Announced in January 2021, the LG Tone Free FN6 headphones are wireless and in-ear, having a Bluetooth 5.0 connection and supporting SBC and AAC codecs. Autonomy side, 18 hours of listening at the most and a possibility of fast charging (1 hour of listening for 5 minutes of charge). They are IPX4 certified (splash resistant) and feature a charging case that acts as a UV sterilizer. LG’s Tone Free FN6 headphones feature an in-ear design and UV-C sterilization function, all for a price of less than $ 150.
The WF-1000XM3 are Sony’s new premium noise-canceling true wireless headphones. The manufacturer has integrated two codecs, AAC and SBC, so we do not find the Hi-Res standard. Their strong point, in addition to the sound quality, is the autonomy: 4 hours with noise reduction activated.
Sony has renewed its true wireless in-ear headphones with the WF-1000xM3. Noise reduction, touch control, battery life advertised as up to 32 hours (case included), and intelligent functions. The Sony WF-1000xM3 is on paper the best alternative to LG’s Tone Free FN6.
Pros and Cons
| LG Tone Free FN6 | Sony WF-1000XM3 |
| Eight-band equalizer | Excellent autonomy |
| Ease of use | Effective active noise reduction |
| Functions of the application | No multipoint |
| Very average sound quality | The terrible touch controls |
| Fairly average autonomy | No water resistance |
General
| LG Tone Free FN6 | Sony WF-1000XM3 | |
| | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
| Brand | LG | Sony |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Colors | Black | Black, Silver |
| Battery life | 5 Hours (Talk) 6 Hours (Music) | Up to 15 hours |
| Weight | 6g Each 40g (Case) | 8.5g Each 79.4g (Case) |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Bluetooth | Wireless, Bluetooth |
LG Tone Free FN6
The LG Tone Free earphones each have a 6mm transducer to output sound. In addition, to design its headphones, LG has partnered with the British Hi-Fi brand Meridian, responsible for managing the digital signal processing as well as the equalization presets offered in the application. In terms of audio codecs, on the other hand, the Tone Free FN6 is content with the minimum compatibility only with AAC and SBC codecs. AptX and LDAC are therefore not supported.
Sony WF-1000XM3
The Sony WF-1000xM3 skip LDAC, Sony’s audio technology that achieves wireless speeds of 990 kbps, and even Qualcomm’s aptX. It’s a shame, but we still find the SBC and AAC formats (it’s always better than the Jabra Elite 85h which did not even have AAC) and the in-house DSEE HX engine which improves the rendering of the sound of compressed files (MP3) in order to approach HiRes quality, like the upscaling of 4K TVs, for example, which improve Full HD sources.
Design
| LG Tone Free FN6 | Sony WF-1000XM3 | |
| Type | In Ear | In Ear |
| Dimensions | 32.8 x 24.9 x 16 cm (Earbud) | 147.32 x 119.38 x 66.4 mm (Box) |
| Wireless | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancelling | No | Yes |
| Weight | 6g Each (Earbud) 40g (Case) | 8.5g Each 79.4g (Case) |
LG Tone Free FN6
LG headphones are surprisingly small in size. It must be said that it is the round format with a diameter of 5.46 cm and a radius of 2.75 cm. Suffice to say that it slips particularly easily into a jeans pocket or a handbag. The case is otherwise all plastic with a slight non-slip feel, much like a pencil eraser.
LG Tone Free FN6 headphones are in-ear headphones. This means that they have silicone tips that fit inside the ear canal. The advantage of this format is undoubtedly its greater passive sound isolation, but some may be put off by the intrusion effect, or even the sensation of plugging in the ears. Three sizes of tips are supplied with LG headphones, in order to offer everyone the most suitable pair for their body type.
Sony WF-1000XM3
The WF-1000XM3 are Sony’s new premium noise-canceling true wireless headphones. The manufacturer has integrated two codecs, AAC and SBC, so we do not find the Hi-Res standard. Their strong point, in addition to the sound quality, is the autonomy: 4 hours with noise reduction activated.
With 8.5 grams on the scale, they’re a bit heavier than Samsung’s intros, which isn’t really a problem. They stay well attached to the ear and do not weigh on the antitragus. On the other hand, the base is quite prominent and I must admit having had pain in the tragus on prolonged listening. They will therefore be good companions during your sports sessions, but not necessarily the longest.
