LG TONE Free FP9 earphones. South Korean tech giant LG recently brought a new pair of TWS earphones – the LG TONE Free to India.The LG TONE Free FP9 features a unique and innovative UVnano charging cradle with UV light to sanitise the earphones, medical grade gel to reduce bacteria during charging, an enhanced active noise cancellation (ANC), and Meridian-tuned premium sound.
The design hasn’t changed much and looks the same as the LG Tone Free FP9. The charging case is quite compact, making it easy to carry in your pocket, and the matte finish gives it a minimalist look. The matte finish also gives it a minimalist appearance.
The charging case also has a slider button that allows the earphones to be connected to devices that do not have Bluetooth connectivity (e.g. treadmills). This comes in handy in some scenarios. In addition to this, the charging case has an LED indicator for battery level and a USB-C port for wired charging. However, there is also a wireless charging option, which makes charging the earphones really easy.
LG has partnered with UK-based Meridian for the tuning of the Tone Free FP9 earphones. However, I didn’t find the sound exceptional by any standard. The bass, in particular, is not as punchy as one would expect from a high-end earphone. However, the overall tuning and sound quality is very good. So, while these earphones are not for bass lovers, those looking for a good mix will enjoy them, and the LG app called Tone Free, available for iOS and Android users, allows you to play with the equaliser and set it as required (Immersive, Natural, Bass Boost, Treble Boost and 3D Sound Stage) as required.
As with the others, improvements regarding on-battery time are also incremental. The earphones run for approximately seven hours with ANC disabled and five hours with ANC enabled. These battery life figures are good, but competitors in the industry offer better. Taking into account the battery in the case, the earphones will run for about 15 hours with mixed use. Charging the case with the earphones in it takes about one hour, which is also a good figure, but not the best.
In terms of functionality, the ANC has high and low modes for a comfortable experience. Similarly, there are two profiles for ambient sound settings; both ANC and ambient sound modes work as intended, but the experience is not the best. In addition to these normal functions, there are interesting value-added features such as Whisper mode. This mode is currently being tested and is therefore available as a beta version via a smartphone app. As the name suggests, it allows you to speak while holding the right earpiece close to your mouth. It is functional, but needs a lot of work to mature.