final audio e1000

FINAL AUDIO E1000

FINAL AUDIO is a Japanese iem (main brand is S’NEXT) brand that is just one of the oldest and famous brands in audiophile industry. They have always impressed people with their tuning and their impressive line-up. They have pretty good options in their top tier category, but do they hold up in the lower tier, we shall find out with this review of their lowest tier iem – THE E1000.

DISCLAIMER- THIS IS A LOANED UNIT FROM MY FRIEND AND ALSO OWNER OF THEAUDIO STORE AND ALL THANKS TO HIM TO LET ME TRY IT AND YOU CAN FIND MORE ON THE PRICE HERE

UNBOXING EXPERIENCE-
This is a simple cardboard box and the rest will be pics.


SPECIFICATIONS-

• Housing-ABS
• Driver- 6.4mm dynamic driver
• Cable-OFC
• Sensitivity-102dB/mW
• Impedance-16Ω
• Weight-15g
• Cord length-1.2m

BUILD AND FIT-
The fit is great, its barrel shaped and hence goes pretty in. The only thing I don’t like is the cable is non detachable. At this price and below even many add removable cables and this would great to see in further iterations. The stock tips are great and so no fit issues.

ACCESSORIES-

• No bags
• No foams
• Just final tips

PRICE- 1790 INR

NOTE- MY SOURCE IS-

• 1) PORTABLE -N6II with R01, BTR5 AND LG G8X
• 2) DESKTOP- DAC- N6II WITH T01 LINEOUT
• 3) AMP- TOPPING A30 MODDED WITH BURSON V5I D OR TOPPING L30 OR XDUOO MT602(NOT USED HERE FOR REVIEW BUT HEY IT DOES HELP TO ADD A BIT OF TUBE TOUCH)
• 4)Would like to add that my DAP N6ii ran it on High gain at 30-40 on volume and on Topping a30s- low gain just 7-9 ‘O’ clock on volume wheel
• 5) The tips I used are the ones that came with it and it gave a good fit.

SOUND IMPRESSIONS- THIS IS SUBJECTIVE AND YOUR OPINIONS MIGHT NOT MATCH MINE-

BASS AND SUBBASS-
Let’s start with the sub-bass, this definitely is an DD driver haha!!! The rumble is excellent and tonality is great. It goes to good depth but some song which wants more of body in sub-bass is slightly missing. It goes pretty deep into the sub-bass too.

Bass is really good. Great tonality and slightly faster decay. The timbre is slightly more needed to give a real instrument feel but its still very good for its price. The mid-bass is pretty tight and has enough punch and energy for me but won’t be satisfying for bass heads. The bass doesn’t have a big body but edge and beginning definition is pretty great. There is good inter-notes separation with great space in between instruments. More dynamics would be great which is the only con I could highlight at this price.

MIDS-
Vocals are really good. They are balanced, well extended and airy. The male vocals are well thick and have great tonality which helps in distinguishing other vocalists when multiple vocalists are singing. The female vocals are also great, some more vocal timbre would be great here though. No complaints but would love some more lushness added to it.

The instruments in the mids are beautiful for a slightly ‘V’ shaped signature. They have great tonality and as well as good instrument separation. It has great inter-notes separation with good spacing around the instruments and some amount of air too. They definitely have good micro-details too. Timbre is good for its price with a slightly faster decay which makes the projection of instruments a little less. But they do lack dynamism in the notes but the edge definition and body are good enough to make the distinction.

TREBLE-
The treble is decent. There is good amount of air and good extension too. The tonality is great but the energy and dynamics are slightly lacking. They have great separation among the instruments and good micro details too. The transparency is better than what I have heard in this price. Notes have good separation and there’s good body and edge separation too. The inter-instrumental separation is better and they have good space in between. The only higher notes volume difference lacks a lot and might need some work.

HEADSTAGE, RESOLUTION, SEPARATION AND IMAGING-
Now this is a very good part of the review. Headstage is very wide and has good stage depth. There is lacking of real depth but its there even though a little. Its not a tall stage though. The separation is very great for its price but the projection lacks due to faster decay. The resolution is good and good amount of microdetails for the price. The imaging is great but its diffuse and at this price I won’t ask for more.

