final A8000

Introduction​

The dynamic transducer is the most used driver in the audio industry. It is known for its ability to produce powerful dynamic peaks and impactful bass. However, due to limitations in diaphragm stiffness and weight, it is challenging to achieve the ideal diaphragm for optimal performance.

Aesthetic appearance​

From the packaging and accessories, it is evident that the Japanese people pay great attention to detail and have a meticulous approach, setting them apart from other brands in the market. The entire box, both on the outside and inside, is designed in a luxurious white color, adding a touch of elegance to every small aspect.

Sound impression and analysis​

To assess the performance, I use my daily gear as a reference player - the A&K SP3000. I paired it with the Chord Hugo2 as a DAC/AMP and the Cayin C9 to explore the scalability of this IEM. An interchangeable option to explore the diversity in sound matching by source is the L&P P6 Pro 99Ti. In addition to the stock cable, I use the Crystal Cable Dream Duet as my ultimate reference cable. This cable stands out for its exceptional tonal neutrality, speed, and incredible ability to retrieve low-level details, as well as its ability to clarify the timber and nuance.


The brand new A8000 sounds quite harsh and it changes significantly after 20 hours of usage and burning in at moderate volume. It improves the smoothness and microdetail as well as the dynamic impact.

Ear tips are a sensitive matter when it comes to listening to the A8K. The Final E type, which has small tips and a soft cylinder, appears to absorb some energy and micro transients. This has the effect of reducing brightness and sharpness, but sacrificing dynamics and nuance is the trade-off. Tiefe Wasser highlight this problem, with E type the piano sound the same in dynamic, lack sparking top end and lose the piano and contrabass coherence, lead to a emotionless experience. I finally changed to Alza SednaEarfit to get a more dynamic, vibrant presentation.

Bright tonal balance​

From the measurement it can be concluded that the tonal of A8K leans to the neutral bright side with lots of up lifting in midrange and low-treble region, boosting the clarity up-lifting the tone. With the gradually step-up from 1k to 2k region and maintain the response stable, A8K tends to emphasize the harmonic structure of human voice or violin rather than the fundamental.


The bass section has step-up response from 100Hz down to 20Hz, indicating the slight dominance of sub bass impact over mid bass. The slightly exceed amplitude of sub bass extends the image and sound field of lowest octave while lighting fast impulse response keep it not bleeding into the other object in the presentation. It gives A8K a strong and solid foundation of representation, regardless of what genre of music you listen to. The un-balanced ratio in frequency response of A8K affects the ratio between image size of each harmonic's component of instrumental in this region.

Precise and transparent sound stage.​

A8000 gives me the impression of one of the most clear and transparent sound stages in IEMS ever. The image is rendered with a high level of fidelity. The superb clear edge definition not only defines the localization but also gives the refining of how sound of instrumental envelops in time axis.


The edge-definition and micro transient are impressively good. They perfectly handle the movement between silent and dynamic striking passages in the track Solspill, op. 13 Trond Schau - Lasse Thoresen: Sea of Names.

It expands the sound stage width to L/R location and even stretches outer L/R boundary in extended in high quality recording, especially binaural record. There is problems with sound stage that I feel the same with a reviewer have indicated, that is the image focus is shift more on LR more than other IEM and headphone, which make me wonder about these effects. The focus on center image is somehow lacking density than L/R sight. The center plane is flat and shifts the upper part of the vocal and harmonics forward to the listener.

This issue might related to unbalance, a huge dip in the mid range region compared with a elevated low treble in 2-3k region. The second factor might be using the physical filter to shape the FR. I have experience the effect of flattening the center layer and shifting in other while using filter in the nozzle. This is just my assumption from my experience.

The background is exceptionally clear, without any artifacts from the driver itself or internal acoustic issues. I have the same impression of a clean background as Focal Utopia 2022.

