When I wrapped up my last headphone review, I mentioned wishing for better ANC tuning in varied environments. You know, the kind that actually adapts instead of just flattening everything into muted grey or, worse, amplifying background nonsense – yes, I’m side-eyeing all the equipment cooling fans in my work lab. The Tozo Golden X1 showed up with multiple ANC modes baked in, which felt like either the universe listening or impeccable timing.
It also arrived just as I was reflecting on my ever-growing collection of earbuds and headphones – each one a new contender in my ongoing inability to commit. What pair will I default to once this review is done? Or will I just keep waiting for the next one to land on my desk?
What caught my attention here, though, was the AI sprinkled through the feature set. Given how much attention AI is getting everywhere else, it’s refreshing to see it applied in ways that are actually useful – improving call clarity, tuning sound preferences, and helping noise cancellation adapt to your environment. So I was genuinely curious whether these modes would hold up in practice, or if the AI just showed up to rename things in the settings menu.
Premium Build & Digital Display First Impressions
Out of the box, the Golden X1s give off premium vibes – sleek case, simple lines, and thankfully no glittery gimmicks. The earbuds feel light but not flimsy, and the magnetic snap into the case is oddly satisfying.
I appreciated that they were charged enough to dive straight into pairing, and the digital display on the case actually told me how much juice I had left. That might sound like a small thing, but it’s miles ahead of the usual “guess how dead we are” LED dots most buds rely on.
Hybrid Drivers, LDAC, and AI Features In-Depth
The feature set is fairly ambitious: LDAC support (Sony’s lossless audio codec), hybrid ANC with multiple modes, transparency mode, AI-driven call noise reduction, and a custom EQ via the app.
Switching between ANC modes is straightforward once you get the hang of it – though I usually reach for my phone rather than try to remember which earbud gets the magic tap. Transparency mode works well for quick conversations or shop visits without feeling like you’re suddenly underwater.
The app offers genuine tweaking options, including a hearing test to personalise your profile. I haven’t activated that just yet – wanted to get a proper feel for the default profile first – but even without personalisation, the sound has a natural weight to it: nothing harsh, nothing missing.
One of my favourite touches is the Explore section – a library of calming soundscapes like forest lullabies, rainfall, and ambient sound baths. It’s a small thing, but it shows someone was thinking about how people actually use these day-to-day. Subtle details like that go a long way.
Comfort, Controls, and the Rogue Earbud Test
The Tozo Golden X1 comes with a generous selection of ear tips, so you’d think I’d be safe. And yet, I watched in slow-motion horror as one earbud plummeted toward my plate, narrowly dodging the goo of a poached egg yolk.
To its credit, it’s since stayed in place during gym sessions without complaint, so I’m chalking that one up to user error (and being half-asleep). Once you get the fit right, they’re comfortable for extended wear – even during long flights or back-to-back meetings.
I’m sure the control scheme makes perfect sense on paper. But remembering which side to tap twice for what just doesn’t quite land for my brain. I’ve mostly defaulted to using my phone for the basics – volume, skipping tracks, toggling ANC. Anything beyond pausing or ending a call tends to send me back to the touchscreen out of sheer convenience.
It’s not that the controls don’t work. They do. But when you’re halfway through a stair climb or mid-aisle at the supermarket, precision tapping is more theoretical than practical.
Crystal-Clear Calls and Microphone Performance
Even without personalisation activated, the Golden X1s handled Teams meetings and phone calls without fuss. Voices come through clean and balanced – even when someone’s mumbling into their laptop mic from across the room. I also tested speech-to-text while wearing them, and the mic held up remarkably well – good clarity, minimal dropouts.
Ambient noise filtering is decent, especially for calls on the go. I wouldn’t trust them in a gale, but for most daily use, they’ve got you covered.
Sound Quality: LDAC, Bass, and Flight-Tested ANC
After recently enjoying a pair of headphones I couldn’t comfortably max out (looking at you, Sprout), I’m finding I can easily listen to most tracks on full volume with the Tozo Golden X1. Maybe I like my music a touch louder than is strictly necessary. But hey, my hearing test came back stellar – so I’m claiming the high ground while I still can.
Highs are crisp without being harsh, mids feel fairly full and steady, and the low-end is present without turning every track into a bass rumble. Podcasts, ambient mixes, and heavier beats all held up across sessions – especially with LDAC enabled.
I put the ANC to the test on a recent flight. It noticeably reduced the cabin drone – though not entirely. A soft “whooshing” remained in the background, but it cut down the noise significantly enough to avoid fatigue.
Interestingly, audio announcements from the cabin crew still came through quite clearly. Whether by design or just a quirk of ANC focus, I appreciated not having to yank a bud out every time someone wanted to tell me about turbulence or snack carts.
Exercise Performance, Durability and the Supermarket Drop Test
They sat snugly while I climbed the Stairmaster, but I couldn’t help imagining one slipping free and getting swallowed by the machine. The yolk incident was still a little too fresh in my mind. That said, they held their ground – no slipping, no chewing, no need to negotiate with gym staff over lost tech.
Despite passing the gym test with flying colours, the Golden X1 gave me a minor heart attack on a routine stroll from my car to the supermarket. Without warning, the right earbud made a break for it and hit the pavement. Thankfully, it emerged unscathed – a bonus durability test I didn’t plan on conducting.
Whether it was still me not pushing it in properly (a recurring theme, clearly), or just a rogue moment, I’ve been more mindful of the fit since. No further drama so far.
Battery Life, Design Notes, and Bluetooth Quirks
Tozo claims about five hours with ANC on, and that’s pretty much what I’ve observed – especially now that I’ve done a full battery test. With active noise cancelling engaged, they drop about 30% battery per hour. So yes, five hours seems reasonably accurate, assuming you’re not pushing them beyond reason.
