final E4000

Introduction
Final audio is the Japanese hi-end audio brand, they release the budget earphone E2000 & E3000 back in 2017, which let them became famous in the audio market. In this review I am checking out their follow up versions E4000 & E5000, which retail for $149 & $269USD, the driver configuration are both 1DD.




Disclaimer
I purchased it from the Minidisc Australia myself for retail price, and the review will be based on my honest opinion through the music I listen to.

As both of E4000&E5000 were purchased years ago, my apologies if some of the unboxing part, and accessories images will be lost or present in different way.


Package & Accessories
Both of the E4000 & E5000 share the moderate size package, the package are simple and minimalistic, it come with the white cardboard box, with brand name, model name and other information on front cover, whereas the specifications in multi language at the back, take off the cover, there are the black cardboard box with flip to open design, it content the carry case with earphone inside, ear tips and accessories beside.




Accessories list (They both come with same accessories)
1 pair x of final E5000 / E4000 IEM
5 pairs x E type Silicone Eartips (SS/S/M/L/LL)
1 pair x of Ear hook
1 pcs x Silicone Carry case
1 pcs x Karabiner





The accessories it come with are simple but useful, the carry case are made by silicone material with flip to open design, it allow the user to store pair of IEM. It also come with the karabiner for user the hook the carry case on the bag or something.







It come with 5 pairs of famous Final E type ear tips, the E type ear tips can swing into the ear canal, and give the user good level of fits. It also come with additional pair of ear hooks while wearing it over ear.





E4000 cable
It come with the typical rubber-ish finish OFC cable. It has 3.5 mm L angled connector in metal shell, with brand logo on it. It features the MMCX connector with black and red indicators and additional L&R label to show left and right. The Y-splitter are finish in plastic shell as well as the MMCX male connector. The cable slider are finish in black plastic material. It is overall normal but usable cable.



E5000 cable
It come with the 2 core high-purity OFC silver coated cables that, it has L angled connector in mirror finish metal shell, with brand logo on it. It features the MMCX connector with black and red indicators and additional L&R label to show left and right. The Y-splitter are finish in mirror finish metal shell as well as the MMCX male connector. The cable slider are finish in transparent plastic material. It is overall slightly hard and fancy cable in silver finish.




Design & Build & Comfort
The E4000 and E5000 share same bullet type of shell design, the E4000 has black painted finish, whereas the E5000 has mirror finish. There are brand name and model name label on each side of the earpieces. The L&R indicators are located at bottom of the earpieces to show Left and right, while brand logo are printed at the rear side of each ear pieces. There are the acoustic resistor located in rear side of IEM, the small vent at bottom rear is design for this acoustic resistor.






Image from Snext-Final audio website

The build are both really well done for its price range, the E4000 is made by aluminum, while the E5000 is made by the stainless steel. They both feel durable, and have high standards rounded and smoothed finish. They both have the short plastic nozzle with the paper filter. The MMCX connectors on both of it is really tight, and do not have sign of wear and tear after I swapped few times of cable.




The fits of this bullet type IEM, is really depends on the ear tips, thankful, the final audio offer the Final E type tips, the E type tips provide decent good of fits and isolation. The E5000 are definitely more heavy than the E4000, the cable on E5000 is heavy as well, so it may be more comfortable to wear it cable up or over ear with the ear hooks provided. The E4000 has slightly better fits than the E5000, so it can be wear in cable down while walking without tear off.






Technical specifications:
Driver Configuration: 6.4mm Dynamic
Impedance: 14Ω
Sensitivity: 93dB


Sound

Paring
I use the M size ear tips with the stock cable, run through my music library on Fiio M11.




Tonality
The E4000 has mildly U shape tonality, it presented in smooth yet engaging manner.
The E5000 has U shape tonality, it presented in warm and natural manner.

Bass
The E5000 has more sub bass quantity than E4000, while the E4000 has moderate amount of sub bass. The E4000 has moderate extension and decay speed. The E5000 has above average extension and decay speed. The E4000 bass give average amount of impact, rumble and punch, whereas the E5000 did the better jobs on both of rumble and punch. They above both has average detail and clarity, but E5000 presented in slightly warm and full bodies manner, while the E4000 presented in slightly clean but still smooth manner. The E4000 has slightly better speed at bass, but the E5000 has better control. Overall the bass on E5000 are warm and smooth, while the E4000 has clean and quicker decay bass.

Mids
The mid range on both are warm and natural, but the E5000 has more lusher and warmer presentation. The lower mids on both of them has good amount of bodies and depth, but E5000 take more thicker and lusher notes, while the E4000 take more clear and clean notes. The upper mids on both have average transparency levels, the E4000 sound more lively and energetic, whereas the E5000 sound more warmer and natural. The mid range sound slightly warm and energetic on E4000, whereas the E5000 has more bodies, sound significantly lusher and warmer. Even with the warm tonality mids, the E5000 still has good level of detail retrieval and transparency than E4000.

Treble
The treble has more body on E5000 presented more toward the natural manner, while the E4000 feel bit more airy but still presented laid back manner. The treble has moderate extension on E4000, whereas the E5000 has better extension. The treble has average detail on E4000 with moderate clarity, while the E5000 has more detail but less clarity because of the warm tonality. There are good amount of sparkle and airy in the treble for both of them, but the E5000 has more sparkle, while the E4000 feel slightly more airy.

Soundstage and imaging
The E5000 has average width with, feel slightly more width than E4000, and both have average depth.
The imaging and separation on E5000 are above average, the E4000 are slightly toward just an average.



Comparison
E4000
IKKO OH1 ($139USD)

Bass
The sub bass has better decay and extension on the OH1, while the quantity are tad more on the E4000. The bass has more quantity on the E4000, and it has warmer presentation compare to cleaner and thicker presentation on OH1. The bass has better speed and control on the OH1, while both of them have similar amount of rumble, but the OH1 provide better punch and impact to it. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on OH1.

Mids
The midrange are more recessed on the OH1, the E4000 has lusher and fuller presentation compare to dryer and cleaner presentation on OH1. The lower midrange has more bodies on the E4000, it sound noticeably thicker compare to OH1. The upper midrange has the good emphasis on OH1, which offer the more lively presentation, whereas the E4000 has fuller and more natural presentation. The OH1 has better clarity, transparency and detail in the midrange.

Treble
The treble has slightly better extension on OH1, while the E4000 are more laid back and darker. The OH1 has more open and dryer treble presentation, while the E4000 has more bodies in treble and sound less attacked. The treble has more sparkle and crisp expression on OH1. The treble has better detail, clarity, and airiness on OH1.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage feel more opener on OH1, the OH1 did slightly better job on imaging.


BQEYZ Spring 1 ($139 USD)

Bass
The sub bass has slightly more quantity on E4000, the quality are both pretty well, but the Spring1 has slightly better extension and decay. The bass has more amount on the E4000, the Spring1 has better impact and punch, both has good amount of rumble. The Spring1 does slightly better jobs on clarity and speed, both of them has good speed and well control.