COMPARISON-
BLON – 03 - THE BIG BROTHER YET A BEAN (modded with slaters mod and uses a KBEAR mic cable + some tips I don’t remember the name of )
PROS-
More musical
More dynamic
Better bass
Taller and thicker notes with good depth.
Better air
Better vocals
More natural timbre and tonality

BLON – 01 – THE BRO WHICH EVOLVED TO MACARONI
PROS-
Wider head stage and stage depth and layering
Better controlled bass
No midbass bleed (Blons had it a slight amount, without mod and tips)
More inter-notes separation
Slightly more details and transparency than Blon 03 not E1000C

FINAL E1000C – THE BOY WHO CAN’T BE DETACHED
PROS-
Much wider soundstage
More detailed and balanced than either of this
More stage depth and depth
Better transparency
Better diffuse imaging
Less dynamic overall
No detachable cables (super con for me) but better tips .

SUMMARY-
For the price, this is a great iem except the cables which are fixed. There is nothing more to ask at this price. But even though I love it, it feels like it lacks musicality a bit and hence won’t get into my commute iem, but this doesn’t mean that its not great, it might be musical for you (it’s just that I have become more used to other very dynamic iems). So, this gets my recommendation for sure for being a great technical iem at such a low price as this.

View more reviews at: https://www.perrivanaudio.com/

Setup and price: 1 Dynamic Driver (39 SGD)

Intro
Disclaimer: I paid full price for this unit via stereo and not affiliated to any company.

The E1000 is the 2nd most affordable unit in the E series line up of Final Audio (cheapest being E500 which is relatively new) and through my conversation with Final Audio staff, it is mainly targeting students that are seeking audiophile quality earphones but doesn’t have much to spend.
There seems to be a lot of research and work done behind the E series of Final Audio with its 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver and its entire design which made it very different from what you see from other IEM offerings and a design trademark of Final Audio.





Retrieved from Final Audio: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/E1000

You may be wondering “What a weird design, cheap looking, ugly and attached cable” but your opinion may change after you listen to these sub $50 wonders that possess good tonality and good tuning.

Packing and Accessories (Score: 7/10)

The E1000 comes in a box like the above image, and inside it contains the earphone and also a set of Final ear tips. The sad part here is that it does not come with a carrying case but it is retailing for 39 SGD already so I will let that slide. The neat thing that I like about them is those FINAL EAR TIPS that comes with the E1000! These ear tips are great for my ear and they are quite universal in terms of variations and sizes available so there is a lot of value here coming from a 39 SGD purchase. These ear tips are kind of special I guess, and the images below should be able to explain its selling points well. Overall, the accessories that comes with the E1000 compensates for its lack of a carrying case and it is pretty good given the price you pay.







Build quality and Fit (Score: 4.5/10)

The E1000 is fully made from plastic and the cable is attached so not a lot of plus points to mention here. The cable material surprised me though, it was probably made from rubber, but it is very malleable, smooth, and it does not tangle easily. It kind of feels like my HD600 stock cable which I really like and furthermore, it has better cable than its older brothers (E2000 and E3000). Its cable is 1.2m long and comes with a clip, microphonics is relatively low as compared to my other IEMS.

Biggest negative point here must go to the attached cable given that many offerings are now including detachable cables, Final chose to have it with its higher end models (meaning it is not impossible in the design but just differential pricing things).
Fit wise it is worn downwards hanging, so tips here make the world of difference and coincidentally it is a Final product meaning its tips issue is inherently solved and I have no issues with their stock tips at all! So other than that, the main flaw here is just the build quality.







Sound

So, here is the important part of the review. The E1000 has a somewhat neutral sound but having slightly more energy in the upper-mids and lower treble that makes it sound slightly forward and not too dull. If I give it a label, I will classify the E1000 to be a jack-of-all-trades as it really does most genres well given its price.





