Final Audio Design Heaven VII

About Me
 I am in my fifties and have loved music and music equipment all my life. From about 8 years old, I had my first exposure to my mother’s reel to reel tape recorder. A few years later, I was bought a slab-like cassette deck from Philips which I used to record chart songs. As a teenager I pored over Laskys HiFi brochures and my first purchase was a pair of big Celestion speakers. Over the years I have had Nad, Mission, Linn, Roksan and Naim equipment. Finally Tag McClaren HiFi where I was a volunteer software beta-tester for their numerous upgrades.
 
However I always loved the idea of portables and returned with a gold Sony Mini-disc player, a Sony A808 and various iPods. But until a few years back when a Google search brought up Head-Fi, I was oblivious to the thriving portables community and the quality of sound that could now be obtained.
 
 
Equipment used for Review
 A Fiio X5 and DX90 are my first hi-res DAPs, and I’ve soon gone from Westone W40s IEMs to Shure 846s and ie800s. A Hugo portable DAC/AMP is my most recent addition. Most of my listening is complete albums, and I now have a collection of Hi-Res and DSD music, which in some cases, does seem preferable to my older versions so will listen using all formats. I will test via the DAPs, both with and without Hugo.
 
 
Disclaimer
 I received these for 7 days during the Final Heaven European tour and will provide Final and prospective buyers with some feedback in the form of a review. I want to thank Final Audio Design for including me in this program and especially Mark for making it run so smoothly.
I will give opinions honestly and with an open mind as to how I find them.
 
 
About Final Audio and the Heaven VII
This is my very first listen to a Final product so I researched a little to set the scene.
Kanemori Takai founded Final Audio Design in 1974 selling high-end MC cartridges and transformers. Final Audio has sold high-end Hi-Fi products including 'Parthenon' an exotic-looking turntable, 'Music' a top class amplifier, and ‘OPUS204’ a speaker that weighs 800 kilograms! In 2007 Final collaborated with Molex Japan, developing earphones.
The Heaven VII has a stainless steel housing and a single balanced armature driver. It is designed in Japan and handmade. It aims for vivid vocals with little distortion, and a wide soundstage.
 
 

 
Packaging, and in use
From the textured outer box with foam in its roof, to the fur inside, it exudes quality. In fact I just enjoyed stroking the fur, nicer than my cats! The heavy metal case alas, wasn't the whisky flask I first thought! It will certainly protect the earphones and has nice, what looks like suede, inner linings. Various sized silicon tips are included, and the IEMs and cable were all black with a reassuring solid-looking 3.5 plug. Apart from an etching on the housing where the chord is fixed, pretty plain, but many will like the all black design. Personally I would choose the silver housing colour for a bit of variety. I am always sceptical of non-twist cables, many of mine are a nightmare. But I have to say, this flat non-twisted cable is the best I have used and required minimal separating.
 
The comfort while listing for 40 - 90 minutes at a time was much better than I expected, with the housings protruding out of the ear. Comfier than my ear-enclosing 846s! I find a non-detachable cable fine, as long as nothing goes wrong.  A bit worried the whole units would need sending back for repair if the cable ever  became damaged.
 
One niggle is I can’t fathom out is why manufacturers make it so difficult for those without perfect eyesight, to quickly tell left from right earpieces. Credit to Westone for having different coloured housings, although they are a bit garish. Heavens have a small L & R in feint gold on a black background. Now, where's my reading glasses! Surely one larger mark in Gold or Red on the right side would easily solve this? I guess designers and testers must all be of a younger age and not encounter this problem.
 
 

 
What everyone is really waiting for - Sound Quality impressions
I always feel an excitement before listening to a new product. In this case it's because I have no idea what to expect. Firstly I've never auditioned a Final product before.
Secondly, I started my IEM journey with the four balanced armature Westone W40s.  I then bought single dynamic driver Sennheiser ie800s. I am currently trying some hybrid 1 plus 2s which in theory could give best of both designs. I also own the four balanced armature Shure 846s.
But a Single Balanced Armature design, really? I always give less importance to the technical design, and consider purely what something sounds like, but this seems an unusual choice.
Having been forewarned by a previous tester that VIIs are better with a reasonable source,  I decided to go straight in with my usual home gear of a Fiio X5 digitally feeding, via 75ohm co-ax cable, a Chord Hugo.
 
