tl;dr: smooth and mature tuning that encourage you to listen at higher volume than usual. Treble is more controlled and detailed than you might expect. Lower frequencies can be quite congested. Good technical performance is there underneath the relaxed tuning.

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You can find further details and my other impressions at my website.

Introduction

Launched in 2017, earned many rewards, and still being sold today, E3000 is one of the most iconic and enduring earphones from the eccentric Japanese audio manufacturer Final Audio. Unlike other manufacturers, Final does not focus on a "house sound" but on experimentation with tuning and manufacturing processes to deliver different experiences to listener. For example, B series studied the relationship between dynamic range and soundstage and A series was about measuring and achieving "transparency".

Final E3000 is the focal point of the E series, which focuses on finding a "good" sound at the intersection between acoustic engineering and psychological research results. This IEM aimed to be "standard for years to come" by providing "high definition and flat, natural sound quality." In some sense, E3000 has indeed become a standard because Final stills uses it as a benchmark nowadays.

But enough with the poetry. The IEM industry has advanced rapidly in the last several years with the onslaught of Chi-Fi manufacturers. How does E3000 fare in 2022?

Non-sound Aspects

Final E3000 is a tiny bullet-shape IEM with fixed cable. The cable seems thin and flimsy but is actually quite well-behaved and comfortable. The IEM can be worn cable-down or above the ears. I personally wear the IEM above the ears as it is more stable. Comfort is very good. I can lie down on the side without any problem because E3000 does not poke out as far as its brother E5000.





Accessories are spartan but, again, practical. In the box, you will find:
- A cloth carrying bag (I use for carrying my DACs and cables)
- 5 pairs of the legendary Final Type-E ear tips (I cannibalise for my other IEMs)
- 2 ear hooks (I never use)



Technology-wise, E3000 uses a tiny 6.4mm full-range dynamic driver that handles details surprisingly well. The ear pieces have an open-back design to help tune the bass.

Despite (or perhaps because of) using a micro dynamic driver, E3000 is harder to drive than expected, though it never sounds horrible even with very bad onboard DACs. You might get away with using an Apple dongle at medium volume without any EQ. However, as soon as you add a negative preamp and turn volume above 75% on Apple dongle to compensate, E3000 would start to sound congested and mushy like a bad onboard DAC. If you pick up this IEM, I recommend having a source with at least 70mW per channel to avoid gimping it.

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Sound Analysis

Here is what Final says about E3000:

Not emphasizing specific ranges makes for well-balanced sound reproduction from low through to high frequencies and high definition. Sound is powerful, and combines core low frequencies and clear, reaching mid-to high frequencies that are not masked by the low frequencies; you are able to experience the same kind of sound spread you would were you listening to music in a concert hall. Owing to this, you can enjoy acoustic music, jazz, classical and other music that resonates with the ambience of live sound.

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Personally, I dont think the "not emphasizing specific ranges" statement applies to the bass, as E3000 has a lot of wet, thumpy bass. However, the rest of the frequency response is certainly balanced and "flat." None of the details is overly sharpened and pushed to your face. However, if you turn up the volume so that the midrange is at the right level and pay attention, you will begin to hear fine details like treble air, background vocal, shimmering sound of chimes.

Tonality and Timbre (3/5)

Realistic. Smooth. Warm. Relax. Congested (sometimes).

I'm quite impressed with the midrange of E3000 (300Hz to 4kHz, to be specific). This IEM still has the "correct" ear gain boost centering at 3kHz, but peaking at around 7db rather than 10-12db like other "well-tuned" IEMs. There is no peak in the upper midrange that stabs your ears randomly, so you can safely turn up the volume. The ratio between fundamentals and overtones are well done, contributing to naturalness of voices and instruments and creating a good illusion of 3D depth. Because the lower midrange is not cut, you can hear the whole band rather than missing out on the bass guitars and other low-pitched instruments, which is not the case with some other "well-tuned" IEMs.

The politeness of the midrange carries to the treble. Cymbals and chimes are render correctly with enough detail. However, you really need to turn up the volume and pay attention. E3000's tuning is not for very low volume listening.

Lower frequencies are troublesome, though. To put it bluntly, E3000 sounds congested if the music you listen has a lot of midbass. I don't know if it makes sense but it feels to me that the bass energy does not decay fast enough on this IEM. If I EQ, I either lose all the bass punch or end up with some congestion. Another disappointment is that E3000 does not have very strong subbass (i.e., the type that you feel).

Anyhow, the good news is that E3000 is very easy to EQ given its smooth signature. Most of the bass issues are fixed beautifully by E5000 as well. An PEQ profile is given at the end of this review.

Resolution (2.5/5)

Resolution, detail retrieval, or "technical performance" denotes how finely and crisp an IEM or headphone can reproduce audio information. Resolution manifests itself in various aspects: (1) how clear and precise the attack of musical notes are, (2) how pinpoint musical notes are in the soundstage, (3) how detailed and nuanced the decay and reverb of musical notes are, (4) how clear can you hear background elements of a mix and (5) can you hear the whole band or orchestra. A balanced tuning might help but is not a necessity for an IEM to achieve high resolution.

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Benchmark IEMs for comparison:
- Andromeda 2020 (5/5): Clear and well resolved across frequency spectrum
- Blessing 2 (4/5): Outstanding midrange but not as well resolved in bass and treble
- Aria (3/5): Benchmark of a good midrange, but not well resolved in bass and treble
- FH3 (2/5): Textureless sound that lacks nuance and details.

With stock-tuning, E3000 does not sound like a detailed IEM. Midrange is where Aria and Blessing 2 pull ahead. On both Hotel Califonia and My Immortal, guitars sound more simplistic and less nuanced on E3000 comparing to Aria and Blessing 2. It's true that if I sit down and pay careful attention, I can hear the same details, but I don't think we should spend this much effort.

Treble and air details are where things get interesting. With Now you believe in you, Aria seem clearer at a glance, but if we zoom into the details, we see they trade blows. The claps from 1:00 for example are not clear and distinct on Aria comparing to E3000. The treble details are soft and mushed together, create that "fuzzy" feeling of Aria. The airy details from 2:00 is not as clear on Aria as E3000. The chime at 2:40 is much better on E3000. I also found that the treble of Blessing 2 is splashier and less refined than E3000, though the midrange is definitely better on Blessing 2.

Resolution-wise, I rate E3000 2.5/5: slightly below average due to the veiled midrange. By treble alone, it would have 3.5/5.

Percussion Rendering (3/5)

Percussion rendering reflects how well the tuning and technical performance of an IEM work together to recreate realistic sound of a drum set. Good drum hits have clear attack (controlled by frequencies from 4kHz to 6kHz), full body (midbass frequencies around 200Hz), and physical sensation (subbass frequencies around 50Hz). Good technical performance ("fast" driver) ensures that bass notes can be loud yet detailed. IEMs that cannot control bass very well tend to reduce the bass' loudness to prevent muddiness.

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Benchmark IEMs for comparison:
- E5000 (5/5): Impactful and very full-bodied percussion
- A4000 (4/5): Impactful, but not very full-bodied
- Moondrop Aria (3/5): Average, slightly soft percussion attack, lacking deep impact
- ER2SE (1/5): Clear attack, but no drum body nor impact

E3000 has the drum lines that are not clean, but will hype you up. In Finale (William Tell Overture), E3000 render drums with great, full body. The bass and cello revealed surprising amount of details for example at 3:00 where the bass or cello section carries a melody line. However, the bass line at the beginning is not well defined, showing limitation of the driver.

In Force your way, drum has great body but at the same time a bit mushed together. It's like the bass frequency does not decay fast enough between two drum hits, so you hear a bass hum constantly between notes. However, drum attacks are decicive and precise. Not quite related to drum, but the pan of piano from left to right at 2:50 is very nice.

E3000 does a good job with Clarinet Polka. Bass is textured and you can hear the melody carried in the bass line clearly. This amount of bass is something that E3000 can handle.

In general, E3000 nails the attack and body of percussion, but lacks control and impactful subbass. Modern IEMs like Aria has less body in the bass than E3000, thus it sounds clearer than E3000. However, upon careful listening, I don't think Aria controls the bass better than E3000. It's just that it hides the limitation better.

Percussion-wise, I rate E3000 3/5.

Separation (3/5)

Separation can be considered an alternative aspect of "resolution." IEMs with good technical performance can keep similar sounding musical lines separated. Tuning can help improve the illusion of separation by cutting midbass and lower-midrange (between 200Hz and 500Hz). However, busy musical passages can still collapse this illusion.

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Benchmark IEMs for comparisons:
- Andromeda (5/5): Take advantage of both large soundstage and great resolution for separation.
- ER2SE (4/5): Rely on great resolution, but limited by the size of the stage
- Aria (3/5): Rely on the size of the stage, but limited by the its lack of ability to distinguish similar sounds
- FH3 (2/5): Rely on the size of the stage, but limited by the its lack of ability to distinguish similar sounds

Separation is not a strength of E3000. With bad guy, I can only hear faint mumble on the vocal line on the left from 0:40 with E3000 but I can hear individual words without much difficulty with Aria. With And the waltz goes on, E3000 mostly loses the bass line the stage collapsed when the music gets lush from 1:00. However, there are still some distinction between left part and right part of the soundstage.

E3000 surprisingly good job at rendering a live band in Ed Sheeran - Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. I can hear every instrument at the right place on the stage during the first song. Surprise surprise, E3000 is a bit better than Aria at separating elements in a live mix. At 1:00 when the chorus kicks in, E3000 manages to separate the back up vocals clearly, but Aria somehow managed to mush these lines into the rest of the band. E3000 is better than ER2SE in this track as well, due to the tuning the overall size of the soundstage. Because a lot of information in this track is actually in the lower frequencies, the fact that ER2SE suppresses these frequencies make it very hard to distinguish and separate different elements of the mix.

So, subpar performance in some songs and outstanding performance in others, I would rate E3000 3/5: Average.

Stereo Imaging (Soundstage) (3.5/5)

Stereo imaging or "soundstage" is a psychoacoustic illusion that different elements of a recording appear at different locations inside and around your head. Your brain creates based on the cues such as the loudness and phase differences between left and right channel. Most IEMs do not differ significantly nor can compete with headphones or loudspeakers. However, some IEMs offer a more spacious soundstage than others. Best IEMs can create multiple layers sound from closer to further away and make some instrument floating slight above your head.

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Benchmark IEMs for comparisons:
- Andromeda (5/5): Very 3D stage with the illusion that sounds come from different direction and distance. Not necessarily the largest, but one of the most interesting.
- Final A4000 (4/5): Wide and distant stage. The illusion of depth and layering suffers due to the distance.
- Blessing 2 (3/5): Wide but flat, with the center image strictly in your head.
- ER2SE (2/5): Strictly in your head. The width of the stage does not extend far beyond your ears.

Due to the warmer and darker tuning, E3000 does not feel very wide, though still wider than ER2SE. The ear gain centering at 3kHz puts the center image right in the middle of your head, some where behind your eyes just like other IEM with Harman or Diffuse Field tuning. The warmth gives E3000 an edge in depth and layering, with the bass more forward and the background elements further away. The lower separation ability prevents E3000 from producing a good layering effect, however.

We are the world: Great sense of depth and atmosphere with this song. Vocal at 1:50 takes a step back behind the sparkly chime sound at the foreground. From 3:30, you can hear difference in depth between closer vocals on the right and further background vocal on the left. However, the impression of depth is not particularly strong.

Eine kleine nachtmusik - I. Allegro: The cello feels closer than violin for the whole piece, helping with the separation and spatial illusion of the piece.

Ed Sheeran Shivers Official Performance Video: Comparing to Blessing 2, E3000 positions Ed Sheeran's voice is more or less the same, but the stage has a bit more depth. The keyboard sound is a bit further to the background. Comparing to ER2SE, E3000's soundstage is larger and more spread out than ER2SE, though ER2SE has an upper hand in terms of the precision of the soundstage.

Soundstage-wise, I would give E3000 3.5/5. It has an advantage in terms of depth, which translate to more immersive orchestral and live performance, but it lacks the refinement to be "holographic".

Performance after EQ

If you are willing to EQ, there are a lot of value to be extracted from this little IEM. Key changes include:
- Boosting subbass.
- Reducing the lower midrange frequencies around 250Hz to reduce the congestion and free the midrange details.
- Boosting 2kHz region slightly to sharpen up the sound (slightly is the keyword here)
- Boosting 8kHz region significantly to taste, just before your music becomes too piercing.
- Boosting 16kHz region significantly to taste, just before your music has a metallic timbre.

You can find a PEQ profile here. Please change the 8kHz and 16kHz to taste (as described above).

To me, the performance after EQ is quite competitive and pushes the IEM to the limit. The soundstage opens up, midrange is unveiled, treble is shimmering and airy. Bass does not get much better, unfortunately.

Selected comparisons

Let's talk about how E3000 compete with some "flavour of the month" IEMs:
- Chu: without a doubt, E3000 is a more comfortable IEM to wear. Sound-wise, most of the comparisons between E3000 and Aria apply to Chu.
- CRA: This IEM is exactly the type that Final criticises when designing the E series. And this criticism is a good reason. CRA has over abundant of treble energy around 5kHz and 8kHz, which make the timbre unnatural for some instruments. At the same time, it does not sound as detailed in the treble region as E3000 due to these peaks. IMHO, E3000 is a more thoughtful IEM.
- Tanchjim OLA: on one side, you have an IEM with overly abundant bass (E3000). On the other side, you have no bass (OLA). Your choice. OLA does a great job with treble (which is how it manages to sound so holographic). However, to my ears, E3000 is a bit more resolving across the spectrum.
- Dunu Titan S: on one side, you have a neutral IEM without fault nor character (Titan S). On the other side, you have a bassy and smooth boi with deep soundstage (E3000). Your choice. Titan S does a surprisingly good job at resolving treble details, pretty much on par with E3000. The accessories coming with Titan S are pretty sweet as well.