Due to the ultra-light weight and stiffness of the Beryllium diaphragm, the A8000 can produce exceptional low-level amplitude detail. This results in a defined and refined recreation of instruments. Additionally, the nearly flat impedance across the frequency range allows you to lower the volume level of your source without losing any detail in the treble or bass. Every detail remains clear, concise, and transparent, even at lower volumes. This means you can still hear the same sound stage and spatial dimensions, but with the images of each musical instrument shrink to their point source. This creates a sense of vast distance between the musical instruments.

The extended sound stage width gives the impression of a 21:9 ratio screen monitor, rather than the traditional 16:9 on the same record. With detail and lightning-fast response speed, the spatial cues and ambiance are reproduced with defined detail. This provides traditional stereo mixing with more space and spatiality, resulting in an immersive feeling.

Plugging in to A&K SP3000, in quite environment, I listen at volume 30 to 40, which is double my ordinary single DD, which need only 15-20 volume level.

Vocal​

The human voice is a crucial element in music. With its bright tone and clear decaying vibration envelope, A8000 provides a detailed representation of vocal tracks. The articulation is excellent, clearly delineating each component of the word (vowel) and the singer's transitions between them. It lends a sharpness and pleasant resonance to soprano voices. Although I noticed some sharpness in the sibilance region, the fast response speed may prevent it from being fatiguing.

One issue I've noticed is that while I have no problems with woodwind instruments like the flute, the vocals seem to lack airiness and airflow stability.

With its V-shaped structure, the fundamental part (vocal track) of the A8K tends to be lean and lacks dynamism and thickness compared to the harmonic parts. This reduces the fullness, weight, and dynamics of mid-range male and female voices. Nevertheless, the A8K renders each vocal piece with freshness and delicacy by blissing brilliance. It may not be the best fit for popular tracks that often contain many faults in the production chain. However, with higher quality tracks found in genres like folk, opera, and Celtic, the A8K truly shines.

Instrument performance​

A piano perfectly showcases the speed and dynamic range of the A8K. Its high-speed response and low distortion enable piano notes to project effortlessly. The detailed progression of a note's envelope, from the hammer strike to sustain and harmonic resonance, is distinctly clear. The A8K effectively captures the pace and silence between notes, contributing to a strong and accurate representation of tempo. This is particularly evident when listening to La Campanella in G-Sharp Minor. The A8K presents each note with full resolution, speed, and dynamics.

One of the most challenging parts of this song is the last phrase, where low octave notes are struck and then abruptly stopped by the pedal. The A8K recreates these notes with solidity, offering a clear structure envelope between string vibration and body resonance and a instant stop by the pedal. There are some sparkles in your head when listening to this song with A8000. Although the string vibration is defined clearly, I find it less dynamic and solid than Focal Utopia.

The opening track, the title track "Spark," is utterly mesmerizing and spine-tingling. From its solo piano introduction to its ultimate climax, A8000 handles every beat with complete mastery and control. This song might initially seem chaotic to some, but when you grasp the underlying contemporary connection, it delivers a powerful performance, sparking a vivid image in your mind.




In Bacchanale - Minnesota Orchestra, the A8K provides the woodwind and brass instruments with clear and agile expressions. Even in the quietest passage in the middle of the piece, at volume 18 of SP3000, the delicate flute sound is solidly set against a deeply layered background.

Despite its ultra-fast response, the A8K appears to lack coherence, particularly when playing violin instrumentals. This is noticeable in tracks like Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, MWV O14 (Felix Mendelssohn). The notes seem disconnected and lack continuity, resulting in a performance that feels flat and lacks passion.

If you're interested in the music, you can refer to the playlist that contains songs used in the review.

Paring and comparison​

DAP​

SP3000 and L&P P6 Pro 99Ti​

SP3000 and P6 Pro 99Ti is two outstanding choices in portable DAP market today. SP3000 utilizes AKM 4499EX DAC architecture while P6 Pro 99Ti use R2R architecture.


When paired with the SP3000, the combo leans towards a clean and clear signature. The edge definition is ultra-precise, revealing even the smallest details and movements of the performer or instrument. The micro transients and details surpass those of competitors, enhancing performance across the frequency range. IMO, paring with SP3000 captures the authentic transparency of the A8000, albeit at the expense of reduced engagement associated with any distortion. Operatic compositions are even more delightful when enhanced by this combination.

