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Bass sounds (of which there are plenty here) are textured and carefully hefty, with more than enough detail available to make the difference between actual instruments and machine-derived sounds obvious. There’s plenty of control on display, too, so the tune rumbles forward at the correct sort of pace – there’s no overhang and, as a consequence, the tempo is convincing. It’s a strange thing to admit in the midst of a pandemic, but there’s a case to be made that the LG Tone Free FN6 couldn’t have been released at a better time. The EQ is where you’re likely to invest most of your time, but be warned, it’s quite more technical than others we’ve tested. Instead of keeping things simple by categorizing the different frequencies (lows, mids, highs), this EQ has you adjusting what look like decibel levels, which, unless you’re an audio expert, requires a steeper learning curve. You can skip the entire process of creating your own music profile by selecting from the four available presets: Immersive, Natural, Bass Boost, and Treble Boost.
We’re always happy to see aptX Low Latency involved if for no other reason than a lot of us tend to consume video content while on the move – but LG hasn’t quite got around to it yet. Granted, while I did grow more accustomed to the quirks of the touch sensors and the expected amount of time needed for a touch to register, it still made for an imperfect system. And even though music is supposed to stop playing when you remove the earbuds, I never found this to be a guarantee.
On the bright side, the Tone Free offer some of the best connectivity in the category. Bluetooth 5.0 is spot-on, instantly pairing with mobile devices, especially Android smartphones; opening the case automatically brings up the Google Assistant setup. The app immediately recognizes the buds as well, which I feel is very rare with similar models. Wireless range is average at about 35 feet; I jumped from room to room during Skype calls without any dropout. The only thing missing is multipoint technology to pair the buds to two or more devices simultaneously. LG Tone Free review: Verdict However, not everything passes the eye test. You have to commend LG for trying something different by integrating UV lighting into the charging case, but there’s no ordinary way to determine whether the feature effectively sanitizes the buds. Something that we do know doesn’t work properly are the touch controls, which are highly sensitive to touch and often misinterpret commands. Taking the FN6 wireless earbuds out of the circular charging case, and it’s hard not to make immediate comparisons with Apple’s top-end wireless earbud. However, there are a few subtle differences to be found, and the earbuds themselves are incredibly stylish. In terms of design, the LG Tone FP8 borrows a few pointers from the Apple AirPods Pro. Both sets of buds use silicone eartips that fit snugly into the ear canal by way of an ear-conforming shell that extends out to a small nub that runs outside the ear. Aesthetically there are a lot of similarities – but not enough to make them exact replicas of one another.
According to LG, you can expect 10 hours per charge in the buds and around 24 hours total for the case with ANC off. When it’s on, we got around 6-ish hours of battery life and 18 with the case, which feels like the going average for noise cancelling earbuds. The LGs don’t manage the rhythmic aspects of the recording with quite such assurance, though. They don’t quite have the fluidity the tune demands, and ultimately end up sounding slightly lumpy when they really should undulate. The other issue you’ll encounter is that the buds might drop the connection every so often. It happened less frequently after we updated to the latest software, but right out of the box the buds might cut out on you every once in a while should you choose not to update. Battery life LG claims the Tone Free comes programmed with in-ear detection, but it’s poorly done. Every time I took off the buds, music paused, but only for about 1.5 seconds before resuming play. Wireless connectivity here is via Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC and AAC codec compatibility. That’s fine for handling even the biggest high-resolution audio files from any of the streaming services that offer them, but nevertheless, it’s not quite at the cutting edge.
For its audio division, LG gone to great lengths to highlight its collaboration with long-time hardware manufacturer, Meridian Audio, and it’s not hard to see (or hear) why.
The Tone Free app offers you the opportunity to rearrange the touch-surface settings if you fancy. It’s also where you’ll find a selection of Merdian’s EQ settings (‘bass boost’, ‘treble boost’‘natural’ and ‘immersive’, none of which need much explanation) plus the place to store a couple of your own. The charging case itself has a party piece, of course: it uses UV light to clean the earbuds free from bacteria when they’re inside and the lid is closed. Until we see a wireless speaker with an integrated hand sanitiser dispenser, this is the product feature that’s most appropriate for the times.
EXCLUSIVE: LG’s answer to the AirPods Pro sound good and keep your ears clean
While it’s a great idea on paper, I found very little distinction between these modes. For example, bass boost felt as though it was simply minimising the mids and high as opposed to providing the bass with any real oomph. Only the custom modes gave way to any discernible difference, but in the end I stayed with the default mode as it offered the best level of clarity. For us, the buds were perfectly sized, they fit in the ear snugly and created a perfect passive seal without any effort at all. In case you need a larger or smaller eartip, LG includes both in the box, but we’d wager most folks should be fine with the medium pair that comes attached. LG developed a brand-new app that carries the same name as the buds, and offers a host of practical features, including a built-in EQ, toggle controls, and smart settings that adapt to the user’s needs. So take your time to really understand the sort of product you’re looking for. Think about the sort of features that you need. Which ones are “nice-to-have” and which ones are absolutely critical. If you’re looking for a cheap option then don’t even consider the products that are all signing all dancing because you’ll be paying for features that you don’t need. Choose your retailer wisely It all sounds great on paper, but here’s the problem: there’s no way to see the actual results. You’re basically taking their word for it, and while the certifications do instill some sense of trust, there’s no practical way for the average consumer to determine whether the buds are indeed a germ-free after a 10-minute charge. LG Tone Free review: Sound quality
When placed into the charging case – and only when said case is connected to a power outlet – the FN6 earbuds are subjected to a 10-minute UV light cleaning process that supposedly eliminates 99.9% of bacteria. Don’t expect a car-wash level cleanse, but it is reassuring to know the FN6 lead a much cleaner lifestyle than most earbuds – particularly at a time when hygiene is at the forefront of everyone’s minds.Without a rhythm to get tripped up by, the LGs are a confident and poised listen. They're far from the most dynamic-sounding pair of earbuds around, mind you – both the ‘crescendo’ stuff and the more subtle harmonic dynamics in both of these tunes are handled with great subtlety (if you like the LG style) or are rather understated (if you don’t). For our money, this reticence makes the HBS-FN7 a less engaging listen than they otherwise might be. With the Meridian EQ set to ‘natural’ (who doesn’t want their music to sound natural, after all?) and a Qobuz-derived 24bit/88.2kHz file of A Tribe Called Quest’s We The People…playing, there’s more than enough sonic talent on display to make the HBS-FN7 a decently engrossing listen. The one area the LG needed to improve was its audio reproduction – and with Meridian's help it absolutely did. While previous versions of LG’s Tone earbuds had muddied sound, harsh trebles and a severe case of sibilance, the FP8 now have a more lively sound that really focuses on accentuating the mids and lows with better overall balance. Speaking of conversations, call quality is another soft spot for the FP8. Friends and family we spoke to said we sounded echo-y and less crisp compared to other earbuds, but said we came in louder than traditional speaker phone. The result makes us leery about using these as your go-to pair for business calls and are probably best suited for short phone calls when possible.
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