In a market saturated with mediocre iterations and copies of copies, LG manages to create a pair of wireless earbuds that stands out.
Instead of just leaning on marketing power, it seems that LG chose to focus on creative design and features to distinguish the LG Tone Free Wireless Earbuds (FP8) from the others.
The result is a pair of wireless earbuds with a purposeful design, a plethora of sound options, and best of all, a focus on hygiene.
It Just Makes Sense
The Case
The charging case for the Tone Free (FP8) feels large but not cumbersome. It has the shape of a river stone, round and smooth, but not slippery.
In front, there’s a groove for grip when opening the case, and two LED indicators. At the back, there’s a USB-C charging port. It also charges wirelessly.
Not many true wireless earbuds makers have the discipline to make a charging case this subtle, and we love it.
Also, the model that we got for this review is white, but it is also available in black.
The Tone Free (FP8) gets top scores for presentation. Once the case is opened — which could be tricky since the charging case is so smooth — the battery indicator LED lights up and the inside of the space, where the tips of the buds are, glows blue.
At a glance, we know roughly how much battery we have and in low light, see where the buds are. It’s a small touch, but a thoughtful one.
The Buds
They look like doppelgängers of another well-known brand, especially since it is white. But look closer and LG’s thoughtfulness will be apparent.
We like how the outside stem of the buds are glossy, giving it a distinctive look, but we love that there is an easy to feel dot where the touch control is. It makes the Tone Free (FP-8) much easier to use.
However, we often accidentally pause our music while securing the buds in our ear.
Small Medium At Large
Overall Sound
The sound of the LG Tone Free Wireless Earbuds (FP8) is pleasantly clear, powerful, and fun.
We tested it with classical, rock, and hip hop, and are pleased to report that the Tone Free (FP-8) conveyed the feeling of each type of music well.
At the same time, we are always conscious of how small the buds are. They do not sound big. There is no illusion of the size of the drivers in the bud.
It’s not jarring or unpleasant, but something you should notice when you compare them with other buds.
Overdone App
Because the LG Tone Free (FP8) is not tied to a single phone brand, it works with full features across all devices, from phones to tablets, to PCs. Full marks for compatibility.
For most devices, all you need to do is install the TONE Free app.
Although we appreciate the features and ease of use of the app, we find that it has too many options for most people.
For example, it is difficult to appreciate the two levels of noise-cancelling especially when we can’t differentiate them in our daily use.
The ambient sound setting also has two options, Listening and Conversation mode. Here we can hear the difference, but find that having to choose between the two is an impractical extra step.
LG X Meridian
The app also gives us access to seven different equalisers: five are presets, and two are customisable.
The three main presets are Immersive, Natural, and 3D Sound Stage. To our ears, these sounds like we are listening to music in small, medium, and large rooms, respectively.
Our preferred setting, the one that we used the most in our testing is Natural.
However, we were impressed at how the buds sounded with Dolby Atmos media. The sound profile sounds much better to us.
With Dolby Atmos, we prefer the 3D Sound Stage setting.
The Best Part
That Killer Case
Saving the best for last, we got to say that the feature of the LG Tone Free Wireless Earbuds (FP-8) that caught our eye is the UVNano Charging case.
LG claims that it kills 99.9% of bacteria on the speaker mesh. Additionally, LG used Medical Grade Silicone Ear Gels that are soft and hypoallergenic.
So not only are the buds comfortable, they give us peace of mind. Sure we need to wipe out any gunk on the buds themselves, but knowing that they won’t cause ear infection is nice.
Just to be clear, the UV light used to sterilise the buds are not the same blue LEDs that light up each time the case is opened.
The UV light only works when the charging case is plugged in and it will stay on for about 5 minutes when the case is closed to finish the job.
An All-Rounder
The Market Suggested Retail Price for the LG Tone Free Wireless Earbuds (FP8) is RM1099. But, you can find it for RM899 on the LG Official Store on Shopee.
We feel that it is a bit on the pricier side, but we think it is worth it just for the hygienic features. Its better than average sound quality that improves with Dolby Atmos is a bonus.
For more LG wireless buds, click here.
