TOZO has, in just a few recent years, become a prominent brand in the world of portable audio with the release of several highly performant products at minimal prices. The NC2 and NC9 are two such products – while noise cancellation tech was until quite recently thought of as something that’s exclusive to premium headphones that cost hundreds of dollars, both the NC2 and NC9 offer the technology while still being budget-tier earbuds at around only $35 each.
Can noise cancelling earbuds that cost that little still be decent? In 2023 now, yes, absolutely. I have used and reviewed both the NC2 and NC9 and they are both solid products. And they look similar as you probably realize, enough so that you might not be sure which one you should get. The NC2 and NC9 are in fact pretty close, but they do also have key differences that this comparison article will expound as well as hopefully help you decide between the two.
TOZO NC2 vs NC9 Side by Side at a Glance
What Are the Main Differences Between the TOZO NC2 and NC9?
Really the only significantly noticeable difference is the design style: The NC2 uses smaller buds with stems, while the NC9 uses bigger more traditional full earphones. Neither design style is objectively better than the other – they both have their respective pros and cons – but I will say the full earphone style of the NC9 likely contributes to its superior noise reduction. The NC2’s noise reduction is decent for the price but the NC9’s is excellent.
The other difference is that the NC2 has significantly more battery life than the NC9 if the active noise cancellation is turned on – the NC2 and case have a total purported battery life of 42 hours, which is comparatively good for budget wireless earbuds; while the NC9 and case only have around 21 hours which is comparatively, eh, a little less than OK.
Does the TOZO NC2 or the NC9 Have Better Fit and Comfort?
While the NC2 does have an adequate fit that achieves a proper seal, I do think the fit and comfort of the NC9, which is very good, is noticeably better. Stem style earbuds tend to run into fit issues more often because the stem sometimes just doesn’t work with your ear geometry, and I think that was a slight comfort issue for me, whereas the NC9 is a pure contoured earphone that sits nicely in the entire concha. I will say that I did have to try a few of the replacement tips to find the right ones with the NC9, and that the trapezoid style tips, which I normally don’t prefer, were what fit great with the NC9.
Does the TOZO NC2 or NC9 Sound Better?
While the NC2 sounds solidly decent for its current price-point, the NC9 sounds noticeably better and best in class in my opinion. The NC2 has a pretty pronounced U shape response curve with tuned up bass that feels forward from the rest of the mids and highs, while the NC9, while still U shaped, has a more nicely even response curve with just a bit more clarity and detail, especially so in the mids.
Which Is Ultimately the Better Choice: The TOZO NC2 or NC9?
While they are both perfectly good products for the price, I’d say the NC9 comes out ahead because it beats the NC2 in the two categories that I think people are mainly looking for with noise cancelling earbuds: it has much better noise blocking and overall better sound. I also think the contoured earphone will generally fit people better than smaller stem style earbuds will. The NC2 does have significantly better battery life, and if that’s a priority for you along with compactness and maybe something more bassy, the NC2 is a perfectly viable alternative choice.
Get the TOZO NC9 noise cancelling wireless earbuds on Amazon (affiliate link)
Get the TOZO NC2 noise cancelling wireless earbuds on Amazon (affiliate link)
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• Full TOZO NC2 review
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