Final Audio A4000

Intro:
I’ve received this Final A4000 for a quick review. This is my impression of it after 10 hours of using the A4000

Packaging:
The package looks very minimal. Inside the box is a small case which house the iem unit itself and the cable, along with a box full of Final E black tips with size from S to LL



The cable is way too thin for my taste. I doubt I’d ever use this case if I have to be honest

Design/Build/Comfort

The housing is made entirely out of plastic, which makes it very light, but also feels very cheap

As jagged as it is, the housing is incredibly comfortable. I can where this for 10 hours easily

Sound impression:

Source: Poco F3

Dongle: Hiby FC4, Ibasso DC04 Pro

Eartips: stock Final E black tips

Tonality: Neutral bright

Bass 3.5/5: The bass have fast response, very precise,yet the overall bass shelf feels kinda lean. Subbass over midbass. The midbass thump is there, I can hear it, yet it doesn’t have a lot of body and weight to it. The bass decay way too fast, which doesn’t give me that lingering bass feeling I can get from usual EDM tracks. “Pillowy, dry” are the words I would use to describe the bass of A4000

Mid: 3/5 It’s…weird. With how lightweight the bass region is, male vocal just lack that heft to it. Female vocal also suffer from this, just less affected. They sound forward yet still have that thin characteristic. The uppermid range boost makes the vocal sounds more bright, sibilant and unnatural. Overall just straight up lacking in vocal performance. At least both male and female vocal doesn’t sound shouty
Piano sounds nice, although it sounds a bit veil. Violin sounds lively, precise with a decent bite from the bass to boot

Treble: 3.5/5
With how boosted the 4-10k region is, the treble is the star of the A4000. It’s not peaky, energetic, vibrant. Some may say it even has hot treble, which I agree. Bad recording can be easily spotted because of this. Microdetails are slightly above average. Intruments like cymbal strikes and hi hats are very forward, yet it doesn’t linger around as much, making it loosing that shimmering characteristics that I know of.

Technicalities: The easiest thing to noticed is the stage: It’s wide, deep with above average height. Imaging is decent, I can separate the many layers of instruments in complex orchestra tracks.. Timbre on the other hand doesn't sound natural.

Driveability: I know I need to use the 4.4 port on my dongle immediately. The A4000 does shine with more power.

Volume scaling: Medium to medium high volume. My ears would be ringing from that boosted 4-10k region before I reach my enjoyable level of bass.

The gripes: One of the thing I discovered is that my A4000 unit has reverse polarity on both sides. Some may say it doesn’t matter as long as it’s not out of phase with each other, but in my experience, it does affect the staging for worse. Normally, I can try to reverse the cable since my cable doesn’t have earhooks. But with how A4000 is built (look at the notch in the cable port), it can only use the cable as is and accept the fate of it being reverse polarity



Comparison:

Tanchjim Oxygen:

In short, this iem cooks the A4000 in almost every way I see, with my library. Timbre was way more accurate on the A4000. The stage, although not as deep, but way wider and more holographic. Bass is noticeably thumpier with better texture, although A4000’s bass have faster transient. Female vocal sounds more lively and correct compare to A4000. Instruments like hihats and cymbal strike sounds straight up better than the A4000 due to better sustain and decay, which also means I observe more micro details on the Oxygen.

Conclusion: Would I buy this? No. It’s not suitable for my taste, it’s more of a one trick pony – the grand stage of it. I do have to give credit to Final for what they achived with this iem. I heard that their new A5000 is an upgrade to the A4000, which I hope I can try it someday.

Thank you for reading.

# Intro/disclaimer :

- Bought myself, no relation to any dealer/brand. The product is nearing its 2 year anniversary, and this market has been shaken up a lot during these years. It's interesting to compare it against the pack and see how it fares !


# First Impressions :

- Unboxing : I really, really like final's approach to boxing. The stuff is simple, but much sturdier than the chi-fi stuff I get to review. The years of experience really do stand out.
- The case for it is highly usable and pocketable, which is still rare these days, no matter the price bracket. So a real plus for me.

- The cable is awesome, although I see people online complaning because of it's flimsiness. Coming from multi braided, rubberized cables that are way too heavy and common in cheap & expensive IEMs, I find it a breeze of fresh air. It's light. It doesn't tangle. It doesnt catch on any fabric, doesn't twist on itself. It's perfection. However I agree that it's not the most confidence inducing piece of kit ever, being plain plastic and quite thin.
- The eartips provided enjoy so much popularity, I need not to expand on them. Great material, does not make your ear sweat exceedingly like an S&S will, no pressure buildup in the ear canal (compared to foams, or again the S&S for that matter), tonality wise it of course matches perfectly with the A4000. I don't like them so much on other IEMs, but that's outside the topic of this review.
You get 5 pairs of the Final Type E, from much too small to decently large.

- I've been used these since June of 2022, for multiple hours per day. The comfort while wearing the A4k is unmatched in the IEM world, it's that simple. They're lighter than any conventional IEM you've ever seen, and their shape makes it so you don't feel the body of the earpiece at all. Even bullet style IEMs aren't as comforrtable, because of the deep insertion of the tip required with them.


# Sound :

- Stock tuning is quite good, approaching excellent even. There is a lot to like for a lot of people, in all regions. It seems the set was tuned more for Jpop and electronic music though, as suggested by the similarity to the Blessing2 Dusk in their graphs (you can compare both frequency responses on timmyc.squig.link). I find the mids too recessed in relation to the ample amounts of energy both in the bass and the high mids & treble (a 13dB difference between the lowest point @700Hz versus the higheest @8000Hz) which leads to some instruments lacking balance in their replay, otherwise the rest of the experience is very enjoyable. You might find this treble peak (which is preceeded by a high mids peak @3kHz) too much with certain genres of music, otherwise for movies and multimedia it's a perfectly useable set, just a very contrasty one at that.
- The value of this IEM is in my opinion very good, you get a lot of resolution, sound isolation, and comfort for the 150$ it's asking. Compared to the very crowded market of IEMs nowadays though, especially with the latest wave of planars out now in April 2023, it's not the obvious choice anymore. Sets like the TangZu Heyday, for instance, are better tuned and more resolving for the same amount of money. So it's up the the rest of the technicalities to keep up for this set to remain relevant against the fierce Chinese competition. Fortunately, I 'm happy to say that the A4k delivers.

- The bass is so enjoyable on the A4000. No matter how busy your track might be, the bass amount is sufficient and precise enough for you to hear everything happening. It's not the fastest transient response ever in the lows, even compared to other dynamics drivers, but the sense of authority it can produce is very rare, and the rumble it very convincing. The moments you're going to notice it's "slower" characteristic is when listening to synth bass, manipulated samples and other instant midi kicks.
- The midrange is among the most natural you can find, and by far the best at its price point. Although relaxed, it's an incredibly rich and faithful to instruments replay. Orchestrals and chamber music are a pleasure to listen to with this set.
- The treble is kind of the wrench thrown in the engine, there's no better way to describe it. It throws the balance of the set out of whack, and even though the A4k has a lot of qualities up to its upper mids the excess energy makes the lows and the mids appear thin in contrast to the treble. When playing rock, electric guitars will sound much too shrill because of the relaxed mids and the ferocious high mids. It's also too much even when listening to the target genres of pop and electronic music (to my tatstes anyways) as the treble energy overtakes the rest and fatigues the listener after a short while. A shame considering how well extended, well resolved and capable it is.


# Technicalities :

- Soundstage. I managed to write this whole review without mentioning it once. Kind of stupid when it's the ONE thing the A4k is known for, even nicknamed "the baby 800S" on forums. I happen to have an 800S at my desk, and it's my day to day headset for everything. I know its soundstage damn well.
Well this reputation is kinda deserved, but at the same time it's not. The 800S sounds much wider than other headpones, even some twice or thrice the price (the Utopia comes to mind). The A4k sounds much wider than other IEMs, even some 10x the price (use the A8000 as a comparison). But this similarity doesn't mean the A4k has anywhere near the soundstage of the 800S, we're far from it.
It's nonetheless the best experience you can currently get, maybe at the exception of the A5000 (that I have yet to try)
- Detail retrieval was impressive at first with the A4k, and it sure is very capable in this domain, just not to the very-top level anymore. Things like the S12, the Heyday and many others have joined the fray and are giving the A4k a tough battle to fight. In my opinion the A4000 still manages to win out the others because it has many pros and almost no cons where the chinese planars always represent some compromise in their replay, be it closed stage like the Tangzu or the off timbre on the S12.
- Imaging is also top notch. This IEM has earned a reputation among gamers because of its ability to help you during competitive play thanks to the accurate audio spatialisation. And I can definitely attest to that. Discerning the stage when listening to music, placing the instruments, or having objects move around you and accurately track them in games, it excels in these departments. It's not even in the same league as offferings in it's market and you gotta look at IEMs twice as expensive to find something comparable or better, like a Blessing2 or a TSMR Sands.


# final words :

- The standard against which everything should be measured. I think it deserves that strong of a statement, because realistically it's what I always end up doing. "Is it as comfortable as my A4000 ?" If not, then I'm not going to grab that next IEM as much as the A4k I already have. "Is it as light as my A4000 ?" If not, I'm not going to wear it for long, and end up not touching that next thing because of that. "Does it sound as good as my A4000 ?" If yes, then that IEM is certainly special and deserves a review. While far from cheap the A4000 sits at a reachable price point for many and challenges products twice as expensive in many ways (weight, practicality, ease of use) or even any IEM on the market in others (soundstage, imaging, comfort)
- This is not the best sounding IEM in the world. I'm somewhat enthusiastic in this review and I'm aware of it, because during the year I've been using I've never lost the excitement I felt when first using it. But I'm also aware of the competition, of everything I've heard since and the reality is that it's not the most detailed IEM you can get. Not by a long shot. However it's far more detailed than the cheaper alternatives, and significantly so. To the point that I feel the price is totally justified. So it gets a 4 star review, not 4.5 or 5


# EQ :

Preamp: -2.36 dB
LSQ 300 Hz Gain -1 dB Q 1.04
PK 840 Hz Gain 0.7 dB Q 1.6
PK 1200 Hz Gain 1 dB Q 0.8
PK 3400 Hz Gain 5 dB Q 0.8
PK 3400 Hz Gain -7.1 dB Q 2.48
HSQ 7000Hz Gain 1.2 dB Q 0.7
PK 7700 Hz Gain -5.5 dB Q 1.41

This is an optional step as I think the stock tuning is enjoyable by itself, but I've come to love EQ and I now use it on pretty much anything. The goal is just to get things to sound "right" to me, as in the most natural sounding version of whatever device I'm using.
So here it is, a toned down version of the A4k.
Slightly lowered the bass, as I found subbass could get overwhelming pretty fast on genres that didn't benefit from the push in that region.
Slightly raised the mids, so that guitars and voices would sound more even.
Lowered the energy in the high mids and the treble, to enjoy the A4k with balance to its sound.