Conclusion and Personal Preference: 4/5

Personal preference is my entirely subjective and personal opinion about an IEM, based on multiple factors. This score DOES NOT contribute to the rating of an IEM.

I still used E3000 even after getting Andromeda. This little IEM only retired when I bought its younger brother, the flagship E5000. I think that sums up perfectly my thought about E3000.

Upgrade path

Should you get E3000 if ...
- you have no IEM? If you want a good sounding IEM and have no intention of joining "head-fi" community, then of course. If you want to geek out about IEMs as a hobby, then perhaps grab something like Aria or Titan S first.
- you have a not-so-great budget IEM? It depends. Coming from a harsh Chi-Fi IEM, you are equally likely to enjoy or be bored with the gentle tuning of E3000.
- you already have something decent like Aria? Go for the flagship E5000 instead.
- you already have Blessing 2 or higher-end IEM? Go for the flagship E5000 instead.
- you want head-shaking, thick, boomy sound? Go for the flagship E5000 instead.

Where to go from E3000
- More clarity? EQ. If you don't want to EQ, then E5000. If you don't want lower midrange anymore, then perhaps something tuned to Harman, diffuse field, or Moondrop's target.
- More immersive soundstage? EQ. If you don't want to EQ, then E5000 or FD7. Of course, you can always go for Andromeda or 64 Audio Trio.
- More impactful bass? E5000, no doubt.

At a Glance:

Overall Rating: S- (S+ to C-)

Category: C (20-100$), Acquired at: 50$ MSRP






Disclaimer:

This IEM was purchased from a local retailer, with my own money. This review is not influenced by external parties in any way, shape or form. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own.



Overview:

The E3000 sits at the middle of Final Audio’s E-series of bullet shaped IEMs. It features a stainless-steel housing like it’s older brother the E5000 but unlike the E4/5000 has a fixed cable. It features a tiny 6.4mm micro dynamic driver that’s rated at a deceptive 16ohms into 100dB/mW. It’s tuned to a warm, slightly dark signature with excellent technicalities.



Inclusions: S

This IEM ships in a simple white cardboard box with a picture and some information on it. Opening the box reveals the IEMs themselves, a small, soft leatherette pouch, some warranty and information cards, a pair of earhooks and 5 pairs of the famed Final Audio E eartips, which is a rather generous set considering that those tips alone would retail for almost half this IEM’s MSRP. Packaging is generally simple and no-frills but the inclusion of the Final E tips makes this an even sweeter proposition.



Build: A

The IEMs housings are build out of a mirror-finished stainless steel, which is rather good looking in ideal conditions and seems to be rather durable. However, the nozzle and nozzle filter are both made out of a plastic material. The nozzle thankfully features a nice, hooked lip to keep the eartips in place during use. The rear of the IEM is essentially a large vent that’s likely there for tuning and soundstage purposes as well as to prevent driver flex. However, the size of that vent and the tiny shells of this IEM do mean that isolation is rather poor for an IEM. Thankfully, comfort is fantastic, with no pressure or driver flex and excellent feel on the ear thanks to a very soft cable and the aforementioned small shells. One small gripe here is the fact that the shells can be rather unwieldy with large hands due to their size, making it hard to seat them in your ears.



The cable is not quite as good as the driver shells themselves. It’s very soft and flexible and has minimal shape memory. However, it’s fittings, the 3.5 jack, splitter and chin slider are all made of hardened rubber. Additionally, I would have much preferred a balanced termination in this case, considering how difficult these IEM can get to drive. The cable is also very, very thin, and fairly microphonic unless work over the ear. It’s serviceable but if Final wanted to go with a fixed cable I would hope for a better, more durable feeling one.



Sound Review Conditions:

• Both stock Final E as well as AZLA SednaEarFit and BeeNoise widebore tips were used
• Stock cable (fixed)
• Testing was done on both low-power sources (dongles) and higher power desktop devices

Sound:



Bass: A+

This IEM’s bass performance is characterized by mainly thumpy bass with a heavy focus towards the midbass and a rather pronounced subbass roll-off. This means that the bass can easily bleed into the mids and get boomy and uncontrolled when run off of an inadequate source. Even when run properly the bass still teeters right on the edge of “too boomy” and bloated with the wrong tips and track though bleed is no longer an issue. Note weight and impact is decent but it still does fall short in terms of definition and texture with the midbass prominence affecting texture in particular. Speed is decent but on the slow side even when powered properly and I would have preferred quicker articulation especially considering the amount of midbass. The bass punch is good but I would have preferred some more subbass presence and extension to add that extra bit of weight and impact to the notes especially for EDM. Overall bass performance is good, especially for those who want the warm comfortable signature but it can get extremely bloated quickly when improperly driven.



Mids: S-

This IEM’s midrange leans towards a balanced-warm signature with both vocals and instruments being decently well balanced. I quite enjoyed the lower mids, and both low pitched vocals like baritones and lower pitched strings and wind like a bassoon or cello sounded fantastic, with great timbre and plenty of “body” behind their sound making them thick and rich. However, the warm tint to the mids does not disappear as you get into the upper mids, which means that despite the frequencies being balanced volume wise the warmish timbre robs both female vocals and higher pitched instruments of their transient “bite” making them sound too laid back in some cases. Additionally, that warm tint also gives the impression of a bit of a “veil” on the entirety of the mids when A/B’ed with less tinted IEMs however once you get accustomed to it it’s not too bad. A benefit that arises from this blunting is the sibilance taming effect, tracks like (More than you know – Axell Ingrosso) are turned from harsh, sibilant messes to listenable tracks. Overall midrange performance is very good, with the lack of bite and the warm veil being the only quibbles.



Treble: A-

This IEM’s treble leans on the recessed and inoffensive side with an emphasis on the lower-mid treble much more than the upper treble. This means that cymbal strikes and such have a good amount of snap to them when listened for despite the relative recession in the frequency spectrum and it helps this IEM not feel too dark like a Tanchjim Tanya would. However, the lack of extension above around the 10k region also means that it lacks both shimmer and air in the treble, despite the rather spacious soundstage. Treble attack is good but decay is stifled. All this means that the treble lacks articulation, definition, detail and presence. In the context of the warm inoffensive tuning this IEM seems to be going for it’s acceptable but treble extensions and detail does pull this IEM back. Decent but nothing more.


Technicalities: S

This IEM is widely praised for it’s technical performance and rightly so. Soundstage is incredibly wide likely thanks to the design of the rear vent and it’s the widest I have heard in this price range, wider than the other technical monster in this price point the HZ Heart Mirror. It is more oblong than circle like with most IEMs but it does have good depth. Timbrical performance is also very good, with warmish realistic timbre all through out the frequency spectrum. However, attack-decay performance is less than ideal in some areas with the bass region not doing too well in the transient attack aspect and the treble region being lacking on the decay aspect thanks to the lack of extension. Detail retrieval is also somewhat blunted throughout the whole range with the treble in particular lacking articulation and definition thanks to it’s lack of presence and detail. However, this IEM does redeem itself with very good imaging performance within it’s wide stage. Positioning is convincing at it does a good job pinpointing stage position to image in. Overall technicalities are great, just hampered by the lack of detail and attack-decay performance.



Conclusion:

This IEM comes with the amazing Final E tips, and some basic accessories. It’s tuned quite specifically and maturely and it features amazing technical performance for it’s price so it’s doing a lot of aspects squarely above average, without any over flaws. The sound signature is not something you find this well executed, especially in terms of the quality of the bass region with regards to it’s midbass hump. Overall, this IEM is a great package for those looking for an inoffensive but well-tuned IEM. Or, you could just buy it for the Final E’s and see if you like the rest of the package lol. Highly Recommended

Packaging & Accessories:
The Final E3000 packed in a small box.Inside the box you'll find following stuff -

• ‌5 pairs of Final Type E eartips.
• ‌1 pair earhook.
• ‌A soft carrying pouch.
• ‌User manual & warranty paper.

Specifications:
Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished.
Driver Unit: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver.
Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW.
Impedance: 16ohms.
Cord Length: 1.2m.
Weight: 14g.



Build:
The E3000 is made out of stainless steel. It's the bullet shaped one.The build quality is pretty solid. But the disappointing part is that they came with fixed cable.The cable has negligible amount of microphonics.No driver flex issue here.

Rating - 4.3/5



Comfort & Isolation:
The IEM fits really well in my ear.It's lightweight and fairly comfortable.I can wear it for long time without any fatigue.However noise isolation is average.

Rating - 4.3/5

Sound Quality​

Lows:
Mostly lifted in the midbass region yet there's a bit of sub-bass rumble.The bass dynamics are not quite well rather it's smooth in presentation. I found it somewhat loose.But what good is that the bass doesn't bleed into the mids.

Rating - 4.2/5

Mids:
When you initially put it into your ear the first thing you'll notice that how natural the vocals sound.Both male and female sound impressive and they're well centered.It's warmer in terms of tonality. Typically it should sounds less detailed but here it's so clean and detailed instead.Overall midrange clarity is pretty good.

Rating- 4.8/5

Highs:
I think it's the most controversial part of this IEM.I would say It's got a very soothing treble and neutral response overall.Some people may found it darker and that's why it's been a easy recommendation for those who are treble sensitive. They're not sparkly yet it's kinda smooth.Though I was expecting more energy in the treble.One last thing that it can be used for long listening session without any fatigue.

Rating - 4/5

Imaging/Separation:
The E3000's imaging is quite accurate.It's one of the strength of E3000.You can pin-point easily where the instruments are playing. Sound separation is also too good for the price.It's a very technically capable pair of IEM.

Rating - 4.5/5

Soundstage:
It's provide quite impressive soundstage.Not the widest soundstage in this price range. But I guess it's above average.

Rating - 4.3/5

Conclusion:
The Final E3000 sounds its own way, very different from others.It's very organic sounding one.It shines when amped properly.Amping is must for drive it with full potential.Ultimately I've to say it's a legit pair of IEM.Just give it a try you'll be blown away.

Intro:

Final E3000 $45 dollar bullet shaped IEM. What makes the E3000 unique is their bullet shaped style housing, while most ChiFi IEM's choose to opt for that over the ear candy shaped shell design, Final keeps it classy by going with this unique bullet shell design which is not only extremely light weight but very comfortable to wear as well! But comfort isn't the only thing that the Final E3000 has going for it, the sound is pretty mesmerizing for it's price range.

Source used during review: Shanling UP4

Pro's:
- Smooth Velvety Warm Sound
- Great Mid Bass & good amount of sub bass
- Thick & Lush Vocals (Mids)
- Mild V Shape Tuning
- Very lively sound
- Extremely Comfortable, you can wear them for hours without noticing
- Super high quality stainless steel enclosure, why above the price range
- Very good layering & Instrument separation
- Great comfortable quality tips provided in the box

Con's:
- A very thin non-detachable cable, making this one a more of a one off investment rather than a long term one
- High's are average for the price, they do roll off & nothing to write home about
- Smoothness takes priority over details in the tuning, so detail retrieval is not that great
- Soundstage is good but not as wide as I would have liked it to be
- Very power hungry, need a powerful & expensive source to deliver its best performance
- Some tracks will appear muddy if paired with a warm and bassy source. Works best with neutral bright sources.




Conclusion:

Overall Final E3000 is a very fun listen, its got a very nice addictive tuning which can make you fall in love with music. I think its a no brainer for an audio enthusiast who is looking for his first pair of IEM's or someone who is looking for a break from the world of ChiFi. E3000 will always be one of my favorite picks due to its bullet style housing, level of comfort & that extremely smooth tuning. I would have compared these to some of the popular ChiFi models like Blon 03 or even 5s but tuning wise honestly these aren't in the same league with the E3000. Although some of the more recent stuff like Moondrop Aria 2021 or HZ Heart mirror can match or exceed the Final E3000 in some aspects.

Final Audio E3000C - The under played IEM

Disclaimer:
I have bought this IEM with my own hard earned money and no one has paid me anything or supplied me with any review unit. So, everything mentioned in this review are purely my own based on my experiences with the IEM.

Specifications:

Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
Cable: OFC Cable
Impedance: 100 dB/mW
Sensitivity: 16Ω
Weight: 15g



Build:

Final Audio E3000C has the same size housing as E2000C.
However, the E3000C comes with stainless steel housing looks “classier” than the E2000C.
Both sets have the same oxygen-free copper cable. Inside the housing, E3000C has the 6.4mm dynamic driver.
This is also an open back IEM.


I don't particularly prefer the ear tips that come with Final E3000C as they tend to boost bass and E3000C already has good amount of Bass. Hence, the tips you see above are my own IKKO tips.

Comfort:

This is a small bullet-style iem and it is very comfortable and almost weight-less compared to other ChiFi IEMs

Sound:
First and foremost i would like to mention that this IME has great potential and shines to a great extent when paired with a good & powerful amp/dac.

