also pair the case with the Lid open instead of pairing them after taking them out of the case.
The touch controls are decent, they make a lot of sense and work alright, and are about as sensitive as the majority of TWS Earbuds with touch controls. The ANC Mode is ok, it affects sonic quality, and if possible, I would avoid using it. Transparency mode does the same, but transparency mode has a strong effect, it actually does work quite well, while ANC mode is not the most effective. The IEMs have a strong passive noise isolation actually and it is around 20 dB up to 28 dB, so not bad by any means. The IEMs have a separate volume compared to the phone, so you have to press and keep a finger on the right earbud for a while, then use the phone to control the volume, for the best sound experience.
Subjectively and during wear, the Tozo Golden X1 is comfortable, lightweight, and a bit large, but I can’t really feel them while wearing them. Although there is a dynamic driver, I have not noticed any driver flex. They are super nice for longer wear, but they stick a bit out of my ears, and would be problematic to wear during running or jogging. I also have medium hair, and when it is wet, it causes a lot of mis-touching and misinterpreted touch inputs. Although the tips are proprietary, there are 6 pairs included in the package, so you’ll likely find a combination for your ears, the silicone is of a good quality, sticky, to help the seal and enhance the bass.
Sound Quality
While most technical aspects of the Tozo Golden X1 are fairly standard for the price range, they do have something special, and that is the actual sound, which is actually good. First off, the sound is not linear, it changes in character heavily with volume so at quiet volumes, they sound warmer, smoother, wide, holographic even, dynamic and super pleasing, while at louder volumes, the sound becomes more focused, the soundstage is still wide, but the whole sound is aggressive, sharp, v-Shaped and very much forward and in your face. Overall, the resolution and detail is higher than what you get with an average 150 USD In-Ear Monitor with wires, when driven by a high-quality Bluetooth DAC AMP like Shanling H5, Tozo Golden X1 really does surprise with the sound. The maximum volume is not incredibly high, capping at around 105-110dB, which is great for hearing protection, but not great if you’re looking to listen louder.
The bass is deep, fairly controlled, wide and heavy, moving slowly, and reverberating the whole sound. This is satisfying and gives a good amount of warmth to the midrange too, thickening the whole sound a bit, and giving X1 good substance and fundamentals. This gives EDM, Dubstep and Pop music a pop factor, but will sound fairly unnatural for Classical and most acoustic music. You can easily reduce the amount of bass with an EQ profile. Percussion is generally quick and has good separation / resolution.
The midrange is super clean, detailed, but pushed back considerably compared to the bass and the treble, causing voices and singers to feel distant to the listener, with background instruments being even more distant, and sounding like they are coming from very far away. This gives X1 a really open and well separated sound, there’s only minimal distortion at maximum volume, which is great. The sound is really good for commercial and electronic music, giving more emphasis to crystalline, soft female voices, like Yfu Baby or Takanashi Kiara than to lower timbre voices, especially male voices taking a step back with X1.
The treble is sharp, bright and somewhat harsh if the song has a brighter tuning, while for songs with a smoother sound, X1 seems to exaggerate the smoothness too, and rolls off more easily. I would say it is too sensitive to treble, because even bands that are rarely bright with other IEMs, like Interrupting cor or Queen Kona sound very sharp, harsh and bright with X1, to the point where the experience is not very enjoyable, but songs by Kesha, Yfu Baby have very little treble. For good measure, the treble is generally exaggerated, and there’s a strong peak between 6 kHz and 9 kHz, which can sound metallic and sharp. This creates the feeling of detail and resolution, and the final sound is dynamic, and not characteristic of Bluetooth Earphones, as X1 sounds quite brighter, less compressed and more dynamic than most Bluetooth earphones in the price range. I generally enjoy a bright treble, but I find X1 to be somewhat too much for my ears.
Comparisons
Tozo Golden X1 vs Sports&Outdo Mifo S (149 USD vs 169 USD) – The fitting and comfort of Mifo is is better, it is a smaller, lighter IEM with a much together and more secure fitting, it also has additional eartip parts to keep it in your ears, plus it has better overall design. The sound is won by Tozo Golden X1 easily, it is considerably more detailed, cleaner, wider sounding with a deeper soundstage, better instrument separation, and just generally a more pleasing listening experience.
Tozo Golden X1 vs AXS Professional Earbuds (149 USD vs 150 USD) – Starting with the build and comfort, AXS is larger, so X1 fits better in my ears, they have a more stable fitting, the ANC function is stronger, but the passive noise isolation is better too. Sonically, Tozo Golden X1 sounds more V-Shaped, much sharper, brighter and harsher, but also has a considerably better detail and resolution, while AXS Professional sounds more toned down, more natural, smoother and less aggressive / fatiguing. Both are good options, but here I would go with X1 for the improved comfort, and go with AXS for the design and if you’re easily fatigued by a bright sound.
Tozo Golden X1 vs GravaStar Sirius P5 (149 USD vs 139 USD) – While the design of the Golden X1 is much simpler, P5 has a better fit, it is lighter, smaller and generally sits better in my ears. The sound of X1 is much brighter, with considerably better detail, similar levels of bass, a more clear voicing, better resolution, and generally they sound as if they are in a whole different league compared to P5. This comes with an extreme amount of brightness, and if you’re sensitive to it, I wouldn’t pair X1 with rock and metal, but P5 is laid back, relaxed, thick and doesn’t offend, so go for the one that sounds closer to your listening preferences.
Value and Conclusion
Initially, when researching the Tozo Golden X1 I saw that they are frequently returned on Amazon, and it got me thinking, those are very good value for the sound they have, they have exceptional comfort, good passive noise isolation, and they work really well. So the value is very good, but the main reason they are generally a frequently returned item is the fact that the app is hard to use at first, and most people simply don’t want to put up with that, as otherwise, it is an excellent product.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a pair of TWS or True Wireless Bluetooth Earphones with ANC, Transparency, a super pleasing, warm but well extended in the treble sound, good dynamics, and LDAC support that works well with all smartphones, then Tozo Golden X1 is a fully recommended product and a pair of TWS Earphones that are a lot of fun to use.
Product Link
You can grab one from www.amazon.com here – https://amzn.to/3OvOzz9
If you’re in the UK, you can grab one from www.amazon.co.uk here – https://amzn.to/3Orhq7N
And if you’re from Europe, you can grab one from www.amazon.de here – https://amzn.to/3HHI4FH
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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