# Conclusion :

Posting a review on an IEM fallen out of fashion in a market dominated by reviews of Chi-fi is sure to not get me any more visibility, but I think this product is still a worthy choice in the current market, the same way the OH10 from 2019 remains a valid choice today.
If you're after natural timbres, immersive soundstage & imaging, and the best comfort found on any IEM (why would you not ?) then this is a perfectly valid choice for you. If you're after detail/$ only, there are options for you (the Heyday is very good). If you're only after smooth tunings, there are options for you (the Galileo is pretty much unbeatable, but you could argue for the IE200 paired with the right tips). But the A4000 has strong arguments that you will never find anywhere else.

After getting curious about the final audio A4000 due to me reading that it had a large sound stage for an IEM, I wanted to see for my self. This being my first Final Audio IEM.

The A4000 comes with Very small, Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large ear tips, While they did not hurt my ears, All except the Extra large tips didn't keep the seal and was loose in my ears, even after a slight movement of my head. I kept having to push the IEM's to get the seal back. This is the first time I ever had this much of a issue with tips where I had to use the largest size just to get them to have a seal and stay in place, normally I wear medium size ear tips. Now I don't know if they are the actual Type E tips, just with all grey base instead of the red and grey. I just know that I had to use a size I normally don't have to use to get an seal.

The cables being removable is good but sadly it helps nothing when the A4000s connector have a large notch in the way, which means your forced into using the stock cables, unless you modified a 3rd party cable so the connector can fit around the notch on the inside of the connectors inside the IEM's. So far the cable haven't caused me any issues and feel durable to me.

The ear loop is a nice it makes it easier to get the cable around your ears, but it slides around at times and you have to put it back into position, and if you wear glasses it could be an issue.

The IEM carry case was a nice addition but I wish it was bit bigger and more user friendly, and more secure. I think a small carry box would been better. So it could be more secure and not open up in your portable as well allowing you to store your portable dac/amp and lighting/Type C cables along with the IEM's.

The Source I used was Fiio BTR5 2021 and it's 3.5mm jack, and software I used was music bee with it set to wasapi bit perfect and I used my music library.

These have the largest sound stage I ever heard in a IEM, None of the IEM's I owned in the past was this large. I def hear it being projected outside of my head in compression to my er2SE's which are inside my head. In a song with a lot of atmosphere it felt like I was surrounded by the notes of the pads and the other sounds if that make sense, I not sure how to explain it.

I found the details to be good,i didn't have any issues with hearing the instruments and each one had good enough spacing as they wasn't ganging up upon each other. The only time I heard a bit of brightness is when it was a bad quality song. Other songs didn't have that issue and if it did it was slight or none at all.

Low end bass when it comes to genre's like DnB,Dub-step,Downtempo bass focus genre's,I found it to be in all your face and with some ump as if your getting punched in the face with a bass drum. At the same thing it wasn't muddy and I could hear all of the bass notes. Some songs in the back beat and Synth-wave genre and some rap song's that I tried, it wasn't in your face,but wasn't in the background.

When it comes to genre's like chip-tunes,electronic,RnB,cyberpunk,Dark Synth just to name a few it was in the background. So it depending on the song or genre it's pretty much in your face, or in the background chilling, it doesn't add it self if it isn't in the song from the start.

Vocal's sound good and can be heard clearly, they also wasn't thin sounding.
In MJ”Wanna be Startin Some thin” Remastered. I'm able to hear the instruments, Micheal Jackson and his background singers and their location. When his right background singer stepped closer to the mic to whisper, it creep me out because it sounded like she was right here in the room with me and whispered in my right ear directly. Since this song doesn't have bass notes, none are added.

For non music usage such as for gaming,movies anime, The A4000 works really well for gaming and movies /w Atmos/TV(Netflix) when I used Dolby atmos headphones. It also made my anime sound wonderful with the OST anime have, it sound great this was of course with atmos disabled.

After using these for a almost a month, I happy because of how well these work and paired with my BTR5 2021. I do wish any 2 pin cable worked without being modified to fit the A4000's, or at-least being able to get replace cable if something happen to the cables. Since Final doesn't offer 2 pin just their mmcx cables. If 3rd party cables fitted then this would've been perfect.

FINAL A4000 REVIEW

TONALITY: 8.2/10
TECHNICALITIES: 8.8/10
CONSTRUCTION: 7.8/10
SOUND BENEFIT: 8.5/10


I have always admired Final Audio for their sound expertise, as well as their marked interest in the field of psycho-acoustics. They takes the parameters of the sound rendering extremely seriously, sometimes too much will say certain because apart from the Final E3000, E5000 and B1, they have rarely made tuning focused on an entertaining musicality that can charm an audience less inclined to critical listening. In fact, Final may perhaps lack humor, romance, love? But here, it may be a cultural shock, the Japanese are not known for exuberance. Even their attempt at more basshead headphones (E3000) remain quite mature in their presentation.

Today I'm going to review their latest addition, the Final A4000. The A series has for mantra the transparency of the sound reproduction. It follows their psycho-acoustic research for the A8000, their ultra high-end IEM using a 100% pure beryllium diaphragm transducer. I've owned and treasured the A8000s for about 2 years, it could represent the end of my quest for aural perfection if my audiophile curiosity weren't so insatiable (or bulimic). The A8000s have a naturally analytical tone that never falls into artifice, and they have the fastest, most controlled attack-speed I've ever heard, restoring the glory of the sometimes-disparaged dynamic transducer for other types of balanced, planar, or electrostatic drivers that don't seem to be able to achieve the flexibility of a soft, round, big, conical diaphragm.

I want to point this out right away: the A4000s do not follow the same tonality as the A8000s, and their technicality is significantly lower. But, that doesn't mean they aren't superior to many earphones in or above their price bracket!

PLEASE NOTE: I am not an avid practitioner of "burn in", or heating the diaphragm of the transducers. Final suggests 150 hours of stretching...but I don't think I've reached this level. Still, for one of the rare times, the tonal balance and resolution in general was greatly improved after, say, twenty hours of listening. How do I know this? Lots of flaws that I had noticed - like a grainy tone, a badly controlled attack, a lack of cleanliness in the background - have disappeared. Also, the A4000 are capricious on the type of tip, it also seems sensitive to the type of cable but this remains to be proven.

Now the SOUND

The TONALITY is vivid, detailed, clear and precise, not neutral because it has a small rise in the bass and high mids, rather a well-balanced W curve. One could say analytical too, but not cold or artificial. It is less well balanced than the A8000, but extremely cohesive and even hyper-realistic. Despite amplified bass, there is almost no bleed. In fact, the A4000 surprises ad infinitum, due to a stunning versatility that surely comes from this little bass boost.
Their musicality remains quite serious and mature, but never boring: they are iem's that wake up with their alert rendering, always focus.

The TECHNICALITIES are excellent, almost incredible in fact in this price range. Yet it is not a pure beryllium transducer! I never understood how a small dynamic transducer of barely 6mm could have this flexibility and fullness of rendering with the E series, now with the A4000s we are at a whole new level of resolution and attack speed. It feel as fast as the F4100 which used a balanced driver, but with full spectrum coverage. The attack is super precise, the resolution extracts the smallest details, the bass have a controlled and fleshy strike, the tone is both transparent and textured, the highs have a sharp grip. The richness of nuance in the more subtle aspects of the sound like dynamic articulation is superb too.

The BASS is fast with good seating but not very linear or deep extension. It is the round strike that dominates here and the presence. The bass lines are well rendered and articulated, and stay in the background as they should. No matter the complexity, speed or number of instruments, the bass lines remain audible, well cut enough and with a realistic tone. The texture grip is very good for both acoustic and electric bass. We are even surprised to appreciate electronic music of the IDM type with the A4000s, due to this authoritative keystroke which does not affect the excellent overall resolution. Even if the extension lacks linearity, its physicality is catchy and versatile, benefiting rock, jazz and classical alike. These are not invasive bass, the boost being quite subtle at times. In fact, I have never heard this type of rendering of low frequencies that can play in a way that is as playful as it is serious and even scholarly. I would say that the separation is good but lacks a bit of space and air, certainly this allows a cohesion in density of sound layer but it is sometimes a little difficult to perfectly extract certain instruments such as kick drum when a bass line is put forward in the mix. A little dry, but round, fleshy and with more weight amplification than well define presence, the unique approach to low frequencies is anything but boring.

The MIDS are of the hyper realistic type with a high resolution, an emphasis in the texture and a slightly dry body. They benefit more from female than male vocals. I would also say that they are quite similar to the Final E2000 midrange but more refined and transparent. In fact, sometimes the mediums take us by surprise, as for example with the rendering of the piano which is almost perfect because it has weight, density, roundness in the notes and also texture, only the resonance seems a little cut due to a not so airy overall presentation. Serious mediums but not cold, how is that possible? You should ask the doctors in psycho-acoustics at Final! Still, I would have preferred an extra ounce of warmth, like with the E4000s for example. The presentation remains quite intimate and centered, a saxophone will lack opening in width but will be precise and fast in its articulation. The female vocals have this stretched and more encompassing presence. Still, to my ears, it lacks romance and emotion in this sound register.


The TREBLE, oh, here's the highlight of the show and that's good because it's the widest frequency spectrum covering about 16 kilohertz (4-20khz), depending on whether we include the presence-texture of the mediums (4-6khz ) and if you have absolute hearing that can go up to 20khz (which I don't think I can reach, rather 16-17khz for me according to hearing tests). The high frequencies are my favorite thing about the A4000s, it's energic and incisive without being garish or unbalanced. It's rich in micro detail and can extract all the richness of intricate texture like the bowing and even its texture on a violin, again, without seeming detached or artificially pushed. Analytical yes, but cohesively. There is brilliance in metal instruments, though the resonance is missing a little after impact. One of the treble's most notable talents is their attack speed and control, it's just WOW. Devilish percussions, complex and varied in the timbre-texture sound rendered in all clarity without ever getting artificial. Being a great fan of energetic and syncopated jazz, when the drummer becomes crazy with his percussions and unpredictable, nothing escapes the A4000, he mixes brushes, drumsticks, cymbals and strikes on everything he ''sees'', each detail will be rendered with precision and a little put forward, therefore with an energetic hook in its definition.