First track, by pure chance from my previous listening session, was 'All Alone' from guitar wizard Joe Satriani's excellent 1993 album 'Time Machine' which I have in 24/96 Hi Res. My first impressions were a good width but also great depth to the music that is most unusual in IEMs. It's starts with four drum beats and the decay and depth to those first beats is so natural before the bass underpins the beat in a spacious way, allowing Joe's Super-Strat 80s style guitar its own space for his elegant melody. A great start and a very enjoyable listen.
 
So much so, I reverse a track to maybe my favourite of the album, 'The Mighty Turtle Head', a far rockier number reminiscent of The Cult with one of their gigantic riffs. Maybe a denser track like this doesn't benefit from the wide soundstage, losing a bit of oomph. Mind you, I feel the same sometimes with tight rock on my HD800 cans! But as the track winds down I've become more used to the slightly less forceful  sound, compared with my other IEMs, and have become accustomed to the presentation.
 
Changing styles completely, I move to Striking Matches, a female/male duo who wrote many tracks for the current TV series Nashville. Their debut album, 'Nothing But The Silence' (FLAC) is a good test with some sparse well recorded tracks, but also some more up-tempo modern Country.
 
Listening to 'Make A Liar Out Of Me', I'm feeling I'm missing a fraction of the creamy midrange feel and detail of some more expensive IEMs, but just as I'm about to make a note of this, one of the duo's Telecasters bursts into a solo and I appreciate the way the Heaven VIIs take me into the track and I forget altogether that I'm listening to a portable, just enjoying the music. Until the very end, when analogue hiss closes the track! I reckon Striking Matches have deliberately kept or generated this for an analogue feel! Rest assured, I checked and all my other IEMs show this. Nice to know the top end isn’t subdued!
 
Time to take Hugo out of the equation.  Some may feel, 'that’s a much more costly solution than I'm using so is it relevant?'  The Hugo gives a very natural sound, maybe increases the timbre quality of the instruments, but overall, if I listen to iBasso or Fiio DAPs alone, or with Hugo, we are not talking dramatic changes. 15% maybe if you could put a figure on it, that’s the diminishing returns of higher cost equipment in our hobby. So the following tracks are matching a DAP of closer price to the IEMs. As many will agree, providing you use good quality source material, IEMs or headphones have a more pronounced effect on the flavour of sound you may like.
 
I play YES's 'Time And A Word', a re-mastered hi-res recording from the High Vibrations box set. 'Sweet Dreams' portrays the sadly departed Chris Squire's bass in a fast tight fashion, before Jon's angelic vocals are overlaid. Perhaps missing a slight bit of impact but rhythmic all the same and an enjoyable listen.
 
Taking the pace right down is Norah Jones 'I don’t Know Why' from her 'Come Away With Me' album. This shows piano, vocals, bass and drums all in their own space.  Instruments are beautifully layered, and the brushes on the drums are so delicate. Another Norah Jones track, 'Cold Cold Heart', again suits this Heaven down to a tee, showing the sense of space around the double bass and a depth to the recording that this IEM is great at.
 
Overall, the Heaven VII has good detail levels and coherence to the sound. It is clean sounding with no particular emphasis. It does lack the low end bass grip of some higher priced IEMs.  The bass is fast, just could do with a wee bit more oomph and punch. Mids are neutral and Treble I haven’t really spoken about, I think this is a testament to the fact that I usually listen to Shure 846s and Sennheiser IE800s, more expensive IEMs, and I just accepted the treble on here as neutral sounding. Heaven VII's star quality is that it has the best depth I've heard from an IEM, giving a very atmospheric sound.
 
 

 
Summary
Whether Heaven VIIs are for you depends, like any other IEM or headphone, where you listening preferences lie. For bassheads or those seeking a warm IEM, look elsewhere. But for those seeking a neutral sound signature, the Heavens VIIs should be listened to. In their price range they tick most of the boxes and their single driver with no crossovers needed, gives a very balanced sound, and excels with top-class depth and imaging. Thanks again to Final Audio for giving me this opportunity to test.

 
The introduction
 
Firstly, I would like to thank Final Audio Design for the opportunity to be a part of this heavenly tour. That being said as a disclaimer I have no affiliation with Final Audio Design so all impression will be as honest and objective as possible.
 
