We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-25 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a secure, sport-ready fit with ear hooks and a wired backup pair in the box, choose Avantree E171; if you need open-ear comfort, a much deeper hybrid ANC rating and far longer battery life, choose TOZO NC3.
• Avantree E171 biggest strength: a snug in-ear design with ear hooks, three sizes of silicone tips, and a bundle that adds wired sports earbuds with a mic — ideal for running and the gym.
• Avantree E171 biggest trade-off: moderate noise reduction (up to 24dB) and 6 hours per charge, so heavy commuters and long-shift users will top up more often.
• TOZO NC3 biggest strength: hybrid ANC rated up to 45dB, six microphones for calls, and up to 40 hours total with the case — a strong pick for noisy commutes and long days.
• TOZO NC3 biggest trade-off: open-ear clip-on design means less passive isolation and no ear-tip seal, so bass lovers and people wanting a fully plugged-in feel may prefer the Avantree route.
• Who Avantree E171 is for: athletes and gym-goers who want earbuds that stay put plus a wired spare for zero-latency listening.
• Who TOZO NC3 is for: commuters, remote workers and call-heavy users who want maximum noise cancellation and battery headroom in a lightweight open-ear shape.
The Avantree E171 is built around fit first. It's an in-ear model with ear hooks, and it ships with three sizes of silicone tips, so you can dial in a seal that stays put through running, jogging or a gym session. The ear hook is the detail that matters here — it's the difference between earbuds you fiddle with mid-run and earbuds you forget about. Silicone is used for the enclosure, which keeps the whole thing light against your ear.
On the audio side, Avantree tunes this for a well-balanced sound with solid bass and an emphasis on mids and highs. That's a deliberate choice: vocals, guitars and podcast dialogue sit forward, which suits gym playlists and spoken-word listening. If you're chasing chest-thumping low end, Avantree itself points larger headphones as the better route, so go in with the right expectation. The built-in microphone handles phone and VoIP calls, and the touch controls cover call control, which is handy when your hands are busy or sweaty.
Noise handling is where the Avantree takes its clearest position. Hybrid ANC blocks up to 24dB of environmental noise — enough to soften a treadmill hum, a bus engine or background chatter in a gym, but not enough to erase a full subway car. Battery is 6 hours on a charge, extending to 24 hours with the charging case, and the case has a battery display so you can see where you stand before you leave. The bundle also includes Clan N1 wired sports earbuds with a microphone, which gives you a corded backup for situations where wireless latency or a dead battery would be a problem.
Buy the Avantree E171 if you're a runner, cyclist or lifter who prioritizes a locked-in fit, wants a wired spare in the same box, and treats noise cancellation as a nice-to-have rather than the main event. Skip it if you commute daily in loud environments, want maximum battery per charge, or prefer an open-ear design that doesn't sit inside your ear canal.
The TOZO NC3 takes the opposite approach: it's an open-ear, clip-on design, and it leans hard into noise cancellation and battery. The hybrid ANC is rated for a noise reduction depth of up to 45dB, which is a big number for this category and the headline spec here. If your day involves a subway, a busy street or an open-plan office, that depth is the reason to look at this model.
The call setup is unusually thorough for the price class: six microphones detect ambient noise in real time and adjust the reduction level, with ENC ambient noise reduction working to keep your voice clear on the other end. In practice that means calls from a windy street or a train platform should come through more intelligibly than a single-mic design would manage.
Comfort is the other pillar. Each earbud weighs just 5.1g, and the high-resilience clip-on shape means nothing presses into your ear canal. Open-ear headphones like this let you hear traffic, announcements and colleagues while music plays — a real safety and awareness advantage when you're running outdoors or moving through a city. Controls are touch-based and cover play/pause, track skipping and call answer/end, which TOZO frames around convenience while driving, exercising or running.
Battery is the strongest number on the sheet: up to 10 hours on a single charge, plus 30 more from the charging case for 40 hours total. The case has a digital display and charges over Type-C. Note there's no headphone jack, so this is wireless-only.
Buy the TOZO NC3 if you want the deepest noise cancellation of these two, long battery life, and an open-ear fit that keeps you aware of your surroundings. Skip it if you want the isolation and bass pressure that only an in-ear seal provides, or you need a wired option.
• Best noise cancellation → TOZO NC3. Up to 45dB versus up to 24dB on the Avantree.
• Best for calls in noisy places → TOZO NC3. Six microphones with ENC ambient noise reduction.
• Best battery life → TOZO NC3. 10 hours per charge and 40 hours total, against 6 and 24 on the Avantree.
• Best gym and running fit → Avantree E171. Ear hooks plus three tip sizes keep it planted during movement.
• Best for bass and in-ear isolation → Avantree E171. In-ear seal with a mids-and-highs tuning; TOZO's open-ear shape can't match that plugged-in feel.
• Best for hearing your surroundings → TOZO NC3. Open-ear clip-on design keeps traffic and announcements audible.
• Best for a wired backup → Avantree E171. The bundle includes Clan N1 wired sports earbuds with a mic.
• Best for all-day wear without ear fatigue → TOZO NC3. 5.1g per earbud and no ear-canal pressure.
• Best for travel and commuting → TOZO NC3. Deeper ANC plus a digital-display case with Type-C charging.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the TOZO NC3. The 45dB hybrid ANC, six-mic call handling and 40-hour total battery cover the situations most people actually use earbuds in — commuting, working, taking calls. The 5.1g open-ear fit is a genuine comfort win for long days, even though it gives up the bass-heavy seal of an in-ear design. I'd only switch to the Avantree E171 if a locked-in sport fit and a wired backup pair matter more to you than raw noise cancellation and battery. In my opinion, TOZO NC3 is the more versatile everyday choice, and Avantree E171 is the more specialized training partner.
what is hybrid anc earbuds
Hybrid ANC uses microphones placed both inside and outside the ear to sample noise, then cancels it electronically. The Avantree E171 uses hybrid ANC rated up to 24dB, and the TOZO NC3 uses hybrid ANC rated up to 45dB, which is the deeper of the two.
what are hybrid anc earbuds
They're wireless earbuds that combine feedforward and feedback microphones for noise cancellation, rather than relying on a single mic position. Both models here qualify — the Avantree E171 as an in-ear design and the TOZO NC3 as an open-ear clip-on design.
what is anc earbuds
ANC stands for active noise cancellation: the earbuds generate sound to cancel out ambient noise around you. The Avantree E171 blocks up to 24dB and the TOZO NC3 up to 45dB, so the TOZO reduces more environmental noise on paper.
what are anc earbuds
They're earbuds with active noise cancellation built in, usually paired with a charging case. Here, the Avantree E171 offers 6 hours per charge and 24 hours total, while the TOZO NC3 offers 10 hours per charge and 40 hours total. Since prices change, check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
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See also: Belkin SoundForm Rhythm ANC vs TOZO Hybrid Active Noise, XIAOMI Redmi Buds 8 vs SoundPEATS Air6: Hybrid ANC Earbuds, SoundMAGIC P58BT vs Morpheus 360 Aspire ANC: Hybrid ANC