SPATIALITY is holographic, circular, at the same time wide, high and deep but not in an extreme way, it remains a little intimate as if we were in a bubble with loudspeakers on all sides.

SOUND IMAGING is great. Thanks to this transparency of timbre, we can dig and travel in the layers of sound as well as clearly discern the static location of the instruments.



CONSTRUCTION

Hmm, here I am a bit more puzzled. Because aesthetically, I find the A4000 quite ugly. The matte finish and the use of lightweight plastic lack finesse. It is assembled in three pieces in a hasty way it seems. In this price range, we expect better. Yeah, it's exactly the same shape as the A8000, but without the play of reflections and asserted angle cuts. But my biggest frustration is with the 2pin connector, really too tight, which makes connecting-disconnecting of other cables really difficult and even dangerous for the cables. It makes me swear alot. Some will find the comfort problematic due to these sharp angle, but I do not have this problem.

Also, the cable is more basic than basic and indeed, changing it as soon as possible is advisable….if you manage to connect another one without going crazy!!

COMPARISONS



VS MOONDROP KATO (1DD-170$)
A vaguely warmer tone, though not so for a Moondrop. The KATO have a lower resolution, a less biting and fast attack but a little fuller mediums. Bass is softer and warmer, less textured and controlled. The mids are fuller, organic, natural and emphatic. The highs are darker and more colorful, extracting only specific parts of the music and shadowing the rest. Technically, it's noticeably inferior to the A4000s, less peppy and articulate. On the other hand, the spatiality is broader, less intimate although also less deep. The impact of the percussion is more slippery, lacking precision and separation. Cohesion is more consistent than the A4000s, which in this case is a minus. Here, it is the subjective judgment of the musicality that will decide everyone's preference, because the KATOs are not bad technically and the tone is safer than the A4000s. For vocal music I would go with the KATO, for instrumental and anything that benefits from high resolution and fast attack I would opt for the A4000 which I ultimately find more versatile in performance.

VS HZSOUND HEART MIRROR (1DD-50$)
Sometimes I think my discovery of the HZsound Mirrors is a damnation, in the sense that it complicates my quest for high sonic benefit in other intras below the $500 mark. And even the A4000, master of fast and incisive technicality, is no exception and pales in overall performance against this unbeatable king of sound value. The A4000s are bassier and have a balanced V signature, the energy is concentrated in the impact of the low mids with a less linear and deep extension than the HZMs. The mids are flatter, less energetic and clear, more emphasis on texture and high harmonics. The highs are sandier, much less brilliant and without that natural HZM resonance. The whole is more brutal, less organic, the tone a little thicker but less transparent. The attack is very fast and will not be stunned by many instruments, but the impact unless there is a definite fall and a grip. Spatiality is notably less open, deep, ethereal… silence is rare, there is vice in the air. Sound imaging has less space between instruments, precise definition. To my ears, the A4000s are less refined, polished, transparent, energetic-neutral and extended in both ends than the HZMs which sell for $110 less. It should be noted that the A4000s remain the second champion of technicalities below the $200 mark after the HZMs. Hence the aforementioned damnation.

VS FINAL A8000 (1DD-2000$)
Oh buy, how cruel I am with these A4000s! Well what strikes first is the sound stage of the A8000s, much more open, wide, high and deep. Then the balance is more dynamic, neutral and full, with less dip in the mids, more natural and round overall. Bass dig deeper, move more air, sound more transparent and articulate, better separated. The mids are more prominent, natural and dense in timbre, well delineated and separated in the sound spectrum, the piano has weight and resonance, unlike the A4000 which is drier and thinner. Transparency being a talent that both share, the A8000s have a translucency less cluttered with extraneous noise coming from the emphasis of the high textures. The amplitude games are more complex and varied with the A8000, especially in the midrange and ultra-high. Compared to these highs, the A4000s are much less scintillating, cutting short the resonance extension of an acoustic guitar for example. But don't forget the price, this time the sound benefit is higher with the A4000s for a technical performance 80% comparable to the A8000s. The attack speed is certainly less elastic but almost similar in the extraction of rapid and palpable sound information. Here, it is the tone of the A8000 that I prefer above all, the emphasis being more varied in its peak frequencies. Let's say the A8000 is a meticulously carved diamond and the A4000 a rougher diamond, but with similar physical properties.

CONCLUSION

The Final A4000 are perhaps no A8000 but are still excellent as their own. Their level of technicity surpassing near everything in their price range, they sure represent a great sound value. Tonality wise, it will be subjective as always, but the energic balance is very well done. For me it's a keeper.

Thats about it. There are already numerous reviews down below. I love this IEM and its a good complement for warm neutral headphones/IEMs like Sony IER M9 and HD 650

Overview

First, I want to thank Audio46 for sponsoring this product tour.

I don't write reviews very often. So I am just going to share my impressions and will keep my review short. Besides, there have been several very thorough and comprehensive reviews already posted on this thread. I will also provide some quick comparisons between the A4000 and some of my single DD IEMs, such as JVC FX750, Monster Turbine Gold, and Sennheiser IE80.

I did most of the listening using the Chord Mojo connected to my laptop. The music sources include Spotify streaming audio and some lossless tracks from my library.

Comfort and Build Quality:

From the product photo it did make me question the fit and comfort of the A4000. I understand there were reasons that the shell was designed this way. However, the A4000 does fit my ears relatively well. I didn’t feel any stress or pressure points after wearing them for extended amount of time.

The packaging is rather simple. The accessories include a full set (5 pairs) of Final’s Type E ear tips with variable sizes and a silicon carry case (not crazy about it). The Type E are my favorite ear tips. I have tried using other tips, such as Azla SednaEarfit Light, Xelastec, and Acoustune AET07. They all killed the treble of the A4000 for whatever reason.

The real complaint I have is the cables. The detachable cables are really soft, although they are not tangle-free. They also feel a little on the thin side. Frequently I was having trouble keeping the cables remain in place behind my ears. I wish the cables could have the built-in ear hooks. The A4000 does come with a pair of clip-on type of ear hooks. Although they look frigid and not that promising so I didn’t even want to try them. The other issue I had with the cables is that the 2-pin connectors are keyed. That means it’s difficult to find a 3rd-party replacement cables that will fit the connectors.

Sound Impression

The sound signature of the A4000 can be summarized as clean, natural, airy, and non-fatiguing. Upon the first listen I was immediately impressed by the clarity and how open the soundstage is. There are good extensions in both bass and treble regions. I can feel the bass rumbles if it was present in the music recording. I remember some frequency response charts showing that there is a small peak in the 2-4 KHz area. That might have something to do with the improved clarity. It also made A4000 sounded like some high quality BA drivers. The mid-range also sounded smooth and balanced, it’s not forward or recessed. Although sometimes the male vocals may sound a little thin. Imaging and separation are both decent and on par with the IE80 and FX750.

Switching to the IE80 and FX750, the first thing I noticed was the warmer tone and the thicker lower end on the IE80 and FX750. People who prefer the warmer sound would most likely prefer the IE80 and FX750 over the A4000. The A4000 does have the upper hands on soundstage and clarity.

Switching to Turbine Gold, I think it sounded closer to A4000 than IE80 and FX750. The Turbine Gold also has a similar soundstage and clarity as the A4000. The Turbine Gold has metal shells so they are heavier and not as comfortable as A4000.

Some More Thoughts

The impedance of A4000 is 18 ohm. Although the sensitivity is only 100 db/mW. Therefore it requires a little bit more power to drive the A4000 compared to the IE80 (16 ohm, 125 db/mW).

I haven’t spent much time with the fast-growing Chi-Fi so I can't make a comparison to some of those IEMs in the similar price range. My daily driver is the qdc Anole V3. The clarity and soundstage of the A4000 is comparable to the Anole V3, maybe slightly better in soundstage for the A4000. The bass is a little punchier on the A4000 as well. The Anole V3 does have better fit and has better built quality. Consider the price differences, the A4000 is an impressive product and punches above its price point. However, the cables are a show stopper for me and this is the reason I am giving it a 4-satr rating.

Final Audio A4000 Review


Thank you to Audio46 for sending these for a review. You can find them Here.




Preamble: I have authored many reviews, and this was an interesting chance to try something a bit different. Most things I have had the opportunity to review have been well beyond the price point of the A4000, I mean well… for example, I am currently working on a review for the Traillii, a $6600 offering. I guess this begs the question… how does an IEM approximately 40 times less perform in the scheme of things? Well, stick around and find out. Also, pardon my lack of self-generated photography. The SD card took a swim in my laundry machine .


Sources: Apple Music Lossless and various FLAC files played on the L&P W2, Lotoo Paw S1, powered by an iPad Pro 12.9 (M1) and MacBook Pro (M1). I did not pair this relatively budget friendly A4000 with multi-kilo buck audio players as it’s not practical at this price point. Not to mention the aforementioned dongle’s get you 80-90 % of the way to high end DAP’s.


Packaging and Accessories:

• Silicon carrying case
  • Product Code : FI-A4DPLDN
  • Housing : ABS Thermoplastic
  • Driver : 6mm dynamic driver f-CORE DU
  • Connector : 2 Pin
  • Cable : 3.5mm/1.2m Oxygen Free Copper cable
  • Sensitivity : 100dB/mW @ 1kHz
  • Impedance : 18 Ohm
  • Weight : 18 g
• 
  Fit:
  
  Before diving into the sound, I must mention the fit and finish of the A4000. I achieved a great fit, and these were some of the most comfortable IEM’s that I have ever worn. They literally disappeared thanks to their ergonomics and plastic construction. Speaking of plastic, these are budget IEM’s and cutting cost translates to the end consumer benefitting. That being said, they don’t feel cheap or lack robustness so it’s an overall win at the price point.
  
