TOZO NC9 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds, in Ear Headphones IPX6 Waterproof Bluetooth 5.3 Stereo Earphones, Immersive Sound Premium Deep Bass Headset

When the airpods first came out, I tried buying a few "knock-off" Bluetooth earbuds that ended up being terrible; the touch controls didn't work, the battery life was abysmal, the fit just wasn't good, or they didn't register well for the touted "in-ear/out-of-ear" controls, or they didn't pair well, etc. It was kind of a mess. I probably still have like 3 sets in some drawer somewhere. Ultimately, to me they weren't worth using.Then, on a whim, about a year ago what looked like an "airpod clone" came up on an Amazon lightning deal - I knew more manufacturers were in the game now, and I figured it was worth a shot since they were cheap (somewhere around the $25 mark if I remember right). Those were Tozo NC2s, and they turned out to be frankly AWESOME. I was super impressed with their noise canceling ability given the price point, and the controls were all right. Battery life was finally acceptable, and I started carrying them around with me every day so I could pop in an earbud when I wanted to listen to something on my phone. It was the first time EVER that I'd carried headphones with me daily - but they were convenient, small, and easy enough to use that they convinced me to do it.Everything was perfect for 6 months - then I lost them. I have no idea where they are... Someone probably found them on the ground and now they have a great set of earbuds. But I had gotten so used to having earbuds with me that I needed to replace them - so I hopped on Amazon and was about to buy the same Tozo NC2s when I saw they also sell Tozo NC9, with basically the same specs but a different form factor. I figured 9 is bigger than 2, so maybe these are a newer version so they'd be better?Well, all in all, I think I prefer the NC2s form factor over the NC9, but functionally they're both excellent. I'm plenty happy with the NC9s and I plan on keeping them with me for the long haul. In fact, when I needed a pair for work too, I immediately went to the Tozo store and bought an even different set.So yeah, next time I buy a set of wireless earbuds, they'll definitely be Tozos, because all three models I've owned have been simply awesome for the price. I use my NC9s in a datacenter environment regularly and the noise cancellation works very well, though the noise cancellation on the mic tends to drown out my voice too - but that's a problem any microphone would have in a datacenter. Overall, I'm a happy customer and would totally buy these again.Oh, and these NC9s have gone through 3 wash/dry cycles because I keep leaving them in my pocket... They've survived in near perfect condition (I had to wriggle a hinge pin back into place when the lid came loose in the dryer the last time).If you're on the fence about buying these, just do it. They're an excellent product for the price and I totally plan on buying Tozo earbuds again.

TOZO NC9 is a great little pair of wireless bluetooth earbuds with great sound at an affordable price point. I’ve purchased the T10 and have been using my son’s T6 for this review. I also own an Apple Airpods Pro that I use every day. And the TOZO NC9’s sound does not disappoint. In fact, the sound quality difference is negligible between my NC9 and my Airpods Pro that I use the two interchangeably every day.Here’s my rating for each category (from 1 to 5):Sound quality: 5Sound stage: 5Charging case & connection: 5Fit: 5ANC (Active Noise Cancellation): 4Battery Life: 4SOUND QUALITYOverall, NC9 offers you a warm presentation of any type of music. The mids are slightly softer than T6 & T10, but they’re not weak. The highs are stable and crisp. I like the lows (bass) of NC9 slightly better than T6 & T10. Bass is deep and the mid-bass is punchy.SOUND STAGENC9 offers adequately wide sound stage. The separation & definition of instruments are great—the earbuds sound identical to expensive name-brand earbuds.CHARGING CASE & CONNECTIONIf your NC9 is already connected to a device (like an iPhone, in my case), the earbuds would automatically connect to your device as soon as they’re taken out of the charging case. However, if you want to use it on a different device (let’s say you want to switch from your iPhone to your iPad), you have to manually disconnect from your iPhone (in your bluetooth setting) in order for it to connect to your iPad. This is an inconvenience, but due to the great sound and other virtues of the NC9, I don’t mind this at all.FITI’m not sure if it’s the rubber ear tips or the design of the buds, but each time I insert them snuggly into my ears, the sound is always balanced (left and right channels, that is) unlike cheap in-ear earphones that must be inserted just right so that the left or right channel is not louder than the other. I found the ear tips to be quite comfortable and the earbuds stay in my ears unless (1) I shake my head quite violently or (2) I lower my head to tie my sneakers. Of course, due to the way the earbuds are designed (when properly inserted, the body of the earbud sits above the ear tip and the ear tip is inserted into the ear in a downward motion), if you lower your head to pick something up from the ground or tie your sneakers (before going for a jog), the earbuds would dislodge from your ear—this is a natural work of gravity on your earbuds. In any case, I love the fit of the NC9, and they stay in my ear better than the T10 and the T6—both of which seem to feel a bit heavier than the NC9.ANC/Transparency MODEAfter reading glowing reviews of NC9’s Active Noise Cancellation feature, I was a bit disappointed. I typically run a new set of earbuds through my “bathroom test” on its active noise cancellation feature. I would sit on the ivory throne, and with the bathroom fan whirling over me (my first-floor bathroom’s fan is quite loud), I would turn the ANC feature on and off in the earbuds to test this feature. If I were to give my Apple Airpods Pro a 9 (out of 10 being the best), I would give my NC9’s a 6. It suppresses some of the noise, but not in the way that my Airpods Pro does. Of course, my Airpods Pro’s are $250, and you can’t compare apples and oranges. For the price point, I would say that the NC9’s offer a decent level of noise reduction that can still be enjoyed in a crowded setting. Moreover, if you need noise cancellation, the ear tips do take out sound quite well. What I believe is NC9’s weakness is its Transparency Mode—it does not allow enough noise into the earbuds for me to use while jogging when I need to be aware of my surrounding. So I take my Airpods Pro’s when I go jogging or walking with my wife.BATTERY LIFEBattery life is a bit weak on the NC9’s. Amazon’s description touts that you can go for 8 hours on the NC9’s on a single charge and an additional 24 hours with the charging case. I repeated the battery test 3 times on the NC9 as well as on the T6 for comparison. After fully charging the earbuds, I listened to a youtube Jazz channel on low volume through my iPad. I recorded the hours played on a single charge. After that, I tried to see how long the earbuds would run while using the juice from their fully charged cases. Here are my results. On the T6, after a single full charge, the earbuds gave me 7 hours of playtime. After that, I used the juice from the fully charged case, and the total number of hours of playtime came to be 25 hrs and 35 minutes (average for 3 trials). On the NC9, after a single full charge, the earbuds ran 6 hours until the “battery low” voice came on the left earbud. I used the juice from the fully charged case after that, and the earbuds offered 17 hours and 30 minutes (average of 3 trials) of total playtime. This is certainly not the 24 additional hours noted in the product description. Yet, after an initial disappointment, I am not at all upset about the weak battery life of the NC9’s (as compared to the advertised playtime). I typically charge the case once a week in my regular use, and the battery life has not become an issue for me. They are a fraction of the cost of my Apple Airpods Pro’s, and they provide great sound.And that is the virtue of the NC9’s, and that is why it is a credible contender as one of the top wireless earbuds at this price point. Due to its sound quality, fit, and overall functionality, it’s a go-to earbuds, and I realize that I’ve been using it more often than my Apple Airpods Pro. For some reason, I find the NC9’s enjoyable and the sound credible enough to feel I’m not missing out when I’m not listening to my Airpods Pro’s.