Review: TOZO OpenReal Air Conduction Sport Headphones

The TOZO OpenReal Air Conduction Sport Headphones characteristic an open-ear design that’s meant that can assist you stay conscious of your environment whereas biking with out sacrificing sound high quality. The sound high quality is nice, they usually have an awesome battery life, however the wind noise whereas driving drowns out their sound.

Bone-conduction headphones are gaining recognition amongst cyclists as a result of they do not go inside your ears, which lets you stay conscious of the sounds round you, in concept. Nonetheless, they are often dear.

The TOZO OpenReal Air Conduction Sport Headphones characteristic an open-ear design just like that of bone-conduction headphones, however they depend on ‘air conduction’ moderately than bone conduction. As a substitute of overlaying your ears, the headphones incorporate a small speaker that sits in entrance of your ears.

Within the field, you get the headphones, a handbook and a magnetic charging cable – and I discovered the headphone simple to arrange. After your telephone (or different system) establishes the Bluetooth connection, the pairing course of is almost instantaneous once you flip the headphones on.

As a result of the headphones do not go into your ear canal, I discovered them snug to put on for lengthy durations with none numbness, however they seem to be a one-size-only design and I discovered the scarf strap across the again of my head was too lengthy. It might be good if the scarf was obtainable in two or three totally different lengths, as for those who’ve a big or small head you would possibly discover it onerous to get match.

The headphones themselves hooked over my ears nicely if I stayed nonetheless however they moved away from my ears with slight actions of my head whereas I used to be driving – although there was by no means any danger of them falling off.

The primary problem with cheaper air-conduction headphones tends to be the dimensions once you’re sporting them with sun shades and a helmet, however I discovered that my glasses and helmet straps fitted nicely excessive of the earpieces, and a optimistic of the strap being huge on the again was that the headphones sat properly beneath my ponytail.

Controls

The TOZO OpenReal headphones function through each contact and bodily controls positioned on the appropriate facet of the headphones. Solely the plate on the appropriate earphone is touch-sensitive and this lets you play and pause music and reply calls.

Below the appropriate module behind the ear, there are two small rubber buttons that management quantity up/down, energy on/off and subsequent/earlier track instructions and I discovered these troublesome to press with a helmet and glasses on and much more troublesome with gloves on. A double-tap characteristic on the contact space, like that on Apple’s Airpods, can be extra helpful when driving to vary songs as I discovered myself utilizing my telephone to manage the headphones.

Sound

The sound high quality was good out of the field and TOZO’s App lets you customise the sound to enhance it additional, permitting you to vary issues such because the bass stage.

Nonetheless, the design’s foremost benefit can also be its foremost drawback – and the sound will get drowned out when it is notably windy or for those who’re driving at larger speeds. If I had the amount turned up, I discovered I wasn’t any extra conscious of my environment than if I had been sporting ‘common’ earbuds. Nonetheless, they have been completely fantastic on the turbo for Zwifting.

Additionally, as a result of the mini audio system sit in entrance of your ears, they do undergo from sound leakage when the amount is at 50% or larger. This is not a problem once you’re driving by your self – however you would possibly make your self unpopular in your native library or in a prepare’s quiet carriage.

Charging and battery

The claimed battery time of the TOZO OpenReal headphones is 16 hours when performed at 50% quantity and I discovered this determine correct. Charging time is fast too, taking only one and a half hours to cost. Along with this I used to be capable of get two hours of play time after simply 10 minutes’ charging, which is useful once you realise the battery’s flat simply once you’re about to exit for a trip.

Considerably much less handy is their proprietary magnetic charging port – a USB-C charging port would have been extra handy, particularly when travelling, when it means you may have to hold yet one more easy-to-mislay accent.

Worth

The £49.99 value could be very cheap and a fraction of the value of different open-ear or bone-conducting headphones we have reviewed.

At £118 the OneOdio OpenRock Professional Wi-fi OpenEar Air Conduction Earbuds are greater than twice the value, however Iwein actually favored their sound high quality and luxury, if not their appears to be like.

The Shokz OpenRun Professional bone-conduction headphones are even saltier at £159.95, and just like the OneOdio earbuds they nonetheless wrestle with wind noise at larger speeds, which is inherent of their design. However Steve discovered them gentle, snug and with an awesome sound.

The Aftershokz OpenMove Wi-fi Bone Conduction Headphones that Steve discovered gentle, efficient and cozy, are nearer in value at their £79.95 RRP – and are sometimes obtainable for round £60.

General

The TOZO OpenReal Air Conduction Sport Headphones present an reasonably priced different to conventional headphones – they usually have good battery life, compatibility with helmets and glasses, and sound high quality. However they wrestle in windy situations, the buttons are troublesome to press once you’re sporting a helmet they usually solely are available in one measurement.

That stated, due to their design dearer air-conduction and bone-conduction headphones face related challenges from wind noise.

Verdict

Good sound high quality and suitable with helmets and glasses, however they wrestle in windy situations