Note: This review was first published on 28 October 2024.
The LG Tone Free T90S earbuds in black. Photo: HWZ
The Tone Free T90S are LG's flagship earbuds. They enter a competitive market with an extensive feature set including support for Dolby Atmos with head-tracking, ANC, an ambient sound mode, an audio retransmission feature, and a charging case with sterilisation capabilities. And at S$299, it's more affordable than other flagship-class earbuds, which could make these the value pick among flagship-class earbuds.
The TL;DR version:
The LG Tone Free T90S is a worthy option for anyone who wants an extensive feature set and good sound at a price that undercuts Apple's and Sony's flagship earbuds.
Note: You can find the LG Tone Free T90S on Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, and LG's online store.
Design and build quality
The earbuds are compact, light, and fit snugly in my ears. Photo: HWZ
The LG Tone Free T90S earbuds sit in a pill-shaped case with a matte finish that resists fingerprints and smudges. Weighing approximately 5.7g per earbud, they are notably lightweight, allowing for comfortable wear at extended periods without causing fatigue. Additionally, the earbuds are IPX4-rated, providing protection against some splashing water. I took them along for a couple of runs and found that they were snug and comfortable to wear.
Out of the box, the earbuds come with three additional sets of silicone ear tips to ensure a secure and comfortable fit. What’s special about these ear tips is the inclusion of small foam cushions in the oval moulds to absorb cerumen. This is especially useful in preventing dirt from penetrating deeper into the earbuds which may cause audio imbalance.
Like previous Tone Free models, LG has integrated UVnano technology into the charging case. This means that the earbuds will be sanitised while they charge thanks to the UV Light present within the case. While we can't verify the effectiveness of this feature, it's a nice addition for those concerned about hygiene.
A blue indicator light on the front of the case signifies that the UVnano technology is active and the earbuds are being sanitised. Photo: HWZ
Despite the sanitisation feature, I didn’t notice a significant hit on the overall battery life of the earbuds. Overall, during my time with it, I got a respectable 5 hours with ANC on a single charge with the earbuds. The case provided an additional two and a half cycles bringing the total playback time to roughly 17 hours. While the battery life isn’t astounding, they lasted a couple of days before I had to charge the case. The charging case supports both USB-C and wireless charging with a Qi-compatible charging pad.
Sound quality and audio features
The LG Tone Free T90S has 9.8mm dynamic drivers with graphene diaphragms and it's tuned by hi-fi specialists Meridian – the same people who make these gorgeous six-figure loudspeakers.
Out of the box, the T90S delivers a rather warm sound signature. The midrange is well-represented, bringing out vocals and lead instruments with clarity. The treble is slightly restrained which helps to prevent listening fatigue, but may lack some sparkle for those who prefer a brighter sound. Bass heads might be a little disappointed because even though the bass is generally clean and controlled, it could use a smidge more punch and volume. Fortunately, there is an EQ function with presets for users to tailor the sound to their preferences.
One of the standout features of the Tone Free T90S is its support for Dolby Atmos with head tracking. However, its implementation is not like Apple's because it neither takes into account the shape of your ears nor does it require special Dolby Atmos tracks to work. In short, it's not that different from virtual surround sound. The upside to this is that you can listen to any content in "spatial audio". The downside is that the surround sound effect is nowhere near as apparent nor as immersive as genuine spatial audio.
That said, enabling spatial audio with the Tone Free T90S is not without its benefits. Even in its state of implementation, it genuinely delivers a more immersive, three-dimensional soundstage – particularly for movies. Head-tracking works just as advertised. However, it can be sluggish at times, and I noticed intermittent delays adjusting to my head movement.
For fussy listeners who demand the most advanced codecs, the Tone Free T90S supports aptX Adaptive as well as the usual AAC and SBC codecs. Speaking of codecs, these earbuds support Bluetooth 5.4 and the connection was strong and stable even in crowded places.
Noise cancellation and transparency mode
A nifty LED indicator show how much battery life is remaining. Photo: HWZ
The Tone Free T90S' active noise cancellation is average and is clearly a step down from earbuds like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd-Gen. That said, it does its job of making noisy environments more bearable. I found these earbuds were most effective at reducing low-frequency noises like engine hums or air conditioning. They struggled to block out more complex sounds like the construction noises coming from my neighbour's.
The transparency mode, or Ambient Sound as LG calls it, comes in three different modes: moderated, natural, and conversation mode. Natural lets you hear your surroundings as they are, while moderated slightly boosts the volume of your content. Conversation mode boosts the volume of voices so that you can have quick conversations without having to take the earbuds out of your ears. However, I felt that its reproduction of voices was not as good as the AirPods Pro. That said, generally speaking, these modes work as advertised, and the Tone Free T90S was one of the more natural-sounding earbuds that I have experienced.
When taking calls, the earbuds do a decent job of suppressing background noises like wind or rain. An interesting addition is the Whispering Mode, found under Tone Free Lab within the app which allows users to speak quietly into the right earbud as a dedicated microphone. This can be useful in situations where you need to take a call discreetly.
Many, many features to turn on and off
There's a lot to unpack from the app, which is good if you like to tinker with your gadgets. Photo: HWZ
The charging case of the earbuds is also capable of acting as a Bluetooth transmitter. By connecting the case to a non-Bluetooth device using the included USB-C to 3.5mm cable, you can wirelessly transmit audio to the earbuds. This is particularly useful when you are flying since the majority of in-flight entertainment systems lack Bluetooth connectivity.
The LG Tone Free app provides extensive customisation options. As I mentioned earlier, there is an EQ slider with several presets available and the option to create custom profiles. The app also allows for customisation of touch controls, enabling users to assign preferred functions to different gestures.
You'd be hard-pressed to find another pair of earbuds with as much customisability as the Tone Free T90S. Photo: HWZ
The Tone Free T90S supports multipoint connectivity and LG says it'll connect with up to five devices. I didn't have that many devices to test with, but it worked well enough with my phone, laptop, and watch. Other noteworthy features include a Find My Earbuds function and a gaming mode for reduced latency. The app also provides battery status updates and allows for various profiles to be made for any settings combinations.
Summary and conclusion
Since street prices are often lower than LG's SRP, the Tone Free T90S can be tremendous value for money. Photo: HWZ
All things considered, the LG Tone Free T90S earbuds present a compelling package, offering loads of features at a competitive price point. You would be hard-pressed to find another earbud that has ANC and supports Dolby Atmos with head tracking at this price. The price is S$299, but it can often be found for much lower (it's S$199 now on the LG Online Store). Considering rival earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and the Sony WF-1000XM5, all start at well over S$300, this makes the Tone Free T90S a veritable bargain.
It's not without its flaws. The ANC is only so-so and the spatial audio implementation is nowhere near as impressive and immersive as Apple's. The battery life is only average considering you only get around five hours on a single charge and less than 20 hours in total with the charging case. Fortunately, these aren't outright dealbreakers. If you can look past these shortcomings, the Tone Free T90S is one the most bang-for-buck earbuds you can find.
Note: The LG Tone Free T90S is S$299 and is available from the official LG storefronts on Shopee, Lazada, Amazon, and the official LG online store.
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