Mids
The mid range are both smooth and well balanced. The lower mids has more bodies and slightly more depth on E4000, both of them presented it in clean and natural manner, while the E4000 are lusher and fuller in comparison. The upper mids on Spring1 sound more forward and lively, while the E4000 sound smoother and more relax. The Spring1 has better clarity and transparency. Both have good level of detail.

Treble
The treble on E4000 are warmer and smoother, whereas the Spring1 are clearer and brighter. The treble has good extension on both, but Spring1 did tad better. The Spring1 offer better clarity, airiness, and transparency in treble. The detail are better on Spring1. Spring 1 has more sparkle in the treble as well.

Soundstage and imaging
The sound stage are tad better on Spring1.
The imaging are better on Spring1.


Dunu SA3 ($139)

Bass
The E4000 has more sub bass and bass quantity compare to SA3. The sub bass has better extension on E4000 with slower decay. The bass has more weight and rumble on E4000, whereas the SA3 has better impact and speed. The E4000 has warmer and smoother bass, while the SA3 also has smooth bass but more cleaner. The SA3 has better control on bass along with better clarity and detail.

Mids
The midrange are both smooth and slightly warm. The midrange has more engaging presentation on SA3 compare to E4000. The lower midrange has more bodies on E4000, whereas the SA3 has more clarity. The upper midrange has more emphasis on SA3 and sound more forwarder. The SA3 has more vividly upper midrange, both are pretty natural in term of timbre. The detail retrieval and clarity are better on SA3.

Treble
The treble are more brighter and has better extension on SA3. The E4000 has more laid back presentation. The upper treble has more sparkle and airiness on SA3 and feel more open, while the E4000 are more smooth here. The detail and clarity both better SA3.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider on E4000, deeper on SA3.
The imaging are better on SA3.


BQEYZ Summer ($139USD)

Bass
The sub bass has slightly more quantity and extended further on the Summer with fuller rumble, while the E4000 has more mid bass quantity, which sound muddier compare to Summer. The Summer provide better sense of punch and slam compare to the more the E4000. The Summer also provide better speed and extra tightness, where the E4000 sound less clear and thicker in tone. The detail retrieval and clarity is better on Summer.

Mids
The midrange on both has V shape tonality, the E4000 has extra sense of warmth and bodies carried from mid bass, where the Summer sound cleaner and more spacious. The lower midrange has more bodies and sound fuller on the E4000, where the Summer sound cleaner and clearer. The upper midrange sound more lively with better transparency on the Summer, while the E4000 sound duller and warmer in comparison. The detail retrieval and is better on Summer.

Treble
The treble extend further and sound brighter and more airy on the Summer. The lower treble has more energy and sound more engaging on the Summer, where the E4000 has darker and laid back type of presentation here. The upper treble has extra sense of airiness and sparkle on the Summer, while the E4000 is a roll off here. The detail retrieval and clarity is better on Summer.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage is wider and deeper on the Summer.
The imaging is also better on Summer.


E5000
Oriveti OH300 ($299 USD)

Bass
The sub bass has less quantity on OH300, the OH300 has slightly better extension and quicker decay. The bass on E5000 has more punch and rumble, while both have good impact. The bass on OH300 are more clean and linear, whereas the E5000 are warmer and fuller. The OH300 has slight better clarity and detail. Both has good control bass, but OH300 has better speed.

Mids
The midrange on E5000 are lusher and warmer, while the OH300 are close to neutral and colder. The lower midrange has more bodies and sound fuller on E5000, whereas the OH300 has better clarity and sound more clean in comparison. The upper midrange has more emphasis on OH300, it sound lively and vividly, while the E5000 sound more natural and slightly forward. The OH300 has more transparency, detail and clarity in mids, but E5000 has more fuller and thicker timbre.

Treble
The treble on OH300 are slightly brighter, while the E5000 sound more soft and dark. The OH300 has better treble extension. The OH300 has slightly better detail and clarity compare to E5000, the OH300 also has more amount of sparkle at the top end. The OH300 has slightly more airiness and transparency in the treble region.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage and imaging are more better on OH300.


BGVP Artmagic VG4 ($229USD)

Bass
Both of sub bass and bass has more quantity on the E5000, while the VG4 are not far to neutral in this section, the sub bass has better extension and decay on the E5000. The bass has more dynamic and slow presentation on the E5000, where as the VG4 has quicker and less dynamic bass. The bass has more weight, punch and rumble on E5000, while the VG4 has better speed and pretty similar amount of impact but faster. The clarity and overall control better on the VG4.

Mids
The midrange on VG4 are not far to neutral, while E5000 are slightly U shape, sound noticeably thicker and lusher. The lower midrange has more bodies on E5000 and fuller in comparison, while the VG4 did better job in term of clarity. The upper midrange are fuller and more soothing on E5000, while the VG4 sound more lively and vividly with less bodies. The VG4 has better transparency and detail in the midrange.

Treble
The treble has better extensions on the VG4, and sound more brighter, while the E5000 sound laid back with slightly dark tonality. The VG4 has crisper and more open presentation, while the E5000 are more relax and take fuller presentation manner. The VG4 has better detail retrieval and sparkle amount.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider on VG4, the imaging are also better on VG4 as well.


Etymotic ER4XR ($305USD)

Bass
The sub bass and bass on ER4 are a lot less than E5000, The bass has overall warmer presentation on E5000 compare to cleaner ER4. The sub bass has better extension and decay on E5000. The ER4 has good speed and clarity on the bass, while the E5000 has more punch and impact with more weight on bass. The bass has slightly better detail on ER4.

Mids
The midrange are lusher and fuller on E5000, while the ER4 are toward the neutral, both of them has pretty smooth presentation. The E5000 has more bodies on lower midrange, and sound more lusher. The upper midrange on ER4 are more forward and lively, while the E5000 has natural and smooth presentation. The detail and clarity are better on ER4, the ER4 also has more transparency level.

Treble
The treble are both smooth and warm, but ER4 are slightly more brighter. The ER4 has more crisp and airiness in the treble, where the E5000 take the natural manner. The upper treble are more open on ER4. The detail and clarity are slightly better on ER4. The treble can extended further in the E5000, but it has pretty laid back presentation.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage on both are pretty similar.
The imaging is better on E5000, while the ER4 has better layering.


Obravo Cupid (around$250-350USD）

Bass
The sub bass on both has good decay and extension, the quantity is slightly ore on the Cupid. The bass has more quantity on the E5000, and it has more warmer presentation, while the Cupid are cleaner. The bass on both provide good impact and rumble, but the Cupid has better punch and overall faster speed. The clarity is better on the Cupid.

Mids
The midrange are more engaging and thin on the Cupid, while the E5000 has more relax and lusher presentation. The lower midrange has slightly more bodies on E5000, it has slightly fuller presentation compare to Cupid. The upper midrange has more emphasis on Cupid, it provide more lively expression, while the E5000 are slightly fuller. The midrange detail retrieval are both similar, but the Cupid did better jobs in term of transparency and clarity.