  
  Sound Analysis
  
  The Bass of this single dynamic driver IEM is fairly impressive. It extends well into the sub bass region and offers consistent decay and rumble. I was unable to detect and bleeding into the mid bass region, which was clean but offered good impact. It is not extremely elevated in this region and some bass heads may want more but overall; I would say it is enjoyable. The speed of the dynamic driver in this range is what left the biggest impression. Bass slopes downward to the mid-range without any extreme dips or steepness.
  
  I have found that Mids typically ‘flavor’ the tonality of an IEM. I have also found that this is where many manufacturers will play tricks to achieve a large soundstage or certain presentations in depth. The A4000 struck me as a bit veiled in this region. Not veiled in a bad way but rather veiled as if they were tuning them in such a way to create a grander stage. Vocals seem a bit pushed back in the lower mid region and sometimes a bit too forward in the upper mid-range harmonics. The escalation from low mid to high mid seems less linear and more aggressively transitioned. The overall tonality of the mid-range isn’t bad, but it isn’t really on par with my preferences. It reminds me of the trick that 64 Audio used to make the Tia Fourte sound massive, just implemented poorly.
  
  Treble can be a make or break for many people’s tolerance in any audio device. I find the A4000 to lean a bit towards the thinner and brighter side but not in an outwardly harsh way. The A4000 does lack control in this region, and I picked up on metallic smearing quite a bit. This can definitely lead to the perception of being harsh. When brighter treble is well controlled, you perceive the added detail without fatigue, but when it is not controlled, it sounds splashy when it should have precise attack and decay, especially in the higher frequencies. This leads to an exhausting grate on your ears as they steamroll the other frequencies and nuances. I didn’t enjoy the treble implementation here. I find it to lack control and proper timbre to such a degree that the accuracy and tonality missed the mark for me.
  
  Comparison(s):
  
  I could spend a bunch of time here, offering comparisons against many similarly priced IEM’s or even provide outlandish head to heads against top-of-the-line offerings but I’m not going to do that. What I am going to do is make it simple based upon financial means and categories. If you are looking for a truly entry level, cheapest price to pleasing performance and don’t care about gobs of detail in a single DD, go for a BLON-BL03. It makes spending the extra $100 or so seem unjustifiable to obtain the A4000.
  
  Conclusion:
  
  The A4000 is a decent overall IEM. I more or less find it in a purgatory of price to performance. If you want the overall best bang for your buck at nearly $160, I just don’t think it is here with the A4000 and I have heard many sub $100 chifi products that outperform them. The overall presentation for me is as if Final Audio wanted to make a single DD in ear monitor and take a swing at the big boys in how they tuned it. I believe they pushed it too far at the expense of creating an expansive sound stage. The tonality and accuracy suffer a bit because of this. As I said, the A4000 is by no means a bad IEM. I just find there to be too much of a smoke and mirrors situation going on with the tuning. It’s a shame though because based on the bass, they seem to have implemented a solid little dynamic driver. Hard to get excited about these.
  

INTRO:

First of all thank you to Audio46 for sponsoring this review tour.

I'll start off by saying I've not traditionally been an IEM guy. I've focused almost entirely on full-sized open back headphones (and I have a wide range including the Beyerdynamic T1.2, ZMF Auteur, Koss ESP 95/X, Monoprice M1570, Sennheiser HD6XX, Grado PS1000e, Sony MDR-SA1000 and MDR-MA900, and plenty of others), and have found IEMs in general to be disappointing and uncomfortable in the past.

That changed when I impulse bought a pair of Moondrop SSRs and discovered that IEMs can offer a level of clarity and detail that I hadn't thought possible, eclipsing that of my full-sized open back headphones.

I'm still relatively new to the IEM-game, but when the opportunity arose to try the A4000 I wanted to jump on it to expand my horizons.

Others have listed the specs and have provided detailed photos (I actually forgot to take photos while using it, so I just have my boxing/unboxing photos to share) so I'll skip those parts.

ASSOCIATED GEAR:
Source: Apple Music Lossless
Amps: Apple iPad Pro 10.5" Headphone Jack, Apple iPhone 8 Plus w/Apple Dongle, RME ADI-2 DAC IEM Port

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES:

The unit comes in a nice box with foam cutouts and five sets of silicone ear-tips in various sizes. There's a little travel-case which closes tightly and feels like it's at least water-resistant. There are some ear-hooks to help the cable maintain a curve around the ear, but they're not built into the cable and have to be installed separately.

BUILD AND USABILITY:

It's made out of plastic, but you could be fooled into thinking it's aluminum. It's a very high quality plastic, and build quality feels impeccable. The IEMs are quite light and small enough that there's no discomfort putting them into your ears.

I commend Final Audio on their dual-density silicone eartip mounting system, with the inner silicone ring being a firmer type of material than the outer part, it makes it quite easy to mount them on the spouts coming out of the IEMs. Color-coding the right vs left and in alternating dark vs light shades is also very nice so that you can make sure you're getting two of the same size when you install them. The tips are quite comfortable.

Unfortunately that same system is used for determining the right vs left channels when putting the IEMs into your ears, requiring you to peel back the outer silicone later to see the color of the shaft beneath. While it works, it's a bit fiddly, and simply color-coding the right cable termination in red would make things easier.

On the topic of the cable, it's a bit too short for when you want to lean back and listen with your device on the table next to you, an extra couple feel would be welcome. I also personally prefer cables that have permanent plastic sleeves to make the part that goes over your ear hold its shape, similar to what Moondrop uses.

SOUND:

Bass: Bass is deeply extended into the sub-bass region with excellent punch and detail, and a very tight presentation. Thankfully there's no mid-bass emphasis or bleed from the bass into the midrange. This results in a clean crisp sound with a very solid foundation. On Wheein's Watercolor the bass line comes across clean and punchy without ever interfering with the vocal line. On Bela Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic Hippo the bass line had the ultra-deep extension, texture, and growl that makes that song a perennial bass test highlight. Acoustic instruments also shine in the bass department with the Contrabassoon, Contrabass, and Bass Clarinet in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 Leningrad all coming across tonally correct and prominent when called for.

Midrange: The midrange is the make-it-or-break-it element of any headphone for me. Anything with a recessed midrange is an instant deal-killer (or requires the application of judicious EQ to correct the deficiency). Thankfully on the A4000 the midrange shines, with a very forward presentation with plenty of bite to give recordings that 'in your face' feeling. There's a clear delineation between the bass and the midrange which helps prevent any kind of bleed between the two and prevents the A4000 from ever sounding muddy, as is unfortunately all too common in headphones with too much mid-bass elevation. On No BS! Brass Band's KHAN!!! the trumpets had the expected brilliance, the saxophones the reedy breathiness, and the trombones the snarling growl that makes the track a delight. On Heize's Happen the acoustic instruments again show excellent separation from the bassline and the vocals maintain their airy ethereal nature. On Gavy NJ's Let's Stop the high notes towards the end all ring through forward in the mix with the proper amount of sharpness and bite, just verging on painful as they should. On classical tracks like the Shotakovich 7 again there's excellent timbral accuracy in the strings and upper woodwinds, with the reedyness of the English Horn and Oboe coming across beautifully.

Treble: Overall I'd rate the treble as inoffensive with appropriate levels of detail and an overall laid back presentation. There's some air, and just enough that it feels like the top end is there, but it doesn't distract from the midrange and tight bass which are the stars of the show with this IEM. There's an emphasis on the lower treble vs the upper, which does a good job of emphasizing overtones in vocals and acoustic instruments, helping to keep the overall tonal balance towards the brilliant side and managing to toe the line perfectly between sounding lean and warm, possible edging just a bit towards the lean side, which is my personal preference anyway. I didn't notice any unpleasant sibilance.

Soundstage: What really sets this IEM apart from my (admittedly limited) experience with others is how wide the soundstage is. On the Fairfield Four's Roll Jordan Roll the soundstage blooms out nice and wide as it should about halfway through the song. On Yello's La Habanera the various instruments and percussion are placed nice and wide, often seeming to emanate from outside of the head. Listening to orchestral recordings it was easy to close my eyes and image the full orchestra set in front of me.

Imaging: Imaging isn't as strong as the soundstage is, but it's not poor by any means. I'd set it somewhere in between the Sennheiser 6XX '3 blob' and the razor's edge pin-point imaging of the Beyerdynamic T1 Generation 2.

Composure: This is the place where the A4000 stumbles a bit, but it didn't come off in all tracks. When the track gets extremely busy the IEM can lose it's coherence to a degree, such as in the finale of Shostakovich's 7th, the finale of Charles Ives' 2nd, or in particularly busy brickwall mastered pop tracks like Fromis_9's Love Bomb during the chorus when tons of effects and synths are layered on top of the vocals all in the same tonal range. They do excel in less busy songs however.

Final Thoughts:

I walked away from my time spend with the A4000 extremely impressed. The Moondrop SSR was the IEM That made me rethink my position on IEMs in general and rekindled my interest in the style, and the A4000 strikes me as an SSR taken to the next level with much better bass performance, greater technical skill, and a wider soundstage without losing that brilliant midrange or clarity that made me fall in love with the SSR to begin with. For only $159 this is easily a great value.

One of the things I always like about testing out new gear is the chance to discover new elements in favorite songs, as well as to expand my listening into some new areas. I've often heard it repeated that Japanese headphones and IEMs are tuned for Jpop, and while my personal pop music tastes lay to the other side of the East Sea, I decided to dig into some Jpop as well during my time with the A4000. Going with AKB48's Eien Pressure, Last Idol's Nanbitomo, High School 3-C Idol Club's Jibunno Kotoga Wakanarai, I can say that these do excel at the genre, but they're by no means limited to it, and are excellent all-rounders whether I was listening to Willie Nelson, Maynard Ferguson, Pink Fantasy, or Bach.

My only real areas of criticism are the minor ergonomic issues of the too short cable, lack of integrated ear contours in the cable, lack of clear external color coding for channels, and the chance for it to fall apart a bit on particularly busy/dense tracks. When it comes to the latter point I wonder how the TOTL A8000 would compare, but at $2,000 that's quite a bit too rich for my blood in terms of IEMs right now, though with the A5000, A6000, and A7000 names available and unused for the moment, perhaps Final Audio will release some intermediaries with even greater technical capability, after all there's a huge price gulf to the exploited between the A4000 and A8000 as it is.

