Tozo NC20 Pro Review 

Intro 

Hello, this review and feature covers the latest from the audio brand Tozo named the Tozo NC20 Pro ($79). The NC20 Pro is actually one of the most jam packed tws under $100 when considering features and overall usefulness and I am more than happy to speak on them today. I was asked awhile back to check out the NC20 Pro and have actually had a very nice month with them chilling comfortably in my front right mini 5th pocket. Something I will never leave the house without; a good set of true wireless earphones. At any rate, the NC20 Pro carries a single yet massive 12 mm SDLC (Super Diamond Like Carbon) diaphragm dynamic driver, a very capable chipset and some of the cooler functionality that I’ve personally seen and used under $100. Obviously, I will get into all of that as we move throughout this review. 

Tozo

Tozo really threw me for a loop the last time I performed a review for this brand (Tozo Golden X1) and found out that Tozo has been around since (roughly) about 2015. I also was stunned to find out that Tozo was an American founded brand in Seattle Washington. I think most people suspect that Tozo originated out of China, I know I certainly did. The cool thing is that Tozo actually has some very large reach selling products globally for quite some time now. From what I’ve been able to gather, Tozo actually started out as a small tech accessory brand and began making budget oriented true wireless, expanding into wireless over-ear headphones, portable speakers, and then branched out to smartwatches, power banks, chargers etc. I had absolutely zero clue that Tozo has spread their wings that wide. Tozo most definitely positions itself as a budget brand centered around making the best for the least. If any of you have read anything from me then you know that I always will celebrate any brand which isn’t trying to price gouge the customer or rip anyone off. During my research I found out that Tozo has over 30 million customers. Let that sink in. I thought that Soundpeats was huge, but they quite literally have nothing on Tozo. Something I never expected to say. This has been eye opening friends. As far as the personal audio space, Tozo has had massive success. Sets like the Tozo T6, Tozo T10, the Tozo PA1, PA2, and many more true wireless earphones have all seen great numbers as far as sales goes. Not to mention the praise they’ve gotten through reviews. Certainly, a success story and I plan to learn much more as I go along in my reviewing journey. 

Reviews

Now, I’ve only ever reviewed one set for Tozo. Like I said, I reviewed the Tozo Golden X1 (Golden X1 Review) last year and I am not lying when I say that I’ve used them daily ever since. I love that set! Such a perfect and comfortable companion every day. I have been ridiculously impressed by the X1 folks. Sure, it has some shortcomings and is getting older now, so it isn’t quite as feature packed as some newer tws iems, but it is a very well-rounded set that I continually boast about. This is why I jumped at the opportunity to review the NC20 Pro. Knowing that Tozo has an upgraded tws iem in the high-budget range gripped my curiosity right away. You see, I’m a fan of brands. But not in the way you may think. I like watching where they go, what directions that they take. These brands invest not just money but also hope into these products’ success. This means that they are really trying with all of their expertise, experience, craftiness, artistry, and good ole’ blood, sweat, and tears into creating the best products that they can for the money. Especially a budget-oriented brand like Tozo. Weaker brands will be found out. They always are. True colors always rise to the top. Friends, Tozo hasn’t stopped since they’ve started. Something tells me that we will see a long, blooming, and successful continuation of the prosperous name that they’ve made. Here’s to many more reviews in the future. 

Competition 

Of course, if there’s one thing that any and every true wireless set of earphones from any price point has… in abundance… is competition. Typically, it is the competition which is every set’s greatest weakness. People only have so much money to spend. They want to spend that money on the best that their dollar can get them. A pretty basic understanding. The market is so unbelievably saturated with products and Tozo is just one brand out of thousands. Coincidentally, the NC20 Pro just so happens to be one set out of thousands too. The NC20 Pro has to bring something special folks. Sets like the awesome Soundpeats H3, the Soundpeats Air5 Pro, One Plus Buds 4, Soundcore Space A40, or the Earfun Air Pro 4. That’s only a handful out of hundreds in direct competition folks. The NC20 Pro battles it out for your dollar and I intend to find out if this set has what it takes to be spoken of in the rarified air of one of the better tws iems under $100. With that said, I am definitely ready to get into this review. So, without further ado, the Tozo NC20 Pro… 

Non-Affiliated Purchasing Links:

–Tozo

–Amazon

–Walmart

Packaging / Accessories 

Unboxing 

The Tozo NC20 Pro arrived at my home in a very small and non-wasteful white box with a picture of the NC20 Pro on the front cover and some specs on the back. Pretty routine. You should know that there really isn’t much to expect from a true wireless unboxing. That is most certainly the case here. At any rate, open the box from the side and you’ll have to pull out the plastic “holder/tray”. Sitting pretty in the middle of the tray is that beautiful case. Inside the box you’ll also find a large swath of eartips, as well as a USB-c charging cord. Again, pretty basic, as I expected. 

Eartips

Inside of the packaging Tozo provides a total of 10 pairs of eartips from small to large, all of the same kind. To be exact they are gray silicone slotted eartips rather than rounded. These are also a typical tws shallow fit style and come with a somewhat firm flange and stem. I find that they fit decently but I knew I would need to tip roll to get my best fit. It took some time, but I found the perfect set of eartips folks. I mean, they help this set so much sonically. Those are the shallow fit, wide bore, and very firm Tenmak Whirlwind eartips. I love how the Whirlwinds take the base tuning and really open up the upper-mids while retaining that hard thump down low, adding a more spacious stage too. So eartips definitely matter. Yes, I am Captain Obvious. Anyways, the included tips may fit your ears perfectly, but I would try to find a set of more shallow fit tips (so they’ll fit in the charging case) with a touch wider if a bore size. 