Treble
The treble has more crisper and opener tonality on Cupid, while the treble on E5000 are laid back and slightly darker. The Cupid has better extension with more crisp and airiness on the top end, while the E5000 has more natural expression. The treble detail and clarity are better on Cupid.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are larger on Cupid and feel more open.
The imaging are better on the Cupid


Tansio Mirai TSMR-4PRO ($319USD)

Bass
The E5000 has fuller and warmer bass, while the bass on 4PRO are cleaner and tighter. The sub bass has more quantity on E5000, with more rumble and better dynamic, on the other hand, the 4 PRO provide quicker and less organic bass. The bass has more depth on the E5000, where the 4PRO has better control. The detail retrieval and and clarity are better on 4PRO.

Mids
The midrange has more organic and fuller presentation on E5000, while the 4PRO has cleaner and neutral type on presentation. The E5000 has more bodies and sound lusher on E5000, while the 4PRO provide better depth and clarity, it also sound relatively cleaner. The upper midrange sound more vividly and detailed on 4PRO, whereas the E5000 has slightly warmer tonality, with forwarded presentation. The detail retrieval and clarity are way more better on E5000.

Treble
There are more energy and sound clearer on the 4PRO, while the E5000 sound more laid back. The lower treble has more brightness and with more pronounced on the 4PRO, while the E5000 are more laid back and less vividly here. The 4PRO has more air and sparkle on upper treble, the E5000 has rounded and smoother upper treble presentation. The treble’s detail retrieval and clarity are better on the 4PRO.

Soundstage and imaging
The soundstage are wider and deeper on 4PRO.
The imaging are better on 4PRO as well.




Conclusion
The E4000 and E5000 are really amazing IEM for the single dynamic driver. they are beautifully made and well finished in high standard. Both of them sound smooth and natural, but the E4000 has more lively and engaging vocal presentation, while the E5000 has more warm and lush vocal presentation. Regarding to the tonality, E4000 are more balanced and sound clear (doesn't mean the E5000 don’t have a good clarity), whereas the E5000 are more bassy and sound warmer. Both of them sound relaxing, and they are the good deal for long term listening. HAPPY LISTENING!

Snext-Final audio website: https://snext-final.com/en/
Final audio E4000 product page: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/E4000
Final audio E5000 product page: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/E5000

EDIT 2020-10-20: From 3.5/5 to 3/5. Wasn’t worth the price back when I first reviewed it and even worse now with the Ibasso IT00 doing what the E4000 does but better and at half the price, while the Fiio FH3 exists in the E4000´s price range.

Disclaimer: I received this for free by Final Audio themselves, thank you very much.

Disclaimer 2: Burned in for at least 200 hours before I even began listening and didn’t listen to it during burn in so “brain burn in” is not possible.

Price: Around 150 usd

Specifications:
Housing: Aluminum black alumite finish
Driver: 6.4mm dynamic driver
Connector: MMCX
Cable: OFC cable
Sensitivity: 97dB
Impedance: 15Ω
Weight: 18g
Cable length: 1.2m


Accessories:
Silicon Carry Case

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

OFC cable

Silicon Ear hook “adapter”

Karabiner


Cable: Absolutely disgraceful cable, it is exactly the same cable as the one in the E1000 but with mmcx and metal for the 3,5mm plug. When the iem costs like 5 times the price you would expect to get a better cable (30 vs 150 usd). Absolutely need to change this. (E1000 left and E4000 stock cable right)


Build: The iem is made from aluminum, except the plastic nozzle. Other than the aluminum the build is the same as in the E5000.

Fit: This does make it fit as well as the E5000 does, so not recommended for training but besides that there should be no problems at all.

Comfort: might be more comfortable than the E5000 because the stainless steel in the E5000 can be cold.

Isolation: below average isolation, the same as the E5000. Not recommended if you need good isolation.

Setup: Fiio M11 high gain, E5000 cable, Stock Type E LL tips

Lows: The bass feels like it is trying to please bass-heads and non-bass-heads at the same time, with the end result that it does not have a neutral bass or bass-heads levels of bass and something in between. This makes it feel like it is missing both targets, with its not so very rumbly bass or tight/fast and clean bass. Mid-focused more than sub-bass and doesn’t extend that much.

Mid-bass: mid-bass have a dull sound to it and doesn’t sound crisp at all, making it lifeless.

Sub-bass: sub-bass is neither rumbly or tight/fast it is something in between that. Doesn’t satisfy my rumble or tight/fast taste at all. Quantity is fine for me though but certainly not for bass-heads.

Mids: warmish mids with natural timbre to it so vocals have good quality but quantity is a bit behind the treble and bass.

Female-vocals: not very clean and low resolution but it is not sharp.

Male-vocals: clear and warm, sounds better than female vocals.

Highs: treble quantity is good enough to make it not sound dull but the resolution is disappointingly bad, even though it has quite good extension. No sharp peaks or anything so it is good for longer listening sessions.

Soundstage: below average

Tonality: soft V-shape with average timbre

Details: below average

Instrument Separation: below average

Songs that highlight the IEM:

Good genres: edm, house, hip-hop, R&B

Bad genres: rock,metal, acoustic songs/genres



Comparisons:

Final Audio E5000: The E5000 extends better in the bass while the E4000 extends better in the treble. E4000 has less sub-bass and mid-bass quantity, while it is a bit tighter and faster. It doesn’t rumble as much as the E5000. Mids are perceived as more female vocal focused on the E4000 since it has more treble. Treble in the E4000 has more quantity and therefore also brighter.

Soundstage and separation are better on the E5000 while details can be on perceived as on par since E4000 is brighter. Timbre is much better on the E5000. Overall resolution is much better on the E5000. E4000 is better if you want a bit less sub-bass and brighter signature and E4000 is not as demanding in power as the E5000.

Blon Bl-03: The E4000 is not as good as the 03. The 03 sounds fuller and has better resolution. Bass and treble extend better in the 03. Bass is tighter on the 03 and has more punch to it. Mids are less balanced between male/female vocals and leaning towards female vocals on the 03 but the quality is better. Treble is similar but the 03 is has more air and quality is better.

Soundstage, details, separation is on par. Timbre is much better on the 03. 03 is also much easier to drive. Can’t recommend the E4000 over the 03, except if you want less sub-bass and a bit better vocals in that case the E4000 will be better.

Audiosense DT200: Bass has a bit more in quantity in the E4000, DT200 is tighter and faster but the E4000 has a bit better punch to it and sounds more natural. E4000 Mids is warmer due to the bass, so male vocals sound just a bit fuller than DT200 and female vocals is duller due to the warmness.

Treble quantity and quality are a step below the DT200, because of the overall resolution and DT200 sounds fuller. Technicalities is slightly better on the DT200 due it being brighter and having a clearer bass. If you prioritize bass then E4000 is better, but otherwise I take the DT200 over the E4000. E4000 is also harder to drive.

