We were first introduced to TOZO in 2023 with the Golden X1 true wireless in-ears. We have grown to love this hi-fi brand that makes very affordable, high-quality personal audio products. We were recently sent the NC9, which costs 60 euros, about three times less than the X1. Spoiler alert: this review does not end happily…
Unlike the X1, which has a hybrid construction with a dynamic and balanced armature driver, the NC9 is equipped with a 9 mm driver (full range). The earplugs come in a compact box with a display on the front that indicates the battery charge. TOZO supplies 3 types of silicone tips in 3 sizes. The tips that are already attached fit us perfectly. The NC9 has active noise cancelling and no fewer than 6 microphones on board for suppressing ambient noise and for making calls. Playtime is 60 hours without ANC and 42 hours with ANC enabled, according to TOZO. The app allows you to adjust the EQ, enable ANC and also play background sounds (such as rainforest, water, beach).
In use
The NC9 in-ears are light and easy to use. A number of things are important with this type of earplug: the case must be light and easy to fit in a pocket or coat pocket and easy to open. It must also be easy to know which earpiece goes in which ear. And when taking them out, putting them back in the dock must also be easy and intuitive. This all sounds very logical, but it is not at all. We have often struggled with other true wireless in-ears  that would not go back in the case, had to be twisted into illogical positions, fell out, or had cases that did not open easily. Not world problems, but still. The NC9 are easy and intuitively to handle; as a result, we have carried these in-ears with us and used it for a long winter period.
On the bike, we found it handy that the wind noise could be turned off, so we did not have to put up with any wind noise. We found that the ANC worked well on a packed train. The quality of telephone calls was also good. Not excellent, but good in terms of intelligibility, noise and connection quality. The NC9 is IP66 water resistant. We did not test this in extremis, but heavy Dutch rain showers are no problem at all for these TOZOs.
How it sounds and how it ends
Almost all in-ears suffer from excessive bass and the NC9 is no exception. We can adjust the EQ well with the app, giving us a reasonably neutral sound balance. If the silicone ear tips fit well, we are treated to that typical in-ear sound; the music gets right inside our heads.
We listen to the NC9 via Bluetooth and connect it to our smartphone (Oppo/Android). Streaming apps: Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and the phone’s local music player app for locally stored music files.
We could be brief about it; these NC9s sound great and do what they are supposed to do. Playing music on the go or at work. We have carried the NC9 with us almost all the time the past weeks/months. And that says something, since we have a lot of choice in personal head-fi to take with us. We found ourselves choosing the NC9 most to the times.
And now comes the kicker: we have to end this review now because just before we wanted to start writing and comparing music tracks, an earpiece slipped out of your author’s hands on a cold morning. As fate would have it, the earbud bounced twice more on the train platform tiles before landing on the railway tracks.
OK, what now?
– Jump from the platform onto the tracks, quickly grab the cap and climb back onto the platform?
– Call the emergency services?
– Look for a trash grab, but one that is 3 metres long?
Option 1 is extremely dangerous and also forbidden. The emergency services have better things to do and a grabber was not available either. With heavy hearts, we left the left side of the NC9 on the tracks and boarded the train…
You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone
With an orphaned right side of NC9, we are now wearing down the days. Call us sentimental, but we miss ‘Left’ dearly. Could it still be on the sleepers of Track 1? It was only a few days ago.
To be continued