Charging Case

The charging case in the NC20 Pro is unquestionably one of the Tozo NC20 Pro’s most unique selling points. I really mean that folks. I had no idea how much I’d like having a charging case with so much capability. Friends, this charging case isn’t just a charging case. In reality, the charging case is a control center for the NC20 Pro. At any rate, I’ll get to the NC20 Pro’s case screen and ability in a bit, for now let’s check out the usual functionality of this charging case. It is a smaller case, easily fitting into my small 5th pocket of my jeans in an oval shape and nothing in this case feels overtly cheap. Good for the cost is what I’d say. However, where this case absolutely excels at is battery capacity and charging. It has fast charging, wireless charging too and has a 550 mah battery which can garner a total of 63-80 extra hours of battery to the NC20 Pro earbuds. That is a ridiculously huge number. Remember, the earbuds themselves have top class battery capacity (I’ll touch on that later). Let break these down further below:

Wireless Charging 

I have completed many tws reviews and very few of them have wireless charging. Granted, I rarely ever use this feature, but many folks enjoy just setting their earbuds down on a Qi wireless charger and forgetting about them. Without question it is a solid feature. Great to see for a set like this. 

Fast Charging 

The case itself has fast charging capabilities, and the earbuds also have fast charging capabilities. I have noted (while testing) that I was able to charge this 550 mah case from 6% to full in 1 hour and 48 minutes. Believe me, I never do these tests and I had an opportunity, so I tested them. I was using an 18W fast charger at the time. I believe the case handles up to 18 W, but I could be mistaken. At any rate, fast charging works with the earbuds too. When placed inside of the charging case the earbuds also fully charge in 45-60 minutes and you can get up to 2 hours of battery on only 10 minutes of charging when the batteries are drained. I’ll cover all of this in the “Battery Capacity” section under the “Features” header. 

Screen

Now I’m getting to the real reason that any of you would even attempt to read about a charging case. That reason is the screen that Tozo so magnificently installed onto this plastic case. At first, when I saw that the NC20 Pro’s charging case had a screen I thought… “Cool, not needed, but cool”. Kind of gimmicky and I basically brushed that off. So many cheap tws have these cheap screens. Then I started swiping through the screen and found out that it has as fluid of a scrolling ability as my smartphone has. Then I looked it up and found out that the screen is an LED backlit screen. Which explains its bright colors which POP. It became clear that the charging case itself is game changing. I’ve seen other charging cases with screens, and they are always jenky, kind of cheap, and don’t really do anything great. Folks, you can change the wallpaper on this screen! So, the screen itself is a 1.52”-1.8” LED/LCD display with a very fluid capacitive touch screen. The screen resolution is undisclosed from Tozo but I can report a very vibrant screen which can be dimmed or brightened at the swipe of a finger. 

Different Screen functions 

You’ll first see the home screen which can be turned on and off by a small flush mount button at the bottom of the case. Here it shows the battery of the case, and each earbud inside of the case as well as the time. At the bottom is a swipe “unlock” to get inside of the case’s settings. Yes, this case has its own settings. By the way, I am dumbfounded at how responsive the touch and swipe abilities are. Again, very fluid. So, swipe to unlock and you’ll first see the “Music” icon. This is so cool. Folks, hit the music icon and it’ll bring up the song you are playing. You can tap next-song, play/pause, and previous-track here. Swipe left to go back to the top screen. From the music icon you can swipe right or left, we will go right. The next icon is the “Volume” control. Swipe again and you can control all “Noise Cancellation” capabilities on the NC20 Pro. Then swipe again and you get a full equalizer with custom EQ capabilities as well as 32 preset EQ profiles that you can choose… FROM THE CASE! This is great. Granted, I haven’t actually used this feature as it’s easier on my smartphone in the app, but that’s beside the point. Name another case that can do this? Swipe again and you see the “Sound Mode” icon at which you can choose sound profiles Standard or Spatial Audio. Go back and swipe again and you get the “Find My Earbuds” icon which does exactly that. Lastly is the “Settings” menu which has a whole list of settings to further dial in your experience. Stuff like, Wear Detection, Multi-Point Connection, switch to LDAC codec, change your Wallpaper, set Screen Timeout, Brightness, and there’s a general settings icon as well. 

Impressive

The point is that the case alone has a ton of functionality with it and guess what… everything works. Friends, the charging case is awesome. It’s small, it fits in any pocket, including the tiny front right 5th pocket of my jeans, it has a huge battery, and it has a working screen with a ton of functionality. I couldn’t be more impressed. 

Build / Aesthetic / Internals / Fit / Chipset / Controls 

Build Quality 

When it comes to build quality of the Tozo NC20 Pro, I’d say that it is appealing per its class. Certainly, right there with other brands “under $100” earbuds from Soundpeats, Earfun, Edifier, Soundcore etc. As with all of those other brands’ sets’, the NC20 Pro is made entirely out of a nice and hard plastic, likely ejection molded in two parts. However, these brands have to make these sets out of plastic, or some plastic equivalent. What’s nice is that the NC20 Pro has what Tozo calls “Hydroguard” protection giving it an amazing IPX8 rating. More on that later. Tozo added in three microphones on this set for better call quality along with some noise reduction tech that I’ll explain later. Now, this set is obviously a stem style design with a very nice looking and functional medium length stem. I don’t like them too long. I’d say the build is much more focused on performance rather than luxury or ornate adornments. But it’s a solidly built set. Absolutely nothing to complain about at all. It’s a sturdy built set with a hard feel. Nothing feels like cheap plastic or chinsy. It’s a well-engineered, well designed, and very ergonomically sound set in my opinion. 

Aesthetic Design 

Now, it’s the aesthetic design which I really dig about the NC20 Pro. This coming from someone who prefers sets which “don’t” have a stem. It’s a dope looking set folks. It has that clean and streamlined appearance that looks slick in the ear. In my opinion they are better looking than something like the Soundpeats Air5 Pro Plus, or the Soundcore models. From what I understand the NC20 Pro comes in four colorways. Those being “black”, as you see in the photos, as well as champagne, rose gold, and titanium gray. Definitely four classy colorways. I actually don’t know what color I like better, all of them are really nice. In all truth, you can only do so much with the appearance of these sets unless you add some really ornate faceplates on the touch surface, dope colorways like the NC20 Pro too. However, you also can’t have anything impeding the antenna and really have to be careful what materials you use or how ornate you make them. Furthermore, on budget sets you really aren’t going to see anything super bodacious and ultra elegant. These are budget earbuds. So, I’d say that Tozo made a nice-looking set. I definitely like them a lot. 

