final B3

After auditioning final B3 multiple times in the past 2 or 3 years, and liking them of course, I took an opportunity recently and purchased a pair at a very convenient price. Originally released in 2019 and still in full production to date, B3 retail for € 499 in EU.

Important foreword​

I feel it’s appropriate to extend an informative preamble here, you’ll understand why as you read on.

As you might (or might not?) know, the people at final do take a quite scientific approach to acoustics, and to their headphones design in consequence. If you didn’t yet, I warmly recommend you to spend a couple of hours (or more) on this article.

Until a few years ago final’s strategy line was to develop “in-ear versions” of their flagship D8000 headphones aiming at delivering something as close as possible to the “allrounder” archetipe. Such was, and still is, their E-series.

Later on, final took a different approach: investigating specific musical genres and their listeners’ preferences and/or requirements as a basis to develop IEMs focused on each particular situations.

Final A- and B- series are the results of such different strategy.

Final shared some more detail regarding their studies and consequent choices.

First and foremost they put attention on the aspect of “distance perception”.

When listening to some musical genres – namely orchestral classical or big band jazz – more than others spatiality is key. Thinking to the “real thing” (the orchestra in the theatre) you expect, and therefore you want , to “feel” their music “in a big room”, and perceive the different distance the various instruments or instrument grups are placed at from your seat, and from each other.

Oppositely, when one listens to hard rock, pop, or even small-group jazz (think to a trio in a smokey canteen) widespread 3D spacing is not important as indeed it does not correspond to “the real thing”. In such situation you indeed expect a group of voices playing physically close to one another, and what you want is not hearing them artificially scattered here or there, rather you want them to be rendered “sonically well separated” from one another.

When at a live venue of a small group you do in facts always discern the guitar from the bass and the voice even if they are all standing on a stage less than 10 square meters – such discernment capability is instead too often “lost in translation” while we listen to corresponding audio tracks.

Another key element that final focused on is what techies call the sound’s “dynamic range”.

Vulgarly translated, think to dynamic range as the number of distinguishable shades of a certain physical quantity. A box with 12 colored pencils from dark red to black is an example of a much tighter dynamic range compared to a big box of 144 Caran d’Ache, still going from dark red to same black.

Ported onto audio terms, a wider dynamic range sound is what you want to appreciate all the most minute variations Maria Callas was able to issue while warbling, or Uto Ughi can deliver from a Guarnieri del Gesù.

Oddly enough, in some cases a wider dynamic range is less desireable. Using only 12 colored pencils, in facts, it is much easier to tell a red from an orange, even if they are drawn one adjacent to the other, for the simple reason that there is apriori only “one” red and “one” orange in your palette, not a dozen different intermediate nuances of each.

When you have “a lot of space” in between two color (or sounds) spots, one blue the other red, you can have each reproduced with more subtle nuances. Oppositely if the two spots are closer to one another, or even overlapping each other, your first priority is to avoid they mix into a violet!

Thinking in these terms, orchestral music, or anyhow music composed of many “voices”, be them acoustic or electronic, coming from multiple, spread-out physical positions will better require higher space reconstruction and dynamic range capabilities.

Oppositely, music generated by very few instruments/voices/sources playing shoulder-to-shoulder will rather want all voices to be “more or less in the same spot”, and that’s when the highest available proweness in rendering them clearly distinct from one another becomes crucial.

The B series has been developed exactly thinking to such last mentioned applicative scenario: small groups acting on physically small stages, with overlapping sounds and voices – calling for relatively lesser need for “spatial amplitude” in exchange for much higher sonic separation capabilities.

This graph taken from final’s web site is at this point quite readable.



https://snext-final.com/files/topics/881_ext_08_en_0.jpg?v=1561543365

The term “Clarity” in this case is used in the sense of “being able to tell different sounds apart from one another”.

For completeness: the opposite scenario is the typical big orchestral setup, involving many voices positioned on a quite (or very!) sizeable physical stage. In such case priority #1 is rendering the amplitude of the original, real scene. Technically, translates into micro-managing sound timing, and rendering distant sounds as clean and articulated as close ones. That is final A-series ballpark, instead.

At the end of this lengthy preamble, I hope I made its very reason obvious: don’t blame your Fiat Panda turtle speed and deafening noise if your purpose is covering 50.000 KM/year on motorways, nor criticise your BMW 530 if costs your a pretty penny of gas in the messy downtown traffic.

Full Device Card​

Test setup​

Sony NW-A55 mrWalkman / Questyle QP1R / Questyle M15 / E1DA 9038SG3 / Questyle CMA-400i – Stock Final E tips – Dunu DUW-02S silver plated cable – lossless 16-24/44.1-192 FLAC and DSD 64/128/256 tracks.

Signature analysis​

Tonality

B3 are just a bit on the bright side of neutral, with a presentation I would call roughly W-shaped. The timbre is very interesting: notes are clear and bodied, detailed and meaty – not simply “analogue”, rather “organically lifelike”. Veeery different from what’s commonly called “BA timbre”.