Okay, before getting into the meat of this review I just wanted to mention a little about Final Audio Design and their products, so typically from trying a few of there earlier models Final Audio’s sound signature tends to lean towards that euphoric mid centric and epic soundstage kind of personality. Aiming to achieve all of this through their relentless pursuit of just a single balanced armature driver! Yep just one not two not three just one. So it’s no surprise the Heaven VII doesn’t fall to far from this stereotype sound, signature wise and certainly not technology wise.
 
It’s actual quite an achievement in what the company has produced with a lot new hype still surrounding hybrid designs and CIEMS now even holding up to 12 drivers per side. A commendable feat and Final Audio Design certainly have come a long way, I actually remember trying out a host of their earphones about 2 Years ago at a Head fi meet and being impressed by how much sound was being produced by such a seemingly inconspicuous earphone.
 
Below is a more detail picture of the Heaven’s internals and make up: 

Here is also a link to Final Audio Design's site for full specification and information: http://final-audio-design.com/en/archives/2240
(Disclaimer this picture was taken from Final Audio Designs Web Page I do not own the rights to this picture)
 
Build Quality and Design
 
As you can see a very simple yet eloquent design. The Heaven VII is crafted out of the same stainless steel body as the Heaven VIII. The only difference here being the VIII is only available in a gold finish. The VII on the other hand are obtainable in two other colour options a sexy polished silver and an enticing matte black, that feels so nice to touch, just saying.
 
Their signature font “Final” is printed on the front side of the driver housing as you can see, there are also left and right indicator markings written near where the cable and housing meet. One thing I must say is how much I love the beautifully crafted jack, it’s a modest straight 3.5mm jack but is encompassed in a silver finish with beautiful calligraphy printed across just adding that extra touch of class.
 
A flat non tangle cable flows from the housing, apart from being a little weighty the thing just screams quality! I have owned a few supposedly flat non tangle cabled earphones before which have failed that claim quite abysmally, the Heavens on the other hand offer a real chunky wire that never gets confused no matter how carefully or carelessly I put them away.
 
I have uploaded a picture of the jack, cable and earphones for a bit of visual reference:

 
Accessories
 
Other than the straight up sex appeal you get from looking at its packaging, inside you will find a black fur bedding hugging those precious heavenly jewels, a sleek polished silver carrying case, a warranty card, instruction manual and a selection of 5 different sized silicone ear tips (Of which I received 4 a pair may have been lost along the tour). Moving on there is also a mirror-finished slim flat carrying case has a padded interior, its dimensions are as follows: 3.5” H x 3.75” W.
 
The presentation is certainly one of extravagance really showing off just how luxurious the earphones are, I truly believe this comes from a company who want you to feel like you have got what you paid for. Regrettably though as nice as the presentation and case is I can’t help but feel a little griped. The reason for this isn’t due to the limitation of silicon tips or accessories, it’s actually down to that lustrous carrying case.
 
Basically due to the finish Final Audio Design has chosen to go with you end up with something very similar to the old iPod classics, if you ever owned one you’ll know exactly what I mean the surface is prone to scratching and marks no matter how carefully you try and preserve it. A little disappointing but worst of all even though the cases dimensions mean it can fit quite easily into your pocket the bloody thing won’t close without a fight with the earphones in, granted I have got foam ear tips on there but still this is something that could have been prevented with a simple indent for the earphones to fit snugly into.
 
Here are some pictures of what you are to expect, still love the box it’s like snake skin just pure class:

 
Comfort, Fit and Isolation
 
The comfort of these earphones is actually quite respectable. However, there seems to be one big design flaw here unfortunately, that is solely down to the housing’s stainless steel weighty enclosure. These things are downright heavy, even besting my Dunu 2000's. Aside from the weight though they’re generally very comfortable, they are conventionally worn straight down so no faffing about trying to get the cable over your ear and so on. 
 
Switching tips is one thing I found gave me a little bit of added relief from the earphones dense nature. Tip rolling in itself can be useful thankfully in this case I didn't find too many sonic changes as I was trying out various tips. I finally settled on a pair of foam ear tips which use no wax guard and provide a perfect balance between clarity, isolation and comfort.
 
