Tozo OpenEgo: Open Air Headphones that actually have some bass.

The Tozo OpenEgo are lightweight, affordable, good sounding open air headphones that are designed for comfort and spatial awareness, but they have a catch. My review:

The Open Ego are Bluetooth 5.3 enabled true wireless, open air headphones. They loop around the ears and project sound directly into the ear using dynamic 16.2mm drivers. These are open air headphones, meaning they do not obstruct the hearing of the wearer. This allows the user to be aware of their surroundings, while still enjoying music or podcasts. They include a charge/carry case with an integrated battery indicator, optional ear stabilizers, and come in black or white variants. Pricing varies but tends to fall around the $50 mark.

The OpenEgo are comfortable headphones. They have a soft plastic design that wraps gently around the ears, with the driver sitting light against the upper part of the open canal. The plastic body has a very subtle, grippy, soft touch materials overlayed which helps cut down on friction. I’ve found that I can wear them for hours without my ears getting sore or uncomfortable, despite them being slightly heavier than some of their competitors. They do sit predominantly on the top of the ear, but hasn’t become bothersome due to this. As they don’t seal up the ear, the don’t build up any heat or sweat, making them good for use indoors or out.

The sound quality is quite solid for headphones in the price range, with much deeper bass and more prominent bass than most headphones in the open air category. While the bass isn’t extremely clear, it does a great job of creating a full, warm, lush sound profile. The treble is light and gentle, with an easy to listen to overall signature. It lacks some detail and positioning, but still manages to have a wide soundstage with mids that sound great with female vocals in particular. They’re overall full sounding and easy to listen to, but still have a fun, energetic sound that isn’t fatiguing or overly punchy. The larger than usual drivers (and body as a whole) seems to provide a lot of benefits here.

Fit wise, the OpenEgo have some issues. While sitting or standing they are absolutely fine, however, any time I tipped my head backwards or steeply to the side, the lower end of the wing tended to move away from my ear and become unstable. In certain scenarios they can get real loose and can even fall off. They have optional silicone stabilizers that slip over the bottom and wedge against the ear to help lock them in place, but I found these to be immediately uncomfortable as they sort of dug into my skin a bit. For office use or walking they work fine, but I wouldn’t recommend them for running, the gym or biking.

Construction wise, they’re fine. The body is lightweight plastic with flexible arms, and typical plastic seams. The carry case/battery feels relatively sturdy, but the hinge does have a little bit of flex to it. The USB C port for charging feels stout with no play. They don’t seem to have any innate water protection, but light sweat has so far been fine.

The built in battery indictor within the case is pretty handy. It shows an actual percent charge for the case, with bars on each side dedicated to each ear bud. I found the percentage indicator can vary pretty wildly between checking it throughout the day, but still provides a rough estimate of how much is remaining, which I really liked. It’s hard to read in the sun, but works great in the shade or indoors.

Overall

The Tozo OpenEgo are positioned as an affordable, enjoyable entry to the open air headphone market. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and provide pretty good battery life (8 hours or so on the buds, and 30 with the case). The build quality isn’t anything special, but the sound is rather enjoyable, even if it won’t hold up to audiophile scrutiny. The only real issue is the fit, as they don’t exactly lock in to place without the stabilizers, which I couldn’t tolerate. Given the relatively affordable price, I can recommend these for casual use.