Sub-Bass

Sub-bass reflects the inherent limitations of BA drivers: its extreme end is in facts modestly rolled off. Not a big deal for my tastes: standup bass rumble is there anyhow. I can make it a bit more evident with some light EQing, which B3 bear with a certain tranquillity.


Mid Bass

Mid bass is very good but before that it’s… surprising. The BA driver reserverd to B3’s mid and low frequencies yields solid body and relaxed-calibrated transients, delivering still fast and punchy yet – very uncommonly for a BA – textured, flowery and meaty notes. For my personal taste B3’s midbass is at times even a tad too “imperative” – first time I hear such situation on a BA driver. Again, this can be easily corrected by some light EQing.


Mids

Mids are just spectactular: moderately forward, bodied, textured, articulated. Acoustic piano, guitar and tenor sax benefit most from this tuning.


Male Vocals

Baritones on B3 sound natural if just a whiff too much bodied to come across as “totally” realistic. Tenors are better in this sense: less “flowery” then baritones while still very much organic.


Female Vocals

Opposite to the male case, female voices are very good and cured, yet a purist might say they could use a bit more butter. And that’s true, in a sense, but in such case the rest of the tones “around” the soprano would have to be adapted too, to avoid losing coherence.


Highs

One of the two BA drivers is exclusively dedicated to this segment, with the quite obvious target of delivering an engaging and detailed experience while staying rigorously south of excesses. And boy did they succeed! A very good compromise has been reached here between note body and fine granularity, livelyness and unoffensiveness.

Technicalities​

Soundstage

Unsurprisingly considering their apriori design choices, B3’s soundstage is not more than average for it price class. It is however, if modestly, extended in all directions including some depth. Caveat: stage size also depends on fit – deeper push-in = narrower scene, as always.


Imaging

All instruments are well cut-out from the ensemble – for how closed-in may it be – and realistically cast on the scene with good body, to a very organic result.


Details

Detail retrieval is very good on B3, however you shouldn’t expect a “detail monster” effect, whereby details are thrown at you as “the first thing you hear”. It’s indeed the other way around here: on the frontline you hear main-bodied notes, while back layers bring you the details that complement the sound richness.

That’s very likely the consequence of the precise tuning choices operated in particular on the trebles, where as I mentioned above an evident succeeded effort has been applied to delivered the highest possible energy while never scanting into excess and fatigue.


Instrument separation

Layering and instrument separation is arguably where B3 deliver their best. Capitalising on their timbre clarity, on the accuracy of their tonal calibration, and – why not – on particular driving hardware features, they deliver a really uncommon separation quality. If their design purpose was to render small, closed-in groups with the maximum single-voice definition, they no doubt hit the bullseye here.


Driveability

It’s not so easy to drive the B3 due to quite modest sensitivity (102dB/mw). Nothing as hard as a nasty planar however – a modestly amplified source is basically enough.

Physicals​

Build

Housings are produced by Metal Injection Moulding, a process involving mixing steel powder with another element to form a resin which is then moulded at high temperature into the desired shape. The result is solid and sturdy, and aesthetically very pleasing at least for my tastes.


Fit

A 3-contact-point fit between the housing and the outer ear has been designed by final aiming at the best compromise between wearing firmness and light stress accumulation over time.

The design idea is quite brilliant to be honest, the rationale being: you need (just) 3 grip points to obtain stability. One is the eartip umbrella, inside the canal. Another one is the housing’s short front side vs the tragus.

And the third can be any one of the possible 4 contact spots between the housing’s shaped back side and the concha – depending on one’s ear particular shape that of course will happen on one or another position. I would say that for my experience it works as intended.

What I just find sub-ideal is the nozzle length which is a tad too short and makes tip selection pickier than it should. In my case the working trick luckily “just” stays in choosing a bigger size for my left ear: that gets me a firm grip and seal even if the tip stops “just in” the canal, relieving the need to push the housings too much into my left concha.


Comfort

B3’s particular housings size, their 3-point-fit design, and their external finish all contribute to a good comfort once I found my right “personal” position.


Isolation

Passive isolation is quite nice once B3 are properly fitted, but not more than that as the housings are not designed to “fill up” the concha, which would of course block more of the leak.


Cable

Stock cable is Final C106, a Junkosha silver plated copper with fixed 3.5 termination – it’s the same cable bundled as stock on A8000 and E5000. I recently focused how sonically limited such cable is – it’s at best on par with some quite cheap chifi alternatives, with the bad difference of it retailing for like 200$ when purchased alone.

In addition to that no modular termination plugs are available, so pairing B3 to a balanced source requires swapping it anyhow. To this day in 2023, and for packages like B3 starting to cost around 500$ list, I think final could do better.

After some cable rolling for my experience better stay on silver plated – pure copper “combs” B3’s trebles a bit too much – so I find Dunu DUW-02S an adequate quality option for B3. Compared to stock layering and note contouring get obviously better, and bass is better defined, less flowery.

