TOZO HT3 review

I’m going to assume you’ve had BBQ before. Answer this: What might be the worst thing you could say about someone’s BBQ? It needs sauce. The expectation is that the flavor should be in the meat. The TOZO HT3 wireless headphones are like BBQ that needs sauce—edible, but unsatisfying.

The most potent ingredient in the HT3’s sauce is the high-grade bass. The headphones effortlessly deliver deep, smooth frequencies. Tracks like “Big Shot” by Kendrick Lamar sounded full and didn’t distort. I could feel the bass in my soul, just as God intended. Additionally, the higher frequencies cut through the low end, making Kendrick’s verses easier to hear.

The bass is inconsistent, though, partly due to its strength. Depending on the type of bass used in a song, it may mute other frequencies. “Waves Upon Waves”, a jazz fusion song by Snarky Puppy and Metropole Orkest, lost subtle mid-tones and vibrant highs once the bass filled the 40mm drivers. Clipse’s “Ace Trumpets” bass line booms satisfyingly, but the synths kept being suppressed by the bass’s power.

It seems the HT3’s are tuned specifically for genres that clearly distinguish between highs and lows, and downplay mid-tones—Dance, Electronica, and the like. Haywyre and Elli’s “Tell Me - Ellis Remix” is a great example of where these headphones are most comfortable. Both soundtracks from Streets of Rage 4 by Olivier Deriviere and Tee Lopes feel at home pulsing through the HT3’s. But even then, the bass still feels overpowering.

Ultimately, the sound profile feels inconsiderate. The HT3’s bass feels narcissistic—it will trample over others to be the center of attention.

Thankfully, TOZO added another ingredient to the sauce: the TOZO app. With the app, you can create your preferred sound profile or choose presets. There are even community equalizations if you don’t like the presets or don’t know how to customize your own. But it’s not a perfect solution. Adjusting frequencies with the app makes sounds feel suffocated rather than dimmed, and sometimes the adjustments don’t change anything, even when I’ve intentionally exaggerated them.

Including the app with what would be considered budget headphones by most standards is a smart move. My Soundcore Q20’s, which are $20 less than the HT3’s, don’t connect to their app. My hope is that TOZO can make their app more consistent.

One of the defining features of the HT3’s is active noise canceling. It’s less powerful than what I’ve experienced with JBL or even Soundcore, but it’s solid when music is playing. It comes with three modes: ANC ON, Transparency Mode, and, oddly, ANC OFF. My Soundcore Space One's have this feature, too. It's odd. That’s what Transparency is for—when you don’t want ANC on anymore.

Another quirk related to a good feature: the HT3’s come with Hi-Res audio (good, but not amazing), but only when plugged in via headphone jack. If you're phone doesn't have one (like mine), you're out of luck. And unfortunately, the HT3's don't have LADC, either. If you're plugging into a Nintendo Switch or PC handheld, for example, the sound is marginally improved, but it doesn't negate the original sound profile of the headphones—too bassy.

The headphones themselves also resemble the graceless sound profile. On the one hand, the earpads are comfortable, the speaker covers are sturdy, and the battery life is as advertised—90 hours! The HT3’s are clearly built for travel. On the other hand, the earpads, while comfortable, feel like they could easily tear, and the narrow earcup hurts after extended use. I’ve also had my hair catch in the adjustable headband, a problem I thought we passed back in 2012.