Pros:
- Good sound quality
- Active noise cancellation
- IPX6 water resistance
- Comfortable design
- Long battery life for ANC
- Support for LDAC high-definition audio
- LED Display inside case for charge level
Cons:
- ANC is not the best in the market
- No in-ear detection
- No AptX support
What Is This?
The TOZO Golden X1 are a pair of true wireless earbuds that offer good sound quality, active noise cancellation, and a comfortable design. They are priced at $150 (Or RM 699), which is a good value for the features they offer.
Design (Case)
The TOZO X1 Golden charging case is made of plastic and has a matte finish. It is shaped like a pill and has a gold accent on the Tozo logo. The case measures 69.9 x 34.2 x 38.2mm and weighs 43g.
The charging case opens up to reveal an LED status bar with battery indicators for the case and each earbud. There is also a pairing button on the back of the case.
The charging case can be charged via a USB-C cable or wirelessly. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge the case using a USB-C cable, and about 3 hours to fully charge the case using wireless charging.
Overall, the physical design of the TOZO X1 Golden earbuds and charging case is sleek and stylish. The earbuds are comfortable to wear and have a secure fit. The charging case is compact and easy to carry around.
Design (Buds)
The TOZO X1 Golden earbuds have a bean-shaped design with a matte finish, and are comfortable to wear. They are made of plastic and feature a gold accent on the Tozo logo, charging pins, and speaker grille. Each earbud weighs just over 5 grams.
The earbuds come with three different sizes of ear tips to ensure a comfortable and secure fit. The earbuds also have an IPX6 water resistance rating, making them suitable for use in light rain or sweat.
Gestures :
| Gesture | What It Will Do |
|---|---|
| CLICK BUTTON ONCE | Play/pause media Answer/end call |
| CLICK AND HOLD BUTTON 2 SECONDS | Activate native smart assistant |
| CLICK AND HOLD BUTTON 4 SECONDS | Enter Bluetooth mode |
| SWIPE BACKWARDS | Increase volume while streaming media |
| SWIPE FORWARDS | Decrease volume while streaming media |
| SWIPE EITHER DIRECTION | Mute/unmute microphone during an active call Switch between ANC and Transparency Mode with earbuds idle |
As an added bonus, there are tiny little buttons on each bud that are behind the stems (when you put them on). It can control your Play/Pause, as well as answer/close your calls.
I guess the large size does house lots of tech inside, very justified.
The wear is reasonably comfortable, as long as you choose the right fit of tips which are included in the box. Even when I decided to go for a run or when I had long walks at the mall, the buds stayed in my ears faithfully without sliding out. Also, if you’re intent on using these like I did for the gym or physical activity, the buds have an IP54 rating which essentially makes it splashproof. Please don’t take it for a swim or long soak.
App and Gestures
The Tozo companion app has a clean and well-organized layout. The menus are easy to navigate, and you can access the ANC, EQ, and touch control settings with just a few taps. The app also includes an ear test called “Earprint” that sends out a series of low, mid, and high-frequency sounds to your ears to determine your individual hearing curve. After the hearing test, you will receive a detailed hearing curve that shows where the Tozo app has applied an AI algorithm compensation for the sound ranges where your hearing is not as sharp.
Tozo’s Acoustic Labs has added a total of 16 EQ presets, including bass and treble modes, as well as music genre-specific presets to suit your listening preferences. In addition to the EQ presets, you can also customize the EQ to your own liking and save your own preset.
- Single tap: Play/pause music, answer/hang up calls.
- Double tap: Skip to the next track.
- Triple tap: Go back to the previous track.
- Long press: Toggle ANC or Transparency mode.
You can also customize the gestures for each earbud in the TOZO Sound app. For example, you can set the single tap gesture on the left earbud to activate the voice assistant, and the single tap gesture on the right earbud to skip to the next track.
Here are the steps on how to customize the gestures on the TOZO Golden X1:
- Download the TOZO app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Open the app and connect your TOZO Golden X1 earbuds.
- Tap on the “Earbuds” tab.
- Tap on the earbud that you want to customize the gestures for.
- Tap on the “Gestures” option.
- Select the gesture that you want to change.
- Select the action that you want to associate with the gesture.
Connectivity
- Bluetooth 5.3: The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds use Bluetooth 5.3, which is the latest version of Bluetooth. This means that they offer a fast and stable connection with your device.
- Multipoint pairing: The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds support multipoint pairing, which allows you to connect them to two devices at the same time. This is useful if you want to use them to answer calls on your phone and listen to music on your laptop at the same time.