Sources used

- Ibasso DX120
- Topping D10 > JDS Atom

Albums used

- Keane – Hopes and Dreams
- One Republic – Dreaming Out Loud
- Lion King OST – Circle of Life
- 2 Cello – Scores

Bass (Score: 6.5/10)

In my opinion, I find the bass of E1000 to be adequate but not fully satisfying, punch and hits are clear with good speed and clarity amidst the tracks. However sub-bass is not that great relative to its mid-bass hence for some tracks, you might not be able to feel that depth and rumble when it comes to bass. For some people, if you prefer a neutral sounding or slightly warm sounding signature, this might just be what you are looking for, warm and soothing bass that helps you sit back and enjoy the tunes. Another point that you might be concerned about is that there are some mid-bass bleed depending on what tracks you are listening on and the genre. The overall bass here is adequate and suitable for most genres.

Mids (Score: 8/10)

I have to say, that vocals on the E1000 are really good! Male and female vocals are very clear and pronounced which I really enjoy listening to. A good example of it will be the male vocals of “Everything Changes” by Keane where there are several (instrumental and synth) parts playing at the same time and yet the vocals still stand out.

Instruments on the other hand in orchestras do stand out as well, the upper-mid energy and sparkle of the E1000 does justice to many instruments such as the violin and clarinets (and others too). E1000 also hits the sweet spot with cellos while listening to 2 Cellos “God-Father theme” and I just kept repeating that song while using the E1000 because it is just too good!

Treble (Score: 7.5/10)

Treble for the E1000 is interesting because it does not make it "too shouty" by having peaks before 7 to 10khz region yet at the same time keeping that sparkle while listening to songs such as OSTs and acoustics. The treble of the E1000 is not offensive and does not sound sibilant to me but it keeps that clarity and airiness which makes me very satisfied with this unit because it really does handle most things very well. Perhaps something to nit pick on is that the lower treble and upper mids region does get a little bit overpowering at times.

Sound stage, Imaging and Tonality

Sound stage is okay for the E1000 but imaging wise it's not that clear when it comes to determining where instruments are placed. These are not technical monsters but at least its tonality and timbre of the E1000 are great! I am delighted knowing what it is capable of and it is just surprising to have these coming from this price range.

Overall (Score: 7.5/10)

If you like neutral tuning or slightly warmish sounding IEMs, value oriented and wants a well-rounded sounding set, the E1000 will suit you very well if you do not mind the attached cable and the cheap feeling ABS plastic housing. For me, I always reach out for my E1000 to relax and sort-of my affordable set of daily drivers as I am also somewhat of a neutral tuning fan myself.

Comparisons: E1000 vs MH755







These 2 are very different headphones in tuning but they do share several things in common as well. Differences come in tuning where the MH755 have much more bass and a more noticeable peak in its upper mids whereas the E1000 are more neutral. Both possess great tonality and timbre for their price and build quality is about the same but the MH755 requires some modifications for that. Technicalities wise, the MH755 does have better soundstage and imaging as compared to the E1000 and that it has better separation as well.

Conclusion

To conclude, I do recommend the E1000 as it is pretty neat for the price at 39 SGD and it has superb value given that it comes with final tips and, it also comes with a really surprising and wonderful sound signature that I believe anyone will enjoy (neutral head speaking). Other than its build quality, I think Final did a pretty good job to reach out to the cheaper priced market with a monster under the $50 bracket.

Summary

Packaging and Accessories (7/10)
Build (4.5/10)
Sound (7.5/10)
Value (6.5/10)
Overall (6.5/10) however, I am giving it 4 stars for its sound at this price point (not giving 5 due to build)

Disclaimer: Bought at amazon.jp at my own expense.


Price: around 30 usd

Specifications:

Housing – ABS

Driver -6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Cable – Black OFC

Sensitivity – 102dB/mW

Impedance – 16Ω


Accessories:

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

Cable: Non removable cable, is really unfortunate because you can´t replace them if they are broken nor can you upgrade the sound by getting a better cable. The cable itself is a typical consumer iem style with no braids, but does feel sturdy enough to not break in a week or two.