Even with those concerns however, I can heartily recommend the A4000 based on my time with it and the (limited) experience I have with IEMs thus far.

Final Audio A4000 ($159): A thermoplastic fantastic

A4000

Audio46



Intro: I have heard one Final offering in my life. I took a flyer on a Sonorous III, wanting to “fill a hole” in my collection, mainly for review purposes. I found a used one on HF and took the plunge. The gentleman from whom I purchased said unit was local and a perfect gent. I wish him well. I was a bit underwhelmed upon first listen, but giving it more time, and with reading of reviews, I came to understand from where final Audio might come. Their Final Type-E’s are the tips of choice for many high-end IEM’s, and I use them on many of mine. As I waited my turn, I perused the Final website, noting the colorful offerings of the new models, likening them to Lego-built in-ears. Whimsical and different. Much like Final Audio.

Some say that the Sonorous X is amongst the very best offerings in a headphone. If the sound is of a bigger Sonorous III, it may well be. Using that as my blueprint, I signed up for the Audio46 tour. There are many wonderful portable audio companies’ in the USofA, and they are one of them. Chosen for the review tour, I graciously accepted and waited. Some reviews panned the A4000, while others lavished over the control of the unit. I took all in and waited. I thank @Audio46 for the chance to listen to one of the new Final offerings in the A-series and will to my best, provide an honest opinion of the unit. Should you need or want graphs, go elsewhere, for to me they are left with too much interpretation and variance of testing contraptions save for a select few. I’m not there yet.


Specs:

Product code: FI-A4DPLDN
Housing: ABS (thermoplastic)
Driver: 6mm f-Core DU Dynamic driver
Connector: 2Pin
Cable: OFC Black cable
Sensitivity: 100dB/mw
Impedance: 18Ω
Weight: 18g
Cord length: 1.2ｍ


In The Box:

IEM
Rubber carrying case
2-pin OFC cable-rubberized
5 sets Final-E silicon tips, in neat case
Ear Hooks

Gear Used/Compared:

Oriolus Finschi ($197)
DDHiFi Janus ($199)
Hidizs MS4 ($199)
BQEYZ Spring2 ($169)
IKKO OH-1 ($139)

MBP
HiBy R3 Pro Sabre
XDuoo XA-10
EarMen Eagle
iFi Zen CAN/DAC


Songs:

Alex Fox
Pink Floyd
Buena Vista Social Club
Elton John
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Shane Hennessy
Jeff Beck
Dave Matthews


Unboxing:

As I listen to a new offering from Joe Walsh & Amjad Ali Khan, I write this. Even though the unit came to me second, the previous listener set the box up like it was new. Coming in a glossy lidded box, the A4000 has a larger than life picture of the unit on the front, and the specs in various languages on the back beside the container accoutrements. Lifting the lid, you are met with a hockey puck, err rubber case on top, and a plastic hard case for the 5 sets of Final Type-E tips. Of note is that the tips come in five sizes, and color coordinated per each ear. Gray is usually left, and pink/red for the right. You could be brave and switch it up if you wish. That would simply confuse me if I did and I may in fact switch the cable should I need to jump start a car, so I’m good as is.

The case has a recessed back, which opens via three “nubs” holding it in place. That side is thin and accommodates the shape of the IEM and cable attached, while the front has the logo, détente inward. It is an odd case, and I wish it was of a full size, but get the reasoning behind this type. The relieved side coddles the IEM and cable protecting it, while keeping it from touching the surface. I wonder about longevity of the case, but it seems to work. Under the case is a recessed rectangular area where the ear hooks reside. Instead of strain relief on the cable, Final chose to go the route of earhooks. I will admit I did not try them at all. Since this is an over-ear, maybe I should and report back, as I found the thin cable did not stay behind my ear with glasses as well as some.



Technology:

The cavity of the A4K is not only made of thermoplastic instead of resin, but designed to mimic a larger listening area, much like speaker placement in a living room. Following the acclaimed A8000, the A3K & A4K mimic the shape, but change the shells. And the technology is impressive although rough. More on that below.

The cavity is larger than the f-Core DU to accommodate that mimicry as well as aid in a better resolution. From the website, “establishing new production facility overseas and newly designed not only parts for the driver unit such as diaphragm, voice coil, magnet, magnetic circuits, adhesives, but also the production machinery used in the manufacturing process. As material for the driver front housing, rather than the traditional aluminum, we used brass, a material that is both highly resistant to the effects of magnetism and also boasts a high specific gravity. In order to increase the time response characteristic of the diaphragm, the voice coil employs a 30μ ultrathin CCAW, and a minimum of adhesive is used for assembly to thoroughly lighten the moving parts.”

That ultrathin diaphragm aids in transient response (very big to some reviewers...) and minimizing the adhesive used also helps eliminate potential distortion or slowing the speed of response in the driver. All worthy considerations, and as some have mentioned, Final seems to go their own route as opposed to others from that region of the world. In other words, less cookie cutter, more innovation.



Build/Fit/Finish:

Using thermoplastic (ABS material) over metal or resin not only makes the unit lighter but can also be more affordable. Both the A3K and A4K are sub-$200usd as a result, which falls into a wickedly competitive bracket (see comparisons listed above and reviewed below). Unfortunately, as some others have noted, the build quality falls below the A8K and others at this price. Fit of the shell pieces is good but not great. Even with what I would consider sub-par build for this price (and lower), the feel of the unit is quite good, and one should not really worry about longevity of the shell. It is prone to fingerprints a bit, but not like the glossy resin of many. The “finish” is of a matte type and affords good grip. With two vent holes surrounding the “final audio A4000” print on the inside of the shell, there is ample opportunity for the driver to breathe. Plus, thankfully, the extruded nozzle has a lip worthy of holding the tips on with no problem. Foam or silicon, they held firm. As a result of all of the above, the unit fit nearly flush inside my ear, and could be worm for long periods without worry or problem. Seal was good with all tips, and for a good part of the testing, I stuck with the Type-E’s, since I am familiar with them. Had I also had my favored Sedna or Azla tips, I would have used them as well. But, comparison with Comply’s will have to be the result.

The cable was quite hard to fit properly when connecting the 2-pin to the shell, and took some effort. More than I would have liked, and I was very careful to fit the two together. Even with that, it took more effort than it should. I worry about taking the cable on/off repeatedly such as switching cables as a result. The insert is in fact recessed, so not all aftermarket cables will work. Not to worry as the included 3.5se OFC is quite decent.

Coated in rubberized material, the cable is like an old lamp cable with two strands melded together below the y-splitter, and single above. I often took great pleasure in pulling apart my father’s old lamp cables, with his permission of course... microphonics are minimal and much better than some others of more expensive ilk lately.

If I had to summarize the overall build, it would be average. Fit is very good, and finish is well, different; but not bad.



Sound:

Summary: Departing from the common V-shaped consumer sound, the A4K provides the listener with enough vibrancy to be engaging but is still V-shaped. Just not a much so as others, who add more “oomph” up top. But in a smoother than normal manner. Bass could reach deeper for me as could its impact. That can be accommodated by EQing the sound. Mids are good but not great. I consider that part of the smooth nature. Male vocals are good and there is good clarity of note with both male and female vocals as well as the overall signature. I would not call it spacious but engaging again adding to that smooth sound to me. Upper mids are pushed forward, which seems to be the flavor de rigor, but not as much as others. With a fast decay, the notes heard are true and aid in that vibrancy of which I speak, but again to me the overall is of a smooth nature; especially when compared to the others here.

Bass according to others reaches deeper but with less impact than the A3K, but not having that on hand I do not know. What I do know is that while the bass is of the faster response variety, I was left wanting more. Compared to something like the Oriolus Finschi or Spring2; the bass falls behind them. But the response is faster than either to me, which can make up for that lack a bit.

To me, the mids are the star, and thankfully the bass leads into them nicely. Guitar work such as Billy Gibbons on High Desert is sublime and the want to turn the volume up on the solo is strong. Male vocals ring true and forward, up there with some of the better in this price. Santana’s Europa comes across as sweet and melodic, rising a bit as the song moves forward. I have always relished his solos, and this comes across as smooth as silk. This could be due to the near-rounded treble response, which to me thankfully plays well. Clean mids but not antiseptic nor too clean makes for a solid sound complimenting that bass line and the persuasive treble note. That note up top provides the detailed sound of the A4K, as witnessed on David Gilmour’s Rattle That Lock. His vocals border on the high region and his guitar reaches high enough on the solo to record the detail of which I speak. An energetic song, which is helped by that treble presentation, without losing the vibrancy of the mids.

Soundstage to me comes across as wider than many in this category, and with enough space to determine precision of placement as well as separation of layers. This is among the better stages had in this category, closing ranks with the Hidizs MS4 Mermaid in terms of size. Layering is not as distinct as some, rendering more of an assemblage than individual layers. And that is OK with me. This again shows Final is going their own way, whether you think that is right or wrong.



Comparison:

Final Audio A4000 ($159) v Oriolus Finschi ($197):

One of my all-time favorites at this price, only recently challenged by the Spring2 to me, the Finschi is immediately heard with a darker signature. Better and more bass as well, which fits my listening pleasure better. Oriolus makes some very, very good IEM’s not the least of which is their flagship, the Trailii at $6000. One could rightly state that Oriolus started the ultra-hyper flagship trend with that model. Many balked at the price, until it was heard and other manufacturers followed.

This came from somewhere and since the Finschi is the only Oriouls I have heard, I can still get a very good impression of what the company wants. Super bass control and that richness of sound highlight excellent detail as well. While others have come and possibly surpassed the sound with “better bass” or “better clarity/airy presentation,” the Finschi still sets the tone for me at this price. Providing better and more bass than the A4K, and a richness in which the A4K can only longingly look at, the Finschi still holds its place to me. If you prefer more clarity and a smoothness to that rich sound, then the A4K might be the better choice, and more affordable. That money saved could purchase a right good dongle, amp or cable to possibly make up the diff. Possibly.


Final Audio A4000 ($159) v DDHiFi Janus ($199):

The Janus was one of the highlights of shutdown to me, and a wonderful stepping out for DDHiFi. Complete with the excellent 4.4bal cable, the pairing is fabulous and gorgeous at which to look. To me its only lacking is isolation, even with foam tips. I love the spacious, airy presentation replete with good bass, even if the vocal presentation sits behind the main scene. Here is where the push forward and up from the A4K “bests” the Janus. If you prefer a thoroughly magnetic sound, complete with a vibrant airy note, then the excellent Janus would be the better choice, even with the isolation problem. I do not listen to it enough. If you value that smooth richness, then the A4K should be considered.