Typically speaking due to the weight of the earphone I can't wear them for any longer than a period of about two hours before they become uncomfortable. Obviously for most people two hours is quite sufficient but something to take into consideration if you’re planning on wearing these for extended periods of time.
 
Last but not least a little word on isolation, I don't know if it's the foam ear tips or the stainless steel housing or both but there isn't any complaints here! Apart from the exception of a few good earphone these offer pretty substantial isolation on a few occasion with the music off people were trying to talk to me and still couldn't hear a thing so not bad at all. 
 
Initial impressions
 
Before I kick off with my initial thoughts and feelings I want to stress how much my views have changed since I’ve got to understand and spend more time with the Heavens, so please do read the actual sound impressions as it would be a crime to deface a pretty good product by just reading these next few slightly unflattering paragraphs.
 
So after a slight delay the earphones finally arrived (pun intended) upon first listen I couldn’t help but feel like something is either missing or broken. Actually after having read previous reviews I was tempted to email Mark and see if they had another pair or at least forewarn them of a seriously bad review.
 
The earphones sounded veiled, thin and distant and at first and I just couldn’t get why previous reviews had mentioned the vocal reproduction sounding so natural and a big soundstage which just didn’t seem to exist at this point.
 
I can not emphasis this next section enough, source matching is crucial for these babies to shine as they were intended to and you need to spend some days letting your brain adjust to what’s going on, or at least I certainly did. As I was in a rush the first thing I plugged them into was my iPhone 6 hardly audiophile, but I just didn’t think such a quality product could sound so lifeless. As it turns out with brain burn in and a little extra juice they are now quite enjoyable even out of my iPhone, not at their best by any means, but at least enjoyable.
 
Source matching
 
As I mentioned my initial impressions weren’t overly impressive at all. Thankfully once again my home listening set up saved the day. The setup I use is simply a Meridian DAC V1 connected to the infamous Meier audio Quickstep using a Crystal Piccolino interconnect. I found this set up to be the most sonically pleasing as it provided a nice ample amount of warmth and brought out all of the Heavens best attributes. 
 
I would go as far as to say these are nearly the pickiest earphones I've tried and I would recommend highly that you invest in a good source if you're planning on purchasing these, if you don't already own one. 
 
I am sure you can get away with using an iPhone or an android-based device if that's all you've got around, but do be aware you will probably need to push the volume up. This isn't necessarily because the earphones are hard to drive it just seems to need those notches to bring out their true character. I found myself pushing the volume up a little past my comfort levels when simply using my iPhone in order to really pull out the clarity, bass and midrange however, there was the negative of this resulting in a slightly more aggressive sound than I’m used to, mainly in the treble region but more on that later.
 
In the unlikely case all you have is your phone try get a little amp, even something like the Martini+ connected to my iPhone really gave it a good kick in the bum and boosted its performance. It’s certainly something I'd recommend as the results yielded a lot of good fruit, everything from more euphoric vocals to treble detail all the way down to the bass. 
 
I think the main reason why I couldn't seem to get such an enjoyable sound out of them at the start, other than having to adjust to the sound signature, is simply because these are high-end earphones and they were designed in mind with a high quality source to match. I hope you've stayed with me this far as we are about to get into the juicy bit, the sound!
 
Sound Quality
 
As has been made clear by this point I basically have decided to base these sound impressions on how the Heavens sound using my home set up, AR-M2 and also my iPhone 6 utilising a line out to my Neco V4 Amplifier.
 
Treble:
 
Well I feel it has been a long time since I have had the chance to hear a BA driver sound as subtle, gentle and crisp as the VII sound in this department. Everything from cymbals to hi hats sound great, guitars especially come across with such transparency and shimmer leaving a delicate note decay as if TinkerBell had just blew magic pixy dust over each note. Honestly please do be careful I didn’t find these earphones forgiving at all of poor recordings though, but as soon as you put some of your favourite music collection on you’ll learn to appreciate why they sound the way they do.
 
Micro detailing is great, light and never trying to force too much in your face all at once, this trait results in the treble having a supplementary amount of air and space for those twangs, clicks and pops to dance around the soundstage which adds a slight touch of brightness and breath. 
 
