The Spectacular Final Audio D8000 Pro

General Information

IMG_0725.JPEG



A little background on me

I’ve been passionate about headphones for over the past decade, to the point where my love of music and tech intertwined and absorbed me into a black hole – and all this happening in what I’d call a booming decade for personal audio. I’d like to think I’ve developed a strong ear for nuance and analysis, and have experienced most kilobuck flagships of note – and let me tell you, the Final D8000 Pro are truly a spectacular set of headphones.



Presentation

The unboxing experience is wonderful, it’s all packed like a luxury watch, double boxed, with two bubble wrap sleeves surrounding each, and finally a classy glossy faux croc skin box. Upon opening that, you have a practical carry case, with a set of silver cables with ¼” termination, and another OFC black cable with 3.5mm termination. The silver cable is HEFTY and oozes quality, more so than most aftermarket products out there even. Inside the carry case rests the headphones themselves, and once I removed them and laid my eyes on them, I immediately was struck by the exceptional craftsmanship. These are without a doubt the most beautiful headphones I’ve ever seen; the aesthetics, the machined parts, the quality of the pads and the specs of paint splashed on the Final badge and hinge make for a super classy and beautiful product. These headphones are massive, they are also on the heavier side, they feel premium, unlike some other very expensive products out there. I feel like this is a luxury item, and that despite it costing a pretty penny, it is well justified!


IMG_0595.JPEG



IMG_0693.JPEG



IMG_0694.JPEG



IMG_0710.JPEG



Sound

Right off the bat, these are one of the best headphones you can buy in 2020. I’ll be honest, there are two headphones I’d say sound better which I’ve heard, and they retail for much much more money, one which I own, but can’t always justify owning. What is extraordinary about these is that they are probably the most complete set of headphones for multi genre, and 100% would be my recommendation for an endgame single-set of cans for someone who doesn’t want to hoard gear!

Chances are if you’re reading this, you’re pretty well versed in the high end headphones game. What do these sound like? Well, tonally, they’re very similar to a HiFiMAN HE1000v2 with more treble clarity, detail and control, and with dynamics and bass slam akin to the HiFiMAN HE6 - but surpassing those even. Soundstage is somewhere between Focal Utopia and HE1000 series, and is more focused and coherent than either. It has what I would call just the right amount of stage width, and great center image crossfeed, which makes for a more engaging listen. These headphones have great speed, dynamics, slam; they’re a more authoritative and in your face presentation. A hybrid of LCD4 and Utopia in one package, and besting both is also a great example of what these are. I have not heard better bass rendition in a headphone up to now.


If you value transparency, attack and dynamics, with treble energy and good sparkle and super tight bass, all while having a very linear and unobstructed midrange, then these are a must listen.


It sounds like hyperbole, too good to be true, etc... but they really have no glaring flaws. If I have to nitpick, treble energy is north of neutral which can be a bit too much on occasion, and bass is also punchier than neutral. Think of it as a very tastefully and ever-so-slight V-shape - but I would say they sound that way in direct comparison to a Susvara for instance. They’re more of a natural listen than neutral, and that is something we should appreciate when listening to music. I actually enjoyed these with more diverse material than my Susvara, and found myself longing for more punch and upper mids/ low treble from Susvara. They might not resolve quite as much as the expensive HiFiMAN, but they are more musical and fun for most of what I listen to. One last thing to bear in mind is that despite comfort being good, you might have to adjust the headband once in a while as the headphone may get heavy over time. These are the sacrifices us audiophiles must be prepared to make to get the best sound out there!


IMG_0713.JPEG



IMG_0718.JPEG



Some Music Tested:

Donald Fagen – Morph the Cat:

As a bassist, I love using this track for testing, as the bass guitar is incredibly well recorded, and overdriven, and causes many headphones to saturate/ struggle to properly render it nicely. The D8000 Pro absolutely slam, the impact and texturing of the electric bass are superb and not too bloated as it would on say an LCD4. Donald Fagen’s voice in this track edges on sibilance, and is sometimes not the most pleasant with some headphones, but in this case it is edgy, but remains clean and controlled with great immediacy and clarity.


Trentemoller – Moan (Trentemoller Remix):

I got completely lost in this track, the layering and buildup of grooves is addictive and so effortless. This track presents a very holographic soundstage, and what’s fantastic about it with the Final is that it sounds very three-dimensional in the x,y,z axis’.


The O’Jays – Back Stabbers:

Just some old Motown soul with a lot percussions and instrumentation. Just a lot going on, with strings, punchy backing rhythm, some electric guitar licks – it’s great for testing timbre of various instruments, and D8000 Pro, again, effortlessly render this song with nice dynamic.


Ronald Jenkees – Inverted Mean:

Bells and chimes and lots of micro dynamics. Great test for speed and effortlessness. Some planar headphones have issues with rendering very clean treble à la Stax or Focal Utopia, but the Final compete easily, all while offering more with a low end foundation that the aforementioned don’t quite have.


