LG Tone Free FN7 review
Our Verdict
Despite weak bombardment life and no self-cleaning fashion, the LG Tone Costless FN7 offers great audio and noise cancellation at a modest toll point.
For
- Dynamic sound
- Intuitive and responsive touch controls
- Stiff ANC
- Companion app with useful features
- Sleeker than the AirPods Pro
Confronting
- Disappointing battery life
- No UV self-cleaning feature
- Nevertheless some bugs in the system
- Poor air current resistance
Tom's Guide Verdict
Despite weak battery life and no self-cleaning mode, the LG Tone Free FN7 offers great sound and noise cancellation at a modest price betoken.
Pros
- +
Dynamic sound
- +
Intuitive and responsive touch on controls
- +
Strong ANC
- +
Companion app with useful features
- +
Sleeker than the AirPods Pro
Cons
- -
Disappointing bombardment life
- -
No UV self-cleaning characteristic
- -
Withal some bugs in the organization
- -
Poor wind resistance
LG will exist hoping that the Tone Free FN7 continues a successful transition into the true wireless market. It follows on from last year'due south Tone Complimentary FN6, notable for a charging case that could make clean the earbuds with an integrated UV light — the FN7 model lacks this feature, but with additions like active dissonance cancellation (ANC) is intended as an upgrade.
LG Tone Costless FN7 specs
Colors: Black
Bombardment life (rated): 5 hours with ANC on (ten hours with charging case), 7 hours with ANC off (14 hours with charging case)
Size: 0.64 x 1.29 x 1.05 inches (per bud); 2.15 x ii.15 x 1.08 inches (charging example)
Weight: 0.2 ounces (per bud); 1.38 ounces (charging instance)
Connectivity: Bluetooth v.0
Processor: Airoha
After several days of testing, I can ostend that this pair of earbuds represents a step forwards for the serial, though there are some performance issues that keep information technology out of the all-time wireless earbuds conversation. Also, the exclusion of LG'due south signature UVnano cleaning engineering science to clean the buds while charging is a major letdown. That isn't to say it's not worth a await, because equally this LG Tone Free FN7 review will show, in that location'south plenty of functionality bachelor to enjoy some solid audio performance.
- The best headphones overall
- More of the all-time wireless headphones
LG Tone Free FN7 review: Price and availability
- LG Tone Free FN7 for $146.99 at Amazon
The LG Tone Free FN7 is available for $179.99 directly from LG, only is currently on sale for $146.99 at major online retailers similar Amazon and Walmart. Just one colour is bachelor: Black.
At its original price, the Tone Free FN7 is reasonably priced for a pair of racket-cancelling wireless earbuds, and an enticing purchase when on sale. This is cheaper than category leaders similar the AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, though the toll point places LG's latest flagship buds in competition with feature-heavy models like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and the Jabra Aristocracy Active 75t. Keep in mind that the AirPods Pro has too been dropping to effectually $200 recently.
For all of the latest sales, feel free to bookmark our best cheap AirPods deals and best headphones deals pages.
LG Tone Free FN7 review: Pattern and comfort
In terms of design, in that location'due south barely any divergence between this version and the previous Tone Free earbuds. The just noticeable modify is the little bump at the top that acts equally the touch sensor. All other details remain unchanged, from the protruding sound port to the smooth finish. There's nothing too appealing near the long-stem design, only the all-blackness color scheme certainly gives these buds some cool points over the AirPods Pro's plain porcelain appearance.
The Tone Gratis FN7'southward plastic casing is durable, and the dark exterior helps hibernate damage much better than the FN6 or AirPods Pro; scuffs or scratches don't draw as much attending. IPX4 water resistance protects these buds, meaning you can wear them in splashy environments or for exercising without worrying almost wet damage. Keep in listen, though, that the rating does not protect the buds from h2o submersion. The 3 sets of hypoallergenic silicone tips that come bundled with the purchase are a nice touch on likewise.
Only the about aesthetically pleasing thing nigh the Tone Gratis FN7 is the compact charging case. It's conveniently small, incredibly lite, and has a sharp-looking design that resembles a hockey puck. The matte cease feels overnice, inviting you to hold and caress the example as if information technology were a fidget spinner. A pairing button is located on the left side to aid establish connections quicker with known devices (more on that subsequently), while a USB-C charging port hides discretely in the dorsum. My 1 complaint with it, which you will read about a few times in this review, is the lack of UVnano cleaning technology to clean the buds during charging.