Midrange:
 
Why oh why did you have to go and make things complicated baby. Sorry me and the VII had a little difficulty understanding each other in this department. This is so much more down to source matching. I don’t get why but these earphones clearly still follow the typically acclaimed sound we have come to know from Final Audio Design but and there is a but if paired with a slightly mid recessed sounding source vocals can seem distant resulting in a slightly shady unmusical sound.
 
Thankfully after couples counselling we managed to sort out our differences and the results have been well, heavenly just had to. Sorry forgive the puns it’s hard when they’ve chosen such a brilliant name. Talking strictly from this point on there is this beautifully buoyant sweet vocal reproduction. It’s no secret I am a bit of a vocal devotee and to me I am always drawn to those type of earphones, that being said the VII is again an earphone that holds its own against some of the most favourable mid focused earphones I've tried.
 
Vocals come across airy and light with a touch of forwardness and bite that can be quite euphoric. The more I listen the more addicted I become refreshing seems to be such a fitting word for the way the Heavens sound to my ears. Although these are clearly designed for accuracy and pace I find myself sometimes wanting a little more meat after falling in love with the R2Pro but I’ll add that in the comparisons section.
 
Bass:
 
Hi, I am bass it’s nice to meet you I'll be around if you need me but don’t bother me too much because I refuse to work for no reason. I’m pretty sure that’s the kind of statement you’d get if the bass first introduced itself. There is certainly a limitation here and I can’t help but feel this is where Final Audio Design need to break convention and finally add an extra driver. Do not get me wrong the accuracy and speed is great from top to bottom like no other single based BA I’ve ever heard however, it still leaves something to be desired.
 
It lacks that texture and finesse you get from a well-tuned dynamic or multi BA earphone. I just feel like these little things were trying too hard to do so much. The bass is good and prominent when needed but certainly could do with some added meat to its bones. On a good note the speed and accuracy is really on point you never get any bleed into the other frequency ranges either leaving the rest of the sound so neat and tidy. There is also a nice impact when a track really calls for it, for the discerning audiophile who loves a bit of hip hop these can still perform remarkable well but there’s room for improvement.
 
Soundstage, Imaging and Layering:
 
Now you may have already heard about the VII’s immersive and spacious soundstage well I won’t kill the hype too much. I feel like they were created with this in mind the soundstage isn’t overly wide or deep yet it has a charisma about it that allows instruments to breathe and spread out around you. I like the way the soundstage is done it is very spacious just in its own way, I have more of a benchmark regarding layering the R2pro really opened me up to what that really means.
 
The VII feel more flat overall due to their nature but thankfully the light tight and liquid sound Final Audio have tried to put into nearly all their earphones makes up for it so you are more captivated about what’s going on around you, the micro detailing being presented and beautiful pallet cleansing midrange. To add a tag line to this I am being very critical because they have done such a good job in this department.
 
Brief Comparisons
 
Dunu 2000: We all know the Dunu 2000’s punch above their weight, but can they keep up with an earphone that costs twice as much? Well the answer isn’t a clear cut yes or no. Sorry for the suspense but although the Dunu do perform remarkably well there is still more refinement found in the VII.
 
Dunu due to the hybrid design in my opinion has a better bass response than the VII, sounding more natural and reaching deeper than the VII is capable of. Now in terms of coherency the tip of the hat goes to the VII everything from top to bottom is very well placed and with a good source they show up and outclass the humble Dunu in this respect.
 
Strictly talking about performance the Heaven VII is an incredible feat with what it manages to achieve with just one BA per side. Bottom line if you have the cash I’d pick the VII over the Dunu for its overall performance from a gorgeous glorious midrange and soundstage to its cohesive sound it’s just that bit better.  
 
R2Pro: Okay this one is really tough these are two completely different sounding types of earphone! So much in fact I will have to bullet point the differences to give you a better comparison.
 
