The new LG Tone Free FP9 earphones are the upgraded version of last year’s FN7, which use to be the first to offer UV Nano sanitisation TWS. It is definitely a big deal in the pandemic period. The LG TONE Free FP9 wireless earbuds look best on paper but how good are they in the real-life experience?
Design
The LG Tone Free FP6 inherits the same property of the UV Nano feature and the design is almost the same except for the minor change as it is a little stylish and compact. LG claims that it kills 99.9% of bacteria (Escherichia Coli, Staphylococcus Aureus, and Klebsiella Pneumonia) on the tip with just 5 mins of UV LED exposure during UV Cradle charging for 5 mins. The pairing of the TWS is easy as LG comes in an unusual way as it can be done when the earphones are inside the case for pairing. It comes with Bluetooth 5.2. After connecting the FP6 with the smartphone we got a software update.
Experience after wearing these earphones you will not feel a vacuum-like other TWS, it offers a little more natural layered muted sound. To understand fully after wearing I can’t hear an AC sound in the room but can hear dogs barking in the streets. The FP6 earbuds are IPX4-rated for sweat and rain, which means they are water-resistant. It comes in two colors Charcoal Black and Pearl White. We got the Charcoal Black which comes with a Matte finish case. The case comes with two LED indicators with one for battery level and another for UV status. The blue light glows inside the case every time you open the case. The case has a clamshell hinge mechanism that feels not too hard to open nor too light.
LG sent us a cover with a beautiful artwork case, these will be available in two colours option Green and Silver and will be inclusive with the LG Tone FP9. This cover comes with glue on top and bottom to stick with the case of the earbuds.
The first thing you will notice after wearing is how comfortable it is to wear. The design fits perfectly in your ears and Medical Grade Silicone Ear Gel including smaller, medium and large. The Ear gels are hypoallergenic and also reduce skin irritation. These earbuds are light and weights around 5.2 gms for each earbud which is lighter than the competition like Apple AirPods Pro which has 5.4 grams and Sony WF-1000XM4 which has 7.4 grams. After wearing it for some time you will not feel like wearing FP6.
Plug and Wireless function is a unique feature which gives the convenience of wireless if the Bluetooth source is not available. For example, international flights don’t have wireless audio transmission in this situation FP6 is very handy. As you can connect it with a USB-C to AUX cable inside the box which connects directly to the LG Tone FP6 case that will act as a transmitter and plays audio in the earbuds. Currently, this feature is only present in the LG Tone FP6 and no other TWS available in the market.
LG TONE Free smartphone app
The LG Tone Free app is a useful feature as it gives a lot of customisation with earbuds. Starting with it shows battery percentage on both earbuds and case. The app is available in the Android and iOS ecosystems. The app offers to switch off/on noise cancellation, and ambient mode (which has two sub-categories Listening mode and Conversation mode). It gives the ability to lock the touchpad and also gives customization of Touchpad settings with Left and Right side separately also Touch One, Touch Twice and Touch Three Times – Play/Stop, Voice Command, Volume Up/Down, Previous track, Next track and off. It also offers the media to auto Play/Pause when the earbud is removed and if wore again it will start playing. The Tone Free Lab has Game Mode and Whispering Mode. The Game mode is for playing the game which reduces the latency of earbuds and Whispering mode is something new and which we usually didn’t see in any other TWS, in this you need to hold the right earbud near the mouth and speak softly. The app has sound tuned by British company Meridian audio profiles with five preset profiles and two custom profiles which let to set an equaliser of your own. The app also has a handy feature which is to find my earbuds individually by tapping it on the app the earbuds do a chirping sound.
Battery Life
The battery life of the earbuds can last up to seven hours without ANC, with ANC it lasts for six hours. The 100% charged case will last up to 15 hours with mixed usage. Charging the case with earbuds in them takes about an hour, which is good. The case supports wireless charging.
Gizmo Verdict
The audio input quality with a three-mic setup is absolute bliss. The earbuds even filtered the sound of surrounding during calls. Without any doubt, the LG Tone Free FP9 offers the best audio quality TWS, comfortable wearing, best in ANC and with a lot of features which are unique and way ahead of the competition. It is one of the best truly wireless earbuds which money can buy. The LG Tone Free FP9 is priced at INR 21,990 but customers can avail cashback offer and get the product at an effective price of INR 18,990.