Specifications (declared)​

Comparisons​

I’ll list a few comparisons down here, trying to be (for once) quite succint while hopefully informative enough

final B1 (€699 EU list)​

Insofar as another member of the B-series, B1 follows the same apriori musical pairing indications as B3. Featuring a Dynamic driver in the mid & low frequencis in lieu of B3’s BA driver, B1’s timbre is full and lush, tonality is obviously warm and V-shaped, their bass is viscerally deep and authoritative (even too much), mids are more recessed, and trebles are relaxed. If B3 pleases those like me longing for organic, unadultered acoustic renditions, B1 obviously caters to people liking bass-colored, energetic playbacks. B1 is also very tricky to drive, requiring much more current than most portable sources are able to deliver, and when underbiased they sound dark and quite ugly (E5000, anyone?).

final F7200 (€ 469 EU list)​

To me F7200 are [even more] specialised drivers, particularly dedicated to vocal performances like songwriters singers etc. Pretty much the single best driver I ever heard on that application. B3 offer more bodied, natural and more extended bass, and a bit better trebles.

Intime Miyabi (JPY 21000 + import costs)​

Miyabi offer a more “classical-all-rounder” presentation with stronger bass personality, and those unique piezo-trebles-without-piezo-timbre. A close call on layering and separation with the edge probably in Miyabi’s favour, if not by much. Mids are better on B3, which also deliver “silkier” notes all over the spectrum, but cost twice as much.

final A5000 (€ 299 EU list)​

As I tried to outline in the foreword up above, A-series stems from a polar-opposite design intention (rendering big bands instead of small groups) – no wonder then how B3 and A5000 sound different like day and night. A5000 draws a much wider space, and cast instruments all over it with a lot of clean air in-between one another. Notes are dryer on A5000 all accross the spectrum, its timbre is leaner, detail retrieval is “more upfront”. High mids and trebles may be “hot” for some on A5000, which do react very positively to EQ however. TL;DR: A5000 and B3 are fundamentally “complementary”.

iBasso IT04 (€ 499,00)​

IT04, too, feature particular proweness on layering / separation, and prefer casting a more intimate scene with band elements imaged as more closed-in to one another. A very good job was done on IT04 bringing the 3 BA driver’s tonality close to their DD one, which however deprives IT04 of that little % of “treble life” which is there on B3 instead. IT04 has an open-V shape, warm-ish presentation in lieu of B3’s more W-shaped, bright-neutral one.

Oriveti OH500 (€ 499,00)​

OH500 offer a U-shaped, warmer presentation compared to B3. Both ends (bass and treble) are more evident on OH500. Layering, separation and detail retrieval are better on B3, more so in the low end. OH500 are (even) pickier to drive then B3.

Dunu EST112 (€ 489,00)​

EST112 has slower and fuzzier (bur more visceral) bass, not as full vocals and a bit more tamed trebles (which are in my books EST112 Achille’s heel tbh) compare to B3. Stage casting is a bit wider on EST112, layering is better on B3.

Considerations & conclusions​

B3’s main cyphre is realism. When applied to the music they were designed for they gift their owner a stunning sense of physical presence on the scene. Instruments and players are cast near you such that you can almost reach out and touch them.

Even more importantly, B3 deliver a note discernment capability over the music being played which gets surprisingly close to that of your own ears when you are sitting in the front lines of a live venue. All of this paired with a deliciously organic timbre on a bright-neutral tonality.

As my eighteen readers know I am not a collector. Life is too short, and I have too little free time to spend any of that on second-best options, when I am lucky enough to have more than one availalble. B3 are part of my (very) short best-option list.

This article originally appeared on audioreviews.org, here.

P.S. – for the record: as any truly affectionated user knows spelling, “final Co., Ltd.” lowercase (“final”) is not a typo

One Bright and One Thick



Final Audio is back once again, this time with their B3 and B2 IEMs, both of which are interesting. They are priced at 500 USD, and 300 USD, so the comparisons with include FiiO FH7, IMR R2 Aten, TheCustomArt Fibae Black, for B3, and for B2, FiiO FA7, HIFIMAN RE800 Silver and UFO EAR 112 IEMs. As far as pairings go, we're going for something more modest, including FiiO M11, iBasso DX160, Shanling M2x, Opus #3, HIDIZS AP80 and Earmen TR-AMP.



Introduction

Final Audio has come to show us how a true masterpiece from Japan looks like, and they managed to impress the entire world, by keeping face while having the exact same package for many generations of IEMs, starting with their E4000 and E5000. They are known for being very supportive of their fans and customers, and in Japan they have a strong following, employing Waifus to give virtual tours of their shops, and being present at every large convention there. They will provide direct warranty and support, and they are also represented by some local sellers, so you can get quicker, and more reliable support, especially if you don't like delayed shipping times.

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. I'd like to thank Final Audio for providing the sample for this review. This review reflects my personal experience with Final B 2 and B 3. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Final B Two and B Three find their next music companion.



About me

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/about.html



Packaging

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

I always loved the Japanese art of making things aesthetic, and they never cease to amaze. Even some of the most trivial things can be fun to unbox and explore, and if you read my review on Final E5000, you know I've been a fan of their packages for a few years now.