Internals 

To begin, it’s always about the driver. In the case of the NC20 Pro Tozo didn’t hold back. They used a huge 12 mm SDLC (Super Diamond-Like Carbon) diaphragm single dynamic driver which pumps out your tunes which actually has a titanium dome, along with the diamond like carbon layer. Folks, who does that on budget tws sets? It’s also stated that Tozo went the route of dual magnets internally which also is pretty rare. This helps with many tuning and sound improvements like driver speed, tighter bass response, better note control. Please trust me, you don’t see this often. Tozo says that they crafted a perfectly and completely sealed acoustic chamber with nano-waterproof coating to seal from moisture. Now, I don’t know what chipset they used, but it does support Bluetooth 5.4 along with LDAC, ANC, multi-point connection, power optimization, etc. so it has to be a quality SOC chipset. Also, each NC20 Pro earbud has its own 30 mah battery which is said to get you anywhere from 10-16 hours of battery life (more on that later). Basically, this set is outfitted well for the price. 

Fit / Comfort 

As far as fit and comfort, I have zero issues. This is a very subjective thing to speak on but the Tozo NC20 Pro fits my ears like a glove folks. Believe me, after I found the perfect eartips for my ears I found the NC20 Pro to be one of the more comfortable tws in-ears under $100. Again, totally subjective, but also, I really don’t feel like anyone should have an issue with fit. Very ergonomical and should fit most ears fine. 

Chipset

Once again, I have no idea what chipset that Tozo went with. I would think if it was a Qualcomm chipset that they’d (Tozo) promote that, so I don’t think it is one. Having said that, this doesn’t mean that the chip they used is inferior either. I have a multitude of earbuds that are functionally strong and feature rich like the NC20 Pro, and they use less popular chipsets. It really comes down to implementation folks. I’ve heard plenty of Qualcomm sets which do not live up to the branding rendering the promotion of “Qualcomm” almost obsolete. As far as the NC20 Pro, this chipset enables Bluetooth 5.4, LDAC support (awesome), multi-point pairing, low-latency mode, adaptive hybrid ANC, transparency mode, in-ear detection, power management, case and app integration, AI call noise reduction, as well as a few other features. What it comes down to is that the chip used makes this set a feature dense product. This is not just a simple “Bluetooth receiver”. No sir. You get ANC, codec decoding, latency control, full battery managing, mic processing, etc. The kicker is that it does this at the same time. Definitely a modern Bluetooth set of earbuds with all of the luxuries of more expensive sets. 

Controls / Control Function

I was so glad to see that Tozo made sure to have all logical features available to be controlled from the earbuds themselves. Believe me, not many earbuds do. So, one single tap on the right earbud will play or pause music/videos and a tap on the left side switches ANC and transparency modes. A double tap on the right side will take you to the next track and a double tap on the left side is the previous track. If you hold on the left side it will initiate volume down and hold on the right will force volume up. When you triple tap the left earbud it will turn off ANC/Transparency and return you to normal mode. Also, if you triple tap the right side it will take you to your phone’s voice assistant. During calls a single tap on either earbud will answer a phone call, while holding either earbud down will reject or end a call. 

Control Functionality 

It’s nice to see all commonsense functions available on the touch surface to command. However, so often we see sets with far too sensitive touch surfaces, or touch surfaces which are very difficult to work properly. I have had this set with me for quite some time, and I have almost never had any ghost touches, nothing too sensitive either. Also, I don’t have to keep tapping in hopes to get the command to initiate. It’s such a fine balance and the NC20 Pro seems to do well in this regard. 

TOZO NC20 ProSpecifications

Specs:

Driver: 12mm Dynamic Driver (DLC diaphragm)

Bluetooth Version: 5.4

Supported Codecs: LDAC (Hi-Res Audio Wireless)

Active Noise Cancellation: Hybrid Adaptive ANC (up to ~52dB)

Microphones: 6-Mic Array w/ AI Call Noise Reduction

Transparency Mode: Yes

Battery & Charging:

Battery Life (Earbuds): Up to ~10–16 Hours

Total Battery Life (w/ Case): Up to ~80 Hours (63 to 80 hours realistically) 

Charging Port: USB Type-C

Wireless Charging: Yes

Fast Charging: Supported

Features:

Spatial Audio

EarTune Personalized Sound

Hybrid ANC & Transparency modes

32 Preset EQs (TOZO App) and a full graphic equalizer 

Dual-Device Multipoint Connection

Ultra-Low Latency Mode (~0.05s)

In-Ear Detection (Auto Play/Pause)

“Find My Earbuds” Support

Voice Assistant Compatible

Design & Build:

Water Resistance: IPX8

Fit: Ergonomic In-Ear

Controls: Touch (Earbuds) + Smart Touchscreen Case

Case: Full-Color Interactive Display

Performance Notes:

Deep sub-bass extension

Clean, slightly elevated treble

Balanced tuning with enhanced dynamics

Dual-magnetic driver structure

In the Box:

TOZO NC20 Pro Earbuds

Smart Charging Case

USB-C Cable

Silicone Ear Tips (Multiple Sizes)

User Documentation

Color Options:

Black

Champagne

Rose Gold

Titanium Gray

Features

When it comes to features the Tozo NC20 Pro does just about everything you could want out of a modern set of earbuds. Really, the feature list is very long on this one. Keep in mind that I am not including the charging case features here as I already spoke about that earlier. 

Codec Support

One of the key features of this set is unquestionably its ability to produce hi-res audio. In every review that I conduct one of the very first things I’ll look at is what audio codecs are available. This is pretty important. Granted, the difference between codecs isn’t always easy to hear but if you have some hi-res codecs and Hi-Res music you will be able to distinguish the difference. I know I can. At any rate, Tozo made sure to add in LDAC support which provides the listener with 24-bit 96 kHz audio with bit rates up to 990 kbps. For Bluetooth, LDAC is one of the finest codecs on the market. Tozo also added AAC codec for the IOS users amongst us as well as the standard SBC audio codec. Be aware that your phone, or source has to have LDAC to use it, but most all Android phones nowadays do have LDAC on tap. 

