How it sounds
Contents
To make a long story short; TOZO’s Open Buds sound excellent. Some sort of optimum has been found to deliver enough sound pressure with a 1.5-inch dynamic driver that creates an immersive experience. We are really into the music and hear most of the details. We say most, because there’s something about the mid-high that doesn’t seem quite right. The “sizzle” in the high is missing at times. By the way, this is not really disturbing; the overall sound is more than fine.
We are listening to a wide collection of music, from the hard drive, from various streaming services; Bob Marley (Jamming), Benjamin Clementine (Nemesis), Steely Dan (Cousin Dupree), Massive Attack (Psyche, Unfinished Sympathy), Joe Jackson (Cha Cha Loco), Mammal Hands (Oni), Mendelssohn (4th Symphony/Lorin Maazel) and more.
Let’s start with the bass; it comes through just fine, even the sub-bass at Massive Attack is audible and tight. The mid range is reproduced very precisely; with polyphonic vocals, the various parts can be effortlessly dissected. With Mendelssohn 4th Symphony, the acoustics of the hall are very audible and the dynamics of the double basses also give the piece the necessary foundation. While listening, we find ourself thinking that we are talking about earphones that cost a little over 25 euros each. Bizarre. The high frequencies do not dominate and actually that is nice. It allows us to listen for extended periods and the people around us are not affected by what we are listening to.
When we play Jacques Loussier (because, as you know, we love Jacques Lousier’s Little Fugue) we realize why this is such a good test track. Where Massive Attack’s sub-bass remains audible on the Open buds, Loussier sounds thin, shrill and almost unpleasant. But this is the only track we really disapprove of in the long test period. The Open buds have played many hours of playlists including a rock list your author had to rehearse as a substitute keyboardist. It all sounds equally good and, not unimportantly, it is not tiring to listen to. Again, the open design will contribute greatly to that. In-ears sooner or later make you feel enclosed, no matter how well the tips fit.These Open Buds sit just close enough to the ear to sufficiently seal it off, and at the same time there is still enough room to not be completely closed off. Well done.