The package is the same as the one for Final B1, which I already reviewed, and they have all the basics narrowed down, but there's not much extra. The tips included with both are Final Tips, and those are some of the most comfortable tips out there, on par with the Spinfit tips included with Dunu DK-4001, DK-3001 PRO, and Lime Ears Model X.











I sometimes wish that Final Audio would include something a bit more practical for a carrying case, because the default rubber carrying case is not the most practical solution, and actually is quite easy to open and the IEMs may fall out. This being said, the case protects them really well from drops and impacts, and if you like a forward design, it is different from anything that's out there at the moment.

There are ear guides included in the package, for those of you who may get a better comfort using those, but I personally have a much poorer comfort when using them, and I prefer using the IEMs as they come.



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

https://www.audiophile-heaven.com/p/what-to-lookl.html



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

There are two key differences between B 2 and B 3, and you should keep in mind that B3 is the better of the two in every way, including cable, and build quality.

Those two key differences are the tech inside, as B3 is a networkless, so no crossover, 2BA design, while B2 is a 1-BA design, and the cables included with each. Only by holding them side-by-side you notice that the finish is also slightly different, with B2 having a gunmetal finish, while B3 is more of a frost silver finish. Both are kind of silvery and neither isn't particularly glossy.



I noticed that there's going to be more headroom in B3, and if you are one to EQ or tweak your sound, B3 will manage to sound better than B2. This also means that B3 will hold its ground a bit better at loud volumes. Those are tested things about those two IEMs, not necessarily general rules about the number of drivers.

I did notice a trend though, as with TheCustomArt Fibae Black, which had a pretty limited headroom in both maximum volume, and in terms of how much EQ it could take.

B1 is even more different and stands out with its beautiful mirror finish, the high-quality cable, and with the sound that overtakes B3 and B2 in terms of detail, clarity and overall tuning.

The comfort is awesome with both B2 and B3, the cable is more flexible, but feels lower quality on B2, and if you have them side-by-side, you notice this a lot, but you may also notice it from the photos, B3 having that unique braided cable, while B2 has a very bland black thin cable.



Neither of the cables doesn't carry any microphonic noise, and both offer great comfort, although when switching between them, since I had both, the cable of B3 does sound a bit cleaner, more crisp, and also a touch brighter.

Final B2 has a higher sensitivity of about 109dB, and a higher impedance of 41 OHMs, which makes it easier to drive, and which makes it sound better from entry-level sources, including smartphones, or ultraportable DAPs like FiiO's M5, Shanling M0, or HIDIZS AP80.

On the other hand, Final B3 gets a lower sensitivity 102dB, and it also gets a lower impedance of 19 OHM. This means that B3 is more sensitive to hiss, so DAPs like Hiby R6 are not recommended, but DAPs like FiiO M9, FiiO M11, Shanling M2X, xDuoo X20, and Opus #2 should work flawlessly. Final B3 is not hard to drive, but I noticed that it does sound better from a good source, and I noticed that it can reveal hiss and noise, since testing it with HPA-3U did reveal noise, but it also revealed that Earmen TR-AMP is silent.



Both IEMs have the same comfort, and it is the same comfort as B1, both feel nicely when over-the-ear, both are modest in size, so they should work for both medium and smaller ears, and neither doesn't have pointy edges that may cut into your ear during usage. I noticed that both IEMs have a moderate level of passive noise isolation, neither isn't Etymotic ER4XR, but neither isn't quite as open as Final E5000, or Audeze iSine20. Both have a moderate level of leaking, so blasting them full-volume in a library may not be the best idea, and neither isn't quite as silent as FiiO FH7.

Overall, both are comfy, and both make good outdoors IEMs, and you can use them nicely indoors as well, provided you don't have to keep silent for a baby, and you don't have a really really noisy environment and you don't need to listen really quiet.



Sound Quality

B3 is a Natural / Bright-ish experience, with a wide soundstage, excellent instrument separation, clear and accurate, with a slightly rolled off sub-bass, and with great dynamics.



I should clarify this from the get-go, as I mentioned that there's a lack of headroom, that's only if you blast B3 so loud it makes you think you'll need hearing aids. For normal listening volumes, they have enough, and they also take some EQ without distorting, so there's no real issue there.

The bass is what I'd call a mixed bag. Where for B2, the highlight was it's bass, for B3 the bass is probably its weakest point, because while it is ever so slightly bumped above the midrange, it lacks some of that sub-low extension that you may be looking for in a traditional V-Shaped IEM. This is why I consider B3 to be a natural bright-ish IEM, rather than a full V-Shaped one. Besides the sub-lows lacking some extension and impact, B3 has a beautiful main bass body, and a recessed upper bass, which leaves enough space and creates a good balance for the mids.

The mids are natural, not exactly forward in presence, but not really recessed either. The tonality is slightly bright, and also slightly wet, which works well for all music, from rock, to pop, to EDM. I'm not a big fan of dry-sounding IEMs and headphones, as most people fear BA Drivers will sound like, but in my experience only Etymotic ER3 and ER4 IEMs sounded really dry, most of the other BA-designs can sound really wet and natural. Back to B3, they have a huge soundstage, combined with excellent imaging and layering, which makes me really pop them more often in my ears.