Heaven VII
 

1. Lighter tighter sound
2. A more forward vocal presentation ( With the right source )
3. Soundstage is about equal. The VII is more about having you immersed almost so you don’t know there’s anything happening other than this sense of space whereas the R2Pro focuses on layering and making you aware where everything is coming from.
4. Cleaner clearer presentation

 
R2Pro
 

1. Plumper bass resulting in a thicker sound
2. Detail retrieval isn’t behind but it’s not as obvious
3. Less in your face midrange
4. Darker more engaging sound and more versatile
5. More suitable for longer listening sessions due to the light housing design and comfort

 
Final Thoughts
 
I know some elements of this review have been a little critical but on the contrary I want to commend Final Audio for producing such a fine earphone with just one driver! This to me has been like a fine wine that has only got better with time, a relationship in its growing stages maturing into a refined love and appreciation. There is a lot to be enjoyed about the quality of this earphone I feel I can’t really give it a five star because of some of its shortcomings i.e. lack of versatility with source matching and just the other nit-picks I have with its try hard attitude.
 
I would love to see some improvements for example a lighter driver housing, a slightly more pragmatic and durable carrying case, possibly a removable cable? Most of all I have high hopes, if this is what Final Audio Design can do with ONE SINGLE BA DRIVER can you imagine a highly tuned and perfected multi BA from this company, wow I think they may need to find a word above heaven. Might be harder coming up with a name that emulates what the upgrade to the Heaven VII would be than actually creating the earphones.
 
Concluding thoughts are these are a serious earphone it’s only because of the nit-picks and lack of versatility this is getting a four star. Believe me I may not have hyped about the sound too much but in all honesty I don’t want to let these go they have been a breath of fresh air if Final Audio Design take into consideration some of the suggestions made I don’t care how much the damn things cost I’ll buy them! 

INTRODUCTION
Final Audio has been manufacturing audio equipment in Japan since 1974.  Headphones and IEM are a fairly recent addition to the FA lineup and have generated quite a cult following amongst audiophiles.  The product I'll be looking at today is the Final Audio Heaven VII, a Single BA IEM enclosed in a fashionable  (Metal Injection Molding) housing.  For those of you not familiar with this process, it uses powdered metal which is poured into molds typically used for producing plastics.  This makes it easy to consistently get exactly the shape you want without having to machine the metal.  The only other IEM I know of using this production technique are the RHA T10 and T20.
 
Here's how Final Audio describes the Heaven VII:
 
"Heaven VII pursues the special attributes of final audio design products – a vast sound stage and vivid vocals. The vocals reverberate warmly across the full-range of clear sounds achieved with the product. With MIM (Metal Injection Molding), a special metal working process, a housing that optimizes acoustics not possible through regular machining is achieved. Compared to before, a new single driver unit excelling in bass tone reproduction is employed. With what is in principle ideal full-range reproduction, the result is natural sound reproduction that you could listen to forever. The back design is not merely for decoration either. Resonance dispersion has been factored into the design, making for a high-level balance between beauty and function."

 
Let's see if I agree with that description...
 

Photo courtesy of Final Audio
 

 
First, here are some links for further exploration:
FINAL AUDIO
HEAVEN VII
METAL INJECTION MOLDING
@money4me247's review
@peter123's review
@Cotnijoe's review
@WayneWoondirts' review
 
 
DISCLAIMER
I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the Heaven VII reviewers by Final Audio as part of a Review Tour.  There is no financial incentive from Final Audio in writing this review.  I am in no way affiliated with Final Audio, and this is my honest opinion of the Heaven VII.  I would like to thank Final Audio for giving Head-Fi members a chance to test drive the Heaven VII, and I hope our feedback proves useful for our fellow Head-Fi members as well as for Final Audio.




 
 
ABOUT ME
I'm a 43 year old music lover who listens to a wide variety of genres and artists (but mostly electronic, metal, and modern composition these days). As with a lot of people my age, I've got some hearing issues - some upper frequency loss and mild tinnitus. 
 
My portable music journey started with the venerable Sony Cassette Walkman and then progressed to portable CD players, minidisc recorders, and finally on to DAPs like the Rio Karma, iRiver IHP-120, iPod, iPhone, and the newer crop of DAPs from Fiio and iBasso. 
 
My headphone journey started with Sony MDR e888 and Eggos back in my minidisc days.  I moved on to full-size Beyerdynamic and Ultrasone cans and Shure E2 and E3 IEM. Those all served me well for quite some time.  Then I rediscovered Head-Fi, and my poor wallet...
 
