One of the main characters of RatatouilleAnton Ego, said that bad reviews are a lot of fun. And that’s true, but you only enjoy them while writing them or reading them. But when you’re working on the product (be it a meal, a work of art or a device), if it’s bad, you suffer. In the audio sector, in particular with regard to to headphones, very rarely can we enjoy both: that testing the device is as interesting as writing about it. Recently LG has presented its new wireless headphones Tone Free T90S and it turns out that they do meet both conditions.
The first thing that catches your eye is the size: its charging case is minimalist in every sense: few design flourishes and almost tiny dimensions, just the bare essentials. In this case, that means the charging station (which can be powered by cable or wirelessly), an interior ultraviolet light (designed to kill 99% of bacteria in 5 minutes) and a small switch with one of the most interesting tricks on the market (and which we will talk about later).
The case provides a total of 36 hours of charge and, with noise cancellation deactivated, we have a total of 9 hours and about 10 minutes in its “cave” give at least two hours of playback. Of course, for To fully charge, the case needs at least two hours And that is perhaps the biggest “but” that we can point out to the Tone Free T90: its autonomy.
As for the headphones themselves, we are again faced with the minimalist option: less than six grams, no sticks or external add-ons. Despite this, they hold perfectly in the ear thanks to their good design and three available sizes of ear pads included. We open parenthesis: the silicone ear pads are not open as in most cases. They have an additional circle and a sort of cross (see main image) that prevents earwax from accumulating, a common habit in most headphones of this type). And, since we are on the main image, the blue light that can be seen inside the case is the aforementioned ultraviolet light). We close parenthesis.
One of the most interesting details of this LG model is that its case has a small “switch” and its usefulness is worth imitating. The headphones come with two different cables: the usual ones for charging and ones with one end is 3.5mm and the other is a USB type C. This cable is what allows the trick. If we are on a plane or in a gym with a stationary bike with a screen, we may not be able to connect Bluetooth headphones to the screen on the plane or at the gym. With this cable you can. We connect the 3.5 mm end to the screen and the other to the charging case and press the switch. The headphones automatically connect to the screen. This, which seems so simple, is not usual, and is much appreciated when traveling or exercising.
Finally, let’s get to the important part: sound quality. If we find the right pad, it’s on par with the most competent wireless headphones of the moment. They handle high volumes extremely well, take advantage of 3D audio to adapt to the movement of our head and They provide a very interesting sense of “auditory logic”: the sound reaches us from where it should, even when we turn our head. And this is very clearly perceived. In addition, they are compatible with Dolby Atmos surround sound technology, the first in their category.
They are also pioneers in the use of graphene in membranes. What does this mean? The membranes in headphones are responsible for creating sound waves. Being made of graphene, they are much lighter (they find it “easier” to extend their range of motion and sensitivity) and they last much longer. Bottom line: graphene makes sense here.
Noise cancellation (again important to find the right size of ear pads) works very well. Even in demanding environments such as subways or airplanes. It doesn’t completely isolate us, like over-ear headphones, but Yes, they compete head-to-head with more established brands such as Sony or Audio-Technica.This is largely due to the proprietary algorithm and also to the effectiveness and size of the microphones, which are visible to the naked eye and capture outside sound to block it.
Added to these is another microphone, just a tiny little hole, which is hidden in the lower part of the headphones. This allows us to allows you to speak “secretly” with someone if you are on a call, without having to shoutThey have a higher sensitivity than expected and isolate the voice from the environment, so that it comes through very clearly. They have been a surprise in this regard.
Another important detail is that they can be connected to up to five different devices and two simultaneously, a plus for not having to reconfigure everything every time we leave the Tablet and go to the mobile or laptop. And even more so if we want to share the audio while receiving a call. LG Tone Free T90S are available in black and white for €228.
Verdict: a negative point for autonomy. If charging were a little faster, they would be close to 10. The price… It is high, but not for the sector they are in if we talk about sound quality and additional and rarely seen features. The rest of the sections, they pass with flying colours.