In use
Contents
Bluetooth pairing is easily done on all devices. The app is also installed in no time and we see the options for noise cancelling and EQ in the menu. The ear cups fold flat, making it easy for the HT2 to fit in a bag. We tested the noise cancellation function on the train, in rain and wind. The adaptive setting is very useful in changing environmental situations. In the train, we found the basic noise cancelling option to be most effective. There are undoubtedly better systems on the market, just not for the €50 this headphone costs. The HT2 does what it is supposed to do, and does it very decently.
The long battery life is very nice. The idea that the HT2 does not need to be charged every time after use adds something to the ease of use. The fit is good, but not all subjects during the test period liked it equally. The headband felt a bit tight for some and the cushion at the top of the headband was also not comfortable for everyone.
Listening to the TOZO HT2
Let’s start with listening via cable. The sound quality is good, but we hear that these are headphones put together with simple components. When we turn up the volume of the EarMen amp a little or play some more complex music, it sounds mediocre. We miss soundstage, dynamics without distortion. Liveliness.
And then. Bluetooth. Via the phone. Suddenly there is music, dynamics, soundstage. How?
DSP is key
The answer is what DSP wizard Christof Faller of Switzerland’s Illusonic told us years ago: if DSP (Digital Signal Processing) is implemented properly, you can get good sound out of anything. The HT2 demonstrates how DSP can ameliorate modest headphones to higher levels. The difference between the wired and the wireless connection is not subtle, it is huge. We are listening to another headphone. The default EQ is a bit too bassy for our taste, but we quickly found a pleasant setting.
While writing this review, we performed a software update and… in our opinion, it sounds a bit better! This combined with the ever-improving bluetooth protocol for audio makes for a rather baffling conclusion that with the TOZO HT2, wired sounds inferior to wireless. Even when the wired connection is a reference set. We haven’t written this down like this before as far as we can tell. Until now, wired always won out over wireless. And that for (we’ll mention it again) 50 euros worth of headphones.
The TOZO HT2 just sounds good, very good for that 50 euros. And even if it should cost 100 euros, or 250 euros. We effortlessly hear differences between different versions of the same track; between different streaming platforms and different masters. The compression at Spotify is almost unbearable if we have first listened on Tidal or Qobuz.