Final Audio A4000 ($159) v Hidizs MS4 ($199):

Much easier to drive, with a more forward and vibrant signature highlight the MS4 over the A4K. When this came out (mine is actually a first production run, sent for review) I thought it would be a hit for its full, rich sound with detailed bass and vocals, which to me come across as nie on sublime. It did not hit the heights I think it should, but of late many have been asking about it. Using stock silicon tips, the seal is not the best, nor the bass, but oh that control of sound is superb. This is a killer IEM at the price, rivaled only of late by some of the newer offerings out there including a couple listed here.

The A4K presents a more V-shaped signature and comes across as smoother as well. The MS4 is vibrant and detailed. With excellent soundstage rivaling the A4K as well, the MS4 is one that needs to be tried. Coming with two cables (one with a mic even), the packaging and detail of build are at the top of this category. Built like a flagship, the MS4 remains one of my top choices and an unsung hero.


Final Audio A4000 ($159) v BQEYZ Spring2 ($169):

The Spring2 is one of those “new” offerings of which I spoke in the MS4 blurb. With a narrower soundstage than the MS4 and A4K, that does not dissuade from a thoroughly engaging sound. Lifted guitar work, and a solid if not too deep reaching bass line is countered by distinct and clean treble note. While that bass is not the deepest, its speed is unparalleled here to me, and with that comes a control of the signature, which puts it at the top of this category. Or near. In my review of the Spring2, I called it the first IEM at this price to make me think twice about my most recommended. That recommendation still holds and the one in which it nearly dethroned is the Finschi. I also throw the MS4 in that range as well.

What we have is a good old build up at turn one in Monaco at an F1 race. Get there first, and you are fine. Get there second and hope no one plows you from behind. The A4K might not be first into that turn like the Spring2, MS4 or Finschi but it will stay close due to that smooth, soothing sound. The Spring2 is superb. The A4K is splendid in a different way.



Final Audio A4000 ($159) v IKKO OH-1 ($139):

The OH-1 is another gem at this price, which gives me a whole lot of satisfaction. Light, easy of fit, gorgeous of look and sound to match all of the above; this is one where you could easily listen and say; that’s it. I’m done. We all know this doesn’t happen, but wouldn’t it be nice to reach that before we spend the amount of what a decent car costs? The OH-1 would be deserving of that savings to you. Bass on par with the best of the lot listed here, but with a bit of bleed; I liken this to giving the signature a bit of soul. That does come at the cost of less than realistic mids, and a slightly lifted treble note. No matter to me for the overall character is of such a manner that you turn Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and play it over and over.

That artificiality is where the smooth sound of the A4K bests the OH-1, and one could rightly justify choosing either for the character presented. Bass that is strong and rich versus a smooth texture. The OH-1 is good for that smashmouth sound, while the A4K would be the brandy after dinner on a snowy night. Neither is wrong.


Finale:

At the beginning, I stated that Final Audio takes their own route (thankfully), shying away from the typical Far East sound, which is bright and vibrant bordering on sibilant. Some like that and for some genre it is a good mix. One of my $100 recommendations happens to be from that sound category and boasts a company name with three letters. But the A4K takes a different path. With a smooth sound that would make Snoop Dogg walk with a little bit more swagger, the A4K comes across as an alternative to that commonly bright signature. And with a thoroughly satisfying note and amount of detail. Timbre is not typical with what some would call splendid clarity, but that does not matter in the overall picture here. With mids that come across as near-luscious but not drippy the A4K has much to offer.

The build is disappointing compared to the others at this price and fit with silicon’s can lead to a less than perfect seal, allowing some leakage. But I found that to be less than some other reviewers note, so that could very well be down to ear shape. I liken what Final has done with the A-series to what they did with the Sonorous series. They made a killer TOTL and worked backwards providing the listener with a model albeit partially filled the further down you go; yet still satisfying. Many say the A8000 is amongst the best they have heard, along with the Sonorous X. I would love to hear both. But I do have the Sonorous III and it gives me a very pleasant sound for the price. And in that same vein, the A4K provides me with a thoroughly satisfying smooth textured signature. I’m just not sure if that is enough to dethrone some of the offerings compared above. It should be listened to though for your own judgement.

I thank @Audio46 for the tour, and it is because of vendors such as this (and others in which I have participated) that we can get the voices out regarding products. Call it what you will, but I do feel this is a valuable and needed experience for the hobby.

Cheers.

disclaimer: I was provided the Final Audio A4000 by Audio46 as part of their review tour. I had the A4000 in my possession for a week to listen and take notes before sending it on up the road to the next participant. I have received no compensation or remuneration for this review. If you have an interest in Final Audio, please see their website and follow them on Facebook. To purchase Final Audio products, see Audio46.

Unboxing / Packaging:
The A4000 arrived boxed in a lift-top style box with a graphic of the earpieces on front and specs on the reverse. Lifting the top reveals a round clamshell style silicone case and box with tips cradled in a foam support. The earpieces and cable are inside the case with each earpiece bagged to prevent scratches in transit. The Tip case houses 5 different sizes of E-series silicone tips. Foams are not provided. Under the silicone case is another small clear bag with the snap-on ear-hooks contained in it and beneath it is the documentation. The Silicone case is a unique style with one convex and one concave side and 3 latching points around the outer edge. It holds the earpieces and attached cable very tightly so carrying anything extra in the case is not possible. Also there is no dedicated connecting point for a clip or caribiner to attach the case to a bag or keys.





Build/Fit:
The A4000 and its sibling the A3000 share very similar abs thermoplastic shell thats give them a very distinctive look with lots of angular cuts, they look like they might be a bit blocky and uncomfortable in the ear, but I found the opposite to be the case. All edges are beveled and rounded and you won’t find a sharp edge anywhere on them. Size wise, the use of the 6mm instead of the standard 10mm helps as well as the housing can be made smaller and lighter. Shells are designed with a deep outer shell and a thin inner shell opposite of the standard faceplate and shell arrangement. The color is also unique in that Final calls it Dark Navy but at times it appears almost jet black and at others a gunmetal grey/black depending on lighting. There are two vents on the under surface of the shell along with the Final/A4000 printed on the main body and either L or R printed on the connector extension. Connector housing s hare slightly raised but well fitted and have key-ways to prevent the cable from being attached incorrectly. Nozzles are fairly short with a lip for tip retention and the duly famous set of E-series tips.




Internals:
Inside that shell, the heart of the A4000 is a single 6mm dynamic driver that was designed from the ground up for the A series. The driver which Final calls the F-core DU, was designed originally for the flagship A8000 but trickle down technology means the A4000 version of the driver comes off the same production line with only slight changes from the earlier flagship design. Final is quick to point out that the driver required that not only nearly every part be rethought ( diaphragm, voice coil, magnet, magnetic circuits, and adhesives used are all new), but also required designing new machinery to complete the assembly process. The front housing of the driver is brass as it is less magnetically sensitive and less subject to resonance issues than aluminum. The Voice coil uses a a 30μ ultrathin copper coated aluminum wire with as little adhesive as possible to improve the strength of the magnetic field and shave weight in moving parts. Diaphragms are manufactured in small batches with heightened quality control measures as well to minimize deviation and enhance uniformity. Nominal impedance is listed as 18Ω with a sensitivity of 100 dB/mW. I found the A4000 to be easy to drive, but that it does require a bit of a turn on the volume knob as it does like a little more power than the average. This meant that I had a bit less headroom when using a phone or dongle, but it was still quite usable from a phone or tablet. With a more potent amplifier, the A4000 does scale some with a bit more potent bass response when compared to some of the lower powered sources.



Cable:
The cable provided with the A4000 starts with a 90º 3.5mm jack in a black plastic housing with a good strain relief before exiting as two parallel strands in a heavier than average coating. This creates a nice balance between microphonics and the likelihood of tangles. The package also has a pair of locking ear hooks that help mitigate some of the cable weight and minimize any cable noise to the earpieces. The cable itself is oxygen free copper but exact core count was not specified. The splitter is a simple black plastic flattened barrel with a matching slider above which the two strands head off in their own directions. At the north end, 0.78mm bi-pin connectors also in black plastic housings complete the package. One nice touch is the bi-pin connectors and sockets are keyed so they cannot be installed incorrectly. With cables that have permanent earhooks, its usually fairly obvious as to proper orientation, but without them it can be hard to be sure. They keys help and are appreciated. I found the cable to work well, not tangle in storage, and the provided hooks were not needed.



Tips:
The A4000 comes with 5 sizes of Type-E tips. These use a mix of stiffer silicone for the cores and softer for the flanges which makes for a very comfortable fit. Unfortunately for me, they also tend to fold and crease which makes them difficult to get a good seal with and even with 5 sizes I’m somehow between two of them where one is slightly undersized and the other creases. For my testing I swapped in Shure Olives which fit my ear better so some notes may be influenced by that change in tips.



Sound:


Bass:
There is a sub-bass emphasis to the A4000 centered around 60Hz with a slow drop back all the way through the mid-bass and lower-mids. Sub-bass roll-off is only notable in the low 20s and delivers good rumble when called upon. In spite of the graph, the bass boost is not as prominent as it appears and shows up more as a complimentary piece to the upper-mid/treble emphasis than as a stand alone component. Mid-bass has good speed and note weight giving the A4000 some detail and texture although I would have liked a bit more texture as it isn’t quite as clear as it could be and so texture is somewhat muted. There is no perceptible bleed into the mids.

Mids:
Here the texture veil is lifted and mids have great detail and don’t seem as recessed as the graph might suggest. Lower mids have good note weight and male vocals have a nice natural tonality. Guitar growl has a nice crisp attack and enough guttural feel to sound fairly natural as well. There is a marked climb in the upper-mids that actually overshoots natural timbre for strings and they wind up with a touch more energy than wholly natural. Female vocals fall into the same category as strings. They are pushed a full step forward and have a bit too much energy at times that can get strident if the track has any tendency in that direction. The upside is great clarity, the downside is fatigue and a bit of sibilance at times.