AMP/DAC used: Fiio Q3, IKKO Zerda ... both paired with my iPhone 12 Pro

Bass: This is a bass focused IEM and it shines in this department with its very natural bass reproduction.

Mids: This is a very natural sounding IEM & first thing that comes to mind is how natural the vocals sound. The vocal balancing between male/female vocals are great. The tonality is slightly on the warmer side.

Highs: The Treble is quite relaxed, while being natural and clean. Excellent for long sessions

Clarity: This is the department where it suffers most. Its not below average but I have seen other IEMs perform better in this department. There is room for improvement here.

Soundstage & Imaging: Bigger than average. Although not big enough to be recommended for live music. Perfectly fine on other stuff. Imaging is also great.

Overall, this is a great IEM for the price range and can easily outperform lot of other ChiFi IEMs in similar price range.

Hoping to see even better IEMs coming up from FINAL AUDO product line within similar price ranges...

DISCLAIMER

I bought the Final Audio E3000 at a secondhand shop at my own expense, for $29 USD.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Final Audio E3000 is a good example of old is gold: sometimes older gear may be better sounding than some newer (almost weekly) CHIFI budget releases, with the Final Audio E3000 sporting a warm mild V shaped non fatiguing tuning, with excellent soundstage, imaging and instrument separation at the sub $50 region. Mids are quite sublime and well balanced. It requires amping to shine though, and the noodle thin non detachable cable may be a deal breaker for some. But if one can look past the cable issue, subdued treble and a slow bass, I can see this being an end game budget DD set for those that like a warm and thick sound signature.


SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver Unit: 6.4mm dynamic driver
• Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW
• Impedance: 16ohms
• Cable: non detachable

ACCESSORIES

In addition to the IEM, it comes with:

1) Final Audio E black tips – these are one of my favourite tips that I use on many other IEMs, especially brighter IEMs as they tighten the bass and tame the treble, and are very comfortable too. In fact, I know some audiophile friends that bought the cheaper Final Audio E500 and E1000 just for the Final E tips, as a pack of Final Audio E tips retail around $15 USD or so by themselves. Myself, I bought a cheap Kinera Tyr at second hand recently primarily for the Final Audio E tips that came along with the Tyr, so I look at it as buying the Final E tips and getting a free IEM along with it. (I think the Kinera Tyr is in a drawer somewhere, sound is pretty meh, but their tips are being utilized daily on a myriad of my other IEMs).

The Final Audio E3000 is already quite treble shy especially at the higher treble, so these black Final Audio E tips ironically aren’t the best pairing with the Final Audio E3000. These stock tips lower the treble further, so trebleheads or those wanting an extended/airy treble may not like it. Personally, I found that something with a wider bore boosted the treble and lowered the midbass hump a bit, giving a somewhat more extended treble, but as usual YMMV as we have different ear anatomies and sonic preferences (I’m not a treblehead to begin with, and I already thought the Final Audio E3000 was a bit subdued in the treble).

For the purposes of this review, I persisted with the stock tips on the Final Audio E3000, as probably most lay consumers will not be doing tip rolling and just listen to it OOTB with these tips. However, I find that tips are a very underrated aspect of an IEM, they can literally make or break an IEM (see example of the BLON BL-03 with crap stock tips giving poor fit). Hence, if you have some spare tips lying about, no harm tip rolling to see what suits your sonic preferences for the Final Audio E3000.

2) Silicone Ear hooks

3) Pouch




BUILD/COMFORT

The Final Audio E3000 has a metal bullet shape shell, and is very comfortable and light, I can wear it for hours with no issues. I didn’t detect any driver flex.

The biggest bugbear of mine is that the cable is noodle thin and is non detachable with no strain relief at the housing insertion. This may be a potential issue for longevity for this set, it is one awkward yank away from being a white elephant. Some of us may also want a detachable IEM so as to use balanced aftermarket cables or wireless/BT adapters. In fact I’m in the anti nondetachable cable camp, I’ve had a few non detachable sets fail on me at the cable in the past, and it is a dealbreaker for me to buy any IEM or earbud more than $40 USD with nondetachable cables. Despite good reviews, I hesitated on buying the Final Audio E3000 for a year cause of this, and only FINALly (cough cough) bought the Final Audio E3000 at $29 USD from a local secondhand shop as it was cheap. At full price of $50 USD, I honestly wouldn’t have bought it due to the cable, but YMMV.

The cable is unfortunately also a bit microphonic, but I found that wearing it over the ears (or with a shirt clip) may lower the microphonics, though I’ve had a few curious stares from passerbys when I was using the Final E3000 over the ear. And in view of the lack of strain relief in the non detachable cable, I’m not sure if wearing it over ear for a long period may stress the cable at the point it bends into the ear.


ISOLATION

I brought the Final Audio E3000 for a spin on the subway, it failed my subway test unfortunately (sorry I’m a bit anal about transit isolation for protection of hearing health). The Final Audio E3000 has poor isolation due to the semi open back design, but I guess that very design gives it an excellent soundstage (which we will speak about later), so it is a double edged sword.

As usual, YMMV, I know some friends of mine purposely want less isolation for safety reasons when going outdoors, but there’s a danger in jacking up the volume due to the suboptimal isolation to overcome traffic noise (which can hit 85 – 90 dB sometimes), so that’s not safe for hearing health in the long term.


DRIVABILITY/SOURCE

The Final Audio E3000 is one power hungry little beast, despite its specs on paper. It sounds quite meh with just a low powered smartphone, but scales superbly (especially in soundstage, imaging, dynamics) once amped.

Also, as the Final Audio E3000 is a warm IEM, I find that pairing it with overly warm sources made things too hazy and nebulous, so I preferred it with a neutral or brighter/analytical sources.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

I know I’ve been hard on the non detachable cable, the isolation and the drivability of the Final Audio E3000. But now comes the good part, in the area of tuning, soundstage and imaging, the Final Audio E3000 not only redeems itself, but surpasses my expectations by a country mile.

The Final Audio E3000 sports a warm mild V shaped tuning with a non fatiguing treble. The tuning is overall very smooth and midbass centric, with excellent coherency especially in the mids. The tuning is not neutral, and is pretty coloured, but it is quite enjoyable for laid back chill and smooth music listening, and actually is my cup of tea tuning wise. The very first word I thought of when I first tried the Final Audio E3000 was “effortless”. Some budget CHIFI artificially boost the upper mids and treble to get a fake sense of perceived details, but the Final Audio E3000 manages to get the details in without these artificial steroids. Those that want a more energetic tuning than the smooth laid back feel of the Final Audio E3000 might need to look elsewhere, but this is a very non fatiguing set that allows one to chill and listen to music for hours for sure.

Technicalities wise, the Final Audio E3000 has one of the best soundstages and imaging at this price point of sub $50 USD. Soundstage is very wide and tall, but not the deepest, and music never felt congested with the Final Audio E3000. With amping, it can sound rather speaker-like even. Instrument separation in the mids are especially well done too. As it has a laid back treble with not the best treble extension, it doesn’t have the best clarity and details compared to some other contenders at the same price bracket, so this isn’t a set for those wanting something analytical to do critical listening, and trebleheads also best look elsewhere.

Timbre is very organic and natural. Note weight is on the thicker side. Vocals are well balanced in the mids for both male and female vocals, and acoustic instruments sound quite legit.


Bass:

The Final Audio E3000 is midbass centric, with subass extension not being the best. The midbass is on the slower side for decay, and occasionally I felt the midbass was a bit too hazy and nebulous. Bass quantity is north of neutral, but not at true basshead levels. Nevertheless, despite the slow bass, there isn’t significant midbass bleed, and the Final Audio E3000’s bass didn’t encroach into the mids/treble frequencies, which is quite a common problem for bass heavy budget sets.


Mids:

The mids are very well balanced on the Final Audio E3000, with male and female vocals not being dominant over the other. Instrument separation is excellent in the mids, coupled with the great imaging and superb soundstage, music and vocals float around effortlessly in the mids. The excellent timbre caps off one of the best mids I’ve heard in a sub $50 set. There isn’t the usual boosted sawtooth upper mids CHIFI tuning that we frequently see at this price range. This set is definitely one for mid lovers, though some folks may find female vocals a bit too laid back/lacking bite due to the tuning.


Treble:

The treble of the Final Audio E3000 is extremely safe and smooth, and perhaps may border on being dark, especially without amping. Treble doesn’t extend as high as the typical CHIFI sets at the same price segment, and has some roll off. Details are not overly emphasized like treblehead sets. As such, the Final E3000’s treble has no sibilance or harshness, and is very suitable for long listening sessions, though I think trebleheads will not like the treble tuning here. It’s a love or hate thing for the treble, I’m treble sensitive and actually appreciate this for chill sessions. As discussed above, perhaps tip rolling may improve the treble extension and quantity a bit, YMMV.


COMPARISONS

As per comparing apples to apples, I left out multi BA/hybrids/exotic drivers from the comparisons, as the different transducers have their inherent strengths and weaknesses. Comparing some single DD type sets at $100 and below:


1) BLON BL-03 ($25 USD; more with aftermarket tips/cables due to the poor stock fit)

Sorry to those from the BLON cult, but I find that the Final Audio E3000 is an upgrade over the BLON in a lot of areas. The Final Audio E3000 eats the BLON BL-03 for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper (and all the snack times) in fit, accessories, soundstage, details, instrument separation and imaging (when amped).

Both sets have excellent timbre, maybe the BLON BL-03 is better in this department, but even in the area of tonality, which is supposedly BLON BL-03’s forte, it loses to the Final Audio E3000. The BLON BL-03 has a too bloated midbass with midbass bleed, and the upper mids get hot with louder volumes on the BLON BL-03 (Fletcher Munson Curve). Both sets have a slower mid bass and won’t win awards in bass speed or accuracy.

The BLON BL-03 has a detachable cable, but the stock cable and stock tips are crap, which necessitates most folks to source for aftermarket tips/cables, which may very well bring the cost of the BLON BL-03 to equal or even exceed that of the Final Audio E3000 ($40 – 50 USD).

BLON BL-03 scales better with amping, but the Final Audio E3000 much more so. Isolation on both sets is poor, but the BLON BL-03 is slightly better, though I personally won’t bring both sets on the subway (to protect hearing health).


2) TFZ No. 3 ($109 USD)

The TFZ No. 3 is much more V shaped than the Final Audio E3000, and the TFZ No. 3 is a bone fide basshead set with better bass quantity and extension. Quantity is not quality however, and the TFZ No. 3’s bass is bloated, boomy and not precise, with a midbass bleed. The TFZ No. 3 has better clarity due to the boosted upper mids, but by the same token, can get very harsh in the upper mids with louder volumes (Fletcher Munson Curve). Final Audio E3000 is better than the TFZ No. 3 in soundstage, imaging, instrument separation, timbre and tonality. TFZ No. 3 though, has better isolation and has detachable cables, but costs more than double that of the Final Audio E3000.

I wouldn’t recommend the TFZ No. 3 over the Final Audio E3000 unless you are a diehard basshead and listen to mostly bass forward music.


3) Urbanfun YBF-ISS014 ($69 USD)

CAVEAT: The following comparison is only assuming one gets a true beryllium driver Urbanfun with a working MMCX connector (and this is a BIG if). The Urbanfun has slightly better timbre and isolation. Imaging and soundstage are better in the Final Audio E3000. Details and clarity are slightly better on the Urbanfun. Subbass extends deeper and is of greater quantity on the Urbanfun with the beryllium driver providing fast transients and a more textured bass than the Final Audio E3000.

Mid and vocal lovers best take the Final Audio E3000 over the Urbanfun though, as the lower mids are a bit too recessed in the Urbafun. Those that want a more bassy and “fun” sounding set can opt for the Urbanfun.

There are many reports of bad QC in the MMCX connectors and driver doubt in the Urbanfun, even in newer stock, so between a wonky detachable MMCX connector (in the Urbanfun) and a noodle thin non detachable cable (in the Final Audio E3000), I’ll take the latter any day.


4) iBasso IT00 ($69 USD)

The iBasso IT00 has a mild U shaped tuning, and it isn’t as laid back sounding, with a better extension at both ends (treble/bass) than the Final Audio E3000. iBasso IT00’s bass is faster, of larger quantity at the subbass, and there is more accurate and textured bass on the iBasso IT00. Both sets are non fatiguing, but the IT00 has better clarity and details. Soundstage and imaging is better on the Final Audio E3000. The iBasso IT00 has detachable cables, but suffers from quite bad driver flex, which is not present in the Final Audio E3000. Accessories are more generous on the IT00, and the IT00 has better isolation too.


5) HZSound Heart Mirror ($44 USD)

The Heart Mirror is tuned neutralish bright, with thinner note weight, but the Heart Mirror has better timbre for acoustic instruments and vocals. The bass is much more anemic on the Heart Mirror, though the bass is faster. The Heart Mirror has its upper mids boosted, so female vocals are more forward compared to the Final Audio E3000, and it can occasionally get hot in this area with louder volumes. The Heart Mirror has better isolation and treble extension and has detachable cables. Soundstage is more compressed on the Heart Mirror.

Both sets scale better with amping, the Final E3000 more so. The Heart Mirror has much faster transients than the Final Audio E3000 and has better details and clarity also.

They are tuned very differently, but can be seen as complimentary sets for the different sound signatures they bring to the table.


