LG Tone Free FP9 Earbuds Review: Good Sound, Feature-Heavy, But Expensive

True wireless earbuds these days have gone beyond talking about just the sound as the LG Tone Free FP9 earphones are designed for those who keep hygiene as one of their key requirements.

The LG Tone Free FP9 is the successor to the FN7 launched last year. Like the FN7, this pair of earbuds also offer UV Nano sanitisation, a unique feature and a much-needed one, especially at a time when hygiene comes first for many amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

But how are the earbuds in regular use, do they sound good, and what about the b battery life? Let's find out in this review.

LG Tone Free FP9: Design

Not much has changed in terms of design, the LG Tone Free FP9 looks similar to 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 minimal look. That said, the case doesn't look too sturdy but can take accidental falls (dropped it twice but the case handled it). 

What's different though is the charging case has a slider button, this is given to connect the earbuds with devices that don't offer Bluetooth connectivity, including your gym treadmill. This can come in handy in some scenarios.

Besides this, the charging case has LED indicators for battery level and a USB-C port for wired charging. There is, however, the option for wireless charging, too, which makes it really easy to charge the earbuds.

The earbuds are really tiny with a short stem design and lightweight (5.2 gm each), it doesn't even feel like you're wearing them. People with small ear size would love the earbuds as they are the ones who usually struggle to get the right earbuds that will sit properly in their ears.

That said, the ergonomic design gives good comfort and you can easily wear the earbuds for hours. I did that often as the work demands too many calls so I wear earbuds for long hours.

What's noteworthy is these 'premium' earbuds have an IPX4 rating which means there is not much protection from sweat and water, so, you'll have to be careful here.

Each earbud has touch controls with good response and you also get medical-grade ear tips made from non-toxic, hypoallergenic silicone. 

LG Tone Free FP9: Battery

The On-battery is good as the earbuds last easily for up to 6 hours with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and it can go up to 8 hours without it. The total battery is around 22 hours (without ANC) along with the case. Overall, the on-battery time is decent enough but I didn't find the earbuds charging quickly; they take their own sweet time.

LG Tone Free FP9: Sound Quality and performance

LG has partnered with British company Meridian for tuning the Tone Free FP9 earbuds. However, I didn't find the sound exceptional by any standards. The primary thing one notices is the bass is not as punchy as you expect in a premium earbud. However, the overall tuning and sound quality are quite good. So, these earbuds are not for bass lovers but those looking for a good mix can enjoy them.

You can play around with the equaliser and change the settings (Immersive, Natural, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, and 3D Sound Stage) as per your need using LG's app called Tone Free which is available for iOS and Android users.

I did try a few profiles to set the tuning as per my preference and you may have to try that because the default profile may not appeal to all, especially those who've tried Apple's Airpods or Sony's XM4 earlier.

The active noise cancellation is decent but not too good. The earbuds do manage to prevent outside noise but when used outdoors, they are pretty average at that.

At home or inside a metro rail, you do get good noise isolation.

LG Tone Free FP9 supports Bluetooth 5.2 and AAC code, the connection is good up to 
10 meters. 

Other features include multi-connectivity, so you can pair the earbuds simultaneously with two devices and it's a key feature these days considering most of us use several devices in a day.

The touch controls for playback and volume are good and you can customise them using the Tone Free app.

That said, I was really impressed with the call quality using the earbuds, thanks to the triple microphones in the device. Most of the earbuds struggle here but TONE Free FP9 does a good job here. 

Verdict:

Priced at Rs 21,990, you may get LG TONE Free FP9 for about Rs 19,000 from leading e-commerce platforms but they are still an expensive pair of earbuds.

That said, they come with several cool features, and the hygiene part is also covered and it's also the key USP of the device. The comfort and good call quality experience are other points that are noteworthy.

What's not really good is the bass could still have been better for an overall great sound experience. Besides, a better IP rating would have been better.

That said, the LG TONE Free FP9 could have been a decent package overall but for someone who likes a good mix of bass in the overall sound quality, the experience was not that rich.