Shozy Form 1.1: Bass quantity is near identical but since the 1.1 has tighter/faster and a better textured bass it is much better on the quality scale. Lower mids are similar but it is cleaner on the 1.1 and upper mids are a bit more forward on the E4000.

Treble is sharper on the 1.1 and is better with the E4000. Soundstage, details, separation is better on the 1.1 and Timbre is better on the E4000. If you like tight fast textured bass, fuller and better resolution then the 1.1 is definitely better than the E4000 but if you want a better timbre and looser bass then the E4000 is better.



Conclusion: while the E4000 doesn’t necessary do anything wrong, it doesn’t do anything well to stand out amongst the crowded market in 2020 and with the competition (chi-fi) offering stuff that is both better and way cheaper. I can not recommend the E4000. Thanks for reading.

FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E4000 REVIEW:



SOUND: 9/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
DESIGN: 9.5/10
VALUE: 9/10

INTRODUCTION :



The FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E4000 goal is to achieve a sound that feel natural and musical without ehancing any particular frenquencies. It use last psycho-acoustic research to understand how frequencies are interpret by average human brain and ears, and so be able to tune it so there no important physiological frequencies range that feel masked, unbalanced or artificial sounding.

This is extremely complex tuning work as nobody have exact same hearing, as well, must of audio enthousiast are use to specific soundsignature that tend to make them more sensible to certain frequencies. And to make the challenge even more courageaous, Final Audio use a tiny 6.4mm dynamic driver.

So, for once, here, I believe in brain burn in with the E4000, or more likely, unbalanced acoustic brain memory unlearning.

Even without this ‘’brain burnin’’, as I begin to be annoy with overlly coloured iem, and tend to listen to more balanced one, the very first time I put the E4000 in my ears please me, but it was just a begining of a way more fascination listening experience, as if everyday I find a new pages to read in a book I love.

Final Audio Design company is very serious about sound acoustic, but this doesn’t mean it will sound less musical or too cold, the engineer are sure interest about musical rendering as much as sound technicalities, and there approach is based on a wide knowledge that make there earphones appart from the rest, its supreme respect for music and I find there tuning quest extremely inpsiring.

To understand more this balanced audio perfection research, read this:
https://snext-final.com/en/acoustics/



SPECS:

• Housing: Aluminum black alumite finish
• Driver: 6.4mm dynamic driver
• Connector: MMCX
• Cable: OFC cable
• Sensitivity: 97dB
• Impedance: 15Ω
• Weight: 18g
• Cord length: 1.2m

CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN & ACCESSORIES :




UNBOXING experience is elegant yet minimalist. No big box for nothing, here, we have all what is needed in an humble presentation. A unique carrying case made of silicone, wich I personally find fantastic, silicone eartips of great quality (for real), nice earhooks that aren’t to big, and….a karabiner, for when you do hardcore montain climbing and need to hook your carrying case with the E4000 securly hidden in it, because yeah, it’s just not possible to depart from these marvelous earphones.



As well, I have a weakness for little precious details like how both iem and audio jack are all carefully wrapped in little triangle plastic paper. I have to take a pic, enjoy this masterufll origami work, I think it represent 3 audiophile swans whistling some Tchaikovsky melody.



Construction is well crafted, and beauty here reside in little details. Must of all, its the very durable look of such a tiny iem that sure will please consumer because I don’t think its really possible to break the housing, only mmcx connection could theorically be broken by hardcore mistreatment but again it look extremely solid as we can conclude with the tigh connection it give. Housing is made of high quality aluminum that promise unwanted vibration to be avoid because of its tickness and have an back acoustic chamber. As well, even if hardly visible on pics or with our own eyes, there a back venting trap at the right of mmcx connection.



Design is just incredibly slim and comfortable, and will fit any type of ears. I find isolation great, and sound leakage minimal even if yes, if you listen very loud, it will leak, but not to the point of being problematic apart if you want them to be completly silent. MMCX connection are very tigh, wich is a big plus as with too loose mmcx connecction it can disconnect when you accidentaly pull the cable : one thing sure, this will never happen with the E4000. Cable do minimal microphonic, but I suggest to wear over ear if you plan to move a lot, like running or doing zumba.

SOUND:



Overall sound impressions and flavor discovering :

The E4000 was the first Final Audio earphones I put in my ears when I receive them with the E2000 and 3000. I try them first being the pricier of the batch (yeah, typical!) and with great expactation wich was due to the fact I was just tired must my IEM was sounding either too bright or too bassy, and especially, I begin devloping very high intolerance to gluten hissy vocal with the time, wich is something chi-fi audio engineer are must likely enamoured of.

So, i put the E4000 in my ultra-hardcore-critical-mode-ears and press play on my Xduoo X20 and : Amaze I was. It just sound like music should be : Pleasant, clear and cuddling.

The E4000 was tender to me! They give me love without violence! And generous musical passion! I was listening to a jazz album from Jakob Bro quartet, the bass player have great body and natural non intrusive texture, the timbre was right and full, snare drums was fabulous, with a thick impact that lack in pushed treble iem, and its percussion was tigh and around my head, the guitar wasn’t full of artificial decay, it was controled and the note have consistance, and the saxophone, wich was recorder above the other musicians, was full, wide and transparent, all instrument was layered precisely with excellent details in whole sound spectrum...perhaps some would have like to hear the drummer scratch himself between two rythm section in the background , but I don’t care about this type of micro details really and the drummer too don’t care surely.

E4000 is masterfully tuned, in a unique way that permit you to hear everything on same level from 20hz to about 14khz, after this there a slow drop, and perhaps bumps in the drops but no hard peaks, all is smooth, liquid, organic and utterly enjoyable for long listen.




SOUNDSIGNATURE is towards neutral, with gently smoothed treble but particularly well rendered transparency and timbre, bass is slightly pushed fowards for extra body and punch and mids shine in the middle of a masterfully balanced presentation leaning to a chiaroscuro type of darkness were light and shadow mix togheter for addictive musicality. Hum, yeah, its a poetical soundsignature.


SOUNDSTAGE have a stereo like widness, it have a natural transparency in layers that make it feel deep tough it do not have lot of sparkle decay in they air.


AMPING is suggested, but not a monster amp, just a powerfull DAP or portable AMP will do. Due to its low sensitivity of 97db, even if it got as well a low 15ohm impendance that should manage for easy driving, the E4000 open up when we can achieve proper amping. Strangely, having try multiple single drivers IEM, I feel smaller is the drivers, harder it is to drive it. Can’t explain it, but this is what I experience. So to me, sound improve alot with a portable amp amd make the soundstage feel way more airier and imaging more spot on.