CONCLUSIONS

The Final Audio E3000 is a good example of old is gold. Newer is not always better, and I’m honestly getting fatigued by some budget CHIFI releasing almost weekly sidegrades/marginal upgrades. Or worse still, they treat us consumers as guinea pigs (e.g. when a “Pro” version comes out a few weeks after the first model was released, or even a Pro version of the Pro version LOL? Cough Cough NiceHCK NX7). It kinda feels sometimes like some of these CHIFI companies are throwing stuff on a wall and hoping something finally sticks, and/or using us as beta testers.

Sorry, rant over, back to the review. Anyways, a very good gauge of whether an IEM is stellar, is when after the initial hype has died, there are still folks recommending it on audio forums and using it 2 – 3 years after it was released. The Final Audio E3000, though not a CHIFI, seems to have stood the test of time as such.

The Final Audio E3000 sports a warm mild V shaped non fatiguing tuning, and while the tonality is coloured, it brings to the sub $50 table an excellent soundstage, imaging and instrument separation. Mids are sublime. It requires amping to shine though, and the bass may be too slow and nebulous for some. Of note, the noodle thin non detachable cable may be a deal breaker for some, but if one can look past the cable issue and the slow bass, I can see this being an end game budget DD set for many, other than trebleheads or those wanting a little more energy in their music. Maybe said trebleheads can try exploring with different tips, as the stock Final Audio E black tips may tame the treble too much.

If the audio world’s Santa is watching, my Christmas wish is if Final Audio can release a E3000 version with detachable cables with a slightly tighter bass for about $20 more, it would be a day one purchase for me, and I promise it will be the FINAL (cough cough) single DD set I ever get. (I typed the last part under duress from my wife).

EDIT 2021-07-11: demoted the rating from 4.5/5 to 4/5 due to the GS Audio GD3A.

Disclaimer: Bought at my own expense at Amazon japan. Burned in for 50 hours.

Price: 38 usd at amazon japan (Have no idea why the price at amazon.com is 45 usd and the price at hifiheadphones.uk is 59 usd)

Specifications:

Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished

Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Cable: OFC Cable

Impedance: 100 dB/mW

Sensitivity: 16Ω

Weight: 15g

Cord Length: 1.2m

(non-sound stuff copied from my E2000 review, as they are mostly identical)


Accessories:

Type E tips SS/S/M/L/LL

Silicon ear hook “adapters”

Pouch


Cable: Let’s get the worst thing about the E3000 out first, the cable is thinner than a noodle. Doesn’t feel like it will last long due to thickness and everything on it is made out of plastic. It has a working chin slider and very little microphonics so that is the saving grace for it. Non-replaceable though so you have to be careful with the cable.


Build: Made out of Stainless steel and has a mirrored silver finish so it looks nice and shiny. It is light weight and small. The nozzle is plastic but has a lip for the tips. Vent at the back of it.

Fit: Fits like a normal bullet-style iem so nothing special here. It stays in place once you put it in but not secure enough to use while training or anything like that (a bit better than the E2000 since the extra weight is helpful here).

Comfort: Being a bullet-style iem and small it is comfortable because it doesn’t generate much heat (since it doesn’t come into contact with your ears that much). Although in the winter it might be very cold at first since it is made out of metal. While comfort is as good as the E2000, the extra weight on the E3000 does make you more conscious of it while in the ear.

Isolation: Below average, being a bullet-style iem and with its vent hole on the back.

Setup: Fiio M11, Stock Type E tips LL, Stock cable (what else, can’t change it anyway)

Lows: Mid-bass focused, punchy while being clean due to its tighter than average tightness with average speed.

Mid-bass: Tight, clean and punchy. The quantity is at a level where it is good for a lot of genres because it has enough punch to play rock, metal and not too much where it would color the sound on classical, orchestral music too much.

Sub-bass: Tight, clean and although powerful it doesn’t have that much quantity so definitely not basshead certified. Extension is average with not much rumble going on, but it is a cleaner than average bass because of that.

Mids: The first thing that comes to mind is how natural the vocals sound, it has a very organic sound to it, the vocal balancing between male/female vocals are top tier and excellent. It is neither forward nor recessed and perfectly placed in the middle. Bass unexpectedly does not bleed into the mids so it stays clean. Detailed too despite its warmer sound overall.

Female-vocals: Beautiful female vocals, they are not sharp and more soothing instead. Clarity and details are very nice.

Male-vocals: clean and bodied male vocals, despite the high bass quantity.

Highs: relaxed treble, while being detailed and clean. Excellent for longer sessions but might be lacking some energy for some. Average extension and air.

Soundstage: Bigger than average. Although not big enough to be recommended for live music. Perfectly fine on other stuff.

Tonality: Warm L-shaped, with top tier timbre and very organic overall (like a mini E5000). Fun, thick and not analytical nor thin.

Details: Above average details and impressive even with its warm tuning. Mids and Treble have the most details, since the bass quantity can obscure some of it in the lows.

Instrument Separation: Very good separation and it doesn’t get chaotic/muddy even on faster songs.

Songs that highlight the IEM: , , , , ,

Good genres: quite versatile even with its bass quantity (thanks to the bass being clean overall).

Bad genres: Classical might have too much coloration due to the bass.



Comparisons:

Final Audio E1000: Treble quantity is a bit higher on the E1000 but is perceived as a brighter set due to the E1000 having quite a bit less bass quantity. Quality on the E3000 is much better than the E2000 with the treble as it is more natural and refined.

Female vocals are more forward (due to the bass) and male vocals are thinner on the E1000. Quality wise the E3000 is more natural with a fuller male vocal (where the E1000 is thinner) and female vocals aren’t as peaky and more relaxed on the E3000.

Bass quantity is much higher on the E3000 in comparison to the neutral E1000. Quality wise it is perceived as the E1000 having a tighter, faster and cleaner bass but that is mostly due to the quantity difference.

Soundstage, details, instrument separation and timbre are better on the E3000.

The E1000 is better suited for those that want a neutral iem and easier to drive set while the E3000 is better if you want a more bassy set while also having a better sound quality overall.

Final Audio E2000: Treble quantity is similar but because of the bass quantity of the E3000 being higher than the E2000, you might perceive the treble quantity to be lower than the E2000 (at least on bass heavy songs). It extends a bit more, is more natural and it doesn’t have the tiny peak that is present on some songs on the E2000 (it also has a similar organic sound as the E5000 has).

Mids are similar but as mentioned with the treble, you perceive the female vocals to be just a bit more forward on the E2000 due to the bass quantity. Quality on the E3000 sounds more refined and better, being both more natural and more detailed (especially male vocals, being clean and the bass doesn’t bleed into it, not that the E2000 bleeds either but cleaner nonetheless).

Bass quantity on the E2000 is lower than the E3000, the E3000 extends lower and has more rumble at the low end. Quality wise the E3000 is tighter and faster especially at the mid-bass, so the bass overall is cleaner which is surprising since the quantity is higher.

Soundstage is a bit bigger than the E2000, more details (not that much, most likely due to the cleaner bass) and much better instrument separation on the E3000 (doesn’t have the big weakness that the E2000 has).

Overall, the E3000 sounds more refined and of higher quality, but they are still different in tuning so personal preference is the one that decides which one is better for you. E2000 for a more Balanced and brighter tuning (bass boosted neutral) and E3000 for a Warmer L-shaped sound. (I prefer the E3000 over the E2000.)

Final Audio E4000: Treble quantity on the E4000 is just a bit higher than the E3000, while also having more details and more natural.

Mids are also similar but with a slight edge to the female vocals on the E4000 both on quantity and quality. Male vocals are also a bit better with quality but since the bass is muddier on the E4000 there is some very slight bleed.

Bass extends slightly lower and also rumbles a bit more on the E4000, bass overall is muddier since it isn’t as tight as the E3000. But otherwise the quantity is similar.

Soundstage and details are better on the E4000 while instrument separation and timbre are better on the E3000 (due to the muddier bass on the E4000).

E4000 is better if you want a more rumble in the bass at the cost of cleanliness, but otherwise the E3000 is a much better value and easier recommendation. Both E3000 is just a tiny bit harder to drive.

Final Audio E5000: Treble quantity is very similar but quality is better on the E5000, being more natural and organic.

Mids are also similar, with female and male vocal quality being higher on the E5000 but the male vocals are muddier on it since there is bleed from the bass.

Bass is much lower extended and rumbles quite a bit more. Quantity is higher overall on the E5000 but that is also its biggest weakness, it has too much bass for it to play well with many genres. So, the E5000 is more of a specialist iem for some songs. The E3000 has a tighter, faster and much cleaner bass overall.

Soundstage, details and timbre is better on the E5000 but with the massive bass and bleed into the lower mids, the instrument separation is on the same level (the E5000 has better separation on tracks without much bass, but once bass comes in it makes the overall sound muddy).

The E3000 can be described as a mini E5000, it is more versatile and cleaner overall so it is a much easier recommendation. The E5000 suits bassheads more that wants rumble even with the cost of clarity. The E3000 is also easier to drive than the E5000.

Blon BL-03 (mesh mod): Treble quantity is lower on the E3000, but the 03 has a more natural treble although the E3000 extends a bit more.

Female vocals are more forward and detailed, while being more natural on the 03. Male vocals are similar on both but the 03 is more natural and detailed.

Bass quantity on the sub-bass is higher and also more extended while being tighter, faster, cleaner and more textured on the 03. Mid-bass is more similar but the 03 still has a tighter, faster, cleaner and mor textured bass than the E3000.

Soundstage and details are better on the 03 while instrument separation and timbre is equal.

E3000 is better for a more relaxed/warmer sound while the 03 is better if you want a cleaner/more refined sound and overall a better Sound quality. 03 is easier to drive but is harder to fit so if you want something easier to fit in your ears the E3000 is better.

Urbanfun ISS014: Treble quantity is lower, less peaky, and less detailed but it is more natural on the E3000.

Mids are a bit more forward (due to the lower treble quantity) on the E3000, with female vocals being most noticeable. Male vocals are similar in quantity but quality wise the ISS014 is better since it is cleaner (due to the bass).

Bass on the ISS014 has slightly less mid and upper bass quantity while extension and sub bass quantity are better. The ISS014 has a much better bass quality though, since the tightness, speed, texture is on another level and therefore is cleaner while also having being more powerful.

Soundstage, details and instrument separation is better on the ISS014 while timbre is on the same level.

E3000 is better for a more relaxed/warmer sound and/or more vocal presence but the ISS014 is on another level for most of the sound. (E3000 is also harder to drive.)

TFZ No.3: The treble quantity is higher on the no.3 but it is less extended and nowhere near as natural as the E3000. Female vocals are more forward due to the treble on the no.3 but again nowhere near as natural as the E3000, male vocals are a bit recessed on the no.3 and has some slight bleed from the bass (especially on bass heavy songs).

Bass quantity is much larger on the no.3, especially the sub-bass with impressive rumble and extension. But quality wise it is muddier since it isn’t as tight (not by much) but most likely due to the quantity, as the tightness isn’t that much tighter on the E3000. Speed is also slightly faster on the E3000.

Soundstage is bigger on the no.3 while timbre and instrument separation are better on the E3000 with details being equal (“artificially” since the treble quantity is higher on the no.3).

No.3 will suit bassheads more, due to its impressive rumble and bass quantity. While the E3000 is better for a more natural and cleaner sound. (The No.3 is easier to drive though.)


Conclusion: in conclusion I believe that the E3000 is a very price worthy set and the included Type E tips are a big bonus. If you want a relaxed warm iem then this is for you. Do be careful about the cable though, since it is thin and non-replaceable. Thanks for reading.

Introduction

I am following Final Audio Design a few years now. In its current form, it is a relatively young company; Final’s first headphone and earphone products appeared just about 10 years ago, and what impressed me is that in a short amount of time the Company made huge steps.

A few years ago, Final presented its E series earphones. This comprises of 5 models, from E1000 to E5000, ranging in price from $27.00 for E1000 to $279.00 for E5000, so one can find a model for every budget and, Ι have to say, for every taste. E1000 is an entry level set, E2000 and E3000 are inexpensive (in the range of $50.00 to $60.00) but high quality earphones, while E4000 and, particularly, E5000 are upper level sets.

Lately, more and more smartphone users are increasingly paying attention to the quality of their earphones. So I thought to check out some Final Audio earphones, and E2000C/E3000C seemed like the ideal candidates.


General description

E2000C and E3000C have specific similarities and distinct differences. Both sets have the same size housing; however, in E2000C the housing is crafted from aluminum black alumite, while in E3000C it is made from mirror-finished stainless steel. In both sets, the quality is very high, however, the E3000C stainless steel housing looks “classier”.



Both sets have the same oxygen-free coppercable, which seems to be quite sturdy and of very good quality.



Inside the aluminumor stainless steel housing, both E2000C and E3000C share the same 6.4mm dynamic driver; however, the tuning of the driver is different, and so is the sound signature, of the two sets.


Sound quality

Let me start by saying that the sound quality of both sets, although distinctly different, is impressive for earphones costing really little money.

The main characteristic of E2000C and E3000Cis tonal balance. This is more profound in the former, which has a higher resolution and a more detailed presentation. Everything in E2000C goes around the mid frequency area, and in that sense it is ideal for voices, although its treble is excellent as well without being too bright. What is rather interesting is that the set’s bass is more than sufficient, at least for my ears; it is if course sub-bass and, although not really punchy, it is well-controlled and enough for making its presence felt.