 
SPECIFICATIONS

Drivers	Single Balanced Armature Driver
Frequency range	Unspecified
Impedance	24 Ω
Sensitivity	106 dB/mW
Rated / Max power	Unspecified
Weight	29g
Cable	1.2m
Connector	3.5mm, gold-plated straight plug
Warranty	2 years

 
MSRP: ~$600 - $700

 
 
PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES
I'm not one to go on about packaging and accessories, so I'll keep this short and sweet and let the pictures do the talking.
 
Here's the packaging.  Faux reptile skin?  Really?
 
Take off the lid, and you find lots and lots of... fake fur?  
Sensing a trend here...

 
Is that an old-fashioned cigarette case?


No, it's an IEM case, silly!

 
You also get a nice selection of silicon tips.  
I really like it that you get in-between sizes, making it easy to get the fit just right.

 

Ok, so you get the fanciest IEM case I've ever seen and a very nice selection of tips.  What's missing?  A shirt clip and chin slider come to my mind.  
 
As you can probably tell from my commentary, I'm not a fan of the packaging.  I like simple, straight-forward design, and this is definitely not that.  I can see how it would appeal to some, but it's not my cup of tea.
 

 
BUILD & ERGONOMICS
Let's see how well the Heaven VII are constructed and how well they fit.
 
Starting with the shells, the Heaven VII are very well-made.  The Stainless Steel Metal Injection Molding construction makes them smooth, nearly seamless, and tough as nails.   The tour Heaven VII came with a very attractive matte black paint job. The shells are a bit on the large side compared to other IEM I've used and are sealed.  The size, shape, and pattern are intentional, being part of FA's sound shaping strategy.  Being sealed, isolation is quite good and wind noise is minimal.


 
The shells have L / R markings painted on the inner face near the cable exit.  A raised dot would've been nice to make sightless placement possible.  As it is, you do need to look at the shells for correct
placement.  There is a metal mesh wax guard just inside the nozzle.  This doesn't seem like a user serviceable part, so take care to clean this often to prevent wax from building up inside the nozzles.  The tips are smooth inside but have ridges on the outside of the barrel, making it easy to grip them during placement and removal.  It's the first time I've seen this incorporated into tips.

 
The standard length flat cable resists tangling and microphonics quite well.  At this price point, I would've liked to see a nice matching matte black metal shirt clip to keep the cable secure and further diminish microphonics while out and about.  The silver plug looks quite out of place on the otherwise stealthy all-black Heaven VII.  A matching matte black plug would've been a better design choice, in my opinion.


 

Although the shells are a bit heavy, under ear fit was comfortable for long periods of time with my smaller than average ears.  Even though comfortable, Heaven VII does fall square in Frankenbolts territory.  Over ear fit didn't seem likely with my ears, so I didn't capture any photos of that. 

 
Ok, so what's the takeaway?  Obvious positives are solid build, apparent durability, comfort, and fashionable design.  Suggestions for improvement would be to provide a matching shirt clip, implement an improved system for distinguishing L / R earpieces, and use a matching mate black plug.
 

 
SOUND
I'm going to keep this section simple. I appreciate reviewers who wax eloquent, describing each peak and valley - but for me that's still a work in progress.  Other reviewers on the Heaven VII Tour who have done a superb job describing their sound, so if you need further clarification please refer to their reviews.
 
With that disclaimer out of the way, how do the Heaven VII sound?  
 
Again, here's Final Audio's vision for the Heaven VII's sound signature:
 
“"Heaven VII pursues the special attributes of final audio design products – a vast sound stage and vivid vocals. The vocals reverberate warmly across the full-range of clear sounds achieved with the product. With MIM (Metal Injection Molding), a special metal working process, a housing that optimizes acoustics not possible through regular machining is achieved. Compared to before, a new single driver unit excelling in bass tone reproduction is employed. With what is in principle ideal full-range reproduction, the result is natural sound reproduction that you could listen to forever. The back design is not merely for decoration either. Resonance dispersion has been factored into the design, making for a high-level balance between beauty and function."”
 
Do the Heaven VII live up to that description?  Mostly.  I'll try to explain.  The Heaven VII have a fairly flat sound signature that's rolled off a bit on the low and high ends.  This makes a sound signature which reproduces a lot of music very well but isn't as good for other music styles.  I think it's important to understand that when deciding on any IEM but especially in this case, where the price is quite high for a Single BA design.  I listened to the Heaven VII as my primary IEM for a my week with them, using it with several sources I own or was testing.  During that time, I listened mostly to experimental electronic and metal because that's what's I groove on.
 
