Skip to main content

LG's new Tone Active earbuds put function before fashion

lg tone active earbuds launch
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Earbuds that hang around your neck are an interesting invention. It’s like the company that made them wants to go wireless, but can’t completely cut the cord just yet. In any case, LG is a firm believer in them and has come out with a new pair, which it calls the LG Tone Active headset.

The earbuds can basically be hung around your neck, and have a built-in microphone, letting you talk on the phone without having to take it out of your pocket. Sure, they’re not the most fashionable item out there, but they should at least prevent you from dropping your earbuds while working out. According to LG, the battery inside the earbuds will last a hefty nine hours, so you you shouldn’t find yourself halfway through a workout when your earbuds run out of power.

Recommended Videos

“The LG Tone Active is perfect for anyone who wants a wireless music experience while working out, regardless of the type of smartphone you own,” said LG senior director of U.S. accessories Bruce Tripido, in a statement. “We’ve redesigned our most popular headset to keep up with you and your fitness goals while also keeping our unique Tone retractable earbuds and around-the-neck contoured design.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The goal of the headphones’ design is to enable the earbuds to handle even the more rigorous workouts out there, without compromising on audio quality. As mentioned, they have a playback time of nine hours, however in between workout sessions, you can fully charge the earbuds in two hours. The headphones are also sweat and water resistant — which is a pretty necessary feature considering the fact that the way they’re designed is sure to induce more than a little sweat around your neck.

The headphones themselves come in two different colors — blue and black, and sport a price tag of $130. You can get a pair for yourself from the LG website.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
Sony delivers the $100 WF-C500, its most affordable set of true wireless earbuds
Sony WF-C500 true wireless earbuds and case sitting on a table..

Sony, a company that has historically made very capable but very expensive true wireless earbuds, is now heading into more affordable territory with the $100 WF-C500, a set of earbuds that compete with Jabra's $80 Elite 3. Sony's previous lowest-priced earbuds were the $130 WF-XB700. It also announced its latest full-size noise-canceling wireless headphones, the $250 WH-XB910N. Both models are available for pre-order today at Sony.com, Amazon, and Best Buy.

Compared to Sony's other true wireless offerings like the WF-1000XM3, WF-1000XM4, and WF-SP800N, all of which possess advanced features like active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, in-ear detection, built-in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and in the case of the XM4, wireless charging, the C500 are relatively bare-bones. They're still compatible with Sony's Headphones app, and they benefit from Sony's Digitial Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), which helps to restore lost high-frequencies in compressed digital music. But otherwise, there are few bells or whistles.

Read more
Technics’ new earbuds focus on call quality and wireless hi-res audio
Woman wearing Technics EAH-AZ40 true wireless earbuds in silver.

Editor's note: Prior to the official launch of its new true wireless earbuds, Technics provided Digital Trends with pricing information for the EAH-AZ40 and AZ60. This set the price of the AZ40 at $130 and the AZ60 at $200, which we initially reported. However, following the launch, Technics informed us that the pricing had been changed. We've adjusted the prices accordingly in the article below.

Following on the heels of the EAH-AZ70, its first set of noise-canceling true wireless earbuds, Technics is back with two new true wireless models that are more compact and offer better call quality than their predecessor. The $230 EAH-AZ60 come in silver and black, and the $150 EAH-AZ40 can be ordered in silver, black, and rose gold. Both models will be available in October. In the U.S., the EAH-AZ60 replaces the AZ70.

Read more
SoundSwell’s new Bluetooth earbuds are smartwatch-powered and wipeout-proof
Woman wearing SoundSwell's Smartwatch Series Bluetooth earbuds.

There are now plenty of wireless and true wireless Bluetooth earbuds that can survive immersion in water, but few -- if any -- can stay attached to your body after you've been rolled by a wave. But Hawaii-based SoundSwell has a solution: Its $150 Smartwatch Series headphones combine a set of IPX9K-rated Bluetooth earbuds with a necklace-style harness that can also securely house a smartwatch to create a fully wipeout-proof music setup.

The Smartwatch Series was designed to withstand the sometimes torturous conditions facing surfers, but it also solves a problem for those who simply want to swim with their tunes. Bluetooth signals can travel for more than 50 feet through the air, but once they hit the water, their ability to propagate drops off a cliff. In most cases, your source device (smartphone, media player) needs to be six inches or closer to your receiving device (earbuds).

Read more