BASS is far from lacking, in fact, bass shy people will consider the E4000 quite generous in this department, as it is quite agile and thick without being particularly fowards. But no sub rumble full of air, here it’s good sub body with extra timbre, its tigh and well layered from mid bass, wich is impressively visible with fast electronic like Aphex Twin, I would never have guessed it can deal with electronic so well, but for punchy electro its excellent, for boomy rap or drum and bass it will not be enough coloured and too smooth perhaps. The extension is very linear as we can hear with bass player, it have more body and tone emphasis than texture, even if it do not lack any to my ears, in fact, too much texture in bass can make it too opaque, here we have a neutral approach where timbre and tone is more important than underlined texture. So, as you can guess, you will have no bass bleed into mids and vocal with the E4000, mids litterally sit on the bass.


MID BASS is a little less emphased than lower end, wich give it slight warmness and round it more softly, but it still have good slam, even in bass heavy track like FOG from Nosaj Thing where the kick is full bodied and sub bass synth stay in background. Again, level of separation, without being clinical, have a good transparency to it.


MIDS are uniquely presented and my guilty pleasure with the E4000, because as said before, I can’t stand hissing and the soft presentation just solve all issue about lower ‘’shhh’’ or upper ‘’sssss-ibilance’’, and that...without making the mids sound recessed or lifeless, is just phenomenal. It still have a wide bodied presentation and excellent clarity, as well as fowarded presence, the thing is that you will hear all other instrumental in mids region while your favorite artist sign and it will never sound mushy. Yep, wer’e still talking about a 6.4mm dynamic driver. Hum. Piano note have good weight and accuracy, whatever the register, the tone sound right, as the control do not decay too much it give, unlike numerous iem that tend to mix vocal with piano ackwardly, a perfectly natural layering that impress by its accuracy.


HIGHS are more hearable in 6khz to 10khz range than with lot of other iem I try, but this only if they are present in mastering, treble will not push them fowards for us by creating false sens of dynamic, it will stay linear so no peaks will stole presence of other frequencies. I find this very revealing for proper instrument separation playing in same range as it give more overall clarity, percussion suddenly can became more complex, especially if acoustic. Piano, violin and cello sound more appropriate with the E2000, as well, track like ‘’Reflection’’ from Vassilis Tsabropoulos trio ‘’Melos’’ never sound more realist and balanced, as with other iem, one of the 3 musicians playing always have second seat, here piano and cello have great resolution and presence and the percussion is on same level, not too fowards and shimmy as I always hear before, its tigh, accurate, agile and well separated from rest of instrument, as if the trio was playing in front of me in the perfect acoustic room that do not have ampplifier or too much echo.


IN FEWER WORDS :

BASS : Warm, punchy with good timbre, body and separation.


MIDS : Clear, intimate, full sounding and natural.


HIGHS : Soft, good timbre, good attack, precise and well layered.




COMPARAISONS :



VS Brainwavz B200 (100$) :



B200 have a wider around your head soundstage, with more decay, wich is a plus for not too complex tracks while a drawback for more complex due to extra echo and decay that can veil certain frequencies range especially in bass region and lower and middle mids.

E4000 in other hand feel overall better balanced and more agile in layering.

Bass of E4000 is more bodied, especially in mid bass where the punch have more weight than the dryer hitting of B200, sub bass of B200 have some roll off begining around 100hz that make it feel tinner than the E4000 even it have a bump to compensate lack of weight. This make E4000 more natural and realist in lower end without the need of any treble push, its lively and make it for better rounded up presence. B200 feel mid centric compared to more neutral E4000, and have upper mids fowardness give extra presence to violin or vocal, but not to piano note that lack weight, another time, the mids of E4000 are more realist and have better attack and body in a tigher more intimate presentation, between 2-8khz we can easily separate each instrument that play in this range, while it will be more messy and veiled with B200 mixing.

Highs have more emphasis with the B200, but do not give more details, tough you will have more sparkle and decay and better feel of air with certain music style like solo harpsichord, classical guitar or folk signer. Talking about harpsichord, even if the strings plucking sound less full in attack timbre, but the decay will give extra liveness to the instrument wich is quite delicious in fact even if I would have like better weight in attack. As well, it most be noted that B200 can sometime create little distortion when too much different instrument are mix togheter, like bass, electric guitar, violin and voice….this will never happen with E4000 whatever you trow at it.

All in all, the E4000 is more neutral and agile with less emphasis on mids and vocal, while the E200 is more airy and less bassy and is less a great all arounder than the masterfully tuned E4000.



VS Brainwavz B400 (200$):




Braiwavz B400 cost 50$ more than E4000 and have a 4BA’S configuration compared to single 6.4mm drivers of E4000.

Soundsignature are somewhat in same family but tuned differently, it tend towards neutral and balanced with slight bump in mid bass and mids, but the B400 have some bump in sub bass and treble too wich make them overall a hint brighter and sharper.

Soundstage is more holographic with the B400 while the E4000 feel more frontal and little wider with more transparent layer compared to a more hall like withe extra echo of B400.

Amping isn’t needed for B400 as they are more easy to drive even at 32ohm, E4000 benifit from powefull dap or extra amping due to low sound pressure.

BASS of B400 have more sub presence than the E4000 and slightly less mid bass punch and resolution, here E4000 show how even if smooth sounding he can have realistic timbre that give subtle extra body to kick and help a clearer separation with low bass. Sub bass of B400 is thicker and weightier wich will benifit for electronic music while the E4000 bass will benefit rock and jazz.

MIDS are more fowarded with the B400 and have more texture especially in upper mid range, wich give more grip to violin and clearer separation in not too complex music that do not have too much sub bass and highs emphasis. Overall mids timbre of E4000 feel more natural and transparent, but more in center stage too, wich can feel recessed for some.
HIGHS are more sparkly and have more decay with B400, being more fowards and sharp as well, there no treble roll off with these compared to E4000 tamed upper treble wich give more balance and neutrality to overall sound to the cost of softing the dynamic energy. B400 can sound sometime too sharp as well as unbalanced with for example complex jazz were the percussion can feel too fowards, but I think it will be a plus for some listener searching for extra sparkle and details.

All in all, finally, we have two very different sounding iem here, one being more linear and smooth with a natural timbre (E4000) and the other being more sub bassy and energic with extra treble sparkle and around your head airy soundstage.




VS NiceHCK M6 (130$) :



M6 is a dual dynamic drivers with 4BA’S drives, it have a W shape soundsignature with warm pumped up bass, fowards mids and extra highs emphasis.

Soundstage is bigger and more 3D layered than the E4000 but less well resolved as some bass veil lower mid range giving it extra warmness. The E4000 is better balanced and sound more realist and agile but less thick and bodied. Soundstage is deeper due to better resolution.

Bass of E4000 have more emphasis on mid bass and feel less congested with the sub bass, where the M6 have more of a whole sub plus kick impact and weight, M6 feel slower and less agile too and as said bass echo mix with mids a little.

MIDS of M6 are more fowards and textured but more prompt to sibilance and feel less natural than the softer E4000, wich is more centered, have better transparency and timbre. They aren’t recessed at all, but are more on same level of rest of instrumental. I find the mids of E4000 extremely more enjoyable than the M6.