Treble:
Lower treble follows the upper-mid rise and remains plateau’d for most of the range with a drop off only around 9kHz. This gives the A4000 a very energetic treble that reveals detail well but also contributes to the stridency mentioned earlier. There is good texture so snare rattle is crisp and tightly defined but hi-hat is metallic and over-done and cymbals in general suffer a bit unless some judicious EQ is applied to the mid-treble range. Roll-off is above the limit of my hearing so for me the sound feels nice and open with good air and sparkle at the top. Sparkle can turn to sizzle on occasion when tracks push that direction, so this is probably not the in ear for the treble shy.

Soundstage / Imaging:
This is a high point for the A4000 as stage has good size and dimension with both width and depth being roughly equal and even some height in the mix. Seating the orchestra is straight forward thanks to the stage and good instrument separation. Stereo separation is also above average which probably aids in both stage size and imaging as well. Movements are easily tracked and positioned in space and definition is good considering the asking price. There is some mild compression but the A4000 handled fast tracks fairly easily without a lot of thickening.

Thoughts / Conclusion:
So I guess you could say, this is my Final review (Sorry couldn’t resist the pun). The A4000 is a sibling in the new A series that technically is the middle model between A8000 above and A3000 below but more realistically is an entry level offering based on price and a much closer sibling to the A3000 in construction than to the A8000. The shells are interesting in their use of thermoplastic instead of metal or resin and are light and comfortable for extended wear. Although a great tip selection is provided, I found a need for aftermarket tips, but with standard sized nozzles even this proved easy enough to remedy. I like the earhooks, particularly that they aren’t attached and honestly other than to test them and see that they worked, I found no need of them. Sonics follow a fairly typical Japanese pattern of bright overall tonality and share some similarity with other Final models I have tried and Audio Technica models as well. This seems to be the preferred tuning of the region and while not my favorite it does bring a lot of detail and energy to the sound. Overall, I am impressed with what Final is able to do at a price range they rarely dip into and I hope this means good things for models to come. For those that like a bright, energetic tuning, the A4000 offers a lot.

The Final Audio A4000 has been a popular discussion as of late at the audiophile community water cooler because of its soundstage, does it offer anything else? Nobody seems to be talking about the other skills that the Final A4K has to offer so I will give you some thoughts.

Disclaimer:

A BIG thank you to inToit Reviews for lending the Final Audio A4000 for review, greatly appreciated. Check out the links down below and give him a subscription and tell him I sent you.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDhV3KByLSY2roqZ2aQ0XKg
https://www.intoitreviews.com/
https://twitter.com/IntoitReviews
https://www.instagramp.com/intoitreviews/

Purchase:
https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/A4000

Unboxing:


Final Audio kept the packaging very simple; a tad too simple for the price in my opinion. The box is solid and has pictures on the front and description on back. Inside you will find a plastic case of Final Audio Type E tips, silicone carry case, cable and ear hooks. All in all the accessories included are fine and dandy, if a bit limited. The carry case is a very strange build and I am not a fan. You lift up the bottom piece to open the squishy rubber case. Placing the IEM inside and closing the lid down, smashes the IEM down to hold in place but it offers very little protection other than from scratching. Final Type E tips are some of my all-time favorites so I have no complaints.











Build/Design:





Let's start with my biggest gripe. The cable and ear hooks are adequate but don't wow me for the price. The cable is thin and well controlled, doesn't tangle or jumble up but it feels cheap. The ear hooks are a different story, they are just odd feeling and twist and turn all the time. Also, there is a bit of cable noise when walking and jogging. I am not impressed with the cable and ear hooks considering the price tag where there are so many other IEM that have better cables in similar price (ThieAudio Voyager 3, SeeAudio Yume, Tin Hifi T5).
Now onto the build of the A4000 itself. The IEM is built of ABS plastic and feels cheap and light. It is similar in shape and size to the Moondrop SSR; with the SSR providing a longer nozzle. Comfort is alright but I find that the shorter nozzle causes fit issues for me and those finicky fitting ear hooks don't help hold the A4000 securely. I can get the A4K to sit in my ears securely but any sort of tug or jiggle on the cable and I am having to reposition. So if you are a wiggle worm like me then the Final Audio A4000 may not be the best fit for you.

Specs:

Driver: Dynamic driver
Sensitivity: 100dB/mw
Impedance: 18Ω
Weight: 18g

Sound:

Bass:
There is a lot to like about the Final Audio A4000 bass but there are some issues as well. The sub bass of the A4000 is pleasing and could make some bass heads happy but only if they prefer tone over impact. There is good low reach with ample rumble but it isn't the most impactful but does have some slam qualities to offer on a limited basis. The tone of the bass on the A4000 is pleasant and has a close to natural sound. The timbre on the other hand is not that great and it becomes hard to differentiate between instruments at times in the lower bass and often they will all sound the same. Details in the A4000 bass are brought in well but lack definition and can be portrayed at times as one. The middle and upper bass thins out and the detail definition improves but the overall texture loses weight and density.

Mids:

The mids on the A4000 are a mixed bag. Often I felt like a confused dog that was cocking his head and twitching his ears when listening to the A4000. The lower mids are thin and lacking weight and density. The middle and upper mids are way too forward while still thin and lacking weight and density. The strangest part is the lower mids are warmer then the middle and upper mids. The A4000 mids are not cohesive or balanced. The tone of the mids is pleasing, but just like the bass, the timbre is lacking. The less then stellar definition really shows itself in the upper mids where it is just way too forward and bright. The upper mids are full of many no no's in my opinion; bright, intense, sibilant and sharp. I do not enjoy the mids much at all on the Final Audio A4000 with the stock tips.

Treble:

Final Audio A4000 treble is overly energetic and sparkly. As I have mentioned on many occasions, I enjoy treble but it has to be well controlled. Sadly, the A4000 is not well controlled in the treble regions. To call the A4000 hot is being fair and honest; they have a tipped treble region. There is a lot of sizzle to the treble of the A4000. The Final Audio A4000 lacks refinement up top. They have a lot of extension and air that may be pleasing to some but if you care about treble quality at all then I highly doubt you would enjoy the A4000. Again the tone is good on the A4000 but the lack of timbre refinement and resolution just kills them for me. As with the rest of the regions, the treble is thin, lacking in weight and density.

Soundstage:

Hey, I found something I enjoy on the Final Audio A4000. There is a width, depth and layering to the A4000 that other IEM in it's price point can't match. If you like to game or watch movies with an IEM then the Final Audio A4000 is right for you; if you don't mind the bright and hot tendencies . The way that details travel and move around the stage is fun and engaging. The precision and placement is impressive. I really enjoy the soundstage on the Final Audio A4000; it is easily my favorite aspect they offer.

Tone/Timbre/Detail/Resolution:

Throughout the entire sound of the Final Audio A4000 the tone is pleasing and close to natural but far from realistic. Timbre is off and just doesn't do a good job of being distinctive; often I find that instruments will sound the same or similar more often then not. Detail retrieval is adequate for the price but are terribly unresolved. There is a lot of smearing and smudging of details. Attack and decay is disappointing, way too much attack and not enough decay; detail resolution doesn't sound realistic. The lackluster resolution is problematic especially in the overly accentuated mids and treble; causes fatigue and pain quickly on the wrong gear and song, which happens way too often. Also, notes on the A4000 lack weight and density ; they just seem to float in space.

Overall impressions with the Final Type E tips can be summed up with this gif:



Alternate Tips:
JVC Spiral Dots to the rescue. Now this seems like an odd pairing since they are larger bored then the stock Final Type E but it actually is a benefit in my opinion. I tried all sorts of tips and I found that the wide bore tips helped to quell those bright mid and hot treble regions. Anything with a small bore enhanced the pain inducing listening sessions. The JVC Spiral Dots smooth out the mids and treble regions a little bit and the resolution benefited also. Overall the presentation isn't as energetic and sparkly and is more to tolerable levels but still not to my preference. I highly recommend swapping the tips out.

Pairings:

NextDrive Spectre X: This is a nice pairing as the warmth and lushness of the Spectre X helps to tame the bright, sparkly beast.

xDuoo Link: Uh oh the bright and sparkly beast is back but does show off that lovely soundstage.

Mytek Liberty: This is a lively pairing but with the JVC Spiral Dots it becomes lovely with the right music. Too hit or miss to be a favorite pairing.

Soekris DAC1421: Similar to the Spectre X in that it is warm, lush and detailed; pairs nicely with the Final Audio A4000.

Sony NW-A105 Walkman: I like this pairing a lot as the warmer tones of the Sony tame the overly bright and sparkly tendencies.

Comparisons:

Etymotic ER2SE:


The ER2SE has a smaller stage but is more defined in it's imaging. The ER2SE has a more natural and realistic tone and timbre and the detail retrieval is similar but significantly better resolved. Note weight and density is a vast improvement.

Tin Hifi T5:
T5 note weight and density is significantly better and the tone and timbre is superior in all regards. Detail retrieval is also an improvement along with resolution on the T5. Soundstage isn't much of a loss either even though the A4000 has an advantage in width.

SeeAudio Yume:



The Yume has more body to the notes and a slightly more pronounced bass, especially in the sub region. The Yume isn't as forward and assertive in the mid and treble and comes across as more controlled and fills in the mid region better. Details and resolution is similar and hard to determine differences. Soundstage is wider and deeper on the A4000.

Moondrop Blessing 2:


The Final Audio A4000 and Moondrop Blessing 2 have a lot of similarities and one major difference. Price difference is obvious but let's continue with the sound comparison. The tone is very similar between the two but timbre is a clear win for the Blessing 2. The A4000 has a small boost in the bass that adds just a touch of oomph that some say is missing with the Blessing 2. The mids of the Blessing 2 have better body, weight and density and are not near as forward as the A4000; nor do they sound floaty. The bottom end of the mids are more pleasing on the Blessing 2. The treble is better controlled and not as intense on the Blessing 2. BUT the biggest and most major difference between the Blessing 2 and A4000 is the detail retrieval and resolution; the Blessing 2 is by far the superior, not even close in comparison.

Conclusion:

I really, really wanted to enjoy the Final Audio A4000 but there are too many flaws in my book. For the price tag there are too many other quality IEM that have a more natural and accurate sound even though the soundstage may not be as polarizing. If you love an energetic sound with a huge open stage then the Final Audio A4000 may be one to consider. But for me the Final Audio A4000...


