TOZO Golden X1 Review: Affordable True Wireless Earbuds With Flagship Aspirations

These earbuds offer impressive features at an affordable price point. Read our TOZO Golden X1 review to see if they live up to their flagship aspirations.

If you’re on the hunt for a pair of affordable true wireless earbuds that pack a powerful punch, then you may want to check out the $149 TOZO Golden X1. These stylish earbuds boast flagship-level features at a fraction of the cost, making them a serious option for budget-conscious audiophiles.

With a sleek design and impressive sound quality, the TOZO Golden X1s are poised to become a favorite among tech enthusiasts and audiophiles. But how do they stack up against other wireless earbuds on the market? In this review, we’ll dive deep into the TOZO Golden X1’s specs, performance, and overall value to help you determine if they’re the right choice for your audio needs. So, let’s get started and see if these earbuds are worth the hype.

---

RELATED: Audiophile Headphones Buyers Guide (2023)

---

What’s In The Box

• TOZO Golden X1 Wireless Earbuds
• Wireless Charging Case
• Six pairs of Eartips (XS/S/M/L/XL/XXL)
• USB-C Charging Cable
• Quick Guide & User Manual

TOZO Golden X1 Review: Build

In terms of build, the TOZO Golden X1 is made of quality hard plastic, making the earbuds and charging case feel solid in hand. Both have gold trim which adds to the premium aesthetic. The earpieces are small and sleek and should sit comfortably in most people’s ears. I felt the fit was comparable to my AirPods Pro, meaning it was both secure and cozy.

Each earpiece has a large responsive area for touch control and the control layout is intuitive for the most part. I did have an issue with the triple-press/hold functionality for activating the ANC and Transparency mode. Several times the earbud mistook my input for the long press meant to change the volume, which was annoying. I found it easier to activate ANC from the app.

The charging case has a digital LED smart display inside the lid that displays the headphone battery status in real time. It also supports both wireless charging and wired charging via USB Type-C. In addition, the case has a large blinking light on the front which provides charging status for the case itself, which is a nice touch.

TOZO Golden X1 Review: Features

The TOZO Golden X1 Wireless Earbuds earbuds utilize a hybrid driver setup, combining customized Balanced Armature and 12mm Dynamic Drivers inside a single earbud housing. This arrangement is designed to produce clean treble and deep bass for an immersive music experience.

The Dynamic Driver, with its Carbon Nanotube diaphragm, is said to deliver down to 12Hz bass, which is below the 20Hz threshold that humans can hear. In contrast, the Knowles-branded Balanced Armature Driver is said to produce frequencies as high as 44.1KHz, which is also beyond the range of human hearing.

Additionally, the TOZO Golden X1 features active noise canceling with six different noise-cancellation functions, which basically vary the intensity of ANC strength. One of the six modes is a transparency mode that passes outside noise through so you can hear your surroundings without removing the buds from your ears. One is also a “normal” mode, which means all ANC functions are off.

Six built-in microphones support the active noise canceling function, and it is rated to reduce ambient noise by up to 35 dB. Noise-canceling works remarkably well, both in a home office situation and in a commuting scenario, almost totally blocking out high-pitched environmental noise, such as climate control systems, and low-pitched noise, like voices. It’s some of the best ANC I’ve heard outside class leaders such as Bose, Sony, and Apple.

With Bluetooth 5.3 technology, the TOZO Golden X1 Earbuds offer instant pairing and stable transmission without interruptions. Regarding BT codecs, you get the standard SBC, AAC for Apple devices, and LDAC for “Hi-Res Wireless” compatible data speeds reaching up to 990 kbit/s.

Additionally, the free TOZO APP provides access to many useful features, such as 16 preset EQ options, customization of the touch controls, firmware updates, and access to all six of the ANC modes. That’s key because you can only access three modes from the buds directly.

Furthermore, the app offers what the company calls an “earprint” feature, where the app can set a personalized EQ based on a quick automated hearing test. The app will play tones at various frequencies and volume levels, then ask you to press a button if you can hear them.

Depending on what you hear, the app will set an EQ that attempts to compensate for any shortcomings in your hearing. When I tried it, it added a slight emphasis to the sub-bass region, which did sound a bit more pleasing with certain music. That said, at the end of the day, I went with one of the preset EQs (more on that later).

Battery life is rated at a very robust 8 hours per charge, but that goes down to about 4-5 when using the high data rate LDAC codec along with the ANC. The charging case will charge the earphones about three times before needing its own charge.

As you can see, the feature set is deep on these earphones, but one notable feature is missing. That would be the fact that they don’t start/stop playback automatically when you remove the buds from your ear or put them back in. This is a feature I’ve come to expect from premium earphones, so it was surprising not to see it here.

