Tozo NC3 Earbuds Review: Earbuds that Excel in Audio and Features At a Very Low Price (shop for deals!)

Tozo NC3 Earbuds

At $79.99, buyers expect certain features in earbuds that go beyond good sound. Touch controls, perhaps. Maybe noise cancellation. Perhaps a good IPX rating. The Tozo NC3 Earbuds include all of those features. What’s more, the $79.99 list price if much higher than the actual sales price at the time of this review. The Tozo site, as the NC3s, is listed at $35.99 with an additional $11 in a coupon. The sale ends soon, but for those features, did I mention an LED battery-level display on the case?

That $24.99 for earbuds that do indeed have good, clear sound, support clear calls and include all of the baseline features buyers now expect in a $79.99 pair of earbuds. Amazon has them for the same price right now, but it lists them at $49.99, now discounted to $35.99, with the additional $11 coupon available. Even if the sales end, the Amazon price offers a fantastic bargain with these features and solid audio.

What we like

The Tozo NC3 earbuds are designed to provide a snug and comfortable fit, making them suitable for various activities like running and tennis without the risk of falling out. Users have praised the excellent comfort and fit, noting that the earbuds stay securely in place during physical activities.  

I found the audio rich and clear from the 12mm dynamic drivers. David Guetta’s Titanium rang true from the deep beat to Sia’s punchy vocals. And as it should, Dido’s White Flag pulled its ethereal opening through my ears with a well-defined stereo experience.

The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature of the Tozo NC3 earbuds is impressive, effectively isolating users from ambient noise. This performance is notable, especially considering the earbuds’ affordable price point.

The Tozo NC3 earbuds enhance the user experience by allowing sound customization through adjustable EQ settings available in the companion app. This feature enables users to tailor the audio output to their personal preferences, providing a more personalized listening experience.  

The compact charging case of the Tozo NC3 earbuds features a digital display indicating battery levels for both the case and each earbud, adding convenience for users. The case is small and compact, making it easy to carry around, and fits comfortably in pockets. 

That case also takes the earbuds 13 hours of playback time to 55 total hours, which is a very respectable amount of time for such a compact product.

Priced affordably, the Tozo NC3 earbuds provide excellent value for those seeking quality wireless earbuds at a low entry price.

With an IPX8 rating, the NC3, with waterproofing structures and nano-coating tech, can not only get wet but can also be submerged for up to 30 minutes. That makes them a more impressive hiking companion than many higher-priced earbuds.

Although the Tozo app is cluttered (see notes in What could be improved), the new AI features point toward a turning point for integrating AI features into lower-end consumer products. Tozo currently includes meeting recording, real-time translation, face-to-face translation and AI chat. Translation automatically picked up the source language and translated it into English. The meeting recorded heard me and captured what I said accurately, and chat could answer questions.

Tozo does not disclose the model or its privacy policy. A lot of AI is in beta, and that’s OK. I would suggest that Tozo list this section as being beta, create an acknowledgment screen that states their AI policy and how they are handling input history, and clean up the UI. This feature could become a differentiator, at least for now, but at the current execution level, it looks more like an experiment.

The Tozo NC3s ship in black, blue and pink.

What could be improved

Of course, at the target of $79.99, not all the features make the cut. The Tozo NC3 earbuds lack in-ear detection sensors, meaning audio continues to play even when the earbuds are removed. This omission requires users to manually pause their media, which can be inconvenient during activities that necessitate frequent removal of the earbuds. Some users have expressed frustration over this missing feature, noting its absence as a significant drawback.

Tozo NC3 also chose not to make a wireless charging case com, but the USB-C charging is fast and efficient, though the port is on the bottom, not the back of the case.

The companion app for the Tozo NC3 earbuds provides customizable EQ settings and other features; however, the interface is cluttered and includes unnecessary elements, such as social media and store tabs, which detracts from the user experience. The AI feature coexists on a page with soothing noises. And odd choice. Tozo must streamline the app to focus on core functionalities like EQ adjustments, noise control modes, firmware updates, and support. 

I would also like to see all features work without the need for registration and a proper iPad version of the UI. It would also be good for Tozo to double-check its spelling. The most glaring example is “Realtim” on an AI button. Some of the buttons, like the talk-to-speak button on “Realtim” translation, i not localized, remaining in Chinese.

While the missing hardware features can easily be forgiven as cost-based engineering choices, unpolished software has no excuse. Tozo needs to invest not just in editing features to its app but also in developing an app that is as good as its hardware.

I would also like to see Tozo eliminate plastic from its packaging. Its low sustainability score was driven by a plastic box wrap and other plastic in the otherwise simple cardboard box.

Tozo NC3 Earbuds: The bottom line

The Tozo NC3 earbuds deliver a comfortable fit, effective ANC, and customizable sound at an affordable price point. While they lack certain features like in-ear detection and wireless charging, their performance and value make them a strong contender in the budget-friendly wireless earbud market.

Tozo provided the NC3 Earbud sfor review. Images courtesy of Tozo unless otherwise noted.

Serious Insights is an Amazon Affiliate. Clicking on an Amazon link may result in a payment to Serious Insights.

For more serious insights on hardware and accessories, click here.