E3000C is a different story. Here the bass has been enhanced, but in a very delicate way. The tonal balance has been retained, with clear mids and detailed highs. However, the presentation is warmer (this is effect of bass after all), and if I wanted to compare it to the presentation of E2000C, I would say that E3000C is “meatier”. Most people think that this is good; I say that “meatier” presentation is no better or worse than a kind of “flat” presentation, it is just different (just like eating more or less meat than normal). It is obvious that Final Audio did that deliberately. When E2000 appeared in the market people liked it, but some (or more than some, maybe even many) wanted more bass, and this gap was filled by E3000.



If you ask which of the two sets is more tonally balanced, which for some listeners is a critical question, I would say that E2000C has a head. It also sounds very detailed but, at the same time, somewhat “lean”. E3000C, on the other hand, is warmer, overall more expressive and sufficiently detailed, but its resolution is not at the level of E2000C.

Take as an example “O Vazio” of Jim Brock & Doug Hawthorne, by the Jim Brock Ensemble, from the album Tropic Affair, RR-31, which is a very complex piece, varying from some kind of “test” tones at various frequencies to some very powerful parts with a lot of alterations; it is perfect for testing an earphone set, and I frequently use it. Both sets handle this piece impressively; E2000C can reproduce details that other earphone sets would surpass, while E3000C’s presentation is very engaging particularly in the heavy drum passages. On the other hand, listening to “Nothing but the best” by Frank Sinatra, from the album with the same title, Reprise Records, the warmer signature of E3000C would probably be a preferred choice by many listeners over the more detailed presentation of E2000C, as it lets Frank Sinatra’s voice to stand out without any destructions that certain high passages might cause.

Both sets have excellent separation and very good soundstage. It is also interesting that E2000C appears slightly more dynamic than E3000C, given that both sets have the same very low impedance of 16 Ω, while E2000C has slightly higher sensitivity 102 dB/mW over 100 dB/mW of E3000C.

Let me close by saying that the sound quality of both E2000C and E3000C improves with time, so some “burning in” period (of about 50 hours in my case) is necessary in order to break themin and let them give you their best potential.


Selected comparisons

I compared E2000C to RHA S500i. A few years ago, S500i was considered a great choice for an inexpensive set that is tonally balanced. It is a set of very high quality, with its housing made of aluminum, and it comes with an excellent woven cable that is anti-tangling. Its impedance is 16 Ω and sensitivity 100 dB/mW, so we are talking pretty much about the same specifications. S500i is quite analytical due to its excessive treble, which at times, as in “Nothing but the best” by Frank Sinatra, is harsh and annoying, while in others, as in “O Vazio” of Jim Brock & Doug Hawthorne, is very lean compared to the full bodied performance of E2000C.

I also compared E3000C to SoundMAGIC E11C. The latter has an impedance of 42 Ω and a sensitivity of 112 dB/mW,so it is a bit heavier load but a more sensitive set than E3000C. E11C is great for commuting and everydays use, but E3000C has higher resolution, and overall a more detailed and articulate presentation, so it is at a higher level than the already very good E11C. Now, keep in mind that when we are talking about earphones costing around $50-$60, improving the quality is not a small feat. E11C, on the other hand, is slightly more dynamic, due to its bigger driver of 10mm compared to the 6.4mm driver of E3000C.


Accessories and fit

Both samples of E2000C and E3000C came in a simple, yet aesthetically nice, packaging, in which one would find:

• Five eartip sets of various sizes.
• Two earhooks.
• A soft carrying case.
• An owner’s guide and warranty card.

So pretty much what a listener would need.

Both sets are made for use with a smartphone, so they are equipped with a controller. This has a single button, which can play, stop, rewind, fast forward and take incoming calls. Also, the accompanying microphone makes hands free communication possible.

Finding a proper eartip is easy, and once you do, fitting E2000C and E3000C in your ear canals is simple and very comfortable; both sets are light-weight and equipped with a swing-fitting earpiece mechanism which helps to almost custom-fit the eartips. The provided earhooks are also helpful in order to alleviate cable touch noise, known as microphonics. Now, assuming that the listener has found the right size eartip, the level of sealing achieved is excellent noise isolation.

As already mentioned, the cable is oxygen-free copper, 1.2m long, there seems to be of very good quality, and with the help of the supplied earhooks is not so much susceptible to microphonics.


E2000C vs E3000C

I know that the obvious question is which set one should choose. First of all, let me say that the differences between the two sets are not huge. Nonetheless, Final Audio designed them having in mind different groups of people.

E2000C is for those who consider that tonal balance is the most important characteristic of an earphone set, and, because of that, they are prepared to accept a “leaner” presentation.

E3000C is for those, quite a few I should admit, who appreciate tonal balance, but they want a more expressive presentation, even if this adds some warmth.

Personally, I had a hard time to choose: I love tonally balanced earphones, so I was more inclined towards the E2000C, which bass wise was more than sufficient for me. On the other hand, at times, the little extra warmth of E3000C helped to make certain recordings, with excessive treble, to sound more pleasant. And, the cherry on the torte, the stainless steel housing of E3000C looks so nice!


In conclusion

I have been overly impressed by E2000C and E3000C. It is truly amazing what one gets for $53.00 and $63.00, respectively: A sleek and extremely well made design, with a sound signature so well-balanced and articulate, which makes hard to believe that it comes from sets costing so little. I scratch my head in order to find how Final Audio did that. Based on the two sets quality of both construction and sound, one would easily pay twice as much.

And if you have a hard time to choose between the two sets, their small price allows you to buy both, which after all might be a clever idea!


Specifications and price

E2000C
Housing: Aluminum black alumite
Driver: Dynamic 6.4mm
Impedance: 16Ω
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
Cable: 1.2m oxygen-free copper cable
Weight: 13g
Price: $53.00

E3000C
Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
Driver: Dynamic 6.4mm
Impedance: 16Ω
Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW
Cable: 1.2m oxygen-free copper cable
Weight: 15g
Price: $63.00

https://snext-final.com

About the company



S’NEXT is a company that sells high-end audio earphones and headphones under its own brand final as well as conducting component technology development, product planning, design, planning, manufacturing and sales of other companies’ brands. The company was established in 2007. It began as a subsidiary of the major American connector manufacturer Molex; in 2014, it went independent through an MBO by the current management team. Now is what you would call its second formation. Since beginning sales of our own final brand earphones in 2009, our way of thinking regarding good sound quality and designs that differ to those of other major electronics manufacturers has garnered attention, and we have built our own unique place both in Japan and abroad.

Prelude

I would like to thank Final Audio for sending us the E1000, E2000, E3000 for review. Rest assured that this review is written as honestly and objectively as possible. Our review of the E1000 can be found here.

Sources

Chord Hugo

Burson Swing with V6 Vivid + JDS Labs O2

Samsung Galaxy S9

Recording

Nobuo Uematsu – Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds

Dave Matthews Band – Under the Table and Dreaming (Expanded Version)

The Beatles – Love

Maroon 5 – 1.22.03 Acoustic

Reese Lansangan – Arigato Internet

Hale – This is Hale

Apartel – Full Flood

Packaging





The Final Audio E2000 and E3000 is neatly packed in a minimalist, no-frills packaging. Included is a soft faux leather bag, manuals, and tips with various sizes, that’s it.. I’d like to note that Final tips are actually well-regarded for its comfort and pleasing tonal effect. I used it with my other IEMs and it worked well.

Specification

E2000

Housing: Aluminum black alumite finish(MATT BLACK) / Aluminum silver alumite finish(MATT SILVER)

Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Cable: OFC Cable

Impedance: 102 dB/mW

Sensitivity: 16Ω

Weight: 12g

Cord Length: 1.2m

E3000

Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished

Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Cable: OFC Cable

Impedance: 100 dB/mW

Sensitivity: 16Ω

Weight: 15g

Cord Length: 1.2m

Build Quality and Design



One word to describe this aspect is “essentialist”. It doesn’t offer the flashiest and the catchiest design out there. But the philosophy here I believe, is to give consumer what “works”. The E2000 and E3000 are housed in an aluminum and stainless steel body, respectively. Design is very identical apart from the housing.


The bullet shell is light but still inspires durability. Both of the cables are non-removable, with very minimal microphonics, and it resists tangling unless you purposely try to. Though the cables are quite thin. But I think what Final is aiming for is a light and comfortable design. Hence the tradeoff, and a fair one at that. It certainly isn’t “built like a tank”, but it does not feel fragile and should last long when properly cared for.

Comfort and Isolation



These are easily one the most comfortable that I’ve tried. I can wear it for extended periods of time without any pain or discomfort, and this is where the design makes sense. The bullet shell is delightfully light. In fact, you can almost forget that you are wearing it. Tips are soft and supple, plus fitting is a breeze; it sits securely in my ears with the appropriate tips, and it never slipped off while I’m walking. A caveat is that passive noise isolation is not its strongest point, ambient noise can still be heard, particularly when out and about on the street. But it can be an advantage for those who want more awareness of what’s going around.

Sound




The character of the E2000 and the E3000 share the same philosophy: starting from the design, up to the sound. The signature is polite and inoffensive. I can see that it will be pleasing for most listeners.

Both of the IEMs has a smooth and laidback tonality, the E2000 is going for neutrality while there is an added warmth on the E3000. The E2000 and E3000 are one the smoothest and most refined sound signature that I’ve heard in it’s price range. Now let’s get into detail on how these two sounds.

Bass

The bass on the E2000 has a soft, organic decay. It is well textured and mid bass has ample body. It is neutral and complimentary in manner. Albeit sub bass doesn’t extend deep but it’s not really that bothering. What is, however, is that the bass can get a touch loose and it could use a little more tightness. The E3000 addresses this, offering fuller and tighter bass.

Mids

The vocals on the E2000 is a touch forward with added shine in the upper midrange, in comparison with the E3000, which is warmer, laidback, and smoother. Both exhibit a natural timbre but I prefer the E2000’s forwardness and luster. It renders vocals and instruments with a sweet and natural tone. The E3000 is a bit of a double-edged sword, the warmer tonality helps with male vocals, presenting it with very suave smoothness. But female vocals and instruments could sound too laid back for my taste. The E2000 just has more energy than the relaxed E3000.

Treble

Treble is smooth, mellow, and inoffensive. There is slightly more shine on the E2000 but it is still polite overall. In contrast, the E3000 is even smoother. Both IEMs doesn’t sound fatiguing and even with the mellowed treble, it doesn’t feel like I’m missing much. It’s simply enjoyable and it works well, it sounds complimentary with the whole signature. The treble sounds organic and it is radically different compared to the competition – which are often tuned brightly and excessively, so this is a breath of fresh air.

Soundstage and Imaging

Now, this is what I found to be exceptional for these IEMs. The wideness of the soundstage is mind-boggling for the price. These two are the one of the best that I’ve heard on this price category and it would be tough to beat in this aspect. The E3000 has more depth, is more diffused and it is a touch wider than the E2000, which is still amazingly wide. The imaging is presented well and every instrument is well-defined with a lot of room to it. The height however, doesn’t extend much, though it’s not bothering considering that the width has greatly compensated for it.

Comparison

KZ AS10

Right off the bat, the treble is brighter compared to the two Final IEMs. Treble has a tendency to be edgy and sibilant. Soundstage is also noticeably smaller. The bass of the AS10 extends deeper, but the mids has less body and texture. Overall, the sound is less balanced and refined compared to the E2000 and E3000.

KZ BA10

The bass is tight and the mids has slightly less body, but a touch cleaner. It is brighter but more controlled over the AS10. Soundstage is also less wider than the two Final IEMs, thought it takes the edge for soundstage height. Imaging is also slightly better, albeit it is not as smooth as the Final IEMs. Though, the BA10 has equally good merits so I’ll leave this as a matter of preference.

TFZ Galaxy T2

The midrange is scooped compared to E2000/3000. Treble is brighter and less smoother. Soundstage width is condensed, but there is slightly more height. Bass is tighter and deeper, but the Final IEMs has a more coherent signature overall.

Final Audio E1000

The little sibling of the family. The bass and the mids sounds thin compared to the more refined e2000/e3000. But it’s no slouch in quality. Mids are a slightly forward and it’s very clean. It still has the wide soundstage of the higher priced model, and I find it to have a touch more air than the other two, although timbre is a bit thin. It is also lighter probably because of the plastic build.

Comfort (Greatest to least)

Final Audio E1000/E2000/E3000

TFZ Galaxy T2

KS AS10

KZ BA10

Conclusion


Final Audio has hit a home run with the E2000 and E3000, featuring a signature that is hard not to like. Despite the entry market being saturated by “chi-fi”, the Japanese company has set itself apart by offering products that are radically different: it places sound and comfort above all else, there are no gimmicks, it simply gets the job done in a graceful manner. Don’t let the understated looks deceive you, these IEMs are rockers in the most straightforward way.

FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E3000 REVIEW:



SOUND: 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
DESIGN: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 9/10
VALUE: 9/10


After my reviews of Final Audio Design E1000, E2000 and E4000, it’s time for me to share my impressions of the glossy metal lookers E3000 earphones.

As it make 2 months that I listen to it, i’m now very confident to share you my truthfull toughs wich again, to the risk of being repetitive, are very positive.

In fact, if you love one E serie model, there lot of chance you love them all, because like world cuisine recipes, even if it use specifics recurrent spices, the flavor aren’t the same yet they keep a recognizable taste. Whole E serie is delactable to my ears, and the E3000 wich have the warmest sound approach isn’t an exception.