Hybrid Adaptive ANC

We’ve had hybrid adaptive noise canceling in the budget sector for a while now but the effectiveness of that ANC is still a hit or miss. Tozo promises up to 52 dB attenuation of noise. However, like most budget sets the attenuation will come from the lower frequencies mostly. I find that the NC20 Pro all but shuts down any humming noises like fans, engine noise, my AC unit. Any constant sound that is lower in the register really gets quieted nicely. Higher pitched noises, people talking, the TV, etc. don’t get quite nearly as well. What the NC20 Pro will do is simply take the edge off a bit. I should point out that you really do need to get a good seal for the best ANC. That should be obvious but trust me… somehow it isn’t. Find good tips that seal well which may mean tip rolling from the tips provided. Now that I’ve said that I need to tell you that the NC20 Pro has a number of ANC profiles, and you can go through these profiles within the Tozo App. They also have Leisure Mode (a more relaxed version of the ANC), as well as Wind Noise Mode. Obviously, the wind noise mode battles more windy environments. All in all, the ANC isn’t bad at all and it’s a solid feature. 

Transparency Mode

Another feature on the NC20 Pro is Pass-through, or Transparency Mode. Transparency Mode is here to help you have a bit more awareness of your surroundings. Especially when out and about it is nice to hear what is going on around you. Like most earbuds with transparency mode the NC20 Pro uses its external microphones to amplify certain sounds outside and gently brings those sounds to the listener. A great concept that isn’t always performed very well. Most of the time these budget earbuds will sound somewhat tinny, metallic, slightly grainy. However, these brands have gotten better, chips have gotten better, and we are beginning to see much better implementations of these modes. I find that the NC20 Pro isn’t perfect, but it also isn’t even close to bad. There is a hint of unnatural timbre. Just a hint. Having said that, the NC20 Pro is also better than most earbuds under $100, and you’ll definitely hear the outside world fairly well without weakening the audio coming through. Overall, I have to say that it sounds pretty solid. However, I also have to admit that I rarely use transparency mode. I just have no need for it unless I’m in my office and others are there with me too, so I can hear conversations. Other than that, it really isn’t very useful for me. I realize that it is very important to others. 

Spatial Audio 

Let’s talk about the Tozo NC20 Pro’s ability to portray the sound field using spatial audio. When enabled (in the Tozo app) the NC20 Pro will give the listener a more spatially spaced-out experience with better layers of sound directionally. Some say this is more of a gimmick, and some swear by it. I can tell you that for me the spatial audio feature worked great for most all movies or videos when I was watching on my phone. That said, I really don’t enjoy my music as much with spatial audio enabled. Maybe I’m in the minority here but spatial audio almost adds an unrealistic feel to the sound field as a whole. While it works great for movies, I really don’t think it is the perfect attribute for music listening. 

Multi-Point Connection (Dual-Device Connection) 

I found that dual device connection on the Tozo NC20 Pro is better than just about any other budget range earbud that I’ve used. Most of the “other” earbuds do connect well, though the connection is usually sloppy, half cooked, and simply not as seamless as the NC20 Pro. Really, it’s so simple folks. Just enable Dual Device Connection in the Tozo app and then pair one device followed by the pairing of another. Super easy. I was able to have my laptop and dap paired with no issues and actually used this more so than I’ve used on any budget tws. In truth, I find the NC20 Pro’s dual device connection or “multi-point connection” to be very well done and a useful feature. 

Game Mode (Low-Latency Mode) 

The next feature I want to brag about with the NC20 Pro is its very nice Low Latency Mode. Without question one of the most annoying traits of most Bluetooth earbuds is their inability to pair sound with lips, or gaming action with sound. So often there is an obvious lag which means you are constantly pause-hit play-pause-hit play and over and over again trying to line up the sound with what is happening on your screen. Now, as far as my time with the NC20 Pro, I have had zero issues with any movies or videos on any platform without Game Mode (Low-Latency Mode) enabled. I typically use LDAC too. However, I am very pleased with how well the NC20 Pro syncs up audibly to gaming. Although it isn’t quite as perfect on 1st person shooters, it’s still one of the best I’ve used under $100. Really graphic intensive and chaotic moments in 1st person shooters may have a touch of lag, but for the most part the NC20 Pro does very well with latency. Tozo markets the NC20 Pro with latency as low as 0.05 ms, but obviously nobody can realistically clock that. It is nicely done though. 

Call Quality

As I mentioned earlier, the NC20 Pro has background 6 microphone AI Noise Reduction tech embedded in the SOC Chipset which actually does a solid job in low to moderate noise levels and wind. Believe me, the NC20 Pro does a better job than most under $100 sets when it comes to clear and natural sounding calls without any metallic timbre or tunnel-like sounds. Not the best, but far from the worst, very reliable, and can easily be used for meetings online or office use. I know because I’ve used the NC20 Pro for three weeks just for this purpose. I’ve had far worse in my ears and typically those I am in meetings with will let me know. I do have to add that there are a couple huge caveats to getting the best call quality. First, you absolutely MUST find eartips which fit your ears and you MUST get a good seal in your ears. Please do not forget this step. In fact, if you want good sound altogether with this set you NEED TO FIND TIPS THAT FIT! Next, you have to be realistic folks. You cannot be out in a windstorm with this set and then complain about its call quality. Can we agree on that? Also, can we use common sense? I’ve reviewed so many tws earbuds over the years folks and most of the time these earbuds nowadays will do a solid job. Rarely do they do a solid job in moderate noisy environments. The NC20 Pro actually does. Nice work Tozo. 