Website: thehonestaudiophile.com
YouTube reviews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgMj7xJ1SDxGqqxZ5l3g_jg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4LG7Kqp_7f/?igshid=1pj7fm78gz0h2
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalkDbs @TalkDbs

DBS Tech Talk research and review process:

Audio Terms and Definitions: https://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/index.html

Recommended Gear:
Meze Empyrean: https://mezeaudio.com/products/meze-empyrean
Hifiman Ananda: https://hifiman.com/products/detail/290
Sennheiser HD600: https://en-us.sennheiser.com/best-audio-headphones-high-end-stereo-hifi-hd-600
Sennheiser HD660s: https://en-us.sennheiser.com/hd-660-s
Meze 99 Classic: https://mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/meze-99-classics-walnut-gold-wood-headphones
MrSpeakers Ether C (non flow version) https://danclarkaudio.com/
(similar to https://drop.com/buy/drop-mrspeakers-ether-cx-closed-headphones?utm_source=linkshare&referer=FTSS2S
Meze Rai Penta: https://mezeaudio.com/collections/all/products/rai-penta
Meze Rai Solo: https://mezeaudio.com/products/rai-solo
ADV. M5-12D: https://www.adv-sound.com/collections/pro-audio/products/m5-12d-universal
Tin Hifi T3: https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tin-hifi/products/tinhifi-t3
Tin Hifi T2+: https://www.linsoul.com/collections/tin-hifi/products/tinhifi-t2-plus
Tin Hfi T5: https://www.linsoul.com/products/tin-hifi-t5?_pos=1&_sid=a6d49043d&_ss=r
Moondrop SSR: https://www.moondroplab.com/ssr
Monoprice Monolith THX AAA 788: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=24459
Mytek Liberty: https://mytekdigital.com/hifi/products/liberty-dac/
Soekris DAC1421: https://soekris.modhouseaudio.com/soekris-audiophile-line/dac-1421
Tor Audio Roger: https://toraudio.com/main.html#
Massdrop THX AAA 789:
https://drop.com/buy/drop-thx-aaa-789-linear-amplifier?utm_source=linkshare&referer=FTSS2S
Grace Design SDAC-B: https://drop.com/buy/drop-grace-design-standard-dac-balanced?utm_source=linkshare&referer=FTSS2S
Geshelli Labs Enog 2 Pro: https://geshelli.com/shop/ols/products/enog2-pro-dac-metal-case
Geshelli Labs J2: https://geshelli.com/jnog
Geshelli Labs Archel 2: https://geshelli.com/shop/ols/produ...tal-case-b5ca9a41-69ed-4786-98b2-18f72ae911bf
Geshelli Labs Erish: https://geshelli.com/shop/ols/products/erish-balanced

Music recommendations:
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/5bbf80ce-33f3-4222-a1fc-6539a95415d6 (in order of playlist)
Tingvall Trio “Beat” - piano tonality
Sinne Eeg “We’ve Just Begun” - multiple layer soundstage
Molly Johnson “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” - female vocal tone
Leslie Odom Jr. “Under Pressure” - male vocal tone
Eric Clapton “Change the World” - soundstage, layering and placement
Yo Yo Ma “Ecstasy of Gold” - acoustic instrument timbre
Adam Baldych “Spem in Alium” - acoustic instrument timbre
Pain of Salvation “Stress” - percussion balance
Michael Buble “When I Fall in Love” - orchestral dynamics
Patricia Barber “Code Cool” - sibilance check
Christian Scott “New New Orleans” - shouty upper mids
Tool “Chocolate Chip Trip” - imaging
Hans Zimmer “Why So Serious” - sub bass extension
Marcus Miller “No Limit” - bass control
Dave Holland Quartet “Conference Of The Birds”- bass check
Ilhan Eshkeri “47 Ronin”- orchestra and bass dynamics
Hans Zimmer :2049” - sub bass extension
Cher: Believe - sibilance
Stanley Clarke - Passenger 57 main title - percussion, bass, seperation and placement
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra - The Pine of the Appian Way - soundstage, imaging and seperation
Houston Person - You are my Sunshine - tone and timbre

A4000
Sound is crisp and airy with treble sparkle
slightly sibilant as you get up into the higher notes on rare occasions but worth it. Soundstage is excellent , great width depth and layering
Placement sounds almost holographic
Airy detailed mids and vocals
Detail in mids is something special
Crisp detailed sharp different than any other iems I own but have a similarity to the heart mirror.
Bass is fast detailed and deep but recessed in the background ( a tad too much for me )
Sound like expensive small monitor speakers. Fantastic layering and blending in of details , hear detail I don’t normally do with other iems.
Very fast transients and dd
Great timbre and tonality clean and transparent
Natural timbre vocals surrounded by extreme quality detailed mids to highs , spaciousness
Much easier to drive than e3000
Treble is most dome like I’ve ever heard in an iem
Most detailed iem I’ve ever heard of any type, every song has new detail
Easily driven by low power , phone dac dongle
Wowed me big time, definitely recommend.
For once an iem worthy of its price tag
a great iem @Final Audio

First things first. I buy all my sets full price. i have not nearly reached the exalted position of getting gear for free.. So, in many ways my review comes from a consumerist angle.. I have no affiliation at all with Final Audio. Now that is cleared up let me begin. Final Audio are a Japanese company. I have been to Japan many times , I have always been impressed by their passion for music , attention to detail also their dedication for making quality products. Final Audio are known for making quality audio produce. I am fan of their E series , i have all the sets from the E2000 upwards. Their flagship is the pure beryllium A8000 which is 2K plus. I have not heard them but they garnered rave reviews . Most reviewers mention their natural qualities. The same can be said of their E series which of course is their budget range. The E2000 are my favourites. Proving less is sometimes more. A lower number does not necessarily mean a significant drop in standards .Let us start with the tangibles.They are very light.Materials used are ABS thermoplastic resin.The A4000 have a blue grey hue. Not metal clad like the gorgeous B series. Looks are modest. At the same time they are inconspicous also kinda cute. You wont see the Jenner sisters wearing them on the catwalk. The cable is pretty poor. Thin, non braided and breakable. To make matters worse the 2 pin connectors are recessed making it almost impossible to cable roll. On the bright side they include the excellent Final tips in the box.I have not tip rolled as they sound great. It is a very spartan affair .To be honest i expected more. Final have adopted a 6mm single driver with their new f core DU driver coating in brass. They are currently sold out in Japan and have won numerous awards , it is easy to see why after hearing them SOUND. The A4000 adopt a bright neutral sound with a whiff of warmth in the mids. the bass is lean , fast and agile. Note weight is moderate . Midrange sound transparent and clean. Lots of air with recessed lower mids and bright uppermids that can lend to mild sibilance. Female vocals sound natural. Male vocals could do with a bit more heft if truth be known. The highs shimmer and sparkle . Imaging and separation are superb with the most grandiose of soundstages . LOWS. The lows are fast and lean. At first i thought they sounded too light but very nimble. They never sounded anaemic ,but , i could have done with a bit more weight. Notes are pretty round with moderate slam. What is impressive is there is no bleed or bloating. Decay is almost BA like. Notes stick around long enough to never seem to thin or lacking. Lows reminded me of the Blessing 2 but has more texture also they are more resolving The bass always sits behind the vocals and at times you do not even realise it is there ! They have a satisfying punch that grows and you over time. You wont get "Beryllium bounce". After a while I was very impressed.


MIDS. The midrange is airy ,clean and transparent they are neutral bright with a whiff of warmth. Detail retrieval is very good. Female vocals can sound a tad bright at times yet still has a sense of realism that is enchanting. Male vocals fare less better lacking punch but never sounding shouty or peaky. There is a distinct lack of colour and lushness that can bring out sibilance on rare occasions. If the music is sibilant it won't hide it. No smearing bad recordings can sound well ! Bad ! What is great , is layering and a sense of air that belies its 6mm origins. The background is black with no grey areas. There is a great sense of openess very rare in this price bracket. You never get congestion or a sense of in your head feeling. Every thing sounds very spacious with a feeling of clarity.Impressive. HIGHS. Treble have great shimmer and sparkle. With good weight , timbre and tonality. They have decent extension with no real sense of roll off. We are not taking Andromeda levels , but for the price , they are more than acceptable .Transients are very good never a sense of lag . Maybe if you are treble sensitive you might find them bright . The unforgiving feel may be too much for some. I am no treble freak , i find the treble works with the signature ..Even better you don't get a splashy vibe. They are not smooth like a well tuned piezo on the plus side you dont get plasticky BA treble.No complaints. SOUNDSTAGE. Welcome to the star of the show. Stage , imaging and separation are exemplary. The stage has bombastic width and height. Vocals are cranium height , the width at times shoulder length. You never have the sense of fake staging. It sounds natural and real. At times like being on the balcony watching the band. Depth is on point. Never feeling to close or too far away. This is where Final sprinkled their special sauce. Imaging and separation are first class. Always easy to sense exactly where the band are playing. Strings and horns sound cavernous rising up with a real sense of cohesion . Listening Donald Byrd , The Loner .The sense of space alongside the excellent placement are exhilarating. Separation feels heady giving a euphoric sense at times. I have heard staging like this only on rare occasions in a much higher price bracket. It is impressive and worth the price of admission. A round of applause VERDICT. In the last 18 months or so we have seen the rise of the single driver. From Moondrops fantastic Starfield , Kanas pro and KXXS also the well received Tanchjim Oxygen and Hana. JVC superb FDX1 . Not to mention Blon 01 and 3 and the recent hype driven sets such as the K Bear Believe , NF Audio NM2 Plus and Fiios FD5 not to mention the highly anticipated DUNU ZEN , the single DD is on a roll .When tuned right it is hard to beat the tonality and cohesion. The K Bear Believe is like cruising down Ocean Drive in a Bentley , The NM2 Plus is like taking a bungee jump of Mount Fuji , The Final Audio is like taking a swin in a large ocean. There are caveats . The cable is not up to todays standard. The words "could do better" spring to mind. The recessed 2 pin connector is annoying to say the least. The bright signature will not be for everyone especially since early 2020 chi fi has gone all lush and gooey. I am nitpicking here . The final audio a4000 is worth every penny . They are fantastic ! If you want a transparent , addictive ,cohesive , well tuned set with an amazing soundstage , great detail retrieval , very fast transients alongside pin point imaging chops , look no further.