I also wish you could adjust the BT Codec, particularly the LDAC bitrate, from the app. You can turn on LDAC from the Bluetooth menu in Android, but that defaults to the LDAC Best Effort setting, which switches between 330/660/990 kbps depending on the connection between the phone and the earbuds.

If you want to use the 990 kbps Optimized for Music setting, you must dig into the Android Developer Options, which is a little inconvenient. On the other hand, the majority of wireless earbuds with LDAC seem to handle things this way, which is a shame.

TOZO Golden X1 Review: Sound

Soundwise, I found the TOZO Golden X1 to have much of the clean treble and deep bass promised in the marketing materials. In addition, the sound was wide open and felt very immersive, especially on the 990 kbps LDAC setting, which I enjoyed. However, with LDAC turned off and AAC engaged, there was a marked loss of transparency and openness, making the X1 sound a bit more average.

Even with the LDAC connection, you could hear a V-shaped tonal balance sculpted to create some excitement. There’s a distinct lift from the mid-bass through the sub-bass and also some emphasis in the upper mids/lower treble. The boost up top adds to the openness I referred to before and also adds some crispness to the sound.

That said, right out of the box, I found the low end to be a little distracting and the upper mids to be a little spicy. However, if you’re a fan of that energetic V-shaped sound, you will probably dig the stock tuning.

Personally, I found myself turning to the EQ in the TOZO app to balance out the stock tonality, and I landed upon a preset curiously called “Original.” It worked well to counteract the stock tuning as it flattened out the low end, lifted the midrange, and lowered the upper mids. With this setting, I enjoyed the Golden X1 a lot more as it gave me the balanced sound I was looking for.

Using the Original EQ, I listened to Patricia Barber’s “Mashup,” and I enjoyed the extra wide soundstage and separation these earbuds provided to this dense arrangement. The detail and technicality were also really good for a pair of wireless earbuds. In this song, the timbre of the various instruments was fleshed out well, especially the upright bass and the piano.

That said, the Dynamics, which I describe as the perceived difference between soft and low sounds, were hit-and-miss. The Macro and Bass dynamics were good and helped to propel the rhythm forward in an enjoyable way. That said, the Microdynamics were a little blunted, which took away from the depth of the music.

Another thing worth mentioning is the effect of ANC on the sound. I found that ANC decreased the clarity and boosted the bass substantially, even with LDAC turned on. Most wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancelling change the sound a little bit when the feature is switched on, but in this case, it seemed more pronounced. It’s not the end of the world, but it is something to think about.

Vs. 1MORE EVO

Compared to the $169 1MORE EVO (take another $50 off with coupon), another similarly priced Hybrid TWS earbud, I found the TOZO Golden X1 to have slightly more detail, somewhat more separation, and a wider soundstage. It also had better ANC. However, as far as comfort and functionality are concerned, it’s probably a wash.

That said, the EVO has a more balanced sound out of the box, a better app, and they probably sound better without LDAC engaged and the ANC turned on. Additionally, they have an automatic shutoff when you take them from your ears. If you like a V-shaped sound signature, the Golden X1 will probably be a better choice, but if you want more balance, you may like the EVO better.

TOZO Golden X1 Review: Conclusion

After thoroughly examining the TOZO Golden X1 wireless earbuds, it is clear that they are a good option for anyone looking for high-quality sound and comfortable wear. The earbuds feature a sleek design, good battery life, and impressive sound quality.

The touch controls are intuitive and easy to use, making it simple to pause and play music or answer phone calls. Additionally, the earbuds are sweat and water-resistant, making them suitable for workouts or outdoor activities.

That said, the Golden X1 isn’t without its quirks. For example, ANC affects the sound substantially, and you don’t get the auto-shutoff feature present in much of the competition. In addition, the aggressive V-shaped tuning may not be for everyone.

Overall, the TOZO Golden X1 wireless earbuds offer decent value for the price, especially if you like your music with a good dollop of bass. They are a good option for anyone seeking an affordable, feature-packed pair of wireless earbuds.

---

This Review Utilizes Our New Product Review Rating System:

We recently launched a new rating system that allows our readers to quickly identify how highly each product is rated.

Our rating system consists of four categories: weak, not bad, good, and very good. A weak rating is anything below 2.5, meaning the product is not recommended and should be avoided. A not bad rating is anything between 2.5 and 5 and may signify a limited recommendation. A good rating is anything between 5 and 7.5, which means the product is recommended. A very good rating is anything above 7.5, meaning the product is highly recommended.

We understand that our readers rely on our ratings and reviews to make informed decisions about the products they purchase. That’s why we take great care in providing accurate and helpful reviews and ratings for each product we review. We hope this new rating system will make it easier for our readers to determine which products are worth their time and money.

Thank you for reading, and happy shopping!

---

Hifitrends is reader-supported. We may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site.