The first time I used them, they seemed to drain faster, which spooked me. But I haven’t seen that behaviour since – likely a first-use quirk or firmware settling in. Charging is snappy thanks to USB-C fast charging, and there’s support for Qi wireless if that’s more your style. Personally, I still like plugging things in – cable nostalgia and all.
Design Notes
I quite like the case. The earbuds sit securely for charging, and I’ve had no issues with the magnets doing their job. The digital battery display is especially welcome – none of that vague “four lights means… something?” guesswork. Seeing the exact percentage is just satisfying.
I ended up with the champagne-toned version (or golden, to match the name), and while it looks sleek, it does seem a bit prone to picking up marks. That might partly be on me – I’m not always gentle with my handbag contents – but I’ve noticed a few surface scuffs that wouldn’t have shown up as much on a matte finish. I do try to keep the case in its own little section away from keys and gremlin objects, but still, something clearly found its way in.
It’s a minor thing, but worth noting if you’re fussy about scratches or planning to throw the case into the wilds of your daily carry. A soft pouch or a bit of spatial respect will go a long way.
The Game of Bluetooth
As always, I played my usual game of how cooperative is Bluetooth feeling today? First up was my work laptop ahead of a Microsoft Teams meeting. No issues there – straight out of the case and into pairing mode like a well-behaved device should. That gave me hope.
Then I tried connecting to my phone.
Cue the dance: I disconnected them from the laptop, refreshed the Bluetooth menu, restarted my phone for good measure, and took the buds in and out of the case a few more times than I’d like to admit. Eventually, my phone noticed them – but it took a bit more convincing than expected.
I’ll chalk that one up to phone shenanigans rather than a fault with the buds themselves. Thankfully, that early success with the laptop softened the experience. If that had gone poorly too, this would be a very different paragraph.
Since that initial pairing shuffle, swapping between devices has been refreshingly smooth. Whether jumping from my phone back to my laptop or vice versa, the Golden X1 hasn’t flinched. I know multi-device Bluetooth is fairly standard these days, but I still have a deep appreciation for when it just works. It’s one of those small things that makes everyday tech feel genuinely helpful.
App Limitations and Room for AI Improvement
Of course, not every feature hit the mark. Tozo’s live translation tool sounded promising on paper, but in my case, it didn’t work at all. I haven’t tested the meeting recording function yet, so I can’t speak to its accuracy or usefulness – but the fact that it’s even included speaks to Tozo’s willingness to push the envelope.
For a product at this price point, it’s hard to fault them for trying. Still, if you’re buying these purely for the AI extras, it’s worth knowing that not everything is fully polished just yet.
There was also a small but frustrating moment during my return flight when the app experience came back to bite me. I went to test how well the ANC handled crying baby frequencies – a real-world challenge if ever there was one – but couldn’t access the alternate modes I wanted. While I’d finally worked out how to toggle between ANC on and off via the earbuds (left tap, I think?), I’d been relying on the app to dive deeper into the custom noise control settings.
Unfortunately, because I hadn’t opened the app recently before boarding, it wanted me to log in again. And with flight mode on, that wasn’t going to happen. I was stuck with whatever profile I’d last used, with no way to adjust it mid-air.
It’s a good reminder that app-dependent features can become limitations in low-connectivity situations. Future versions would benefit from caching login tokens more reliably – or better yet, offering offline access to core settings so features stay functional no matter where you are.
Final Verdict
The Tozo Golden X1 surprised me. For a mid-range set of earbuds, they offer a lot: clear audio, strong ANC, LDAC support, app customisation, and a refreshingly thoughtful user experience. They’re not perfect – the controls aren’t my favourite, and that glossy case could use a bit more durability – but the core experience is solid and satisfying.
If you’re after a reliable pair of buds that can handle calls, commutes, workouts, and the occasional rogue launch from your ears, the Golden X1s are absolutely worth a look.
They are available from Amazon for A$199.99 in black, blue or champagne, but there is currently a deal bringing them down to A$159.99 which is a bargain. They are also available from the official website.
Specs
Earphone
Type: In-ear True Wireless
Model: X1
Audio quality
Driver: φ12 mm dynamic driver + Knowles balanced armature driver
Frequency response range: 12Hz – 44.1kHz
Audio codec: LDAC / AAC / SBC
Noise cancellation
Noise control modes:
Noise Cancellation / Leisure Mode / Custom Pattern / Reduce Wind Noise/
Transparency Mode / Noise Cancellation Off
Call Noise Cancellation: Triple-Microphone with ENC Call Noise Reduction
Battery Life
Battery capacity: 55mAh(earphones) / 500mAh(charging case)
Music play time (AAC, Default setting, 50% volume)*:
Max Noise Cancellation: 5h (single charge)
Noise Cancellation Off: 8h (single charge)
Charging
Cable Charge Time: 2h (earphones) /2h (charging case)
Charging port: USB Type-C
Charging input (charging case): 5V⎓500mA（USB-C）/5V⎓400mA（wireless charging）
Charging output (charging case): 5V⎓50mA*2
Charging input (earphones): 5V⎓50mA
Wireless charger: Qi wireless charging supported
Water resistance
Water resistance – earphone: IPX6
Bluetooth
Bluetooth version: BT 5.3
Effective Bluetooth range:10m
Weight and Dimensions
Weight (each ear): 5.8g（±0.2g）
Weight (charging case): 43g（±1g）
Weight (entire device): 54.6g（±1g）
Dimensions of charging case: 69.9*34.2*38.2mm