The treble is also a highlight for them, because it has good extension, also has a wet / soft presentation, and compliments the bass and the midrange quite well, by not having too forward of a presence. This was an issue with really bright IEMs, and even with V-Shaped IEMs that have too much treble, but happily with B3, I never get tired of their presentation. They also have great accuracy and a clear sound. Overall, they can be considered pretty musical as well, especially for electric guitars, where they sound sweet and refined.



Portable Usage

Portability is great for both IEMs, and you could easily enjoy both out of a portable source, and if you're a bit more daring, you could even bring a DAC/AMP like iFi Q5s, iFi xDSD, or xDuoo XD-10 Poke to the fight.



Since neither isn't exactly an Etymotic of isolation, I consider them great for portability, you want something that has a fair degree of isolation for usage while on a walk, but you don't want to be entirely cut from the outside world, or you could run into an accident. On the other hand, the leakage is low enough to not bother others if you used them while on public transport, but both B3 and B2 have some leakage.

The best part about both is that they are made to last, the construction quality is so awesome that you won't have to ask about what the warranty is like.As a proof, I have a pair of Final E2000 and a pair of Final E4000 from a few years ago, when I reviewed them, and they have been used daily, but still hold up, and the B series is even better made than the E series.

The little ear guide thingies may prove handy if you're prone to discomfort while using IEMs, but I personally had better overall comfort with the B series if used as they are, I personally get a great fit with the bare cable touching my ears.

A good point to remember is that neither IEM doesn't have a driver flex, so you can easily use them for jogging, running, and other activities.



Youtube Video

Final Audio B3:



Comparisons

The list of comparisons includes two parts, one where I compare Final B2 with FiiO FH7, IMR R2 Aten, and TheCustomArt Fibae Black, and one where I compare B2 with FiiO FA7, HIFIMAN RE800 Silver, and UFO Ear 112 IEMs.



Final B3 vs FiiO FH7 (500 USD vs 450 USD) - Final B3 is priced pretty close to FH7, which made me add the comparison to my review, but in all honest, when you look at the package, the artistic and user-friendly approach of Final is quite outmatched by the very complete package of FH7. The comfort is a bit better on B3 thanks to its smaller body size and shape. The overall headroom is much better on FH7, if you're an EQ fan, or if you like to blast your IEMs loud. You get a different sound though, especially with FH7 having filters included in the package, but both follow the same main sonic signature, a brighter one. B3 has a bit of sub-bass roll-off, while FH7 extends better in the sub-lows. The upper midrange is a bit more forward on B3. The main midrange is softer, with a more wet character on FH7. The treble extends better on FH7, especially in the upper highs, but it has an ever so slightly softer character on B3. From the two, FH7 is more revealing, has more clarity and detail, and also a larger soundstage. More headroom as well, so you can blast them louder, EQ them and fine tune them. B3 has a more beautiful design, and arguably, they also have a slightly more natural midrange, FiiO FH7 is actually a bit colder and if you don't like a more analytic sound, B3 may suit your preferences better.

Final B3 vs TheCustomArt Fibae Black (500 USD vs 510 USD) - TheCustomArt Fibae Black has a single BA driver, but with a complex acoustic room behind, made to squeeze the most out of its single Ba driver. This makes it really limited in terms of headroom, so you cannot listen to it too loud, and you cannot EQ it at all. B3 feels like a chad, allowing for quite a larger headroom. The comfort is better for B3, and so is the overall package, although, Fibae Black and TheCustomArt IEMs in general can be made as customs, rather than universals, which makes them isolate better, and would offer a more well-fitted experience. The universal version of Fibae Black has some void, making it hard to recommend if you're into a lighter more comfortable IEM. Fibae Black has a tuning that's considerably more similar to Final B2, rather than B3, as Fibae Black is dark-ish, has a thick, warm sound with a strong bottom end, and from there it rolls off, the midrange being placed behind the bass, and the treble being even more remote, making the entire sound very smooth, and fatigue-free. This makes Fibae Black a really good IEM for those who want an intimate, rich experience with a lush mid, and natural tonality, while B3 is considerably brighter, more open, has a much larger soundstage, more instrument separation, and also a more revealing sound.

Final B3 vs IMR R2 Aten (500 USD vs 500 USD) - The package is similar between the two, both having some disadvantages, and neither being perfect. For the most part, IMR R2 Aten is a larger IEM, but in the end both are pretty similar in comfort. In terms of leakage, R2 leaks more, and also isolates less than B3, which feels like a pretty closed IEM by direct comparison. The soundstage is large on both, and both are the wide type, both having similar depth as well. The thing that differentiates them the most is the main signature, which is natural - bright for B3, and aggressively V-Shaped for IMR R2 Aten, which is a very strong bottom end and a very strong upper midrange / lower treble. This makes R2 Aten stand out better if you enjoy contrast, an explosive exposition, and more impact, while B3 feels more natural, the midrange is recessed less, and feels more universal, easier to recommend for someone who leans towards a cold and bright signature, but who also enjoys a sweeter midrange with less colouring.



