The TOZO OpenReal headphones are air conduction headphones boasting a battery life of 16 hours on a single charge, decent sound quality, and a sleek design. Specifically designed for athletics, but appealing to anyone who loves open earbuds, let’s delve into some features of these headphones and then assess their real-life performance.
What’s In The Box
- TOZO OpenReal open-ear headphones
- Proprietary charging cable
- User manual & quick guide
Design And Build Quality
The TOZO OpenReal earbuds come in a sleek design featuring a simple matte finish, available only in black/grey color. Notably, they are covered all around with soft silicone material, providing comfort on the skin. Furthermore, the OpenReal is flexible, including the ear hook, making it easy to accommodate different ear sizes. The buds weigh 29 grams, making them one of the lightweight bone conduction earbuds on the market. The TOZO OpenReal headphones feature controls on the right side that can be operated in two ways: by touch or by pressing physical buttons.
The touch-sensitive part is on the plate of the right earphone, allowing users to start or stop music and answer phone calls. On the right side, behind the ear, there are two small rubber buttons for adjusting the volume, turning the headphones on or off, and skipping to the next or previous song. A friend complained about the difficulty of operating the headphones while riding a bike, especially when wearing a helmet. He said he had to use his phone to skip through songs, which, to me, is a downside. Since I don’t ride bikes, I wouldn’t know much about that, but generally, the buttons work perfectly for me.
The charging interface is located on the right side of the headphones. TOZO has replaced the usual Type-C with a magnetic proprietary charger, which is a problem for me since I’m used to the USB-C charging system. The biggest downside here is that the magnetic hold on the plug is weak and somehow unplugs anytime it’s touched. To keep them in place, you’ll need to be creative, which can be stressful sometimes.
However, there is a silicone-like covering that helps keep dust away, keeping the charging area clean. There is also an LED indicator light close to the charging port, turning red when charging and black when the headphone is fully charged. With an IPX8 certification, the TOZO OpenReal earbuds offer peace of mind, safeguarding against sweat and water damage.
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Sound Quality
In terms of audio performance, the TOZO OpenReal excels with its 16.2mm dynamic drivers, ensuring balanced bass and clear sound across the spectrum. The performance is immersive and highly satisfying across various music genres. As we all know, open earbuds are not always known for punchy bass like the ones you get from in-ear earphones. However, these air conduction headphones still try their best to provide some bass.
The low range here is clear, with only occasional distortion, which is not always noticeable. The midrange and treble out of the box sound okay, but a little tweak here and there using the TOZO app can enhance the sound quality. On the TOZO app, you get a few pre-customized EQs just in case you aren’t comfortable with the out-of-the-box sound profile. As you increase the volume, you may experience sound outage. This isn’t a problem when you’re in the gym or on the street, but you wouldn’t want sound outage in a library or quiet environment.
Bluetooth Connection
The TOZO OpenReal comes with the latest Bluetooth 5.3, providing a seamless and stable connection with your phone. One advantage of this type of headphones is their long transmission range, offering about 20 meters of Bluetooth range. However, they do not support multipoint connections and do not come with a game mode.
The Bluetooth codecs of the headphones are the usual SBC and AAC, making them compatible with both Android and iOS phones. Although they don’t come with a game mode, you won’t experience any audio lag when streaming videos online. However, there may be lagging when gaming. Connecting the headphones to your phone is very simple, just like connecting other earbuds.
Battery Performance
The TOZO OpenReal headphones come with a battery capacity of 120mAh, which TOZO claims lasts for 16 hours when played at 50% volume. I somewhat agree with their claim because we were able to use the headphones for about 3 days. To charge the OpenReal, it takes close to two hours. What’s great is that even just 10 minutes of charging gives you two hours of playtime.
This is convenient for those who are constantly on the go. One thing that’s not as convenient is the charging port. It’s a special magnetic one, which means you need a specific cable to charge it. It would have been easier if it used a USB-C charging port, especially for traveling. Having to carry around another type of cable can be a hassle, and it’s easy to lose too.
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Call Quality
The TOZO OpenReal comes with a dual mic and ENC, features that help provide decent call quality. The mics work fine, and the environmental noise cancellation also helps reduce the amount of noise and wind that gets in when you are on a call. Though the call quality is okay, the other caller often doesn’t hear you clearly due to the mic being a little bit away from the mouth area.
Price And Availability
As of the time of writing, you can get the TOZO OpenReal on the TOZO official website for $39.99. Those who buy via Aliexpress can get the headphones for US $39, which is equivalent to NGN 54,924. For those in Kenya and Ghana, you can do the math to get your country’s conversion rate. The OpenReal comes in two colors, black and khaki, so you have the liberty to choose the one that best matches your taste.
Final Verdict
The TOZO OpenReal headphones offer a cheaper option compared to regular headphones. They have a long-lasting battery, a comfortable design for riders, and provide good sound quality. However, they can struggle in windy weather, and the buttons are hard to press when wearing a helmet.
Plus, they only come in one size, and the charging interface can be problematic. However, considering the price of these headphones, you may overlook their downsides, especially for those on a budget. What do you think of the TOZO OpenReal headphones? Let me know in the comment section below.