LOWS

1. Bass reproduction tapers off a bit into the sub-bass region
2. Bass is quick but is soft and lacks punch
3. Bass definition and texture are quite nice
4. Heaven VII's bass is definitely more about quality rather than quantity

 
MIDS

1. Other than a slight 3kHz peak, mid reproduction is fairly linear
2. Mids are a bit forward and on the warm side, making vocals stand out and sound rich and vibrant
3. Male and female vocals sound equally good

 
HIGHS

1. The upper end has no 8kHz peak like many IEMs and rolls off pretty after 10kHz
2. It's quite a smooth presentation, making it easy to listen to but lacks sparkle and shimmer
3. Treble heads will find this too relaxed

 
OTHER

1. Soundstage is great for an IEM
2. Excellent timbre and resonance

 
SUITABILITY FOR MY MUSIC
As I mentioned earlier, I listen to a lot of experimental electronic and metal.  How did the Heaven VII work out for me, taking my musical preferences into account?  
 
I'll be honest, I listen to a lot of electronic music and found it pretty lackluster with the Heaven VII.  A lot of my enjoyment there relies on high-impact, well-extended bass.  Without that and a nice soundstage, you just can't get the same feeling you get from larger cans or speakers.  The Heaven VII definitely has soundstage covered, but I felt the Heaven VII's bass reproduction lacked in quantity and impact, making it sound softer than I'd prefer for this type of music.  If my electronic music has vocals, they're usually female vocals.  The Heaven VII has that covered, as well.  I found myself yearning for more sparkle and shimmer up top.  If I were using the Heaven VII for electronic music, I'd need to engage in some EQ work to get the sound signature right.
 
I wasn't really feeling the Heaven VII when it came to metal, either.  With doom / stoner / sludge, the low end lacked the sense of ponderous weight needed for these genres, the upper end again needed more sparkle and shimmer to liven things up a bit, and the mids, well... those aren't really critical for this type of music.  With black and death metal, they were pretty good but could still use more bass impact, a slight reduction in mids, and a slight bump in treble.  Now for classic old-school metal like Iron Maiden, the Heaven VII sounded quite good.
 
So, for me the Heaven VII would work out.  They just don't have the sound signature I prefer for the music I listen to most.  Maybe some electronic and metal fans would love them, but I suspect most would be left wanting a bit more bass and treble.
 
What are they good for?  Man, I found the Heaven VII really shined when it came to Classic Rock (Beatles, Eagles, Rush), Jazz (Coltrane, Davis, Monk), and Modern Composition (Cage, Glass, Reich). If I were more invested in those genres I'd be much more interested in the Heaven VII.  But even then, I found myself preferring the less mid-centric sound signature coming from TPEOS Altone200 and VE's new IEM The Duke.
 
So to sum up, I'd call the Heaven VII a neutral to mid-centric IEM with excellent vocals reproduction, great soundstage, and some of the most realistic timbre I've heard in an IEM.  It's quite nice, but at the end of the day it just doesn't tick my boxes.
 
 
SUMMARY
Final Audio's Heaven VII are an interesting luxury IEM.  If you're looking for a great sounding neutral, slightly mid-centric IEM to feed Classical, Classic Rock, and Jazz and are willing to pay a hefty premium, then these might be your next IEM even if they weren't my cup of tea.  Build quality and design are top-notch, and the packaging and presentation just scream luxury brand!
 
It was great to finally give a pair of Final Audio IEM a listen, and it made me look a bit more into the brand and its products.  In doing that research, I honestly think I would've gotten along much better with the Heaven VIII.  It sounds like those kick the bass up notch or two, which I found was the biggest gap with the Heaven VII with my music.
 
FYI: My final score was heavily influenced by the Heaven VII's high cost.  While they did sound quite good for the sound signature, I have a hard time handing out glowing reviews for expensive gear feeling they have a much higher bar to jump over than lower-priced, bang for your buck products. 
 
Again, I'd like to give a hearty thanks to Final Audio for providing me with the chance to give the Heaven VII a listen and hope others find this review useful, particularly those with similar interests in music.