Recommended Pairings

The pairings list will include iBasso DX160, Earmen TR-AMP and FiiO M11 for Final Audio B3, and Opus #3, Shanling M2X, HIDIZS AP80 for Final Audio B2. I prioritised sources that are really silent and quiet in terms of hissing, for Final B3, and I prioritised sources that are ideally brighter, or have high quality EQ within, for Final B2. This should compliment both the best, and result in the most pleasing listening experience.



I have started adding the prices of each, so you have a clearer picture of what every one of them does, you can click on the names for the full review as well. I avoid that 399 USD price point and write it as 400, for example, because it makes the titles and sums easier to read in my reviews. Neither doesn't scale very much with sources above their price point, which is good to keep in mind, as there are IEMs and headphones that scale a lot with the source, especially those very sensitive, or those who prefer a certain source type.

Final Audio B3 + Earmen TR-AMP (500 USD + 250 USD) - The TR-AMP is the thing that took the world by surprise, in a very literal way. It has the power to even drive HE6SE from HIFIMAN, it is able to keep it's cool and be hiss-free with IEMs, and it has a reliable build. If I had any complaints with it, those were about the original USB cable it came with, because it didn't work for data at all, but Earmen confirmed that it is a charging cable only. With B3, you will hear a very natural and well-controlled midrange, you have a large soundstage, and although you don't have any EQ or enhancements, you get the performance of B3 in all its beauty. The best part about TR-AMP is that although it is single ended only, so you don't need to get aftermarket balanced cables, you do get to experience a sound that's better than most entry-level devices can offer even through a balanced connection.

Final Audio B3 + FiiO M11 (500 USD + 460 USD) - And as I was talking about Balanced and Single Ended, M11 pops up, and this is the first time in this entire review when I will tell you that you may want to upgrade the cables of B3. Although the default cables are excellent for ergonomics, and also have a nice sound, if you're using them with a source that sounds much better on Balanced, B3 will be better off with different cables. M11 is a slightly bright source, but that works well if you wanted to get a brighter sound from B3, and didn't want to tone it down. I actually don't mind a brighter sound, after all I am a fan of HIFIMAN Sundara, and this is why I liked B3 to begin with. All in all, the pairing is like made in heaven, no hiss, M11 has Tidal and even DSD decoding, making it a great DAP.

Final Audio B3 + iBasso DX160 (500 USD + 400 USD) - I always admired iBasso for being able to keep up with FiiO and always providing a good alternative. Especially for those who wanted a DAP that's as good as a DX150, but less pricey, and for all of you who didn't want to bother with interchangeable AMP modules, iBasso made the dX160, with MQA, Tidal, very quick hardware, and a sound to die for. The sonic signature of DX160 makes B3 sound a bit more natural than its usual, makes it a bit warmer, a bit more natural, and a bit more gentle, so it takes away any digital traces, or harshness or too much brightness.



Value and Conclusion

You probably knew from the start, and by looking at the prices of both, that neither isn't necessarily a value IEM, and if you wanted great value, you could probably explore Chifi a bit more, rather than looking at a Japanese producer. Priced at 500 USD for Final B3, and 300 USD for Final B2, they are a fair value, and the value is given more by the beautiful aesthetic, unboxing experience, reliable support, build quality, comfort, and sound quality, so the whole product as a whole, rather than the sonic quality alone, as it is for some Chifi IEMs.



The unboxing experience is always downright awesome with Final Audio, and you never wonder why you went with them, plus, although they don't have many extras, like secondary cables, they do have a very stylish and unique carrying case, and they come with Final Tips, which are some of the best in the world. The Final tips are developed by Final Audio, so their IEMs are best tuned to work with those tips.

When you consider the comfort and the build quality, Final B3 has been one of the IEMs that got the most head time from me in the past few months thanks to its excellent comforty, and easy-to-drive nature. This being said, if I was downright honest, I was never satisfied with the sound I got from it and my smartphone, a Xiaomi Mi Max 3, so I usually ended up using it with either the Earmen TR-AMP, or FiiO BTR5. Final B2 has the same great comfort, but I could actually use it with my smartphone, and am really happy with the result, especially as it doesn't scale very much.



The sound is colder, wider, and more analytical, coming from the Final B3, and you'd be hard pressed to find something that manages to sound this natural in the mids, while having that wide stage, and that sparkly treble, while B2 is a thicker, more intimate IEM that has a really soft attack, which makes them lack precision, but that lush and rich midrange, with a natural tonality will make it the favorite of those who enjoy a honest and natural sound more than the more analytical B3.



At the end of this review, if you're looking for a durable, and comfortable IEM, one that has a wide stage, excellent detail and clarity, one that has a natural-bright-ish tonality, yet manages to be a consistent V-Shaped experience, and one that has excellent layering, you would totally enjoy Final B3.