Build: It is made out of an extremely cheap feeling plastic, the quality feels like the KZ ZSE (7 usd iem…). Extremely disappointing quality AND the markings that indicate left and right is extremely hard to see because it is the same colour (black) as the build itself. Only good thing is that there are no sharp edges….

Fit: It is a bullet style iem so the fit is not as good as a wear-up style iem, but it Is average I guess for a bullet style iem.

Comfort: Due to its smaller build size, the comfort is good and can be used for a long period without it getting hot or uncomfortable.

Isolation: bad due to its bullet style fit.

Setup: Fiio M11, stock cable and Azla SednaEarfit short Large

Lows: Very neutral presentation so the bass isn’t boosted nor recessed. It has good control, tightness and speed so the quality is very good and makes for a clean low-end.

Mid-bass: fast and tight, but is on the low side for my preferences (it is neutral so It is supposed to be low on quantity like it is). No bleed into the mids.

Sub-bass: Sub-bass isn’t as tight or fast as the mid-bass and it doesn’t extend that well. It does have enough presence when called for, that at least makes it capable of playing EDM.

Mids: balancing between male and female vocals are excellent and the overall quality is really good. Vocals is the star of the show and is a bit forward but not enough for it too be called a mid-centric iem.

Female-vocals: female vocals sound lifelike and has excellent quality while avoiding being anywhere near sibilant. Sound especially good on slower acoustic songs, where they sound angelic on those.

Male-vocals: due to the treble that is not as bright as other neutral iems, the entire range has added warmth which makes male vocals sound very smooth.

Highs: the treble is perfectly balanced between having too much treble which would make too bright and too little which would make it too warm for it to sound neutral to me. This is done in a way that surpasses some other neutral iems in higher price ranges. It is however a bit rolled off, but not a problem for me.

Soundstage: average, but kind of impressed on how big it while the physical size is small.

Tonality: This is the most neutral iem in my collection to me, as I find that all others are too bright which isn’t neutral to me at all. There is no sharpness in the treble and since it is warmer than other neutral iems it is easier to use it for longer periods of time. Timbre is excellent on this iem.

Details: average details.

Instrument Separation: below average separation, makes it not suited for live and orchestral music. But good enough for other kinds of music.

Songs that highlight the IEM: , , , ,

Good genres: acoustic songs, rock, metal, slower songs,

Bad genres: hip-hop, orchestral, live, edm,



Comparisons:

Moondrop Spaceship: Build quality is the single point that the spaceship is better than the E1000. The sound is overall thinner, timbre is really unnatural, bass quantity is on par but quality is worse, uneven male/female vocals and most of all the treble is sharp and borderline sibilant.

I am a fan of Moondrop but honestly the spaceship is bad, but at least I got the waifu box.

Tin Hifi T3: The T3 has better build and stock cable (replaceable cable too) and a better packaging (except the tips, because the Final Type E is amazing).
The T3 is brighter and can be sharp, this does make the balancing between male/female vocals worse than the E1000 but increases details a lot. Mids is better on the E1000 on quality and quantity.

T3 has more bass quantity and also quantity (although that might be due to the higher treble quantity making the details better overall). better instrument separation and soundstage on the T3. Timbre is better on the E1000, sounding much more natural due to it not having as boosted treble as the T3.

Due to the boosted treble, the signature of the T3 is Neutral-Bright while I would say that the E1000 is more “True-neutral”. Pick T3 if you want a replaceable cable, better build and bright-neutral. Pick the E1000 if you want a better value for your money and a more “true-neutral” sound.

Blon BL-03: better build quality. Fuller sounding and clearer, male/female vocal balancing is on par with E1000 but is a bit better on quality ( most likely due to the better timbre), treble is similar in quantity but sounds cleaner and more detailed on the blon, blon has much more bass quantity BUT it is also muddier and uncontrolled in comparison so the quality is better on the E1000. Overall it comes down to if you like a neutral iem or a bassier iem.



Conclusion: this is one of the best values for an iem under 100 usd, with it being one of the only “true-neutral” (my preferred neutral) and the tips that is included is worth about half the entire cost. This is a must buy if you want either a Final Type E tips, neutral iem or just a cheap bang for your buck set. Thanks for reading