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A while ago, I reviewed the Crystal Pods from TOZO and was genuinely surprised by how good they sounded for a budget pair of earbuds under £40. Recently, TOZO reached out to me again and sent over their Golden X1, which they proudly call their flagship model. Priced at around £150/$150, the Golden X1 comes packed with features — hybrid drivers, LDAC support, active noise cancellation, wireless charging, and more — all promising to deliver the best sound possible in this range.

I’ve been using the Golden X1 daily for the past week, testing it at home, on walks, during phone calls, and while listening to everything from jazz to bass-heavy tracks. In this review, I’ll share my honest experience — what impressed me, what could be better, and whether these earbuds are worth your money. All opinions here are my own, based purely on my hands-on time with the product.

Packaging & Design

Right from the start, it’s clear that the Golden X1 are positioned as TOZO’s flagship earbuds. The packaging feels premium and well thought out — everything comes neatly presented. One detail worth noting: the earbuds are not placed inside the charging case, which is something I actually appreciate. It keeps the unboxing tidy and gives you an immediate view of what’s included. Inside, you’ll find a quick start guide, a USB-C charging cable, and a generous selection of extra ear tips in case the standard fit isn’t quite right for you.

Now, onto the design. The earbuds themselves are compact and stylish, with a shape that actually reminded me a little of the original Samsung Galaxy Buds. They may be made of plastic, but they don’t feel cheap — far from it. I tested the gold version, and honestly, they look stunning in person. The finish catches the light in just the right way, making them stand out without being flashy.

The charging case, on the other hand, left me with slightly mixed feelings. It’s lightweight with a matte finish that looks good but doesn’t quite feel as premium as some competitors at this price point. However, once you flip it open, you’re greeted with a neat LED battery level indicator. It shows you exactly how much charge is left — a small but genuinely useful detail that I wish more brands would include.

Comfort & Fit

Maybe I’m just lucky, but whenever I test new earbuds, the pre-installed ear tips almost always fit me perfectly — and with the Golden X1, it was no exception. Getting them into place is straightforward: you pop them in, give them a slight twist, and they sit securely in the ear.

Now, are they comfortable? For me, yes. I’ll be honest — I’m not the type of guy who spends hours and hours listening to music or podcasts on earbuds. For those long listening sessions, I prefer the comfort of over-ear headphones. But for everyday use — whether it’s a long walk with my dog Marlow or catching up on YouTube videos — the Golden X1 felt just right.

Are they the comfiest earbuds I’ve ever tried? Probably not. But they’re definitely up there in terms of a secure, stable fit with no real complaints from me. They stayed put, didn’t cause irritation, and that’s exactly what I want from a pair of premium earbuds.

Features

Before diving into how the Golden X1 sound, let’s take a quick look at the features TOZO has packed into these flagship earbuds.

First off, they use Bluetooth 5.3, which is modern, fast, and reliable. That said, my initial pairing wasn’t as smooth as I expected. It took me about ten minutes to get them properly connected to my iPhone. By comparison, the Crystal Buds I tested earlier paired instantly without any fuss. I actually had to erase the setup a couple of times and start again before the Golden X1 connected. Now, to be fair, this might not be the earbuds’ fault — I had literally just updated my iPhone to iOS 26 that same day, so it could very well have been a software quirk. Since that first setup, I haven’t experienced any further issues with connectivity.

TOZO also promises immersive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), multiple noise-reduction modes, and Hi-Res audio support via the LDAC codec. And here’s the irony: if you’re an iPhone user like me, you can’t take advantage of LDAC because Apple still doesn’t support it. Quite funny — the company that gave us the iPod and iTunes is lagging behind when it comes to Hi-Res wireless audio. If you’re on Android, however, you can fully enjoy that feature.

Sound Quality & My Experience

To get the most out of the Golden X1, you’ll want to download the TOZO app. Setup is quick, and the app itself is very useful — you get access to multiple EQ settings, audio modes, and other customisations that really let you tune the earbuds to your liking.

The first thing I noticed when I put them in was the Active Noise Cancellation. It’s excellent — honestly, some of the best I’ve experienced in this price range. I’ve tried many earbuds over the years, but at around £150, these are hands down the strongest when it comes to ANC. Once it’s switched on, it really is just you and the music. The transparency mode works well too, though I rarely use it myself.

For sound testing, I used both my iPhone (with Spotify and Qobuz) and a Samsung Galaxy phone to try LDAC. On the iPhone, the sound quality was already impressive — Spotify sounded solid, but Qobuz clearly brought out more detail and depth. One thing that stood out to me: the Golden X1 can get extremely loud. Seriously, louder than most earbuds I’ve tested.

The overall sound signature is excellent. It doesn’t quite have the warm tuning I personally love from brands like Edifier, but thanks to the huge range of EQ options in the app, you can shape the sound however you like. The bass is punchy and satisfying, and with a bit of tweaking, these can easily become a fantastic everyday pair of earbuds.

Now, about LDAC on Android: I ran into something odd. When I enabled LDAC with Qobuz on my Samsung phone, the sound became tiny and very quiet. Switching to another track gave the same result. But as soon as I disabled LDAC, the volume and power came right back. I double-checked with another pair of Hi-Res earbuds and had no issue at all, so I suspect this might be a software quirk between LDAC-Tozo and Qobuz on Android. Hopefully, that’s something that could be improved with a future update.

That said, if you’re an iPhone user, you don’t get LDAC anyway — but you’ll still enjoy great sound quality out of the box. And if you’re on Android with Spotify or streaming without LDAC enabled, you’ll also have a consistently loud and enjoyable experience.

In short:

First-class ANC
Extremely loud and powerful earbuds
Excellent overall sound quality for the price

For me, that makes the Golden X1 a fantastic value in the premium mid-tier category.

Conclusion

So, do I recommend the TOZO Golden X1? Absolutely — with a couple of caveats.

If you’re an iPhone user, these are a great alternative to AirPods. The sound is powerful, the ANC is excellent, and the battery life is solid. They get impressively loud and genuinely deliver a premium listening experience.

If you’re on Android and mostly use Spotify or similar apps, you’ll also love them.

For calls, the Golden X1 performed really well — voices were clear and natural on both ends. That makes them a strong all-rounder for daily use, not just for music.

TOZO surprised me with the Crystal Buds at under £40, and once again they’ve impressed me with the Golden X1 at £150. These earbuds feel genuinely premium and deliver fantastic performance for the price. If you’re looking for something special — or even a great Christmas present — the Golden X1 are well worth considering. Available on Amazon.com (click here)

Jerome.

About the author: Jerome is the founder of Dapperandgroomed.com , a lifestyle blog for men. Based in the UK, Jerome writes about Tech skincare, fragrance, and style with a personal, down-to-earth approach. Disclaimer: TOZO provided the Golden X1 earbuds for review purposes. However, all opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own, based on my personal experience using the product. This post may also contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through my links.

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