Also, at the end of this review, if you're looking for a comfortable IEM, that has an intimate soundstage, yet exceptional imaging, one that has a more lush and rich-organic tonality, and manages to keep the treble smoother, with a warm, bassy presentation, and has a well-controlled bass, you would totally enjoy Final B2, the less pricey IEM from their B series.



Full Playlist used for this review

While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.

Youtube Playlist



Tidal Playlist

https://listen.tidal.com/playlist/64555551-ec3c-4279-ae44-248fdfcf6c4b

Song List

Bats - Gamma Ray Burst: Second Date
Eskimo Callboy - Frances
Incubus - Summer Romance
Electric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Attack Attack - Kissed A Girl
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
Escape The Fate - Gorgeous Nightmare
SOAD - Chop Suey
Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory
Machinae Supremacy - Need For Steve
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Wanna Stop
Crow'sclaw - Loudness War
Eminem - Rap God
Stromae - Humain À L'eau
Sonata Arctica - My Selene
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
Dope - Addiction
Korn - Word Up!
Papa Roach - ... To be Loved
Fever The Ghost - Source
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Mindless Self Indulgence - London Bridge
A static Lullaby - Toxic
Royal Republic - Addictive
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods
We Came As Romans - My Love
Skillet - What I Believe
Man With A Mission - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Yasuda Rei - Mirror
Mojo Juju - Must Be Desire
Falling Up - Falling In Love
Manafest - Retro Love
Rodrigo Y Grabriela - Paris
Zomboy - Lights Out
Muse - Resistance
T.A.T.U & Rammstein - Mosaku
Grey Daze - Anything, Anything
Katy Perry - Who Am I Living For
Maroon 5 - Lucky Strike
Machinae Supremacy - Killer Instinct
Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
Sirenia - Lithium And A Lover
Saving Abel - Addicted
Hollywood Undead - Levitate
The Offspring - Special Delivery
Escape The Fate - Smooth
Samsara Blues Experiment - One With The Universe
Dope - Rebel Yell
Crazy Town - Butterfly
Silverstein - My Heroine
Memphis May Fire - Not Over Yet

I hope my review is helpful to you!

---















---

Specifications

• Housing: Stainless steel (frost silver)
• Driver: 2BA (Networkless)
• Sensitivity: 102 dB
• Impedance: 19 Ω
• Weight: 36g
• Cable: 1.2m; MMCX Connector; OFC silver coated wire

Price may vary depending on the region and currency exchange, but a rough estimate is U$450~500.
Can be found at Amazon JP
Credits to the final team for arranging the B3 for the limited time of review.

Official final B3 page.

The box is not very different from the E series just a bit renewed with a more elegant and discreet look. All white hard cardboard box with a simple hassle free presentation. The logo and writing are all printed in gold color at the front and sides of the box, while the specifications are on the back side in a few languages. Inside it is very simple, the now usual silicone round case holding the B3 inside and a small plastic bag with final E tips in all the fives sizes, a pair of soft ear guides in clear color and exta films that apparently should be used to remove the MMCX cables safely (haven’t tried that yet). Now, despite having the same black round silicone case, the carabiner clip which supposed to be attached to it is missing. The case itself is convenient to carry the earphones without occupying much space, though for the higher price of these new B series a nicer case and extra ear tips could be added to match the competition.

Design

The new final B series follow a formula that mixes a very solid build quality and attractive design. The shape is not specifically new for the B series as has already appeared on the Make series, but still just the second of the final line adopting a fixed over-ear wearing design for in-ear type earphones. Like the E5000 model as the current highest model of the E series, both B1 and B3 are made of tough stainless steel housings and just differing in the outer finish and color theme applied. Here the B3 gets the “frost silver” color in a more matte finish; still shiny but not like the mirror like E5000, so less prone to show scratches over its metal surface.
The shells consist of two pieces made of thick and weighty stainless steel material and are very well attached, apparently by only the two screws, one on the outer piece and one on the inner one. There is also what a small hole on the inner part which is probably meant to work as a vent, though not sure of its use in a pure balanced armature driver setup. The shape on the B3 has various corners that while being smoother and more rounded at the inner part, they are noticeably sharper on the outside. The ‘polygonal’-like shape does not imply a better or worse fit; however, they are sharp corners that make the whole new design less comfortable and potentially will be difficult to wear for some. Honestly, it could have been a same very cool design by just having a bit more rounded shape. This is something that could be compared with the Campfire Audio earphones, a nice design but average in fit and comfort. It also reminds of the Dunu DK-3001 that with all steel housings still found dislikes among many users due the sharp shape.

The nozzle is not too long and with the standard silicone tips – E tips – the fit is a bit shallow. The earpieces do sit securely on the outer ear. They are not too large but will depend on each ear size how snugly will they fit. Isolation is around average or a bit above, good for everyday use, but not meant to block loud background noises.