How do these buds feel in your ears? Moderately comfy. The angled port allows for seamless insertion into the ears and molds well onto the concha. Those with a sensitive hurting threshold may find some discomfort after wearing the buds for more than an hr straight, as the port applies unwanted pressure the longer yous wear them. Others probably won't experience whatever fatigue until about the 3-hour marking. The fit is secure is well. The tips create a tight seal that strengthens on-ear stability, reassuring you that these buds won't autumn out when jogging outdoors or on a treadmill.
LG Tone Free FN7 review: Touch controls and digital assistant
LG's bear upon controls have drastically improved. Not only are they more responsive to tap and hold gestures, but the on-ear detection is too more than accurate at automatically pausing playback whenever you remove the buds from your ears. Placing them back on resumes playback, likewise.
I attribute this improvement to the new touch sensors; that tiny crash-land seems to make all the departure with input. I'll allow you in on a secret as well: the Tone Free FN7 registers swipe gestures, which I plant piece of work better for executing commands.
Siri and Google Banana support come part of the packet. Firing up either AI bot is elementary, though I found the results were 50/50 when shouting out phonation commands. Google Assistant often misinterpreted bones requests like "show me my next event" or "open Spotify," while Siri had latency issues whenever I tried performing dorsum-to-back requests.
LG Tone Costless FN7 review: Active noise cancellation
This is my beginning taste of LG's dissonance-cancelling technology and I liked what I heard, for the nearly part. Does that make the Tone Free FN7 a worthy competitor to heavyweights like the QuietComfort Earbuds or AirPods Pro? No manner. However, I would put them upward confronting the Galaxy Buds Pro or Jabra Elite 85t, as they do a fine task of minimizing high-frequency noises.
Wearing the buds around my newborn was rewarding, equally his cries didn't audio as blaring equally they did with other ANC wireless earbuds. Don't get me wrong, they were still audible, simply the Tone Free FN7'southward ANC brought loudness downwardly a few notches, then I could at to the lowest degree hear music without feeling besides distracted when holding him. I besides liked how well the earbuds silenced other mutual ambient noises around the house like door buzzers, family churr, and TVs.
There were some noises that came through the mics, which caught me a scrap off baby-sit because how strong racket cancellation is. Running faucets sounded very transparent in ANC way. Air current was another obstacle that the Tone Free FN7 couldn't overcome; heavy drafts and whisking cars made their mode onto the soundstage.
As for the Transparency Mode, it's OK. I preferred using it indoors to keep tabs on my baby boy in the contrary room and communicate with my wife. Turning it on outdoors will increase awareness of your surroundings, though. Make sure the wind isn't too crude out there or else yous'll exist on the receiving finish of some unpleasant whooshing sounds.
LG Tone Gratuitous FN7 review: Audio quality
Audio on the Tone Gratis FN7 has been enhanced, giving you the same blusterous, detailed audio as the FN6, only with improve bass response. LG re-engineered its drivers to produce a fuller soundstage that doesn't crook you out of boomy resonances.
These buds also make the well-nigh of Meridian'due south Headphone Spatial Processing technology, which LG says "delivers vocals with pristine clarity." LG isn't lying because the Tone Gratuitous FN7 handles singing performances with finesse, as exhibited on vocal masterpieces similar Whitney Houston'due south "I Take Nothing." It's impossible to not feel the passion and power in her empowering crescendo, as her belting chords are beautifully reproduced. Watching her iconic live performance of the record during the '93 Billboard Awards was fifty-fifty more rewarding, showcasing how well the buds handle sound on the video finish.
Moving onto something bouncier, I pulled up the recently-released Nipsey Hussle and Jay-Z collaboration, "What it Feels Like," which fed my ears inspirational horns, kicks, and snares. These elements were impactful, sentiments that would not take been shared had I given the tape a spin on FN6. To get bass at its maximum peak, you volition want to mind in ANC manner, which makes percussive instruments sound slightly more impactful.
While the depression terminate was satisfying, though, I tin can tell you that the Galaxy Buds Pro and Aristocracy 85t are meliorate engineered for bass lovers. In improver, I wish the Tone Free FN7'south book was college, something I feel could have elevated bass performance.
LG Tone Free FN7 review: App and special features
The LG Tone Gratis app is one of the more underappreciated companion apps out there. It looks clean, is easy to navigate, and offers several means to customize the listening experience. LG even programmed information technology to sort features and settings past analyzing your usage patterns (hit the Intelligent Sorting toggle all the way at the bottom).
Most of your time will be spent playing with the EQ, which has four presets available (Immersive, Bass Boost, Natural, Treble Boost) and two custom presets to create your own audio profiles. Each of these are programmed extremely well and pair nicely with the right music genre or video content; selecting any of the main EQs volition offer suggestions via pop-upwards bulletin.
Similar Samsung, LG is experimenting with new features, which here are accessed in the Tone Gratis Lab section. Admittedly there's only one feature available at the moment: Connection Priority Fashion, which prioritizes connectivity to hear music "with minimal sound interruption." It isn't much, but information technology'south something, and the odds of newer features existence introduced in the coming months are pretty loftier.
Scrolling further downward introduces toggle controls for Notifications, Touchpad Lock and the listening modes. Then there's firmware updates, a book slider, a user manual, and touchpad settings to customize the command scheme. The latter is extremely useful, letting you assign individual commands to each bud for full functionality with just the touch of your finger.
LG Tone Free FN7 review: Bombardment life and charging case
Battery life on the Tone Free FN7 is rated at v hours with ANC on, which is really nigh 4.v hours when also factoring in high volume and streaming. This places information technology in the same sectional company as the AirPods Pro, which as well lasted iv.5 hours with ANC.
I say that with the utmost sarcasm because that is below standard. Other ANC models like the Sony WF-1000XM3 (half dozen hours) and even upkeep models like the $99 JLAB Epic Air Sport ANC (eleven hours) offer longer playtimes with ANC on. You tin can extend playtimes to 7 hours, merely it comes at the cost of disabling ANC.
At least you take the wireless charging instance. Correct? I guess. It simply gets yous fourteen hours with ANC on and 21 with ANC off, which on both counts is less than what the AirPods Pro instance holds (24 hours). At least placing the case atop of whatever Qi-compatible wireless charging pad will juice up the buds speedily, thanks to fast charging, which is pretty powerful on the Tone Gratis FN7. A 5-minute charge will generate 1 hour of playtime, the same as the AirPods Pro.
LG Tone Free FN7 review: Call quality and connectivity
As a calling headset, the Tone Costless FN7 isn't much to brag near. My wife complained about how muffled I sounded, both indoors and outdoors. She could also hear wind blowing by me during walks, which, once again, demonstrated the buds poor wind resistance. Clarity was better on video chats, just book was still lower than I would have liked.
You tin can expect decent connectivity out of these buds. Bluetooth v.0 should get you almost 35 feet of wireless listening, though there were times where I managed to achieve 40 feet earlier any stuttering occurred. The Tone Gratis FN7 supports Google Fast Pair to immediately connect to whatever Android smartphone when opening the charging instance.
Unfortunately, I stumbled upon a bug when using the feature for the initial pairing process; it would simply pair to one bud. When trying to get the second bud paired, Fast Pair would recognize information technology as a 2d device and transfer the connection over, still leaving me with merely ane bud working. To ready this, I removed both Tone Gratuitous FN7 listings from my Bluetooth settings and manually paired the buds by belongings the button of the charging case till the LED in front turned carmine.
LG Tone Costless FN7 review: Verdict
If you're in the market for great-sounding wireless earbuds with ANC capabilities and serviceable features, then the Tone Free FN7 is a quality option…when on sale. The improved controls are a highlight, along with the handsome tiny charging case that is fun to carry around and supports wireless charging, should yous not want to be tethered to whatsoever cables. And though you tin count the number of aesthetic changes on one mitt, they are enough to make these buds the more than bonny in-ear dangler than the AirPods Pro.
While the positives practice outweigh the negatives on the Tone Free F7, those flaws are significant. To lose such a killer feature like UVnano cleaning engineering science definitely hurts, simply information technology'due south more than so the mediocre bombardment life and software bugs that holds this fix of buds back from existence a top competitor in its class.
For those who are on a upkeep and want something relatively affordable that isn't the AirPods Pro, then the Tone Costless FN7 should suffice. Otherwise, yous can scrape together a few more dollars and consider other racket-cancelling solutions when they're on sale, such as the WF-1000XM3 or Elite Active 75t.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/lg-tone-free-fn7
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