Hands-on with two of LG’s recent arrivals, the Tone Free T90S earbuds and XBOOM XG2LG portable speaker. Should you buy either?
LG sits in a pretty interesting space. In the gaming and tech world they’re one of the first brands that springs to mind when you think of PC monitors or television sets built for gaming. But earbuds or portable speakers? Arguably less so. That said, if my recent time with two of the company’s recent products, the LG Tone Free T90S earbuds and LG XBOOM Go are any indication, that could soon well change.
It all starts with the Tone Free T90S earbuds, which once unsheathed from their protective packaging look relatively traditional all things considered. Available in either black or white (I tested white), the buds themselves are clean and sleek. That means once you’ve thrown them into the ears, they thankfully manage to keep a low profile that doesn’t look like you’re hacking into the Matrix.
One of the biggest compliments I have to give the T90S though is on its fit. Outside of AirPods Pro, I constantly struggle with most bud brands to find a snug-fitting bud that doesn’t shake loose after five minutes of use, but LG has done pretty well here. After some initial moments of confusion due to the wing-like design actually needing to be placed at the bottom, twisting the each of the Tone Free T90S buds into place was sufficiently seamless and always led to a good seal. I used the smaller ear tips (multiple sizes are provided in the box) and mercifully never worried about either tumbling out – remaining comfortable for multiple hours at a time.
It is worth noting though that unlike AirPods, classic touch interaction is all you’ll nab here, and while it works for the most part, the controls are on the sensitive side so don’t be surprised if you accidentally pause my audio when making minor fit adjustments.
LG is also hoping these are the cleanest earbuds you ever own as well thanks to the inclusion of UVnano which the company claims can kill about 99.9% of bacteria after 10 minutes. There is a slight catch though. Despite a blue light shining when you open and close the case of the buds, UVnano is actually only activated when you charge the case, meaning you can’t just do it whenever you please. I obviously don’t have a private laboratory on hand to assess all these claims, but it’s a pretty neat feature all the same, especially considering how much wear and tear earbuds typically cop.
And you’ll likely be using the Tone Free T90S earbuds a fair bit thanks to some pretty impressive audio quality. Dolby Atmos is the big selling point here, and during my tests it performed admirably, which when paired with the 3D Sound Stage audio profile (adjustable via the LG Tone Free app) and head tracking helped Dolby Atmos tracks shine. Clarity was the real highlight with a well-rounded soundstage, but it does feel like that comes at the expense of bass, even with the attempted boost setting. Active Noise cancellation and transparency modes also fail to go above and beyond, and fall a bit short of Apple’s class-leading offerings in those areas.
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Add easy pairing to gaming devices like Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, as well as the incredibly nifty ability to use the case as wireless Bluetooth dongle for devices with an AUX headphone jack and you’ve got a product well worth your attention if you can actually find them. Amazon currently has the Tone Free T90S earbuds at $273 and that feels like pretty great value if you’re looking for a serious all-rounder.
The XBOOM XG2LG thankfully does not encounter a similar issue. Easily accessible via the LG Store for a measly $89, it places the portable speaker in a good spot compared to other pint-sized speakers like the WONDERBOOM 4.
Speaking of the Ultimate Ears line-up, the XBOOM might not be equally Instagram-worthy, but I’m actually quite the fan of LG’s more rugged, military-styled aesthetic. It’s clean, simple and perfect for anybody who is looking for a speaker without making a statement.
But that military design isn’t just for looks. No, the XBOOM XG2LG actually comes packing an official military Military-grade durability, passing a whopping seven military standard tests including high temperature, vibration, rain, salt fog, blowing dust, even water immersion and shock. That’s arguably more protection than your average user requires, but during testing my unit was subjected to both water and a number of drops and I was never once concerned with long-term performance.
Long-term durability will only get you so far though if the audio output isn’t up to scratch, so thankfully the XBOOM is able to match its competitors quite capably. In both indoor and outdoor settings I was more than happy with how much grunt LG’s speaker was able to pump out with almost no distortion on the upper levels. Much like the Tone Free buds though bass is also a little lacklustre on this unit as well, leading the overall sound profile to be a little flatter than I’d typically prefer. Still, it’s perfectly serviceable for outdoor parties or small holiday getaways. I even managed to pair the unit to my Nintendo Switch to boost my table top gaming setup and was chuffed with how solidly it performed.
Yes you can nab portable speakers with beefier sound or better battery life (you’ve only got around 10 hours here), but that often comes at the expense of portability or affordability – Bose’s SoundLink for example is almost double the asking price. If you’re looking for a sweet spot between the two, the XBOOM XG2LG is a respectable investment.
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