Interestingly, the MMCX sockets are placed in a certain exiting angle from the housings, nothing that affects the fit of the earphones anyway. The cable itself is the same one included on the E5000 and MAKE1. Silver-plated oxygen free copper (OFC) wires. Four separated strands each of them holding two twisted thin OFC wires inside. The inner two wires are covered by a thin tubes of PFA material, while the outer sheath is made of PVC – all translucent. Worth noting that the silver-plated had shown no signs of oxidation, and based on the E5000 cable it should keep the same quality after long periods of use. The cable is also flexible and easy to fit inside the round silicone case, however shows some cable noise when moving around, though much less noticeable with the strict over-ear fit versus the E5000 with straight down fit.

The MMCX connectors are of standard type so can be replaced by any aftermarket matching cable. The MMCX plugs, 3.5mm stereo plug and y-split are covered by small metal tubes with the mirror-like finish. Red and black rings are added to differentiate the right and left sides. They arrived already attached and the MMCX connection seems to be very good. There are no strain relieves on the MMCX and y-split, but the cable is very soft anyway. The 3.5mm plug has a flexible relief as it is a more critical section despite the L-shaped plug.


Sound Quality

Sources: iBasso DX220 & AMP9, HiBy R6 Pro & R5, Shanling M5s.
IEM: final E5000, E4000; FLC 8N; iBasso IT04; DK-3001 Pro; Campfire Audio IO; Fibae 3 & Black.

On the technical side, the final B3 is a pure BA in-ear set. Sitting in the middle of the recently released B series, this model includes two Balanced Armature units; clueless why it is marked as B3 if the B1 is the higher model and B2 the lower one. As can be understood from the final company description these are two separated drivers with no implemented crossover – “networkless”, as described. This might be new a take for some, where usually two drivers are either packed as a dual BA in a single unit or adopt an external electronic crossover circuit.

Regardless, what really matters is the actual product sound tuning rather than any specific tech implemented inside. This is not the first IEM I tried from final, but it is the first BA based one. The E4000 and E5000 are both single dynamic drivers, and even the B1 is a hybrid 1D + 1BA. Each of these sounds rather different and yet seem to share a well achieved tuning; musical and engaging midrange with good sense of dynamism.

On to the B3 itself, there is no info shared about the Balanced Armatures models applied, but if following the previous Heaven series, they might be easily own final made drivers, or at least specifically tuned by the company itself. The sound could be described as slightly mid-centered with good addition of bass and treble to complete a nice well balanced presentation, where there is not much of emphasis on a certain area (unlike the E4000 or E5000) but not missing either. It is also more oriented to overall clarity but not by being too linear or clinical when presenting little details.

The low-end is managed by one of the drivers and clearly shows the qualities of the armature types, with their pros, and cons as well. A single BA might be considered as not best suited for low frequencies, however the bass on the B3 is presented with very good dynamics and texture. Quantity is above neutral, not just as bit north of neutrality but actually showing good impact with decent lift on mid-bass and even enjoyable rumble when it appears on the music track. It is also dense and thicker in texture with fuller body, giving more realistic weight on notes. More ‘dynamic’ sounding than just a BA. This is also reflected on the bass speed – it is fast as armature types but not that quick in attack, instead, more natural and better paced in decay. Still as an armature driver it is tight and very controlled with great precision, and yes, limited in low-end extension, depth with a bit if roll-off on the lowest sub-bass (usually the reason to go for ‘hybrid’ setups).

The midrange is forward – not too mid-centered as there is good balance and presence of lows and highs, but it is highlighted on the B3. This is the fourth in-ear earphones from final I have listened to, and while each of them has its own particular tuning, the midrange is always very nicely tuned. On the B3, the main priority may be the clarity and it is clearly noticed on the midrange very detailed, airy and resolving at this price range. While it is forward it is not too thick or colored; very articulated with good dynamics in a BA way with a touch of musicality. The balance goes a bit more towards the upper midrange - lower midrange has good texture and weight, but the upper area is more forward. Female vocals sound more emphasized without sibilance or harshness.

The treble is bright and energetic on the lower part, along with the upper-mids, yet showing very good control. There is no hint of grain, nor a peak on the lower treble. It is well rounded and even a bit smooth despite the bright tilt. The extension is a bit limited on the upper treble, not very unlike the sub-bass, though overall it is still well balanced for mid-tier level.

The soundstage is nothing out of average in terms of dimensions, and has been clearly stated by own final description graph of the sound being towards narrow next to the other models. Even when paired with the iBasso DX220 player which impress with soundstage and extension, the B3 is somehow limited in that regard.

Still, the presentation is airy and very detailed. It may a be a very full sounding IEM, at least of BA types, yet shows good transparency when paired with different sources. In brief, with the Shanling M5s as one of the most neutral and linear DAPs, the B3’s sound is more neutral and flat, softer in lows impact and treble energy but with a very detailed midrange and particularly beautiful with some upper string and brass instruments. On HiBy R6 Pro there is more bass presence, especially on the sub-bass rumble, and brighter treble with more aggressive/forward presentation. The iBasso DX220, with stock AMP1 MKII, gives the best balance and weight; lower mids are more equal with upper mids having more body on male and lower instruments. All of these with just 3.5mm single output as that’s how the B3 arrives with.