HIGHS of M6 are more present, giving more sparkle and clarity in upper region, but treble can feel sometime metallic in this region compared to the lively highs of E4000 wich sound more realist. I feel lower treble is clearer with E4000 too, where the M6 have some selective peaks, especially in upper treble to extrac microdetails.

All in all, the E4000 sound more mature and well tuned, with a smoother but clearer approach while M6 is more energic and fun sounding for electronic.

Both earphones have excellent construction, and even if very big compared to E4000, M6 is very comfortable.






CONCLUSION :


The Final Audio Design E4000 is a masterfully tuned iem with an elegantly balanced soundsignature that reflect frequencies laws knowledge of talented audio engineer and tend to make us, the audiophile with curious ears, more aware of inner miracle of whole transparent audio spectrum. For some, this sound approach can look new age, in the sens very passive listener that like to be beaten up by fowarded low or highs will miss the wow effect that us, the contemplative music lover, will be delighted by.

E4000 deliver a precise, clear sound where every instruments have natural unintrusive presence and as if we were in the perfect acoustic room without too much echo, the music sound always enjoyable and never agressive.

If you search for the perfect soft sound iem that neither lack energy or timbre, I think only the Final Audio E4000 can offer you this type of dense sirupy musical experience.

A classic that will pass test of time.

PS: You can find more reviews of IEM and audio gear here on my website: https://nobsaudiophile.wordpress.com/

The E4000 is a single dynamic driver IEM from final audio design, currently selling for $149 via Amazon.com. In a world of multi-driver IEMs being available at continuously plummeting prices, it seems a bit counterproductive to purchase a single-driver IEM at this price point. However, the E4000 has been touted by many to be a solid value — curiosity got the best of me, and here are my impressions.

The E4000 comes with basic accessories. Though not extravagant or elegant in presentation, they are completely adequate and cover the necessities of an IEM in this price range. In the box, you will find:

• IEMs + cable
• Carrying case
• Tips
• Carabiner
• Shirt clip
• Ear hooks

The carrying case is certainly unique, I’ve not seen anything like it except from final audio design. It’s made completely of silicone, and snuggles the IEMs gently when the silicone cover is pressed over the flexible bottom. The carabiner is branded with the final audio logo (unfortunately no photos, as I purchased this set from a friend who couldn’t find the carabiner).

The E4000’s detachable MMCX cable doesn’t look too premium. It looks fairly old-fashioned in fact, lacking the typical braided designs that most detachable cables opt for nowadays. However, it’s very supple and soft, which already places it quite highly above many other cables. It doesn’t maintain much memory and has virtually no springiness, which is generally a plus in my books. Visually, it doesn’t bring much to the table; functionally, it is among one of the better cables I’ve used by far.

The E4000’s design seems to fall in line with the rest of final audio design‘s E-series IEMs, with a minimalist barrel-shaped housing. However, unlike the previous E2000/3000 IEMs, the E4000 thankfully comes with detachable MMCX connectors for cable swapping and peace of mind.

Visually, the E4000’s elongated aluminum body is coated in a jet-black finish, with the slick and stylish final logo imprinted opposing the E4000 model no. in a crisp white. There’s a milled groove near the posterior end of the IEM, wrapping around the entire circumference of the housing. The cylindrical rear has chamfered edges polished in silver, bringing flashy accents to the otherwise simplistic design and encapsulating the final ‘honeycomb’ logo.

The E4000’s fit is mostly comfortable. I don’t have any issues with discomfort, but the elongated barrel design seems to feel considerably less secure in my ears when compared to something like the CA Andromeda. It feels as if the IEMs are being held in my ear almost solely by the tips — as a result, I almost always wear the E4000 with the cable over my ear.


The E4000’s signature can be described as a very coherent, thick & warm sound with moderately boosted bass quantities, paired with warm vocal tones that could be described as ‘lush’, yet maintaining adequate clarity. Treble rolls off noticeably, resulting in a relaxed sound with minimal air. Don’t get the wrong idea though — the bass and midrange are so pleasant that I sometimes forget I even wanted treble sparkle / extension.

The E4000 is satisfyingly bassy. It reaches down low enough without any substantial rolloff until the very lowest registers, where it begins to lose authority. Otherwise, the subbass is presented with a solid amount of rumble and texture. Midbass is full, boosted moderately with a mostly natural decay, straying on the slightly slower side of things. Texturing in the bass is adequate, certainly more impressive than most IEMs in this price range. It’s a very fun and visceral bass presentation overall; in terms of quantity the E4000 could potentially satisfy bassheads, but it tends to straddle the line between normal and basshead quantities.

The E4000’s midrange is also fairly pleasing to listen to with a warm, full, natural tonality. Midbass transitions gently into the upper frequencies, giving the lower midrange a full and thick presentation with plenty of body. As much as I’d like to be logical and assume bass bleed is there, I can’t seem to hear much muddling between bass notes and vocal: this is good. Unexpected, but good — it sounds more like an intentional boost to the throatiness of lower vocal frequencies. Upper midrange is lifted to maintain sensible clarity, giving vocals a slight boost that doesn’t come off as harsh or overdone (no veil here). Texturing in the upper midrange is ample, however it does sound slightly smoothed over. As a result, the E4000’s midrange takes a hit to technicalities but presents itself with a syrupy, ‘sweet’ sound that I find enjoyable and relaxing to listen to.

As expected, with such evident quality poured into the E4000's bass and midrange, the treble turns out to be the most divisive aspect of the sound. Lower treble carries a decent amount of energy, preventing the E4000 from sounding overly mushy or dark. Detail and resolution is also there, though not in the forefront of its tuning -- it's definitely not a priority. The mid-treble and upper-treble begins to roll off noticeably from this point, resulting in a specific sound that is pleasing to the ears, but slightly lacking in air and extension. To an audiophile who wants to hear it all, pick out tiny details and sparkles with ease, this is likely a dealbreaker (note the detail is there -- just not presented with priority). However, this may be one of the E4000's strengths for those who are sensitive to high frequencies, or those who have multiple IEMs and want one with this specific presentation.

Not so much concrete info but rather some minor thoughts I had while listening to the E4000. As some may know, I’m a huge fan of the Campfire Andromeda. Its treble presentation is like no other — when I was first looking for a warm and relaxed IEM, the Andromeda showed me the light and I was finally able to appreciate a more forward treble presentation.

In the first 30 minutes of listening, the E4000 enamoured me with its warmth and ease of listening. The dynamic driver’s natural yet visceral decay left me aching and wanting more when I switched back to the Andromeda; the midrange felt warmer and more inviting. If the Andromeda had turned me into a treblehead, the E4000 was somehow pulling me back to the darkside (or warmside). Sometimes sacrificing sheer technicality, detail and resolution feels worth it in exchange for a guilty-pleasure tuning.