Contrarily, the P6 Pro 99Ti has a smoother and warmer presentation than its competitor. When using the NOS digital filter mode, the vocals offer richness in tonality, resulting in a pleasing listening experience. The extension to the low-end region is reduced, focusing more on mid-bass punchiness. This adjustment compensates for the dominance of sub-basses on the A8000, making the sound easier to listen to.

Sony Wm1Zm2​

This pairing provides an intriguing combination to explore, exceeding my expectations even though Sony isn't typically my first choice. Together with the 1zmk2, the bright tonality of the A8000 is beautifully balanced, rendering a warmer, richer, and more mainstream sound. The pairing is more accommodating to popular, mainstream music due to its smoother treble representation. The sharpness is rounded out, and the bass section gains additional depth, particularly in the mid-bass region.


While it may not delve into the finest detail and speed like the other two, Wm1zm2 undoubtedly stands as a compelling choice to pair with A8k for those seeking a more mainstream sound.

Final A8000 and Focal Utopia​

Given that they use the same driver material, there's a clear similarity in sound signature between them, particularly in their excellent impulse response. When paired with a portable source, I'm even more impressed with the Final A8K than with the Utopia due to the efficiency of IEMS when paired with a portable DAP. In general, the Focal Utopia has a warmer tone in the mid-range presentation, especially in vocal tracks. The Utopia, utilizing a larger diaphragm, can create a more punchy, dynamic, and dense sound signature.

In the low frequency range, Utopia has roll-off sub bass, while A8K has slight dominance ratio of sub bass. A8K has more extension in sub bass, which extends the sound stage depth further. With piano, A8K shows more presence of piano body resonance while Utopia can represent more dynamic, solid texture and intense forte nuance.

On mid and treble frequency, The A8K show offers fast, sharpness, sparking, and lighter note weight while Utopia has more density and note weight. The two show identical levels of clarity and detail, where I can clearly hear each word in the song more than ordinary items.

Final A8000 and JVC FW10000​

Recently, I've had the opportunity to listen to the JVC FW10000 and would like to offer a comparison between the two distinct sound signature products.

The physical appearance is quite different; while the A8K has a mirror-like surface, the FW10K offers a natural and vintage look with its wooden faceplate.


The FW10K uses a Wood Dome Carbon Diaphragm, which is less efficient than the A8K in terms of performance. The FW10K's sound signature can be described as smooth, with lusty and intense vocals. The frequency response graph shows that the FW10K has a strong mid-bass presence over the sub-bass and a substantial uplift in the high mid-range, with a notable peak in the 2K region. Due to the diaphragm's longer decay response, the FW10K can deliver a good punch and thickness to drum attacks. This long decay translates into a lustrous, sweet vocal and mid-range region, providing a richer sound signature impression. However, its downsides include a slow speed response.

On the contrary, the A8K provides lightning-fast response speed due to its utilization of true beryllium diaphragms. This higher speed response translates into a cleaner and clearer sound signature. The vocals are sweet but more clarity and detail. I can hear each vowel more clearly and understand how each word is pronounced. In mid and treble region, A8K sounds even brighter with broader up-lift region.

External Amplification​

Rated at 102 dB (presumably at 1 kHz @ 1 mW), the A8K is less efficient compared to other single dynamic driver IEMs. Although it can be adequately driven with modern DAPs like the SP3000 or P6 pro, the A8K could benefit from more powerful amplification.

The Cayin C9 offers increased body, thickness, and control, whereas the Hugo2 emphasizes sharpness and micro-transients. Given its low distortion profile, the A8K can distinguish between the C9's amplification modes easily.


Hugo2 provides the A8k with an energetic and lightning-fast response. The drums and percussion have more authority and impact, while the treble gains more energy, sharpness, and edge definition. It controls the A8K effortlessly, without any distortion, from concerto to symphony tracks.