- USB-C charging: The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds come with a USB-C charging case. This means that you can use a standard USB-C cable to charge them.
The TOZO Golden X1 supports the following audio codecs:
- SBC: SBC is the standard Bluetooth audio codec. It offers good sound quality, but it is not the best.
- AAC: AAC is a higher quality audio codec than SBC. It is supported by most devices, including iPhones and iPads.
- LDAC: LDAC is the highest quality audio codec supported by the TOZO Golden X1. It offers CD-like sound quality, but it is only supported by a limited number of devices.
If you are looking for the best possible sound quality, then you should choose a device that supports LDAC. However, if you are not concerned about sound quality, then SBC or AAC will be fine.
What it doesn’t support is aptX, which is a mild bummer but definitely not a dealbreaker.
Music?
The Golden X1 feature a hybrid driver design, with a 12mm dynamic driver and a Knowles balanced armature driver. This results in a sound signature that is well-balanced, with clear vocals and detailed instruments. The bass is also well-defined, without being overpowering.
The Golden X1 also support LDAC high-definition audio, which can be activated on compatible devices and music streaming platforms. This will give you the best possible sound quality from your music. For my review I have used my Xiaomi 13 Ultra which does come with LDAC support.
The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds offer impressive sound quality for the price. They feature a hybrid driver design, with a 12mm dynamic driver and a Knowles balanced armature driver. This results in a sound signature that is well-balanced, with clear vocals and detailed instruments. The bass is also well-defined, without being overpowering.
The Golden X1 also support LDAC high-definition audio, which can be activated on compatible devices and music streaming platforms. This will give you the best possible sound quality from your music.
The Finer Details
- Bass: The bass on the Golden X1 is well-defined and punchy, without being overpowering. This makes them great for listening to music with a lot of bass, such as hip hop or EDM.
- Midrange: The midrange on the Golden X1 is clear and detailed. This makes them great for listening to vocals and instruments.
- Treble: The treble on the Golden X1 is smooth and extended. This makes them great for listening to high-pitched instruments, such as cymbals and strings.
- Soundstage: The soundstage on the Golden X1 is not the widest, but it is still good for a pair of earbuds in this price range. This makes them great for listening to music with a lot of separation between the instruments.
Here are some of the things that I would like to see improved in the sound quality of the TOZO Golden X1:
- The soundstage could be wider.
- The highs could be a bit more crisp.
Overall, I am very impressed with the sound quality of the TOZO Golden X1. They offer a lot of value for the price and are a great option for anyone looking for a pair of earbuds with good sound quality.
Battery Life
The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds have a battery life of up to 5 hours on a single charge, and the charging case provides an additional 20 hours of battery life. This means that you can get a total of 25 hours of listening time from the Golden X1, which is pretty good for a pair of true wireless earbuds.
The earbuds also support fast charging, so you can get up to 2 hours of listening time from a 10-minute charge. This is very convenient if you need to quickly top up your earbuds before you go out.
Here is a more detailed look at the battery life of the TOZO Golden X1:
- Earbuds: The earbuds have a battery life of up to 5 hours on a single charge. This is based on listening at 50% volume with ANC turned off.
- Charging case: The charging case provides an additional 20 hours of battery life. This means that you can get a total of 25 hours of listening time from the Golden X1.
- Fast charging: The earbuds support fast charging, so you can get up to 2 hours of listening time from a 10-minute charge.
Overall, the battery life of the TOZO Golden X1 is good for the price. They offer a total of 25 hours of listening time, which is enough for most people. The fast charging is also a nice feature that can help you quickly top up your earbuds when you need to.
Microphone
The TOZO Golden X1 earbuds have a microphone that is generally decent for making calls in quiet environments. However, the microphone is not as good for making calls in noisy environments.
- Call quality in quiet environments: The microphone on the Golden X1 is clear and crisp in quiet environments. Your voice will be heard loud and clear by the person on the other end of the call.
- Call quality in noisy environments: The microphone on the Golden X1 is not as good in noisy environments. The background noise can be picked up by the microphone and make it difficult for the person on the other end of the call to hear you.
Final Thoughts
Overall, even though isn’t currently available in Malaysia, the TOZO Golden X1 are a great pair of true wireless earbuds that offer a lot of value for the price. They have impressive sound quality, decent active noise cancellation, and a comfortable design. It just doesn’t have aptX nor in-ear detection, and those things do lower some points, but they’re far from the dealbreaker as I personally found the audio experience to be good enough to forgive those issues.
These are just points of improvement, and we do hope to see them in the Golden X2 (should it exist).