The E4000 certainly has a flavorful, coloured sound. It’s warm, it’s pleasant, and it’s enveloping. It sounds natural and full, though lacking in upper frequency extension. Texturing, detail, and general technicality aren’t its strong suits, but the sound signature can be intoxicating. Thankfully, the tuning of the bass and midrange coloration steal the spotlight from its otherwise obvious treble shortcomings. In terms of design, it sticks to its final audio design roots and sports mostly minimalistic cues that many may find attractive. I have no qualms with the materials used in the housing, and the stock cable is practical and comfortable. At $149, I find the E4000 to be an excellent buy for those who are looking for a natural and organic tone. However, detail-heads and treble-heads, stay away.

This review was first posted on my small Wordpress blog here. Thanks for reading.

Final E4000

Disclaimer
I would like to thank Final, for providing me with the E4000 and loaning the E5000 in exchange for my honest opinion. No incentive was given for a favourable review.

This review is part of a double review of the E4000 and E5000 and as such some sections (such as the preamble) will be the same. You can find the E5000 review here.



E4000

• Housing: Aluminum black alumite finish
• Driver: 6.4mm dynamic driver
• Connector: MMCX
• Cable: OFC cable
• Sensitivity: 97dB
• Impedance: 15Ω
• Weight: 18g
• Cord length: 1.2m
• Price: £119/$149

Links:
http://snext-final.com/en/
Available at :
HiFi Headphones (UK)
http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-e4000-in-ear-isolating-earphones-with-detachable-cable.html
Audio46 (US)
https://audio46.com/shop/final-audio-e4000-hi-res-earphones/

Preamble
Final (previously known as Final Audio Design) is a Japanese company that produces quite distinctive headphones and IEMs. They have certainly been able to capture my attention, not in the least with their Piano Forte series that have a completely unique earbud/IEM/horn speaker-type of design that has fascinated me ever since I first laid my eyes on them. As a classical music lover the Piano Forte present a compelling proposition and this is perhaps the type of response Final is going for. Final aim at (as they explain it on their website) creating products that elicit the same sort of affinity people have with hand-wound watches, something classical and enduring. Indeed, their specialty Lab series earphones are exquisite pieces of audiophile art I never tire drooling over. But it is not just at the high end of the spectrum where Final creates unique products, their Heaven series of single BA driver IEMs have always listed high on my wish list because I keep reading such positive comments about them. Most recently though a lot of those positive comments have been about another Final series, the E series of small form factor, single dynamic driver IEMs.



The E series launched with the entry level E2000 and E3000, and this was when I finally got my first pair of Final IEMs. Well, not really "my" first Final IEMs because I ended up buying them for my wife when her Trinity Vyrus started falling apart. Since I wanted to hear why people were so excited about the new E series, I leapt at the opportunity to arrange a demo for myself... "Look hunny, I bought you a present!" The ones I bought were the E2000, which was because I gave my wife the choice between the two based on their signature, to which she responded... "The black ones." Granted, I tried them out for training and actually ended up buying a pair for myself as well because I also, kinda preferred the black colour. Although formally I will of course always be adamant I did it because I appreciated the energetic elegance of the v-shaped E2000 better for training. It sounds more like I actually put some thought into it. I didn't, I just wanted to test the form factor because by that time I had already set my sights on the E5000. So when I was asked if I wanted to do a double review of the E4000 and E5000, I said yes without even thinking about it. I had been using the E2000 for a few weeks and they were perfect for training and on-the-go use, and while I did not really worry about sound quality, I kept having to remind myself that I was not listening to much more expensive IEMs. The E2000 just had such a pleasant sound with a stage quite surprisingly wide for the price. So naturally I was curious how much of a step up the E4000 and E5000 would be. Let's find out!



Build quality and fit
The E4000 are really nice small form factor IEMs that have an excellent build quality. Made from aluminium they feel solidly built and yet have the advantage of being very light, even compared to the stainless steel E5000. The cable has MMCX connectors and is a very nice, supple cable that is quite good in terms of microphonics even when worn with the cable down. It is a cheaper cable than the one on the E5000, but I personally prefer the way this one is built. Where I did not really like to use the E5000 for training, the E4000 worked really well with the cable over the ears and even straight down. Combined with the light weight and the secure fit (thanks to the great Final E tips that are included) I was able to use the E4000 for everything without a worry.

One point to be aware of is that the E4000 (and E5000) have a vented design that is almost like it is semi-open. I find the isolation to be decent considering, noise certainly leaks in, but I have still used them quite effectively to reduce some of the environmental noise. However, noise leaks out a lot more and this might make them less ideal for commuting if you like to turn up the volume. It will most likely be heard by people standing close (or sitting close, if you happen to commute in places where people are not being packed in like sardines, but I live in London). Surprisingly this was worse in the case of the E4000 and E5000 than in the E2000, which has what looks like a vented mesh at the back while the newer models look more closed, they clearly are not.



Source
All listening was done with my AK70 from the SE out. Both the E4000 and E5000 seem like very power-hungry IEMs and a good source will make a big difference in how well they sound. When driven by a less powerful source they will sound a little thin and less impressive, but both IEMs come alive when given more power, especially the E5000.

Presentation
The E4000 have a somewhat U-shaped signature that is tilted a little more towards the treble to give a somewhat brighter, more sparkly, tone in comparison to the E5000, which have a little more emphasis towards the sub-bass. Interestingly I find that the E4000 have a slightly more natural tonality compared to the E5000. Both have quite a nice and natural tone in general, but the E4000 have a slightly looser mid-bass that gives midrange instruments such as woodwinds a little more natural sound. Other instruments such as the cello too, feel just a little more naturally resonant. The E4000 have fun and energetic signature that is a little less impactful than the E5000, but has a little more sparkle. It is still an unapologetically fun signature with plenty of impact. Feed them classical music and it sounds "nice"... Feed them Walk the Moon's 'Headphones' and suddenly the E4000 come alive and it all starts to make a lot more sense. As the lyrics state "you can learn a lot from a good pair of headphones" and in this case it is that a toe tapping and booty shaking sound does not have to cost a kidney.

Much like the E5000 the E4000 have a very wide and tall stage, lacking some depth, but not needing it either. Separation is excellent, as is clarity, although resolution is much less impressive. These are IEMs that offer a lot of fun for little money and the resolution is not really something that is missed because the signature is wonderfully balanced for its purpose and perfectly coherent. Vocals are a little further back and felt they lacked density when compared to the E5000, which I also felt were not the strongest vocals, but the clarity in both cases ensured that vocals still came through cleanly.

Bass
As said, the bass is a naturally resonant bass with a very enjoyable impact to it. It does not reach deep, but does give a fullness that works well with a track like Massive Attack's 'Angel', where the bass is warm and thick. It does lack a little bit in sub-bass depth, especially compared to the E5000, but considering the price it is still good. Better than good, and crucial to the fun and exciting sound, is the impact of the bass within the signature as a whole. This is energetic and really sets the pace well, which is why the E4000 offer such great toe-tapping signature, well complimented by the sparkly treble.