We can call the E3000 the middle tiers of E series, tough the 10$ price jump from E2000 is very small. This make this 50$ earphones incredibly competitive in its price range and now we do not just talk about the sound as the look and construction is top notch as well and suggest higher price tag.



To my ears, E1000 and E2000 are more similar sounding than the E3000, wich offer more bass presence and thicker mids. This make the sound very refined, mellow with rich timbre and easy to listen fo long hours. Even if it use surely the same 6.4mm dynamic driver than its little E brothers, tuning is evidently different and I think E3000 could very be the more accessible sounding iem from whole E serie.

Let’s see why in this review.

Product LINK



SPECS :

Product code :- FI-E3DSSC

Housing :- Stainless steel mirror-finished

Driver :- 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Sensitivity :- 100 dB/mW

Impedance :- 16Ω

Weight :- 15g

Cord length :- 1.2m



ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :



UNBOXING is elegantly minimalist, and include same accessories than E2000, wich is a nice carrying pouch, 4 pairs of extra eartips of great quality and silicone ear hook.



CONSTRUCTION is irreprochable. The stainless steel miror finish is luxurious and eye appealing, but more importantly very sturdy. E3000 nozzle is made of plastic, all the rest is metal, including the nice venting grill in the back. Cable is standard but well hooked to the housing and have a quality L shape jack. There no manufacturing issue anywhere, all is slick and well put togheter, yet, this keep a low profile due to very small earphones size.



DESIGN is all about the genius of simplicity.

As the housing is only 1.7cm long and 0.6cm thick, wich is the same size of E2000 but smaller than E1000 and E4000, it make this earphones the supreme fitter for any type of ears and so comfortable you can sleep on your pillow without knowing you have them in ears.

It can be wear over ears or standard way, and that even without using the ear hook that come with it.

Unlike other bigger and heavier earphones, even if you pull the cable a little, it will not tend to fall so I think this earphones is very versatile for portable use, should it be for running, making bike or just surviving in chaotic city.

About sound isolation, if you insert the E3000 deeply, it will block noise quite intensely even if it have an open back design. For sound leakage, its l not as good, because yeah, your music is share from the back venting mesh. Depending of volume level you listen too, this can be innapropriate in some silent places.



SOUND :



Overall sound impressions is relaxing, immersive and extremely enjoyable, to be point that more you listen to the E3000 more your became addicted to the mellow richness of its particular soundsignature.

This is a cuddly sounding earphones, a really gentle one, but with rich and generous soul. What hit me first was the rich thick timbre of the bass, that sound full and perfectly articulate, not boomy at all, but still enough energic and punchy to deal well with rythm section. After this, you begin to notic how smoothly clear are the mids, and can’t believe how free of any sibilance or upepr mids peaks the vocal are represented, this is sure a big change from any U shape earphones I ever heard, wich make me consider bassy but balanced the E3000 even if lower bass emphasis warm overall sound the vocal are free of mid bass veil due to a soft approach in this region. How can timbre be so natural yet so mellow? I don’t know, but this is sure the magical tuning of E3000 because its treble roll off stole some texture grain without making timbre suffer from thinest or lack of coherency.


SOUNDSTAGE is wide and stereo like, it have an intimate and frontal approach and not alot of deepnest. Anyway, it do not feel stock inside your head, but more close to the musiciens stage. If your into concert all ultra airy spaciality, this isn’t what your looking for, but if your into real life like bookshelf stereo system imaging at about 1 feet of your head, this is sure a good reproduction of this audio experience.


AMPING, for me at least, is needed as I find it open up the sound more and permit a better imaging and dynamic. Out of a phone or very unpowerfull DAP, E3000 will lack attack and decay and sound less airy. Extra amping give more authority to bass, so E3000 became less mid centric.



LOWER END is slightly emphased and have good thickness to it, it’s very clear and tigh with minimal rumble to it but nonetheless a weighty presence. Timbre is impressive, neither dry or bright, it have good body and definition with just enough texture to it to make him natural and lively. Separation from mid bass is good, but even more from mid range, so, your sub bass line are extremely accurate, should is be from an acoustic bass or a synth, it’s very impressive how well rendered and agile 20hz-150hz section is rendered. To me, it make the E3000 the more exciting E models for electronic, due to weighty slam that never sound too agressive but can deal with energic and fast IDM gloriously.



MID BASS is less proeminent than sub, but have enough grip in timbre to compensate a too soft attack. Warm and accurate, it have an organic feel to it that will be benificial for instrument separation and vocal clarity, but less so for extra punchy energy that some fast music type need like rock or metal. Toms will sound fuller and more extended than acoustic drums kick that gain in energy from brighter tuning. This mellow approach to mid bass permit a soft, non agressive and more versatile sound presentation.



MID RANGE is pure organic sugar. Sweet as orange blossom honey.
This is the type of midrange that you can swim in for long time, should it be to explore richness of sound ocean or just to float on your back to contemplate musicality. It is rich yet super mellow, and fully cover from 1khz to 8khz without any harsh peak. More elevated than mid bass, and about same level than lower end, instrument separation in this wide range section is generous and accurate but do not benifit from extra air, its an intimate presentation with plenty of audio information that without sounding over saturated feel quite neutral in its presentation. Here, attack is great but decay do not expand due to very limited soundstage space. I find the female signer to sound fuller due to mid bass drop that is more important to male vocal, in instrumental music where there not lot of bass, like Susanna Wallumrod ‘’Sonata Mix dwarf cosmos’’ album, her voice is full and natural, without too emphased treble, it is centered in middle of instrumental and she sign very near of you, without any unpleasant peaks to her voice.


TREBLE is liquid and accurate, it extend up to 12khz without any harsh peaks, giving incredible richness to everything under upper highs. Level of details is very nice even if the highs aren’t very sparkly or crisp. To my ears, the timbre is as much soft than rich, wich mean it have a rich natural presence that never feel coloured, as in real life you will not hear every micro texture of an instrument, the E3000 render piano note fully, with impactfull body and realist transparency that I rarely find with other to opaque or dry sounding earphones. Even if the plucked instrument like guitar or harpsichord did not have lot of decay, the thickness of every note is so well articulated that it permit to never sound out of phase. Finely tuned as only Final Audio can do, this type of treble is permissive yet accurrate, and perferct for long listening session free of any hearing fatigue. Lush and very musical, i find that more you listen to the E3000, more you discover that it isn’t as warm sounding as it look and fully expose the music subtility in an gentle contemplative way.




SUB:8.5/10


MID BASS:7/10


MID RANGE : 8.5/10


TREBLE : 8.5/10


TIMBRE : 9/10


ATTACK : 8/10


SOUNDSTAGE : 7.5/10



COMPARAISONS :



VS Brainwavz KOEL (70$) :



Soundstage of is wider and more around your head than Koel more intimate and transparent one, wich have slightly more deepness to it even if it feel more in your head.

BASS of E3000 is more extended, thicker and more impactfull, it have better fuller timbre and more energy to it, but can slightly warm the lower mids. Koel have drastic bass roll off and feel thin and dry in this region, mid bass is more fowards but lack body wich make the impact quite light.

MID RANGE of E3000 is warmer and fuller, but more recessed than mid centric Koel. With Koel we have wide vocal presentation that feel more present than other frequencies range, while it is very appreciate for signers, it tend to stole the show of rest of instrumental and affect proper imaging. Mid range of E3000 is more linear and richer in the sens it show everything in 1khz-8khz range without discrimination and feel overall more balanced and natural than Koel. As well, male vocal of E3000 sound fuller due to better bass response.

TREBLE extend further with Koel, wich make them brighter too, but not in an unpleasant agressive way. Anyway, even if E3000 have rolled off upper treble, timbre sound richer and overall tonality more natural than dryier Koel, that while giving more micro details and sparkle, feel less well balanced and more distorted when lot of instrument mix up.

Construction of Koel is average, mmcx connection looking fragile as well as rough 3D printed housing. E3000 look more expensive than it cost, for Koel, its the opposite even if it have detachable cable.



VS MACAW GT600S (90$) :



SOUNDSTAGE is just less wide than E3000 but offer more deepnest and airier presentation.

BASS is more mid focused with brighter more fowards punch but thinner and dryier lower end, as well, it feel less well controled and natural than thicker E3000 that offer fuller timbre.

MID range is fully covered byt the E3000 while the GT600S feel more coloured in upper mids sections and less bodied in lower mids, vocal sound more recessed with GT600S as well as more prompt to sibilance.
TREBLE is more extended but less linear and balanced than E3000, it have upper treble emphasis that make highs more sparkly but more artificial sounding too. Level of overall details is richer with E3000 apart from above 12khz region.

CONSTRUCTION is excellent with both iem, and you have changeable nozzle with GT600S wich is nice. For comfort, I prefer small housing of E3000.


VS FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E2000 :



These two little brothers have the same size, but one look more luxurious due to is polish stainless steel finish that caught they eyes. As well, little brother E2000 have a slightly higher sound pressure being 102db vs 100db of E3000.

E serie is all about sublte soundsignature change or improvment. Here, using different housing construction, we already have surely some sound change but that’s not all

E3000 is even smoother in attack than E2000, with a hint more low end extension, wich give a fuller warmer soundsignature. Soundstage feel a little less airy than its brother and mids have more thickness to it wich give them more weight. Treble is even more smooth and could well became the best 50$ iem for treble sensitive audiophile, as it give buttery vocal that never hiss or shout. There a little extra texture in 3khz region to help separation from mid bass and lower mids as well as give extra clarity to snare, that with the well rendered natural percussion add extra energy to a very smooth musicality. The E2000 sound more W shape with a more lively presentation but both sound very similar in they end.


VS FINAL AUDIO E1000 (30$):



SOUNDSTAGE of E1000 is taller-airyer-deeper while the E3000 is slightly wider.

BASS of E3000 have more sub presence and smoother mid bass, while E1000 is faster punchier and brighter.

MIDS of E1000 are more fowards, have wider presence and brighter timbre with more emphasis on upper range and cleaner lower range than E3000, wich feel warmer, thicker in the midrange.

TREBLE of E1000 is more linear, transparent and a little dryier than the E3000, wich feel more sparkly in upper range and more natural and relaxed. Timbre have a little more finess with pricier E3000.

AMPING is more needed for E3000 than for E1000.

CONCLUSION:


My journey trough Final Audio E serie models was a very rewarding one, and even change my perception of sound to discover the inner subtelities of a well balanced mature tuning. By mature, I mean a smooth musicality as neutral as possible and here, with the E3000, this softenen treble approach is pushed even further than other E models because of little sub bass emphasis. With Final Audio, its always about subtle elegant change in tuning and whatever the models you choose you will not be overwhelmed by artificial treble spike.

The E3000 lush, agile and smooth sound presentation is very lively because of the phenomenal timbre approach, its hard to explain how fascinating it is but let's just say it have a generous transparent soul. This very model will appeal wide audience, and as I can see around here on headfi, audio reviews blog or on amazon, it's already a quite well hyped budget earphones and this isn't because it's the more bassy model, as its far from being a basshead over coloured sounding earphones.

If you struggle to find a versatile earphones that offer rich natural timbre, with thick articulate bass that do not drown the fascinating mellow mid-range as well as a fatigue free approach in an ultra small housing, search no further, because the E3000 can even stay in your ears until you sleep.


PS: For more audio reviews and impressions, give a look at my NO BS BLOG

Final Audio E2000 and E3000 - Impressively Inexpensive

Final Audio are a large company known for their Sonorus and Heaven series, along with their really exquisite FI-BA-SS series. Today we're going to be looking at their absolute entry-level IEMs, E2000 and E3000.




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Purchase link (E2000/hifiheadphones.co.uk) : http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-e2000-in-ear-isolating-earphones-black-aluminium.html

Purchase link (E3000/hifiheadphones.co.uk) : http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-e3000-in-ear-isolating-earphones-stainless-steel.html

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Introduction

Final Audio is a beloved and respected company when it comes to IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), and they also designed some mighty over-the-ear headphones in the past, but today we're looking at absolutely their most inexpensive offerings. If you're on a budget, and on a very limited budget, this is going to be fairly interesting for you. For mentioning a few words about the company, Final Audio is a very friendly company with a very strong after-sales service and support, and they are very helpful with advice and in guiding their customers to the right product. Their products are also sold in some shops around the world, and although they're very improbable to break, it is nice knowing that you can get them fixed easily, if the need may be.

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Final Audio, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. This review is not sponsored nor has been paid for by Final Audio or anyone else. I'd like to thank Final Audio for providing the sample for this review. The sample was provided along with Final Audio's request for an honest and unbiased review. This review will be as objective as it is humanly possible, and it reflects my personal experience with Final Audio E2000 and E3000 models. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in either E2000 or E3000 find their next music companion.



About me

https://audiophile-heaven.blogspot.ro/p/about.html



Packaging

First things first, let's get the packaging out of the way:





















Both those IEMs come packaged in a very similar package of similar shape and similar size. They are so similar, that without looking in the box, you might have a hard time telling which is which.

Both come packaged in small cardboard boxes with the IEMs being shelled in a plastic cut out, while the rest of the accessories and the ables are tucked underneath.

What is actually lovely to see is that Final Audio doesn't take even their most inexpensive IEMs lightly and they actually provide a large set of accessories with them. Besides a lovely carrying pouch made of leather, you'll get a wide selection of tips, all of which are quite comfortable and well made. We are impressed with the quality of them, and we feel like Final Audio does a great job in making a small yet effective package.