Battery 

Okay, one of thee most important qualities of this set is unquestionably its long battery life. Friends, I have reviewed so many tws over the last few years and I’ve found that they’ve gone down in battery life by quite a bit. Have any of you noticed this? We have better drivers, more output power, more features nowadays and earbuds can only hold so much juice without gaining in size considerably. Folks, the NC20 Pro are small. They are not big. However, they have a battery life ranging from 10 to 16 Hours! Those are top shelf specs folks. I am absolutely pleased with battery life, and I can attest that I have most certainly noticed that the battery drops very slowly. I should also mention that with the case you’ll get roughly 63 to 80 hours in total. Furthermore, the case and earbuds both have fast charging! This is too much folks, Tozo has knocked this out of the park. 

Charging Case

I know, I know, I already spoke about the charging case. I don’t care; I’m speaking about it again. I’ll be quick. I just love this case. I cannot get over how nice the touch screen is on this thing. Friends, it has just about every feature of this set on the case. Meaning, you can change just about everything without going into the app at all! This is unreal! I can control music playback with the case! Does anyone else think this is amazing! I can see lyrics displayed on the screen in some cases. Also, the scrolling is as nice as my $2k smartphone. I’m not joking. Scrolling is flawless! I am so impressed folks. I mean TOP SHELF, TOP CLASS, BEST IN CLASS or whatever other term means the best in its range. There is no better charging case under $100. There… I said it. Awesome case. Oh, one more time, the case gives you 63-80 hours of battery, it fast charges, it has wireless charging, and it is not huge. I am blown away! 

Waterproof Rating

I am so impressed with this set. Have I said that yet? Friends, I am so impressed! I say that because Tozo made sure to give the NC20 Pro IPX8 waterproofing. You can submerge this set in water folks. Not just sprays of water, not just rain drops, sweat or anything else that earbuds typically carry. No sir, you can literally submerge this set. Granted, I don’t think you should test this out but knowing that they have IPX8 is very comforting. 

Tozo app

*Note: I just reviewed the Tozo Golden X1 recently and spoke in the Tozo app. I am going to copy/paste much of those words being that they haven’t changed with usage of the NC20 Pro. 

Another feature that I need to speak on is one of the NC20 Pro’s best features. Albeit, it isn’t really a feature “on” the earbuds, but rather a feature that Tozo earbuds get to use. That is the Tozo app. I praise so many of these wireless brands for incorporating apps into their product, but I am absolutely cheering on Tozo’s wonderful job on their app. It has a litany of features folks. You can do everything from firmware upgrades, assigning control schemes, EQ profiles out the wazoo, select noise cancellation settings, settings in general, AI integrated hearing test, Ai translation (I have no idea how well this works and haven’t tried it), and even a robust community which you can share your EQ settings, chat, and grow within the community. Also, there is a bunch more very useful and cool stuff within the app as well. Not every app is created equal folks and Tozo has proven that with the NC20 Pro. I suppose I never really spent much time in this app in the past. Or perhaps they really cleaned it up because it is a very polished app, very clean looking, very easy to find your way around. Now, this app doesn’t require you to login with a password and email, but it helps you to do more within the app with it. Furthermore, there is a membership service that you can get for some amount of money to access stuff like Ai voice chat and other paid tier abilities. Honestly, the simple free version basically gives you everything you’d want for a casual listener. I definitely applaud Tozo, a great app and easily one of its best features. 

Tozo app UI

So, the Tozo app is very easy to navigate. I won’t go over every last feature, but I will give you a 3,000-foot view of the app in general. I’ll let you figure the most of it out when you get a chance to use it. So, the Home Page starts you out with the ability to use the hearing test called “Eartune” which again is using AI algorithms to figure out your hearing abilities and creates a personalized sound profile which fits you. Next, you can use all of the ANC features which lets you change the ANC setting that you are using. Then you have the EQ features which includes a 10-band graphic equalizer that lets you save the profile that you create to the earbuds themselves and to the app as well. You can have many multiple profiles which are stored in the app. Also, you can share those settings with the community. That brings me to the community. Yes, you can use other people’s profiles as well that they’ve shared. Very cool. Also, the Tozo app has 32 preset sound profiles for you to use. I won’t list them all but they have “Bass+”,” Bass-”, Treble+”,” Treble-“, ” Classical”, “Jazz”, and a bunch more preset EQ profiles to choose from. Next, there is an Ai feature which allows you to record meetings, Ai translation, Ai chat, as well as listen to many soothing sounds and harmonies to listen to if you want to relax, fall asleep, meditate, etc. There’s a community page, a products page, and a personal page (My Tozo) as well where you can go through settings, use AI, speak with customer service etc. That’s my 3,000’ view of an awesome app. 

EQ

A features section would be nothing without speaking on the EQ capabilities of a true wireless set. Thankfully, Tozo provides so many ways to tweak the sound that I’m fairly confident that you wouldn’t be able to run through them all in a 3-hour window. Again, you have the graphic equalizer which does a surprisingly well job of switching up the sound. Better said, the NC20 Pro takes to EQ pretty well. Not quite to the degree that the Golden X1 does, but very well for an under $100 set. . I can easily switch up the sound without distortion or weird audio artifacts completely changing the sound which reaches my ears. However, the beauty of making your own profile is that it saves on the earbuds themselves. This means that you can use this personally made EQ profile on every phone, tablet, app, or any device that you connect the NC20 Pro to. Also, the community page is awesome. I have enjoyed going through other people’s profiles and hearing what they are hearing. So, the graphic equalizer is really pretty special. Now, you also have those 32 preset EQ settings that also save to the NC20 Pro, should you choose one of them. Yes, I said thirty-two! The last way that you can dial in the sound is through the Ai integrated hearing test called “Eartune”. I haven’t used this because my hearing is actually quite good and I don’t have weak spots in my hearing, but for those who do; check this out for sure. Anyways, I just wanted to speak a little bit more about the robust EQ capabilities with the Tozo app. 

Sound Impressions 

*Note: before I dive deep into the sound, I do have a few things that I need to touch on first. So, I need to explain that my critical listening was done solely in the default sound mode. It would be odd for me, a reviewer, to use some other sound profile than the out-of-the-box sound tuning. I went through many eartips and chose to go with Tenmak Whirlwind eartips for all critical listening. I do all of my music listening using flac or better files (some MP3) which are stored files on my devices. Lastly, when listening to music I generally will use UAPP (USB Audio Player Pro) on my Android phone, and I use Poweramp quite a bit too. 

What’s It Sound Like? 

If I were to gauge the out-of-the-box default signature I would probably label it as a mild V-shaped sound. The NC20 Pro is certainly a warmer leaning (warm/neutral) set with a moderately emphasized bass region, balanced upper mids, and semi-brilliant treble. I don’t hear some huge recession in the midrange either. Certainly, a nice dynamic balance across the mix. To my ears I’d say that the NC20 Pro is all about musicality and flow over precision and transparency, with a penchant for fun, along with a very vivid, intimate, yet also a very full stage. This isn’t the type of sound which will collect every last detail and draw them to your ear. It isn’t that set. The NC20 Pro is all about tunefulness and enjoying music. You won’t find yourself tracking every last detail and you won’t catch yourself panning the sound field from multiple layers of placed elements within the stage. Thankfully, Tozo created a set that is simply engaging. It has this emotionally charged and velvet quality that doesn’t lose out on the technical stuff but also doesn’t specialize in those attributes either. A very well rounded tws in-ear. Timbre is what I’d call earthy, almost analog, and very much on the organic side. Voices sound realistic, instruments sound authentic, and the NC20 Pro is relatively clean across the board. Relative to the warmer musicality-first tuning, that is. It carries a richness to its note weight that adds some depth, some roundness to notes. A very rhythmical and fluid sound that doesn’t come across muddy, artificial, or abrasive. It’s smooth from the sublevels to the upper treble without anything glaring, shouty, or harsh. Again, a very easy set to enjoy music with. 

Keep Your Feet Moving 

It is blatantly obvious to me that Tozo knows how to tune a set of earbuds. Granted, this set won’t please everyone, let’s just get that out of the way, but by-and-large the NC20 Pro will be enjoyed. Something about the measured dynamism, the balanced energy, the subtle macro-dynamics add just enough tonal contrast to sound immersive and enthralling. Which is a great thing to be for an under $100 set of wireless in-ears. There are so many brands that just boost the bass, boost the treble and call it a day. I cannot tell you how many wireless sets I turn away and choose not to review. Not that I’m some amazing reviewer either, but because I do not enjoy spending time with something that isn’t good and I darn sure don’t enjoy writing about them. Of course, there are many which do very well too, so I don’t want you to think the NC20 Pro is some unicorn or anything. It has some subjective issues that folks will have, like anything. It’s just that… I really enjoy the sound of this set. I review wired iems more than anything else and I’m always seeking out those tws sets which have the bones, the non-muddy-articulate-clarity, and the fundamental feel of a wired set. Also, I look for tws iems that don’t sound overtly congested in complex mixes, that have some spatial recognition, and that have some real cohesiveness, some refined polished qualities. For the money, for the class, and for the tuning style the NC20 Pro does very well. Just like the awesome Golden X1 from Tozo, the NC20 Pro provides the listener with a nice enough dimensional stage, focused note contours, good macro-details, as well as nice placement of elements within the stage. It isn’t boring, dull, or drab. It has some nice dialed-back spunk and punch to it, and the NC20 Pro will keep your feet moving. Let’s check out each 3rd of the mix, shall we…

Bass Region

This is a measured bass response, nicely balanced against the rest of the mix with the default tuning. That said, the NC20 Pro’s bass region isn’t going to come across like the most pinpoint in focused note control (certainly not bad) or precision. This bass is more about upholding the fluidity of the overall tuning, adding some fairly dense punch and slam. However, the NC20 Pro is not some overly boosted bass seeking out basshead desires. Again, this bass is nicely balanced, it’s warm, full bodied, good sublevel depth, and what I’d call “moderately emphasized”. The sublevels can rise to the occasion and provide a nice haptic feel to bass guitar drones, and the mid-bass thump does carry an authoritative slam when needed. A clear, and well controlled fundamental weight, rumble, or boom followed by a natural decay. Not overly snappy or ultra precise, but clean enough to not become bottlenecked in a more complex passage. Bass texture is decent too, which is something that many tws simply don’t replay well. I wouldn’t say the NC20 Pro’s bass presentation is top of class when it comes to surface textures, but nice, nonetheless. Overall, the bass has a good foundational density and dynamic quality and never feels overly softened, weak, or pillowy. You’ll find out when you hear the NC20 Pro’s bass deliver a big kick drum with that subtle snap followed by the non-muddy hollow boom. It’ll be satisfying without the bloat. Overall, I think they did a nice job tuning the bass with balance, presence, authority, and cleanliness for a budget oriented tws. 

Midrange 

In my opinion, the midrange on the NC20 Pro is like the unsung hero of this set. This is such a warm and smooth sound with such a musically engaging sound that the midrange almost sneaks up on me. I find the midrange to be fairly full sounding, semi-rich in note weight, yet never stuffy. It’s a fine line to walk when dealing with warm/neutral and smooth. I like how the NC20 Pro keeps its composure and stays relatively transparent with better clarity than one may expect. However, the beauty of this range is how immersive the midrange can be as it provides a pretty intimate presentation. The mids have a forward feel, not recessed or dialed back, which is nice to the ear and does a solid job of capturing the emotion from within a track for me. The low mids are a hair less defined, more velvet, richer in note weight but less focused due to some default signature bass bleed. If anything, the low-mids may be the Achilles heel of this set. Though that’s debatable. However, once you move into the mid-mids to upper mids you’ll hear a slight but more uplifted sound, more energy to a degree as well and some fantastic vocals. Instruments come across on the realistic side with proper harmonic decay whilst not losing clarity. Obviously the upper mids are more forward, slightly sprightlier, perceivably faster in transients, more clean-lined too. The issue with the mids will be for those who desire a much more analytically inclined and precise sound, thinner, more detailed. So, it won’t be for everyone, though I really do enjoy the presentation. 

Treble Region 

The treble region on the default tuning on the Tozo NC20 Pro is without question what I would refer to as “safe”. Tozo wasn’t trying to push the limits on this treble and what they effectively have done is create a very easy to listen to sound with the NC20 Pro. There’re no artificially boosted highs in search of illuminated details, no scorching earth harshness (at all), and the treble doesn’t come across metallic either. Timbre keeps that somewhat organic sound, more earthy (just like the rest of the mix). I do hear moderate brilliance, but nothing that anyone would ever consider bright. I can tell you that treble heads, or even moderate treble lovers will likely want to pass on this set. However, what I like about the treble is how smooth and fluid it is while also coming across with very solid clarity. It may lack that last “icing on the cake” style sparkle and extension, but it perfectly fits the overall tuning without feeling flat or non-existent. This set is 100% built on musicality and rhythmicity taking precedence over technical ability and it does so without shame. Of course, this doesn’t mean that details, separation, and some note bite are gone from the NC20 Pro’s treble region, but the focus is definitely tone, timbre, fatigue-free sound, and emotional engagement. It’s a preference thing folks. Having said all of that, you’d be amazed how much EQ can totally uplift the sound and turn the treble into a completely different animal altogether. In fact, the entire spectrum comes alive with a little EQ. 

Technicalities 

Soundstage 

To my ears the Tozo NC20 Pro has what I’d call an average sized stage. Although, I don’t think it needs to feel or sound “larger”. This is a huge misconception within the audio community, that a “good stage” has to be some cavernous and chasmic stadium of sound. This is not true. Not for me anyways. The stage has to fit the tuning. In the case of the NC20 Pro the stage is closer, intimate, immersive. It’s a full stage, filling all directions within my mind frame, but it isn’t super wide, super tall, or even super deep. However, the stage is very believable and totally works for its warmer and smoother sound. I can tell you that the stage is not ever congested, narrow, or too smeared. Tozo did a nice job of making sure that within the average sized sound field it comes across engrossing, spatially well dimensioned, and that it is never a detriment. If you look at the NC20 Pro’s sound stage from the lense of immersivity, and engagement then I’d say it is above average. Also, there is some decent depth of field which does add front to back layering to a degree. Now, this set does have spatial audio and that does add even more spatiality, but I honestly don’t dig it with music all that much. 

Separation / Imaging 

Okay, so this is where the NC20 Pro really does surprise me. Never would I think that warm/neutral, smoothly rendered and semi-rich would equate good instrument separation. However, the NC20 Pro has a lot going for it. First off, the stage is pretty decent, not enormous, but also never congested. The NC20 Pro has very-very nice clarity across the board (bass to treble). Something I don’t think I spoke on enough. Great clarity, even with the more earthy timbre and less analytical sound. Next, transients aren’t slow. They aren’t ultra speedy, but not slow. Another reason that separation is great is that the sound is actually quite balanced. No one area of the mix obscures any other. Meaning, the bass isn’t really masking sounds, and the treble doesn’t blare over or smear other frequencies. All of these attributes collectively create a clean and well controlled sound. It’s very nice folks. Separation is not at a clinical and forensic level, but Instruments and vocals are distinct. The same goes for imaging. In fact, I’d say that imaging is even better. Instruments are locked in place, great spatial recognition for a tws, there is some front to back layering too. Honestly, the only thing that could help imaging would be an even grander stage and a hair more transparency. Very nice. 

Detail Retrieval 

I said all that nice stuff about separation and imaging and you’d think that detail retrieval would follow suit. Well, it does, to an extent. You see, the Tozo NC20 Pro has what I would call very nice “macro-level details”. Nice enough tonal contrast, very nice clarity, distinct separation, making elements of the stage very visible. Very clean sounding for a smoother set. However, micro-details aren’t quite as acutely focused. Sure, when listening to less intense tracks the details will be easier to hear. Be that as it may, it’s when I put on slightly bassier tracks or more complex passages of music those finer details aren’t as recognizable for me. Having said that, I can easily EQ a bit more energy up top (treble), and I can easily dial back some mid-bass to add even more fine-lined clarity. Basically, I can EQ the NC20 Pro to be “close” to a detail beast. For a true wireless set of earbuds that is. Still, out-of-the-box, the default signature is far more musically geared and in truth… I like it. I don’t need, nor do I want more details. I’d much rather have something that is nice to listen to. I like the moistened and semi-rich sound, the emotion, the fluidity, the smoother inflections. You can’t get that by artificially boosting the highs making the sound dryer, brighter, and thinner. 

Genres

I always try to include into my reviews what genres I feel work well with each set as well as some genres which don’t work quite as well. I explain this in every review, but I have to include that any genre which I speak highly about with the NC20 Pro, I can also easily find tracks that don’t. The same for worser genres. For every genre which generally doesn’t fit this set as well I can find plenty of tracks which work very well. Furthermore, this is a true wireless set of earbuds folks. It’s very difficult to say that one genre is better than another when you can literally EQ that set to fit other genres. So, please take these thoughts as a grain of salt. In fact, these thoughts are almost not helpful at all. However, I will do my thing and do my due diligence. 

Better Genres for the NC20 Pro 

Okay, so I actually really like EDM on this set. Something about its deep sublevel rumble, its clean rumble, with its immersive and good slam that really makes EDM sound good. Next, I love Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B on this set too for many of the same reasons. I also really like any form of Rock music. Whether Alternative, Progressive, Soft Rock, or Classic Rock the NC20 Pro’s default sound fits like a glove. That clean smooth and bodied midrange gives body to guitars, body to vocals, and the mid-bass kick does wonders for drums. I do like some Jazz too. Though, I could use a hint more treble air and lift, but vocals sound fantastic, realistic, and the sound comes across effortlessly groovy. I won’t go any longer but I should add stuff like Pop music too. Granted, that is a huge and broad genre, but for the most part the NC20 Pro handles most Pop tracks well. 

Less Good Genres for the NC20 Pro 

Okay, I am a little back and forth on this one, but I do think that the NC20 Pro struggles with Metal or Hard-core for a few reasons. First, the mid-bass isn’t quite as fast and tight as I’d like, and I don’t have enough sparkle and edge inducing shimmer and aggression up top. Sure, some tracks are pretty great, but by-and-large the NC20 Pro struggles. Another is Classical or Orchestral stuff. Just not enough layered height to the stage. Not for me anyways. Not enough clean micro-detail retrieval and the sound simply isn’t as nuanced as I’d like. I think you can see where I’m going with this though, so I won’t go any longer and bore you even more. However, the NC20 Pro generally does well with most ge Res and just misses some sparkle, some transient speed, and some clean-fast bass punch for some genres. Again, take it as a brain of salt because you can easily EQ this set. 

Last Words on the Tozo NC20 Pro 

Friends, I’ve liked this set since day one. There was never a moment that I didn’t. It has so much going for it that other sets fall short on. I mean, the battery lasts between 10 and 16 HOURS! I have never even once worried about this set dying on me. Also, if they did drain of battery, it has a nice fast charge inside of a case that offers up to 80 additional hours! That’s nuts! To add to that, the case is a marketing feature of its own. I really don’t think I did a good enough job explaining all that you can do with it. The scrolling is like a phone, never jittery, never grainy, never hesitant. It just works. I adore holding that case and changing songs on it. I adore switching settings on the earbuds, changing EQ profiles per the track I’m listening to, and I adore being able to change ANC settings. It’s so cool. I love it. I hope you do too. Tozo absolutely nailed this set and added features and tech that not only works perfectly but is also very unique for its cost. The price-to-performance is second to none. 

That Sound! 

However, for me it’s the sound of this set which truly takes it from “cool gimmicky feature rich set” to “feature rich and unique set that also sounds very nice”. The default tuning is what makes this set. It has an original tuning as a very nice canvas to begin EQ’ing on. I was very pleased with how well this set takes to EQ. It does so without distortions while still coming across rather naturally, dynamic, and always has very nice clarity. The sound is one of its best assets. So refined for a true wireless! No, it isn’t the most textured, transparent, or taut in transient agility, but it is effortlessly easy on the ears, effortlessly tuneful, and very mellifluous. There’s this birdsweet feel to this set. Soft and intimate vocals are heavenly. Bigger chorus crescendos come through resounding without the sharpness. Instruments sound close to organic too. Maybe missing a hair of sparkle in the default sound, but that’s easily remedied with EQ or an EQ profile change. The NC20 Pro has enough bass to carry a big Hip-Hop bass drop yet dexterous enough to handle faster bass tracks. Also, that midrange is actually its best quality. So clean for a smoother sound yet so measured in balance without anything aggressive adding coarseness. It’s a nice sound. Sure, it has its subjective gripes and there will be those who desire something different, but for the cost it is hard to be upset with this set. It’s an easy rec from me. Of course, the NC20 Pro is worth every last penny. 

Conclusion 

To conclude my full review and feature covering the Tozo NC20 Pro I want to say thank you to Tozo and the great people that I’ve met within the brand. It’s always good to work with people who expect nothing from me but my truth. I have many brands which work with me in this way, but Tozo literally tells me to take my time, learn about the set, fully come to grips with it. I cannot begin to tell you how refreshing that is. It shows the character of the brand and the people running the show over at Tozo. They believe in their product and aren’t worried about some subjective opinions. Of course, I love this set and so all is well and good. Still, I give credit where credit is due. Tozo, you made one fantastic set of budget earbuds, and I truly hope the listening public catches on. As always, I also need to thank you, the reader, for taking the time out of your day to click the link to this page. We at Mobileaudiophile.com truly thank you. Views and clicks are what keeps our website relevant and keeps us in business. Everyone at Mobileaudiophile.com takes quite a lot of pride in helping you all find what best suits you and we all truly hope these reviews help. However, without you we are dead in the water. So, thank you, it means a lot. 

Other Perspectives 

So you’ve read all of my thoughts on the Tozo NC20 Pro and now I’d hope that you would check out a bunch more reviews of this set. There are so many great reviewers out there who want to help you just as I do. However, we simply aren’t all the same and can have vastly different thoughts about every product we review. You are the same in that each listener has different subjective preferences. I feel it is very important for you to gain as many different opinions as possible. You may not feel as I do, which is perfectly normal. What I enjoy, you may not. That’s what makes this hobby the best hobby on planet earth. So, please check out other thoughts. It’ll only help you to find the perfect set for your life. With that, I think I’m done folks. So, please take good care, stay as safe as possible and always… God Bless!!

NC20 Pro Pros

-Price-to-performance is top class

-Build is nice

-Very light, nice comfortable fit

-The charging case is a reason to buy this set, no joke. That screen and it’s features, it’s battery capacity are all amazing 

-Battery life in the earbuds is top class too (10-16 hours) 

-Effective ANC for the cost (not class leading, but solid) 

-LDAC hi-res support

-Multi-point connection works like a charm

-Unbelievable IPX8 waterproof rating. Submerge them if you dare (actually, don’t do that) 

-Nicely balanced and smooth sound across the board, refined sounding

-Solid semi-rich note weight

-Organic and more earthy timbre, nothing glaring, shouty, sibilant, or artificial 

-Deep and palpable bass (but not too much, never muddy) 

-Very nice intimate and tuneful midrange that does wonders for vocalists

-Rolled-off and non-fatiguing treble region

-Note separation and imaging are very solid for a musicality-first set

-Not a huge stage, but a well dimensioned stage

-Tozo App is one of the better companion apps in the market

-32 EQ presets, 10-band equalizer, change from the case, or the app

-I could keep going but I’ll stop here, there’s a lot to like about this set

NC20 Pro Cons

-Not everyone likes stem style earbuds

-Not the most detailed set on planet earth. Granted, you can EQ this set easily

-iPhone users don’t get LDAC. Kind of an IOS problem if you ask me (I’m searching and grasping for straws coming up with cons

-Build is nice, but not top tier (I shouldn’t have listed that, no duh… this set costs under $70)

-Those who are treble lovers, detail lovers, and analytical heads will definitely need to EQ this set

-Transparency mode is fairly natural sounding, but not the strongest