It's been a while since my last tech video, so I'm opening a new season in April 2026 with the TOZO NC20: budget earbuds that promise Hi-Res audio, strong noise cancelling and 80 hours of battery. After more than a month, they've become my go-to pair.
Sound that doesn't feel "budget"
The box carries Hi-Res Audio and LDAC branding, and the NC20 doesn't sound like a typical cheap earbud. Each bud has a 12 mm dynamic driver with what TOZO calls SDLC (super diamond light carbon) technology for a stiffer diaphragm, for a frequency range of 12 Hz to 40 kHz. You get punchy bass, natural mids and bright highs. In the app you can customise the EQ and turn on spatial audio to widen the soundstage.
Are they better than Sony or Bose? No, we're not at that level. But if you don't want to spend a fortune, they're probably the best solution right now. I have a pair of SoundPEATS I got for Christmas, and I keep going back to the TOZOs.
Tested on a flight to China
I brought them on my last trip to China. On a plane there's that constant buzz, and the noise cancellation is what won me over. I'm not a fan of in-ear buds with rubber tips, but I paired them with my phone while watching a movie on my RayNeo Air 4 Pro glasses, whose built-in speakers weren't enough against the engine noise. I had crisp audio and actually forgot I was on a plane for a couple of hours.
In China I also used them for live translation: one bud in my ear, my phone in my hand, and the earbud mic picked up people speaking Chinese while I read the English on screen and heard it in my ear.
The features that surprised me
- Multipoint: connected to my phone and my Mac at the same time, so I can switch from a video to a Teams call seamlessly.
- Battery: about 80 hours in total with the case and around 16.5 hours per charge, plus wireless charging (I use my iPhone charging pad).
- Battery monitoring for each bud and the case. I often fall asleep to a podcast with just one bud so I can hear my kids, and the case balances them again.
- 32 EQ presets, custom profiles, and profiles you can share or download from other users.
- Find my buds: a loud sound to find them under the blankets when I fall asleep with them.
- In-ear detection and Bluetooth 5.4.
I also noticed frequent firmware updates. When a company keeps updating a product, it means they're committed to it. In the box you get the buds, several sizes of ear tips (the pre-fitted ones were perfect for me) and a USB-C cable.