Eartips​

Eartip comfort is a sensitive topic as it varies for each user based on the shape of their ears. In this discussion, I want to emphasize the bright tonal quality of the A8000. The stock eartips might counteract its natural characteristics, but this could compromise micro dynamics and nuance. The Alza SednaEarfit may unlock all potential, but it might not be suitable for extended listening sessions. Softer eartip material can mitigate the brightness and provide comfort for long listening sessions, albeit at the cost of some dynamic and contrast.

Final thought​

In one hand, the A8000 falls short in terms of a well-balanced tuning approach. Its thin mid-range raises the overall perception of tonal bias towards the neutral-bright side, which affects the timber of instruments and lacks density, warmth, and extreme fortissimo nuance. This tonality is preferable for baroque period or Celtic music duos due to its resonance in tonal qualities. The A8000 tends to amplify the joy, vitality, and agile aspects of music.

On the other hand, Final has accomplished a significant level of completion in specific engineering aspects and technicalities, surpassing some over-hyped flagship devices currently available. The exceptional physical properties of beryllium material have made it highly desirable for single dynamic full-range IEMs. While diamond could potentially challenge this performance, its expensive price and technological limitations pose a barrier that prevents any brand from pushing the boundaries further.

In conclusion, while the Final A8000 may not be a perfectly tuned IEM, it offers a distinctive flavor and transparency that sets it apart in the audio industry. Paired with the right gear and music, the A8000 can provide a unique and exquisite musical journey.

I have always been a fan of Final. I‘ve owned E3000, Heaven IV and I like its design and sound color/style.
For the A8000, due to its high price, I have high expectations for it, but the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. The sound of the A8000 really can't allow me to give it a high score.

Memers and guests who have read my previous post will know that I have heard and compared FD7 with Zen Pro. The former is a pure beryllium diaphragm earphone priced at only 1/3 of the price of A8000, and the latter is a pure metal diaphragm earphone priced at half the price of A8000, but in fact, the sound impression of these two earphones is better than A8000.

The treble tunning of the A8000 is like a headset designed for audiophiles with hearing loss problem (the treble is harsh). But its mids and bass get a hign density and are very natural, and that is the "pure Final-lous sound". There is a word in our country to describe Final's sound: sense of palace---listening to Final's headphones is like being in a palace.

Final A8000​

A8000 is a flagship IEM from the Japanese manufacturer Final Audio. It uses a pure beryllium dynamic driver and its price is set at $1999.

• PAWEŁ
• SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
• IEM

Introduction​

If you’re in this hobby for a while, there’s no chance that you haven’t heard of Final Audio. The Japanese company specializes in producing IEMs, Over-ear headphones, and quality accessories. Who hasn’t used their famous E type tips at least once?
Their lineup is broad and really thought-out, starting with a budget IEMs like E1000 and going all the way to the flagship territory with their A8000 IEM and D8000 Pro planar magnetic headphones. While almost all of their models are popular and well-regarded, it is the A8000 that truly marked their position as one of the best in the business. A revolutionary approach to making high-end IEMs, using a pure beryllium dynamic driver and that wonderful, stainless steel shells made them one of the biggest players in the high-end IEM market.
This specific model marked a comeback of single DD IEMs to the high-end, being followed by many manufacturers in the recent months, with Cayin’s latest launch – the Fantasy for example. After all these years of pushing hybrids and tribrids, Final Audio decided to bring something fresh to the game, and it’s really something special.
See, the Japanese audio market is really different from the rest of the world. Take the legendary Accuphase or Sony as an example. While the rest of the world pushes the limits by delivering new technologies very often, Japanese brands are all about improving the technologies that are already here. Thanks to that, they might not launch new models too often, but when they do, you can be sure that they went the extra mile with RND. That’s how the A8000 was born – they took a rather old and well-known technology, and simply made it better with research and engineering.
There’s a difference between a generic dynamic driver and that piece of art that is used in A8000. Even though the principal technology is the same, the performance is just simply miles ahead with these IEMs.