Features
| LG Tone Free FN6 | Sony WF-1000XM3 | |
| USB | USB-C | USB-C |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Music Controls | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charge | Yes | Yes |
| Speakers | No | No |
LG Tone Free FN6
The LG Tone Free FN6 allows you to pause the music with one press, modify the volume with two presses – left to decrease or right to increase – or go to the next track with three presses. A long press will finally allow you to switch to transparent mode. By default, if it is possible to go to the next song, it is however impossible to go back to the previous title.
However, these settings can be changed in LG’s Tone Free app, available on both Android and iOS. This application is full of features. In addition to the user manual, accessible directly when opening, it will also allow you to customize the touchpads of the headphones. You can thus modify the parameters for one, two, or three presses, left or right.
Sony WF-1000XM3
The touch controls don’t always respond to finger-to-eye and it’s not uncommon to accidentally tap next to the tiny area, even after more than one. week of use. This has happened to me many times when I wanted to reposition the headset a little to avoid hurting for example. In the end, the result is that it is not uncommon to take out your smartphone to control your music.
Clearly, the active noise reduction of the WF-1000xM3 does not bring the calm of a headband headset that covers the ear much better. Sounds continue to pass. However, this reduction is actually very good compared to other in-ear headphones and already cuts out a lot of external distractions. Note also that active noise reduction is far from being a point often found on true wireless headphones, which makes them rare examples.
Battery
| LG Tone Free FN6 | Sony WF-1000XM3 | |
| Battery Type | Li-Po | Li-Po |
| Battery Life | 5 Hours (Talk) 6 Hours (Music) | Up to 15 hours |
| Charge Time | 5 Minutes for 1 Hour | 3.5 Hours |
| Charging Port | USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
LG Tone Free FN6
The battery of LG Tone Free FN6, the manufacturer has integrated a 55 mAh accumulator in each earpiece allowing use for six consecutive hours of listening. On the case side, we will find a 390 mAh battery allowing 18 additional hours of listening.
For charging, LG announces an hour in the box to fully charge the headphones. However, it only took me 31 minutes to go from 0 to 100% battery. Suffice to say that recharging is fast … very fast. After this recharge, there was still more than 80% battery on the case, initially charged to 100%.
Sony WF-1000XM3
With the box, Sony announces 24 to 32 hours of autonomy, which corresponds roughly to what I was able to experience in mixed-use (around 28 hours). We are therefore clearly at the top of the basket. The only small complaint that some may make: the lack of wireless charging.
Connectivity
| LG Tone Free FN6 | Sony WF-1000XM3 | |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| NFC | No | No |
| Multi-Device Connection | No | No |
Which is better!
LG Tone Free FN6
LG headphones are not lacking in quality, unfortunately not where you might expect them most. The headphones are comfortable with thoughtful features and customization of touch controls. The Korean manufacturer also had a good idea to offer a case that allows the headphones to be sterilized once in place. The autonomy is decent, with a little over six hours, but does not do wonders either.
Unfortunately, it is mainly the sound quality that is lacking in the Tone Free FN6. LG headphones sound way too midrange oriented by default. Fortunately, it is possible to change the sound signature thanks to a built-in equalizer. However, the headphones also suffer from a certain saturation, especially on the vocals.
Unfortunately, for a price of over a hundred euros, we can now find much more convincing alternatives, especially for the sound quality. And this is the essence of what is required of wireless headphones.
Sony WF-1000XM3
The Sony WF-1000xM3 are high quality true wireless headphones. If their price is in the upper range, you get what you pay for on absolutely everything. They even managed to convince the refractory to true wireless headphones that I am, that is to say.
Not only is their sound good, much better than that of AirPods for example, but in addition, their autonomy is really excellent and should only let you down in certain extreme cases such as a long-haul flight for example. Finally, active noise reduction is still far too rare a feature on this type of product and it is managed much better here than on the previous generation. It is certainly not as effective as on a headband helmet, but it is already more than enough to cut off from the world and avoid the parasitic noises of open space or a public place.
There are still some elements to improve, such as tactile navigation, the size of the charging box, or the water resistance, but this remains relatively incidental compared to the gain that we will find in sound.