There are ear hooks included in the package with both E2000 and E3000 IEMs, for those who want to wear them over the ear, but we are using them without the hooks, we always considered them to reduce comfort and won't consider them a plus for actual usage of the IEMs, the cables being better at taking the natural shape of the ear.

For two IEMs without detachable cables, there's not much to talk about, and for a good reason, they don't go overboard with including stuff that very few would use, and they don't dedicate much of the price of those IEMs to accessories that many might never use.



What to look in when purchasing a high-end In-Ear Monitor

https://audiophile-heaven.blogspot.ro/p/what-to-lookl.html



Technical Specifications



E2000





E3000





Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The build quality is really similar between the two, and besides the color being different, we feel like most users won't really notice a difference.





Both IEMs are round in shape, just like a bullet, and both have non-detachable cables. Both look like they are going to be very comfortable, both have metal bodies that look really durable, and both have a vent / opening in the back that allows for a better sonic reproduction and venting for the IEMs.

The aesthetics are really pleasing, and while E2000 is a matte kind of black, the highly reflective, shiny surface of E3000 is going to look really classy and high-quality. Both have similar cables, and to our knowledge, there are versions with remotes and microphones on their cables as well.

The comfort of both is excellent, the IEM body is very small and it works well with the tips, the IEM fits both while being worn straight-down and over-the-ear, and both have just an excellent overall comfort. There is no driver flex (this is a pretty serious issue until one reaches the midrange sector), and there simply isn't any issue with the comfort that we can mention. In fact, thing which is really amazing, both E2000 and E3000 reach our golden standards of comfort, both feel good while being worn, work well over the ear, with no microphonics, with good tips from the box, and with everything else working simply really well.

You can wear either for hours in a row without an issue, and both make excellent companions for your music-listening adventure.



Sound Quality

The sound Quality is a little different between the two models, but both have some things in common. The short version is that both are amazing, having a really natural tone, along a clear and open midrange, with a good extension both ways, and both have an excellent soundstage and don't sound congested, neither coming off as too dispersed. Neither isn't boomy and doesn't have any glaring issue, making them an instant favorite at their price range (which is really really low, 50 USD for E2000 and 80USD for E3000).





For this price, simply, we can't complain in any way. The detail levels are clearly in line with what other IEMs at those price point usually offer, really you're getting better sound quality than the price is able to warrant for them.

The bass of both units is deep and reaches very low, and has good punchiness, although the sub-bass is good for this price range only. The E3000 is warm and the upper midrange and the lower mids are very satisfying, while E2000 is thinner and has a more neutral approach to things, although it keeps a fairly interestingly slower decay bass that might feel natural or rather "at home" especially for users looking for a IEM at this price range.

The midrange is quite a little different, with E3000 being more satisfying and thicker in the long run, while E2000 is more neutral, also bringing more emotion to the female vocals and to the upper midrange instruments like violins. E3000 feels more like a chill-and-relax IEM, while E2000 feels more like the emotional performer that would bring the emotional part of the music closer to the listener. While we're talking about the midrange, we would love to note that there are no peaks, no dips, the midrange is strangely balanced and really well done, we're talking about a midrange that not only has a natural tone for this price range, but which has a suspectly good midrange tonal balance for up to 300 USD price point.





The treble is also quite different, with E3000 having the more treble of the two, and E2000 being the smoother one. There is some slight roll-off, for those who love to hear less treble and to focus more on the midrange and the bass, and there is a fairly good amount of detail in the treble as well. We're impressed that both IEMs made it this far, and to be honest, E3000 is the more impressing of the two, for having the more balanced overall sonic signature, although with its overall presentation, E2000 is not far behind.



Soundstage

Here's the actual surprise. We love soundstage. We actually can't get along quite that well with congested soundstage because we feel it kills part of the presentation, and although metal music usually is very forward, it needs to be wide to sound clean and well presented. Bands like Incubus also require depth for their music to achieve the full impact intended in the original mix, while bands like Dope require more of a wider presentation to come off as fun and playful.



Both E3000 and E2000 achieve excellent results on the soundstage, both have excellent sound stages for the price, and while E3000 has the larger one, E2000 doesn't fall behind either. The instrument separation is also impressive, and although we're using something like big words here, please keep in mind that at this price point we didn't have much expectations. We literally expected them to be much less impressive, and the shock of hearing them sound so good makes us use big words to describe them. The soundstage size is what Final Audio really delivers on, and we're happy to note that there is a good amount of air between instruments, and one can describe layers of instruments with ease.



ADSR / PRaT

The ADSR/PRaT/Texturization is fair. There's nothing to complain heavily about them, but there's not much to say about them either. The textures are generally natural to slow with a fair amount of detail retrieved from textures. Textures of instruments are not overblown, but they are not the most fine either, still fairly good for the price.



Portable Usage

Small IEMs with non-detachable cables, but with a thin and supple cable, ready to come with you on a second's notice. This probably describes both E2000 and E3000 really well. They pair really well with almost anything, be it smartphone or professional-grade DAP, they sound nice with almost anything, and they don't really win that much from better sources, not being revealing enough to make the source matter more.



The isolation is fair to pretty low, because the back part of the IEM seems to be open (it seems to be a grille), so they won't isolate well from the outside noise. For the gain they have in soundstage and instrument separation, along with how the music is generally presented, we feel that the fact they are open isn't a large drawback, but if you require something to isolate you from the outside noise, it is worth noting that neither E2000 nor E3000 can't do that.

The fit and comfort is excellent, even great for running, they fit both straight down and over the ear, the tips are uber-comfortable, the IEM shape and bore size will work with almost any ear, and they are projected to be lightweight and to simply work. They don't feel uncomfortable after a while, and they stay in ears, even after being there for hours, so they really are an excellent IEM in this aspect.

The overall portability factor for both is good, excellent comfort, great cable and good overall portability.



Comparisons

Final Audio E2000/E3000 vs FiiO F5 - We have very few inexpensive IEMs currently, and FiiO F5 is one of them. In a few words, F5 is larger in size, has a smoother, thicker, bassier, and similarly open sound. It has a metal construction, just like E2000 and E3000, but it has detachable cables. Most folks won't buy extra cables for a 50USD IEM, so they tie up in that aspect. If you prefer a really thick and warm sound with a satisfying overall tone, F5 is a good choice, if you prefer a more balanced presentation, either E2000 or E3000 is a good choice.

Final Audio E2000/E3000 vs Shozy Hibiki - Roughly at the same price point, Shozy Hibiki is a nice-looking IEM, with a really interesting design. It has more going on for it with the detachable cables, but again, we don't feel like anyone purchasing a IEM below 100USD will invest in aftermarket cables. The sound is more mid-centric on Shozy Hibiki, with a much more forward midrange, good instrument separation, and good soundstage. To be fair, if you prefer a more mid-forward signature, Hibiki delivers that, while if you prefer a more balanced signature, E2000/E3000 both are more balanced with a more balanced overall tone.

Final Audio E2000/E3000 vs Kinera Seed - How do they fare against the mighty little Kinera? Well, they fare well. Kinera Seed is a reminder of Kinera H3, which was aggressively V-shaped, but this time being less aggressively V-shaped, but still pretty V-shaped. Kinera Seed also has good instrument separation, and good soundstage, but the tonal balance is much more in favor of bass and treble, with the midrange being placed in the background. This means that music sounds more punchy and impressive, but it sounds more balanced on E2000/E3000. Like in the other two comparisons, E2000 and E3000 both feel like they are really balanced. If you prefer a more colored sound to warm, to mid-centric, or to V-shaped, any of the IEMs in the comparison list can provide that, but if you're looking after the most balanced one, E2000 and E3000 are that. Kinera seed is just as impressive, but tuned for another kind of taste.



Recommended Pairings

Due to their less revealing nature, and balanced tonality, E2000 and E3000 both can pair well with almost any source. They usually are influenced by the source, but given their rather good starting point, they are still enjoyable with analytical, with warm and even with bright sources.



Final Audio E2000/E3000 + Shanling M2s - A little DAP to match the size and portability of those two, M2s is more than capable of powering either of the Final Audio IEMs to great overall results, it adds a bit of weight to each musical note, adds a bit of sparkle to the lower treble, and it provides a pretty good amount of detail for their level.

Final Audio E2000/E3000 + Samsung T580 Tablet - This is an interesting synergy case as we found out, Samsung T580 pairs extremely well with those two IEMs and it leads to a very dynamic and energetic sound, something that many will enjoy. It isn't the best textured sound, and it doesn't have the best depth at all times, but the raw energy and lively presentation surely are worth to consider this pairing. The soundstage is considerably wider than most lower priced sources, and the instrument separation is quite excellent as well. While we haven't tested many Samsung devices, T580 surely impressed us thus far.

Final Audio E2000/E3000 + HIDIZS AP200 - AP200 is another less expensive device that leads to good results with E2000 and E3000. Similar to Shanling M2s, it is also thicker sounding, with a less expanded soundstage size, but with a bit of a sparkle in the lower treble, along with a thicker sound.



Value and Conclusion

We should keep in mind that we're reviewing two IEMs that are priced around 50 USD and 80 USD, so they are well in the entry-level area. For this price, you're getting a really solid package, with a good selection of high quality tips, you're getting a fairly interesting carrying package, although the leather pouch probably won't protect them that much from an impact, and you're getting some great sounding IEMs.



The build quality of both E2000 and E3000 is top notch, with metal bodies, and a fairly sturdy, and supple cable. The cables are not detachable, but at this price point most users probably won't get aftermarket cables either. The bodies are vented and they don't present any kind of driver flex, nor have any kind of microphonics, already being pretty good for a IEM in the entry-level area.

Both IEMs are aesthetically pleasing, with a modern and sleek deisgn, and both IEMs are very comfortable when worn, regardless whether you favor the straight-down or the over-the-ear wearing styles. The tips included in the package don't get slippery after usage, and the IEMs themselves are lightweight and sit well in the ears, without having any hard edges or large body sizes that would otherwise be uncomfortable.

When it comes to their sonic performance, they are simply astounding. The tonal balance of those two little IEMs was never seen before on such well-priced IEMs, they sound open, they sound clean, and they sound clear. The amount of details that they do reveal, they reveal well and place in good light, and both of them are great at presenting the listener with a good level of dynamics in the music.



If you're into a smoother IEM with a more laid-back presentation, then E2000 might be the better choice, and if you're looking for a little more treble sparkle, along with the more emotional presentation, then E3000 might be the better choice for you. At any rate, both those IEMs have good strengths that can make you want them, and if you're really constrained by your budget, then you can get a great performance for just a few USD with either of those two lovely IEMs!

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Purchase link (E2000/hifiheadphones.co.uk) : http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-e2000-in-ear-isolating-earphones-black-aluminium.html

Purchase link (E3000/hifiheadphones.co.uk) : http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-e3000-in-ear-isolating-earphones-stainless-steel.html

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I hope my review is helpful to you!

Stay safe and remember to always have fun while listening to music!



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Intro:-

Final audio, most of us might not have heard about this brand, we are blinded by many chi-fi brands and some dazzling brands who make multi driver earphones and like to keep in the lime light. Hailing from Japan, the land of rising sun and the land of technology, Final Audio Design is one of the best known brands for its premium looking single driver earphones. They don’t like to put too many drivers cramped into a small space still make fantastic utilization of that single driver.

I am reviewing 4 of their earphones, F4100, F3100, E2000 and E3000. But this review is about the E3000, their take on budget earphones with a single dynamic driver, just placed above the E2000 and priced at $60 and sometimes retails for under $50. Comes in only one color, chrome and two versions, one with MIC and other without. I have the non-MIC version with me.

In final audios words E3000 has:-

" Sound quality design based on the latest acoustic engineering and psychological research results.With high definition and flat, natural sound quality, this product could be considered a "standard"

Now at this price it faces competition from its own brother E2000, MEZE 11 and 12 classics, and many more. I will compare this with the E2000, meze 11, UE600 and signature acoustics C-12 V2 earphones.

Here are the specs of the E3000:-

Product code :- FI-E3DSSC

Housing :- Stainless steel mirror-finished

Driver :- 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Sensitivity :- 100 dB/mW

Impedance :- 16Ω

Weight :- 15g

Cord length :- 1.2m





ACCESSORIES & PACKAGING:-

All of these 4 earphones have simple packaging, nothing to struggle or fight with while unboxing it. The only thing is the earpieces are placed inside a plastic pouch, which can be a slight struggle to get rid of.

You cant expect plenty from a $60 earphone, but this has plenty to keep one going. There are 4 extra pairs of tips in 5 sizes (one already on the earphone). now these are top quality silicone tips, not those average rubber ones. There is a pair of ear hooks if you want to go over the ear and there is a draw string pouch to keep the earphone safe from external elements.

With the E3000C you will get an additional MIC to work with your mobile device.





BUILD, FIT AND CABLES:-

If final audios is to be believed E3000 is made with highly rigid machined stainless steel housing, suppressing any unnecessary vibrations. There is a stainless steel housing mesh, helping with the low frequencies and prevents some sound leakage too.

E3000 comes with unique swing fitting ear tips mechanism, basically the ear tip can adjust to some degrees to give a better seal and fitment.

