The $149 LG Tone Free FN6 are true wireless earphones, much like the Apple AirPods Pro. However, UV cleaning is their most interesting feature.
LG announced these earphones in 2019 for the Korean market, and many of us in the West may have viewed this extra feature as a gimmick back then.
2020 changed all that. Earphones that sanitisize themselves suddenly seem like a great idea. So how do they actually work?
The UVnano case’s cleaning chops
The LG Tone Free FN6’s UV lights live in the UVnano case. There’s a UV LED for each earbud.
When you place them in to charge, the case knows when they are connected and when the lid is closed. And it then gives the earpieces a timed blast of UV light. It’s a simple implementation, but it works.
UV light is actually out of the range of human vision but there’s also a blue LED to one side. This is just there for the look, and lights-up briefly when you open the case. But we humans love things we can see.
How does UV sanitizing work?
Ultraviolet light can kill bacteria and deactivate viruses because it has a short wavelength, and therefore transmits more energy than visible light.
It damages DNA, and is why we should all wear sunscreen when out in the sun for any protracted period of time.
UV light is broken down into three categories, UVA, UVB and UVC. Each step up the alphabet denotes a shift up the spectrum, and a shortening of wavelength. It’s UVC, the type of ultraviolet light with the shortest wavelength, that is most useful for killing bacteria.
LG says the UVnano tech has been independently tested and kills 99.9% of S.aureus and E.Coli within 10 minutes.
However, where the UV light hits matters too. The UV LED is aimed at the mesh that sits over the FN6’s aperture, the hole behind which the drivers sits.
The tips effectively create a little tunnel for the UV light, so it does not seem the outer parts of the tips or the earpieces themselves are sanitized.
This is bad news if you were hoping the earphones would clean off any potential COVID nasties while charging. But it is still good news for those simply looking to avoid ear infections.
You can always take off the rubber tips and wash them with soapy water.
The LG Tone Free FN6 are also IPX4 water resistant, meaning they are fine with water splashes from any direction. However, I’d recommend cleaning the outer parts of the shells with a wet wipe rather than running them under the faucet.
For more complete UV cleaning you’ll need one of the UV sterilizers made for phones or tablets. These use multiple UV LEDs with a less focused field than the Tone Free’s, so they can sanitize a wider area, but likely do so more slowly.
These were out of stock just about everywhere earlier this year, but are easy to find now. HoMedics UV-Clean series is one of the more reliable brands that makes these devices.
I haven’t used them myself, but have tested several HoMedics products in the past.
LG Tone Free features
Back to the earphones, the LG Tone Free FN6 are a good fit for exercise. They use IEM style silicone tips, rather than simply resting in your ear canal, and stay in place just fine should you go for a run wearing them.
They have an ambient mode too. Press a finger to the side of the left earpiece for a couple of seconds and this mode toggles, using the microphones to play outside noise through the drivers. This isn’t nearly as natural-sounding as the ambient mode of the Beats Solo Pro, but is useful as the LG Tone Free FN6 have fairly good isolation for a pair without active noise cancellation.
Their Bluetooth connection is not quite flawless, though. Every now and then you’ll hear a momentary cut out in one ear as the connection between the two falters.
This usually happens when walking around with phone in pocket, rather than when sat at home.
The battery lasts 5-6 hours, and there are two charges’ worth of power in the case.
How do they sound?
These earphones have audio optimisation by Meridian Audio
Despite this expertise, LG Tone Free FN6 sound good rather than the being the best true wireless earphones around.
Their tonal balance is measured enough to sound reasonably accurate for a standard consumer earphone, but there’s mild sibilance and the mids are not as consistent as a top-ranked sub-$100 pair like the Lypertek Tevi.
You can customise the audio in the Tone Free app, available for iOS and Android.
This lets you choose from Meridian’s Immersive, Natural, Bass Boost and Treble Boost modes. Or you can create your own EQ profile.
Start with a flat custom EQ profile and the LG Tone Free FN6 sound flat and a little stodgy. There’s too much mid-bass and low dynamics leave songs sounding relatively lifeless.
However, you can’t always take these settings at face value. This is not necessarily how these earphones sound “naked,” as Meridian will clearly want its profiles to sound better than a flat EQ.
They do, too, with a clear increase to dynamics and the scale of the sound field. However, that the mid-range sounds a little strained or manipulated at times suggests Meridian’s DSP has do deal with the limitations of unremarkable drivers.
The Sony WF-1000XM3, Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 and Lypertek Tevi offer better sound for your dollar, particularly for vocals. But until digging into some direct comparisons I was happy using these earphones.
I recommend using Meridian’s Natural profile for the best results.
LG Tone Free FN6: Verdict
Don’t think of the LG Tone Free FN6 as the coronavirus earphones. The UVnano case may well kill bacteria and other nasties, but its cone of effect is narrow. The risk averse will need to take further precautions.
They look good and are a suitable exercise buddy, with a fit than should not let runners down. And the pocket-friendly case is welcome too. Other sub-$150 true wireless earphones sound better, though, even with Meridian in the mix.