Packaging​

The packaging of the A8000 is very…Japanese. Don’t expect a huge box with many compartments, wood, or anything flashy. It’s all about simplicity and equality between quality and functionality.
Because of that, the outer box is just a white, very minimalistic sleeve with golden engravings. It looks tasteful and elegant. Beneath the sleeve, you’ll find a white box that’s not much different from the outer sleeve. After opening it up, you’re greeted by a white cloth with a honeycomb-like print. It’s really soft to the touch and it’s definitely made of quality material. Actually, it looks so good that I used it for some photos in this review.
Apart from that, you’re getting a set of Final E Type silicone tips, which are definitely one of the most popular silicone eartips on the market, and for a good reason. Apart from that, there’s a yellow tool that Final describes as the “MMCX Assist”. This little guy is a lifesaver, I’m not kidding. It makes unplugging every MMCX cable so easy and stress-free, that I’ve been using it very often since getting the A8000. It does the job especially with the A8000, which are rather hard to hold, which is quite problematic if you want to unplug the cable.
Next up, the case. It’s made of silicone and aluminum, providing good protection to those beautiful shells. It’s stealthy and thin, so you won’t have any problems fitting it anywhere, even your pants pockets. Brilliant.
Last but not least – the cable. Final included a very high-quality cable with the A8000. It’s made of silver-coated OFC copper, and it looks like a piece of jewelry.

Build quality and comfort​

The shells are made of mirror-polished stainless steel. They look like a piece of art, absolutely stunning. The materials used have a con as well, the main one being easy to scratch these beauties. Minor scratches will start to show after days of use, and some major ones will arrive in some time, even if you’ll really care about them.

Additionally, stainless steel is heavy, and the A8000 is definitely one of the heaviest IEMs I’ve been using. Thankfully, thanks to their ergonomic and interesting shape I’ll call them rather comfortable, but definitely not class-leading in this regard. They’re not even close to my Fir M5 Custom (yeah, what a surprise), Unique Melody MEST, or Dorado 2020 by Campfire Audio. Still, I’ve used many less-comfortable IEMs in the past, so I would rate the ergonomics of the A8000 as decent.
Lastly, they use MMCX connectors, of which I’m quite a big fan. I don’t understand why people are hating those. If done properly, they are very secure, they rotate and won’t lose the grip as fast as 2-pin connectors. Removing the cable is very hard due to the shells being quite slippery and hard to grab, and here the yellow “MMCX Assist” comes in handy, making the task gloriously easy and satisfying. If you’ll forget to take it with you though, you might be having problems with unplugging the cable, so keep that in mind.

Tech​

I’ve covered the driver configuration of the A8000 in the introduction already, so I’ll keep this straight to the point.
The A8000 uses a pure-beryllium dynamic driver, being the main influence for many single DD IEMs that have been released in the past few years. Before the A8000, single DD wasn’t really treated seriously, so this is THE IEM that changed it all. Thanks to using pure beryllium, the diaphragm is both insanely light and fast, resulting in a very detailed yet natural sound reproduction.
Here’s a quote from Final’s website:
“The adoption of pure Beryllium will lead to improved time response that greatly transfigures sound into transparent. The sharpness of sound build-up and the lingering resonance of the sound can be clearly felt, as can the silence between sounds. Crafting thin pure Beryllium foil is difficult. Our engineers had to struggle to make it stable enough for the product, but it can be said to be a valuable material that pays off our hard works.”

All of that creates a very impressive product that was definitely a risk while developing. It was well worth it, as the A8000 is definitely one of the most important IEM released in the last few years.

Sound​

The most important thing about every IEM is the sound quality though, no matter what rocket science went into engineering. Final A8000 is widely regarded not only because of its mesmerizing looks and revolutionary technology but most importantly, for its sound quality.

First of all, the bass. Since we’re dealing with a DD driver, you can expect a great slam, physicality, and decay of the low frequencies. That is exactly what you’ll find while listening to the A8000.
This was THE first thing that surprised me when I heard them for the first time a couple of years ago. They do slam pretty hard, even though I was expecting a somewhat bass-light response, similar to Cayin’s latest Fantasy IEM.
Well, not at all, the A8000 is definitely a better IEM when it comes to bass quantity and quality, giving you a more real and neutral feeling. Thanks to this pure-beryllium diaphragm, the bass is insanely fast and clean, with absolutely no distortion even on high volumes.
When it comes to detail reproduction, this is on par with some of the best IEMs on the market. The technical capabilities of low frequencies are on the exact same level as my Fir Audio M5, which are significantly more expensive and they are one of the best tribrids on the market, that should say a lot.
This gives us a very universal IEM when it comes to the choice of music, at least when it comes to the bass response. I haven’t tried a single genre that wouldn’t sound good with the A8000 in the bass category, no matter if it’s jazz or modern pop.
So, feel free to grab these regardless of what you’re listening to on the daily basis. I have fun with King Crimson, Hugh Masekela, or Post Malone, and that surely is a wide selection of music, that would definitely not be an easy task for a single IEM to handle.
Have in mind though, that the whole bass response is slightly boosted here, but that is a great choice by Final, giving the A8000 a fun, crispy yet full-bodied and rich sound signature.



The midrange was a surprise for me as well. Looking at the graphs, I was expecting a recessed and thin midrange performance, but I actually cannot really hear it. Sure, it’s not as exposed as the bass or the treble, but just by listening to it, I wouldn’t call these mids recessed. Vocals have a proper weight and timbre to them, resulting in a very natural and fun experience.
There’s one thing to the midrange, that is present in every frequency with the A8000 – the crispiness. You’re having a sensation that every sound is insanely textured and fast, thanks to this wonderful beryllium driver. Final states that this is the best material to use when it comes to a dynamic driver, and it’s definitely true when you’ll listen to these little babies.
Sure, the A8000 wouldn’t be your favorite IEM if you crave thick and boosted lower-midrange, as many of you probably do. Hell, I myself like that kind of sound performance, and guess what…it doesn’t bother me at all with the A8000. It’s probably because its absurdly fast, detailed, and natural sound in general, that I tend to listen to them as a whole, having a tough time focusing on a certain frequency. They simply sound very consistent throughout the whole range, and it reminds me of the greatest coaxial-design loudspeakers I’ve heard in my life. You just simply hear the sound as a whole, as it stretches from the very low bass all the way to supersonic treble. No crossovers, no different drivers being responsible for a certain frequency, just one driver that does it all, and you can really hear it. Brilliant.


The treble is probably the most talked-about thing regarding the A8000. You’ve probably heard it too at some point in your life – the A8000 tends to get slightly harsh and bright. Well, it’s not really true in my opinion, but it’s not false either. Hear me out.
The high frequencies are definitely boosted a bit, and they are most certainly the star of the show. But, it is so bloody fast, detailed and its resolution is simply god-tier, and because of that, I wouldn’t call the A8000 as “harsh”. The choice of eartips, the source, and the cable really matter in this situation, you simply don’t want to “overdo” it, as the treble is on the edge of being too much. But hey, plug them into a nice quality DAP like the iBasso DX220, Cayin N6ii/E01, or the SP2000cu by Astell&Kern, swap the cable for something like Erua Tawa or Nostalgia Audio Olorin, and you’ll end up with a fantastic treble response that you’ll love in an instant.
The A8000 is an IEM that definitely sounds the way the sound engineer imagined it, and it takes no prisoners. Its job is to entertain, without hiding a single thing in the mix, nor being overly “crazy” sounding. This sits on the fence of being superbly snappy and sounding a little bit too extreme for some. Luckily, I’m not having any problems with listening to them for a whole day, but it’s definitely a wild ride, instead of some late-night relax with a glass of whisky.
The whole sound signature definitely sounds “Asian tuned”, but it’s not bass-light as many of those products are. This gives the A8000 a great mix of detail, superbly fast transients, and yet natural and engaging sound.