The cable is one of the best you can get with a $50 earphones, its supple, its tangle resistant and low on microphonics too. To reduce the microphonics even further you should use the cable guides out of the box. there are no stress relievers at the ear piece side but it's okay, there is L/R marking in front of the cable.

COMFORT AND SEAL :-

E3000 to be precise is a fantastic looking earphone, the chrome on it shines like nothing else. Its comfortable, the straight barrel design is nothing one should complain about, with the right tip it seals pretty well too. Doesn’t fall our either and if it does, use the cable guides. There is no driver flex to worry about either.

SOUND QUALITY:-

The 6.4 mm dynamic driver is tuned pretty well. It's quite natural with a slight warmth and smoothness to it. Now FYI E3000 is easier to drive, no need to map, I have used stock tips for this review and mostly used my Plenue R and Plenue D for this review. Sounds good out of my Lenovo P2 too.

BASS:-

E3000 has a pretty well rounded bass impact, it has the body and slam which we all like from a dynamic driver earphone. There is some sub-bass rumble, mid bass is more prominent but no upper mid bass hump to worry about. upper bass to take a back seat here. It moves good amount of air with a sizeable impact. Lower end extension is nothing to write home about, but its still better than earphones like EU600 and 11 neo

Decay is not the best for this price, it lacks behind the 11 neo but has better and bigger sub-bass and body to go with. Yes the control is not class leading either but overall its something which wont let you down. Yes it cant beat the details and precision of the 11 neo or 12 classic or the UE600, it can entertain you in a way none of these can do.

Now when compared to the Shozy Zero, E3000 has better balance, better control and feels less bloated, so E3000 is in the middle of the mix with a slightly bassy tilt. And the best thing is E3000 sounds more natural and real than any of these earphones mentioned above.

MID RANGE:-

It’s where the smoothness takes over, its silky smooth, no harshness at all, no super deep notes, no shallow depth either. In other words its nicely balanced without any unreasonable elevation to the vocal region. Upper mids too are smooth and doesn’t drop deep to make it sound lacking.

Male vocals has the thickness I like, notes are deep enough to be cohesive, if it were any deeper or wider it would have sounded more sharp or blunt. Female vocals sadly lacks some depth and can sound slightly shallower than natural. Instruments too sound pretty true to nature and organic, they have the natural body which I like.

E3000 does lack the resolution ant micro details, instrument separation and layering of the UE600 or 11 neo but it has good details and airiness to go with it.

Now the best about this mid range is that it doesn’t lack energy at any point and keeps it lush and smoother throughout the spectrum, its doesn’t lack thickness either. It's the E3000's smoother, natural, livelier imaging and presentation which sets itself apart from the competition.

HIGHS:-

E3000 does a fantastic job of keeping the highs relevant without being sparky or energetic, in fact the energy can be slightly lower than some BA based earphones like EU600 and A151p. Now one should keep in mind that most of the budget friendly earphones try to emulate more detailed presentation by introducing some more energy or say more peakyness to the upper mids which the E3000 doesn’t try to do.

Now I have to admit E3000 one for the best treble presentation in this price range, it donest try to overdo anything with more than enough details to it. It does loses some energy as the spectrum gets deeper, hence extension and top end energy is not the best. Layering and separation are good but not as airy as others.

Yes the cymbals and pianos and strings don’t excite the way it does with A151p or 11neo butE3000 has the more natural and smoother presentation which all of these earphones fail to deliver.

STAGE AND IMAGING :-

Over all the E3000 stage is satisfyingly big with good width and height and better depth than most of the earphones in this budget. It has a bigger and wider stage compared to the MEZE twins and far better overall stage compared to the A151p.

Even though layering and separation is not the strong points of the E3000, all the instruments have good amount of air between them. Imaging is slightly lacking as it lacks the speed and sharpness.

I have to say, for this budget you will be hard pressed to find an earphone with better stage presentation than the E3000.





COMPARISONS:-

VS E2000:-

E2000 is essentially the same earphone, exact design and packaging with slightly different tuning just the way we see with the MEZE twins.

E2000 is slightly faster and sharper with notes hence sounding a bit less muddy. It has smaller bass impact, slightly less sub-bass, doesn’t have that amount of air and decay is faster. Mids are similar but slightly less lush, has the same kind of approach with tuning without boosted upper mids. Highs are essentially the same with slightly better layering.

VS EU600:- (discontinued, retailed for $100)

UE600 was one of the best single driver earphone a few years ago. Its BA is a bit better than the E3000 when it comes to the amount of resolving details and clarity.

It has smaller bass impact, air movement and body, its not meaty either but has better details and decay. Mid range is better with vocals and instruments shine a bit more thanks to the slightly boosted upper mids. Highs are where the EU600 fails to deliver with down tuned lower treble and spiked mid treble it creates a mess on its own.

Stage is more flat with smaller depth.

VS MEZE 11 NEO:-

MEZE 11 is one of the biggest competition for the E3000 with similar attributes.

Its bass is smaller, with smaller body less air and impact. details is slightly better with faster decay. Mid range is sharper and sounds slightly unnatural in comparison. male vocals lack the required amount of thickness to their tone, female vocals are better. Upper mid instruments are more energetic thanks to the boosted frequencies. Highs are better here with more details and better layering.

E3000 bets the 11 Neo with its bigger stage, better timber, more natural tonality and its smoother and lush presentation.

Cables are less supple and more microphonic.

SIGNATURE ACOUSTICS C-12 V2:-

This one is 2nd version of the C-12, out of my own country, from pro audio.

C-12 V2 has bigger bass impact, has similar sub-bass presence but the lower mid-bass takes off and brings plenty of air and impact with it. Decay slightly worse and details are more or less same. Mid rage is more hollow as the stage is bigger with instruments and vocals struggle to fill up the space properly (throwing cues further than required). Has plenty of details and sounds similarly smoother and a bit more brighter. Highs have better extension thanks to the mid treble boost.

It has similar layering and separation, imaging too is more or less similar. you can say that C-12 V2 has a more general tuning where the E3000 has a bit more mature tuning.

Of all the earphones C-12 V2 has the highest amount of microphonics.

CONLCUSION:-

E3000 is a fine creation from Final Audio Design. It has the finish of an maturity of a more expensive earphone. It does lack some refinement, sounds a bit more thicker than usual and a bit less detailed but it has the smoother and lush tuning with fantastically balanced upper mid and highs. Sibilance is nowhere to found.

For the price.. you won't get an earphone with this type of tuning. Me likey!!

Grab one for yourself from here:-

https://www.amazon.com/Final-Audio-Design-Resolution-Headphone/dp/B072MKR1BC

Back story:
Following the demise of my Heaven V Ageing, I walked into my local audio shop, planning to grab a pair of VE Monk or Espresso. The staff was doing a promotional photoshoot of the E3000 by pairing it together with AK240ss. That moment I thought, "Aren't those little IEM pretty? They must cost around S$300 (200 USD). With that undetachable cable, they should be some midrange IEM." I didn't know what IEM it was. And I didn't care, cuz all I wanted was a cheap pair of earbuds! So I didn't bother inquiring about it. I already had my EE Zeus R, so what's the point of spending a few hundred bucks on some non-TOTL IEM that I'm gonna resell after a few weeks of disuse?

And what a mistake I had made by not asking what the new earbuds were! As I was about to pay for the VE Monk, I asked for recommendations for any other affordable earpieces, in the hope that I would find something more comfortable than the Monks. Without a second thought, the sales assistant pointed to the E2000 and E3000. I didn't knew the prices yet, but I didn't want to ask just yet, as I was afraid it would affect my judgement. Here's what happened--

Sales Assistant (A): Try these, they just arrived yesterday. New IEMs <passes me the E3000>
Me: Sure. <pop E3000 on, play music via phone>
Me: <Immediately impressed by the tuning, listened for 2 minutes, switching about 8 songs I was familiar with, each to their best sounding part> Hmmm... They are nice! Can I try the other one?
A: I knew you would like them <passes me E2000>
Me: <listened for 30 seconds, some snippets of about 2-3 songs> Mehh the first one is much better! What's the price difference?
<I expected about 70-100 dollars difference. Notice that I didn't ask for their prices directly, as I thought they would cost around 200-300, and I wasn't planning to spend today>
A: ermm about $20. let me check... <took out his notebook to check for the pricings>
Me: <in disbelief> what? only $20 difference? Why are they so closely priced while sounding so different?
A: <finishes checking prices> actually just $10 difference. The E3000 is a tier better than the E2000.
//I was very puzzled, as usually for IEMs, a tier better would translate to $100-400 more, depending on high-end the IEM is. Curious, I decided to ask for their price//
Me: so how much are they?
A: the one you like is $71 (~50USD)
Me: <looked at VE monk, then at the E3000> Heck, I'm taking this. <pointing to E3000>


1. Introduction:
According to the Final Audio Design Website - "The E series was developed with the concept of achieving all of the following: high sound quality, simple design, ease of use and affordable price. With this, we aimed for a product series where the products chosen would undoubtedly be referred to as standards for years to come."
That's a pretty ambitious goal. I remember Beats by Dr Dre had a equally profound goal too, but that's where the similarity ends.


2. Packaging:
-Simple paper box outer packaging
-5 pairs of Type E eartips (according to Final Audio Design website, this type of eartip provides the highest amount of isolation and bass tone in comparison to Final Audio's other eartips)
- A pair of rubber ear hooks for those who prefer an over-the-ear wearing style
-A small drawstring pouch made of what looks like faux leather
-The E3000 IEM, powered by a 6.3mm dynamic driver
-A brochure and warranty card



3. Build quality:
The machined stainless steel housing is small and light, very comfortable in the ear. There is a unique stainless steel mesh at the back of the housing. It serves as a vent for the dynamic driver. E3000 uses very thin cables - so thin that I worry it might be too fragile for daily use and abuse. The L-shaped 3.5mm gold-plated jack is sleek and should fit most pockets and smartphone cases.


4. Sound analysis:
Overall:
I tested the frequency response of the E3000 using Macbook Pro and my own ears. E3000 roughly follows the Olive-Welti target without any significant deviation. I don't have any equipments other than my ears. All I could was to listen to a full hearing range frequency sweep and make qualitative comments as objectively as possible. There might be some inevitable personal bias, and I am unable to provide any data on distortion etc that require more than a human ear to quantify.

Bass:
The bass (20-200Hz) is pretty consistent, with a gentle roll-off below 27Hz. Relative to other frequency ranges, the bass is elevated. The result is a warm sound signature with an impactful bass with a rather slow decay that is characteristic of dynamic drivers. Phil Colin's Another Day in Paradise bass riffs sounds lush and rhythmic. However, the slow speed makes the bass in Ed Sheeran's Eraser sounds exaggerated and overdone.

Mids:
The mids (200-2000Hz) is extremely consistent with absolutely no peaks or dips. (the beauty of a single DD design!) The speed is fast, and this makes the mids in the E3000 forwardly-placed and crystal clear. It is not the most detailed I've heard (I've heard much more details from my Zeus R), but it is definitely very detailed and euphonic. Nils Lofgren's Keith Don't Go sounds simply magical on E3000. The reverb, the sound of the occasional string plucking, the raspy vocals, the tone of the guitar... Simply amazing!

Treble:
The treble rises steadily from 2.5kHz to 6.4kHz with a very slight dip at 4kHz. Beyond 6.4kHz, the treble softens and dips significantly from 7.1k to 9.4kHz. There's another smaller peak at around 11kHz, and rolls off quickly at 16.3kHz. The result is a far treble extension and airy presentation. While the IEM tuning is not overly bright, the instrument separation is very good and there is a sense of space too. In fact, the treble is rather backwardly placed and polite. In other words, the treble is mellow and unaggressive. For example, the distant ride cymbals in Coldplay's Yellow sound appropriately gentle and extremely emotional and satisfying. The treble on E3000 can be good for those who are sensitive to sharp trebles, but at the same time, it lacks the energy and excitement of a sparkling treble. But heck, you can't find a nice sparkling treble at this price range, can you?

Speed:
Not very fast, as expected in a dynamic driver at this price range. In Muse's Reapers, a very dense and fast track, the E3000 struggles to catch up to the fast cymbals, while doing poorly on the slower cymbal crashes. However it does not sound congested at all. Also, the bass can sometimes be muddy and the subbass rumble is not obvious. (But of course, the bass doesn't bleed into the mid-range.)

Sound stage and imaging:
Average width, rather good depth. It's imaging is rather accurate, but not the best I've heard. For example, in Hotel California (live acoustic) by the Eagles, I can hear where the claps and cheers are coming from using Zeus R, but it sounds rather diffused on E3000.

Matching:
I've not done sufficient pairing with different sources to find out it's ideal pairings, but with the impedance of 16 ohms, it should play loud enough on most sources, including smartphones. The soundstage is exceptionally wide on my AK Kann, but a mobile phone should suffice as a good enough source.

Comparison:
Well, what shall I compare it with? E3000 is priced similarly to a pair of SkullCandy (correct me if I'm wrong), The closest I can think of (and I am familiar with), is the Westone 3. E3000 has less midbass bump than the Westone 3, and the mids are slightly more lean and clean. It would be unfair to compare the E3000 with IEMs from a higher price range, although the E3000 sound quality and comfortable form factor is able hold its own against competitions from higher price ranges.


5. Conclusion:
The E3000 is indeed an elegant IEM that stands out prominently among its competitions of the similar price range. While it is not a TOTL product, the E3000 definitely punches above its weight. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike.