Certainly one aspect that directs users to purchase a TWS earphones, in addition to the sound quality, is the way in which they adapt to the ears and their relative comfort. Among the macro categories of earphones, there are in-ear ones, semi-in-ear ones but also those defined as open-ear, that is, which leave a good part of the surface of our pavilion free, resting gently on it and therefore allowing us to remain alert to what surrounds. Today we're taking a look at the Tozo OpenEgo, one of the latest releases from the audio-focused brand, which you can currently grab at a price that will sound good on your wallet.
Topics of this article:
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Despite their sporting vocation, the Tozo OpenEgo offer a charging case with a decidedly elegant look, thanks to a workmanship that features a shiny band that contrasts with the opaque plastic of the rest of the case. The colors available are black and white and a gem not to be underestimated is the convenient and small LED display positioned on the front of the glossy band, which gives us the residual charge value of the charging box and headphones.
Although the charging case is larger than most TWS earphones on the market, it is still pocket-sized and convenient to take out even from a pants pocket. The not very compact size of the charging box is due to the shape of the earphones, as these are developed with hooks that extend from the drivers, so as to anchor themselves around the ear. However, I can tell you that despite the pronounced size of the earphones, once worn they do not create any discomfort and are light, without weighing down the ear even after long sessions of use.
Yep, the defining feature of the Tozo OpenEgo is their air-conduction design that places the speaker drivers on top of the ear canal. This is particularly useful for outdoor athletes as it allows them to hear the ambient sounds of their surroundings, but is also particularly suitable for people whose ear shape doesn't fit well with in-ear or semi-in-ear earphones. Speaking of sports, the package contains two soft silicone "caps" with a small flap, to be inserted on the end of the hooks in order to make the headphones super stable during intense workouts. Furthermore, their form factor facilitates sharing the headphones with friends and relatives, as there are no inserts that tend to fill with earwax or other dirt, so we could define the Tozo OpenEgo as hygienic headphones.
The comfort factor is definitely promoted, as Tozo's proposal, despite being stable and well secured to the ear, does not irritate the tragus of the ear, the small piece of cartilage located next to the ear canal. The earphones are made of plastic coated with a sort of soft and skin-friendly silicone which gives IPX5 resistance, against splashes and sweat. Finally, as regards the sales package, inside we find in addition to the aforementioned silicone supports and headphones, also a Type-C cable for charging as well as the quick guide and warranty card.
SPECIFICATIONS AND COMPANION APP
The Tozo OpenEgo offer Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity but there is no support for dual device connection while the supported audio codecs are the classic AAC and SBC and each earphone is equipped with a 16,2 mm dynamic driver with a coil larger than 30 % compared to the standard. There is no detection sensor for automatic play/pause but we have touch controls available, which can be customized via the app on a single earphone. In any case, with a single, double, triple or long press we can control play/pause, skip the track, recall the telephone assistant, control the volume and manage calls with answer, hang up or rejection.
Again through the application we can then draw on 16 audio presets or create a personalized equalization curve based on our musical taste, but basically with the factory audio profile the Tozo OpenEgo sound really good. Due to their "open" nature, we do not have the active noise cancellation function available, but for calls the double microphone available on each earphone offers truly spectacular cleaning from wind and other noises. In city traffic during a call your interlocutor will not hear any annoying noise, so much so that he will seem to be speaking to you face to face.
The Tozo companion app, available for both Android and iOS devices, is really well made and complete. I personally appreciate the clean and intuitive layout and the useful customization features, but also the ability to update the firmware.
PERFORMANCE AND SOUND QUALITY
You're probably coming from standard TWS headphones, and getting used to the open style of the Tozo OpenEgo may take a few minutes to get you hooked on their comfort and audio output system. The earphones stay securely around the ear and the speakers deliver sounds directly above the ear canal. The audio from the 16,2mm dynamic drivers is clear and there is no need to turn up the volume too much. Compared to other similar products, Tozo has designed the OpenEgo so that the sound is directed right inside the ear canal, as would happen with a common TWS headphones, but here we have the fact that the ear remains free and therefore always alert compared to the noises of the environment that surrounds us, but above all the absence of sound dispersion also has a positive impact on privacy, for example during a call whoever is next to you will not hear your business but above all you will not disturb them while you are listening of music or anything else.
Crazy audio quality, with present and engaging bass and good immersion in the music, but I reiterate the fact of remaining alert to the surrounding environment. The touch controls worked perfectly with immediate responsiveness to the command given. In technical terms we have a frequency range that goes from 20 Hz to 20 KHz with an impedance of 18 Ohm. The ability to remap touch controls in the Tozo app is another plus. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity in the open field reaches an effective range of over 10 meters but even at home, with walls and obstacles, the signal has always been constant without sound degradation. Pairing to the smartphone occurs quickly by simply opening the cover of the charging box, as the hall sensor is integrated, which is rare on this type of product.
AUTONOMY
The Tozo OpenEgo packs a 100mAh battery inside each earbud while the charging case offers a 600mAh battery. Overall we get a total duration of around 30 hours while with a single charge we get 5/5,5 hours of playback with a volume of around 80%. For charging we rely on the USB Type-C cable, so no wireless charging, but 1,5 hours are enough to get a full charge of energy.
CONCLUSIONS AND PRICE
The Tozo OpenEgo by their nature with open-ear design adapt to every type of ear shape and size. Perfect for sports but also for classics without weighing down the feeling of wearability, stellar battery life making you almost forget to recharge them. The sound quality both for music, podcasts, films but also calls is very high and therefore you will not have to compromise even with the price, around $40 if purchased on the Tozo official store by redeeming the coupon made available by the company 6B9XMFCS or around €60 if you prefer to buy them on Amazon Italy with Prime shipping and guarantee, always redeeming a discount coupon directly from the purchase page. A price that goes hand in hand with quality and that you will hardly find in other similar products. Highly recommended, but be quick as the price may change.