The soundstage is really good on the A8000, but it’s definitely not its biggest selling point. The size is what I would describe as pretty good, you’re getting a good feeling of both width and depth. Also, the imaging is very good, but not on par with the likes of Unique Melody MEST or Fir M5. Still, for a single dynamic driver, the imaging of the A8000 is very good, and you’ll be having a good time distinguishing every instrument in the mix. While the two IEMs that I mentioned above do better when it comes to instrument separation and the amount of air between them, the A8000 is not bad either. It just creates bigger and more forward-sounding sound sources, which is actually a good thing having in mind the sound signature of the A8000. It is not about crazy layering capabilities or lots of air that you’d find in Vision Ears Elysium. This is a fun-sounding IEM, and its staging is fun as well, sacrificing a tiny bit of impressive technicalities. It stages really well, but it’s not class-leading.

Comparisons​

VS Fir Audio M5



This comparison is really interesting. While both M5 and A8000 are fun-sounding IEMs, they do it completely differently. The M5 is all about that powerful, thick bass response, warm and romantic midrange, and exceptional imaging. The A8000 on the other hand is fast, punchy, and crispy. While I’d give a slight edge to the M5 when it comes to the raw technical capabilities, it’s still quite a lot more expensive, and Finals will suit treble-heads better.
Picking between the two should come down to your preferences. If you want a slightly warm, thick, and kinda “American” sounding IEM, the M5 is definitely one of the best picks you could make. If you’d want a more speed and crispiness-oriented IEM with punchier and firmer bass, the A8000 is your guy. Both are brilliant, yet are so different that it definitely wouldn’t hurt to own both.

VS Campfire Audio Solaris 2020


When comparing these two, there are more differences than similarities. While both Solaris 2020 and A8000 are fun, the latter is by far more extreme sounding – faster, punchier, and more splashy.
The Solaris 2020 is still one of my top picks when it comes to romantic, sweet, and very enjoyable sound. It sounds mellow, welcoming, and calming, and the A8000 is the opposite. It takes you dancing, while CFA invites you to sit in a comfortable leather chair with a glass of your favorite drink.
When it comes to raw technical capabilities, I’ll give an edge to the A8000, providing a more insightful, detailed, and crispier sound performance. I’m not saying that the Solaris 2020 isn’t detailed or crispy, but it’s not as good as the Final flagship.
The soundstage is slightly bigger on the Solaris, as well as its imaging being a little better, but it’s a very slight difference, to be honest.
If you want a relaxing, warm, and romantic sound, definitely get the Solaris 2020. If you want a more extreme and brighter sound though, the A8000 will definitely suit you better.

VS Unique Melody MEST


Unique Melody MEST is my favorite IEM ever since getting them last year. There’s something to them that sounds just right and very lifelike. When comparing it to the A8000, I would say that they both represent certain values. The A8000 is more crispy and brighter sounding, and it packs more punch. The MEST on the other hand is even more detailed and its soundstage is…well, you know that already, absolutely phenomenal.
I’d say that the MEST is a better value and would satisfy a wider variety of people with its more neutral tuning while having some Summit-Fi qualities. Still, the Final A8000 comes out as more fun and “crazy” sounding of the two, and that really means something, having in mind what we are comparing it to.
When it comes to the build quality though, the A8000 is just way better than the MEST with its beautiful Stainless Steel earpieces, and the cable included in the box is better as well. On the other hand, MEST is more comfortable (for me at least), thanks to its lighter and more ergonomic shape, as well as the weight being significantly lower.

Summary​

Ever since being introduced back in 2019, the A8000 by Final Audio has been one of the most popular High-End IEMs on the market. It’s not a surprise having in mind how good it is. Brilliant build quality, sophisticated presentation, and that marvelously fast, fun, and punchy sound that’s very easy to like. Make sure you’ll feed a good quality signal to them, kick back and close your eyes because there’s a huge dose of fun coming your way. Exciting!
Recommended.
Gear used during this review for the sake of comparison and as accompanying equipment:

• Headphones – Unique Melody MEST, Campfire Audio Dorado 2020, Ara, Solaris 2020, Final A8000, Fir Audio VxV, Hifiman HE1000se, HEDDphone, Hifiman Ananda
• Sources– Cayin N3Pro, iBasso DX220, SMSL SU-9 + SH-9, LittleDot MK III SE,, JDSLabs ATOM+,
• Cables – Nostalgia Olorin, Cross Lambda Future Jr.