Michael Wollny – Muhlrad:

A good friend of mind showed me this track and it’s become one of my most used test songs. The initial drum slam is gigantic with tons of energy and air, followed up with tons of intricate instrumentation and cymbal play. Eventually the bouncing piano notes fall in and you can clearly hear reverberations/ bounce of the piano hammers. Piano in this track is so well recorded, but many headphones are unable to project the notes forward with depth. The D8000 Pro really gives tactility to all the instruments, as if they have relief and texture and you feel you can touch them; it sounds very real. Instead of just throwing a wall of sound at you, you can really decipher all elements within the song being projected at you from a black background, as if it were real music.



Value

Finally, when talking about luxury or high end products, it must be discussed that diminishing returns are in effect. Nevertheless, many people justify spending thousands of dollars on headphones because they remain more budget-friendly than many 2 channel systems, yet can attain a level of fidelity that is world class. I truly believe that if you’re to rationalise spending thousands on a headphone, but want something that really justifies its worth, the D8000 Pro are entirely priced fair. I am a headphone addict, I cannot have just one headphone as I always feel different headphones or brands will offer something unique, or their own flavor. But for the first time in a very long time, listening to these headphones, I kept telling myself how incredible of a total package these are. I don’t long for the HD800’s soundstage and treble, I don’t miss the HE6’s dynamics and slam, the midrange is organic and analog like my HE1000’s and add to all that, these are relatively easy to drive!


Hope my write-up was enlightening, and if you have a chance to hear these someday, or are shopping for a World Class headphone, you owe it to yourself to put these on your radar. Also, enjoy these sexy photos :)


IMG_0698.JPEG



IMG_0699.JPEG



IMG_0726.JPEG



IMG_0700.JPEG



Happy listening :)

Comments

uptildawn53

100+ Head-Fier
Always wanted to know about these - in owning the LCD-4 and Utopia, ( and HE1000se ) I can sense and comprehend how these might sound - Thanks for that !
 

CrispyWhale

New Head-Fier
I can fully agree with the author of this review. These cans are just fenomenal. I was able to test them thanks to my local dealer for almost a month, and I am a happy owner of the Pro Edition since yesterday. I get goose-flesh while listening of some songs.
Sound-wise I haven't heard anything better than this (thus my Campfire Audio Cascade will be for sale pretty soon).

Build-wise they are definitely not perfect. Here are my observations:
- they are very heavy and they move over the head if you look down or shake your head
- the connectors are quite long and the cable can easily touch your shoulders if you look right or left; the only way to tackle this is to turn ear-cups around their mounting so that connectors won't go straight down but will be slightly to the front
- the silver cable (3m) is sound-wise fantastic, but its rigid and when moved (e.g. accidentally) it will move your headphones around which is not a pleasent thing at all (the shorter black cable identical as the one from D8000 is just perfect in terms of flexibility)

All of this can be easily forgiven for the sake of the sound. I love it.
 

adydula

Headphoneus Supremus
Cherry picking some comments...why because i can...these are really good cans..

Technically speaking, I would rank D8000 Pro slightly behind 1266 TC and Susvara due to the comparative limitation in resolution, transparency, and soundstage. But practically speaking, if I have to choose only one pair of headphones for the rest of my life it has to be D8000 Pro. D8000 Pro is ideal for audiophiles who have a varied music taste and seeking ultimate headphones for both house and portable use.

Other headphones may be preferred in some of those areas, but the D8000 Pro does them all extremely well; it is all of these traits rolled into one headphone, along with a hint of musicality that make the D8000 Pro special. In my book it remains 5 stars and still my #1 preference. Between the D8000, D8000 Pro, and the Abyss (as well as Utopia and Susvara) I no longer feel a need to search for additional open headphones. The 8KPro leaves me wanting for nothing more. How long will that last? I'm an audiophile so who knows?!?

That leaves me ultimately impressed with the Final D8000 Pro. I have thought for a long while that planar headphones would eventually catch up with electrostats, but they never quite managed to get there. Now I think that, with the D8000 Pro, at least, they may very well have.
 

adydula

Headphoneus Supremus
These cans are indeed very special...interesting to see some late comers to the party and expound on their virtues. LOL.
About as good as it gets with this type of transducer....
Spectacular is a good word to describe them..
 
Last edited:

Ricco275

100+ Head-Fier
I own Elite and thinking to move to D8000pro or HE1000V2.
The Elite is an overall engaging and pleasant headphone but I miss excitement, precision and wider soundstage.
I’m not into heavy bass or massive slams.
I listen to classic rock blues and jazz.
Anyone thinks the D8000pro or the HE1000V2 could be a better option?
I’m somehow looking for a sound presentation closer to a 2 channel speakers, for long time I loved my Graham LS5/9 BBC monitors, musical, dynamic and precise.
 

adydula

Headphoneus Supremus
After the D8000 Pros arrived I have a pair of Rad 0's and a new set of ZMF VC's.
D8000Pros are still the headphone here...just simply amazing clarity.
The others are good, very different sound signature.
The D8000 Pros are the most tonally accurate and have the least "veil"...
With all the new stuff coming out, these cans hold their own for sure...
These will stay but some others will be sold...
:>)
 
Back
Top