TOZO Open EarRing True Open Ear Headphones – Everything You Said Should Be True, But Not Everything Should Be Said

I got the Tozo Open EarRing True Open Ear headphones for this review. Bought ‘em; will keep ‘em. 

A lot of my foreign friends have been messaging me to express their sympathies over America’s shocking, final descent into Fascism, to which I reply that we’re not deserving of pity. Like the Italians and 1922 and the Germans in 1933, we have willfully chosen this path and have failed as a society; the tragic fate that awaits us is on some level deserved, although history suggests that it will be the young and innocent who will suffer the most. Quelle epoche.

Not cheery sentiments, I realize, so let’s anesthetize our angst with some earphones and a not-inconsiderable amount of pharmaceuticals and/or liquor. I’ve been coveting this clip-style design of bud, which seems to have many advantages over the typical wraparound design—lighter weight, more portable, more secure fit and less fiddly with earrings and glasses, etc.

There’s no way I’d drop three bills on Bose’s Ultra Open clip buds, which on the (admittedly flawed) basis of a Best Buy audition didn’t sound all that great. However, I was sufficiently impressed with Tozo’s O2 Open Buds (review here) to spring for the $39-with-coupon OpenEarRing.

In contrast to the Open Buds, which sport larger drivers and adjustable headshells, the Ring can sound anemic unless positioned directly atop your ear canal. For me this necessitated placing the flexible bridge pointing down directly over my ear lobe. If I was a pirate or Gypsy wearing big hoop earrings this would be a problem, but as it was I found comfort on these is off the charts—I literally kept forgetting I had them on.

Construction is plasticy and cheap-looking, although they’re so unobtrusive that their looks barely matter. 10hr. battery claim seems ambitious (I got more like 7); the LED battery indicator on the diminutive case is a nice feature. Other than the volume controls (which requires a 5 sec hold), touch controls are VERY frustrating and unreliable—the touch panel surface is way too small and latency significant. 

The pre-set EQs on the TOZO App aren’t great, but I discovered you can adjust same to your liking; there’s also a “Community” function on the app which enables you to share custom EQ settings with others, which I haven’t seen before. Volume is more than adequate, though appreciably lower that the Open Buds, and by nature of their design the Rings will get drowned out in very noisy environments.

Despite sporting BT 5.4, connection on these was marginal—I found myself getting hiccups from as little as 10m away. However, phone calls are much clearer than your typical open-ear model—I surmise because the speakers sit closer to you ear canal, isolation is better and less wind noise intrudes.

I had expected these to replicate the rich, bassy tone of the Open Buds, but instead the Ring sounds crisp, bright and lean textured. Soundstage is much smaller than on the expansive Open Buds, though nicely rounded, and instruments are adequately separated. Initially I thought that other than some subtle throb there was no real subbass presence. However, after cranking up the levels in the app and some burn-in, some useful low end emerges; it’s not head-rattling , but is agile and musical—check out the nimble basslines on the Replacements “Tim”.

Treble has surprising extension, resolution and detail for a cheapie; drums have a bit of sizzle and timbre is quite vinyl-like and uncompressed, neither tinny nor oversoft. Little inner nuances like handclaps and guitar harmonics are surprisingly well-presented and unlike bone conduction models or lifestyle-type buds, there’s an actual  sense of localization and stereo imaging.

Compared to Tozo’s Open Buds, or even to inexpensive on-ears like the Koss KSC75, the Rings are less immersive and visceral but actually more detailed. Their lack of a big low end impact notwithstanding, I found myself unexpectedly drawn to the Rings—they are the epitome of an unforced, non-fatiguing presentation.

Too lazy to change playlists, I actually found myself getting into a couple hours of nondescript MOR like  Stevie Nicks and Bryan Adams, which is a sentence I never thought I’d write. The Rings effectively straddle the line between being unobtrusive background listening and a lively-but-delicate presentation. 

I don’t want to oversell these—they will not replace good in-ear TWS for critical listening, and you’ll miss the deepest bass on some tracks. But for those who prioritize comfort and ambient awareness these are a legit pickup; that the SQ  is much more than an afterthought is a bonus.

Specifications Tozo Open EarRing Headphones

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