The bass is a little loose, which provides warmth for the mid-range and helps instruments such as the cello sound more naturally resonant. While listening to Bach's cello concertos I was really enjoying this. It is not the most detailed and I did not get the texture of the strings all that well, but that is probably mainly because I am so used to much more expensive IEMs. Again, at this price point I find it very hard to fault the E4000.

Mids
As indicated in the bass section, the mids have a little bit of added warmth to them that I personally consider to be very natural sounding. In my opinion (that not everyone might agree with) I feel this helps instruments such as woodwinds to sound fuller and more realistic. They become more easily discernable within the presentation of classical symphonies, further helped by the E4000's excellent separation. This is also part of the reason why I feel the E4000 work well for acoustic music, better in fact than the E5000 in terms of relative strengths.

Vocals are very good. They are not the strongest vocals and occasionally can sound a little on the thin side for my taste, but there again that might have to do with the IEMs I am used to listening to on a daily basis. Vocals are certainly very clear and never get overwhelmed by accompanying instruments. I think that for anyone who is on a budget and a vocal music lover, the E4000 are definitely worth a demo. Combined with the excellent performance for acoustic music I can really enjoy Caro Emerald's Acoustic Sessions where strings come through very well, a thick double bass in the background and clearly in front that lovely voice.

Treble
The treble of the E4000 can be summed up as nice and sparkly. There is a lift in the lower treble to help with the clarity and detail retrieval, but nowhere have I found issues with sibilance. It is just a very enjoyable sparkle that compliments the bass section really well to create the exciting and very well done U-shaped signature. Cymbals sit well within the image. They can be clearly heard, but never sound as if they are being unduly emphasised. They sparkle and add to the excitement, but remain polite and inoffensive background instruments.

The treble also helps with the strings, providing a lovely bit of bite for Paganini's violin and when listening to an acoustic performance of the Foo Fighters guitars sound very nice. I do have to keep reminding myself that these are not the much more expensive IEMs I normally use, as everything sounds really pleasant and well balanced. It can be improved upon, but at this price point that will be a real challenge.



Comparisons
-E2000-
The E2000 and E4000 share much of the same DNA in terms of tuning and for me it is clear that the E4000 is a higher end version of the E2000 and that is exactly how they compare. The E4000 is in every way a step up from the E2000. The stage opens up a bit more, the clarity is significantly improved and the imaging is more consistent. With the E2000 I sometimes find little inconsistencies in the imaging where background instruments are emphasised too much, but I have not noticed it with the E4000. Beyond this there are more similarities than differences. The signature if very similar, just matured to a higher quality, and the engaging and coherent sound of the E2000 makes a return in an even more toe-tapping way. Thoroughly fun!

In terms of practical use, the E2000 is a little smaller with a thinner, non-detachable, cable and that does have its advantages, as it is a really diminutive size. However, the build quality of the E4000 inspires more confidence. Sound leakage is slightly less on the E2000, which is why I will opt to use those when commuting over the E4000. When training though, I will happily choose the improved sound quality of the E4000. I would say the E4000 are definitely worth the higher price compared to the E2000 and both offer outstanding value.



-E5000-
The E5000 are definitely a step up from the E4000, although there are also some differences in terms of the signature that can be worth considering. The E5000 have an incredibly engaging sound that is a little more articulate than the E4000, which in my opinion makes them perform a bit less well for acoustic music when compared to the E4000. While the E5000 have a slightly more linear signature (still U-shaped), I find myself preferring the E4000 for classical music. For pop music though the E5000 really shine and I greatly prefer the energy with which they present the music.

In terms of build quality the E5000 is again a step up, but while the cable is technically a better one, I much prefer the more supple and less microphonic cable of the E4000. In terms of size they are the same and I find no practical differences in fit and general use. Even the added weight of the E5000 has given me no issues at all. Again, with both the E4000 and E5000 Final offer outstanding value and the choice will probably mostly come down to the budget you have available. They are highly versatile, fun and comfortable IEMs that are a joy to listen to.

Conclusions
The E4000 are outstanding value IEMs that offer a versatile and engaging sound in a very small and comfortable form factor. They are great all-round, every day IEMs that do not cost a kidney and prove that at the more budget-friendly level there is still a lot of innovation taking place. In this day and age of quickly escalating prices at the top end, Final have provided us with a fresh breeze through their new E-series and I can highly recommend giving them a demo if you are trying to squeeze maximum performance out of a small budget.

Final E4000 - Musically Magic

We reviewed Final Audio E2000 and E3000 before, and found out they were quite amazing for their price point. While E4000 is more expensive, it has detachable cables, and Final Audio promises a much better sound, so we're going to put that to test today.






Introduction

Final Audio is a luxury Audio company from Japan, really well known for their innovation in the Audio Industry, especially when it comes to designing alternative IEM shells, and single-dynamic-driver IEMs with unique sonic abilities and properties. While they never flaunt the tech used inside their IEMs too much, music lovers listening to their products sure speak a lot about how amazing the sound is, and how unbelievably large Final Audio IEMs (In-Ear Monitors) sound for such tiny and nimble bodies.

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 E4000. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Final Audio E4000 find their next music companion.



About me

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



Packaging

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





















The packaging for E4000 is quite different from that of E3000 and E2000, as they now come in a larger package, with a carrying case included. The IEM is seated inside the carrying box, which is made out of rubber, which can be found inside the cardboard box they come in.

Final treats the technical details of E4000 with good care, and you can find everything you need about them by reading the package. One could say that E4000 is presented like a lively flower.



Final Audio also includes a large amount of tips with E4000, thing which is quite welcome since they are using a somewhat more specific tip. Final Audio tips tend to be some of the highest quality tips around, rivaling those from Spinfit which we always recommend, and some of our members even prefer Final Audio tips for usage with other in-ears, some of them being above 1000USD IEMs.

The package includes a carrying box made of rubber, which is quite different from the typical carrying box out there, since most carrying boxes nowadays are either hard plastic, round metal, or soft textile pouches, this one being a rather interesting alternative option. While it doesn't offer quite the same amount of protection against pressure, as a hard carrying box does, it does offer some of the best impact protection, since the rubber will absorb most of the impact.



What to look in when purchasing a midrange In-Ear Monitor

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



Technical Specifications

Product code FI-E4DALD
Housing Aluminum black alumite finish
Driver 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
Connector MMCX
Cable OFC cable
Sensitivity 97dB
Impedance 15Ω
Weight 18g
Cord length 1.2m



Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

Final Audio is known for providing some of the smallest IEMs out there, and this is something quite welcome, as this means they are also some of the most comfortable IEMs, a smaller IEM being able to fit a larger number of ears than a larger one.







E4000 looks a little like E2000, which we reviewed before here

E4000 has a small black body, they are bullet type, and they can be worn both over-the-ear and straight-down, being rather well adapted for multiple usage styles. The cables are detachable and based on the MMCX plugs, so you can also use a large number of aftermarket cables if you wish to.

The cables they come with is a black cable, looking rather normal and not giving much frills about the aesthetic aspect, this being rather welcome if you'd prefer people around you not knowing the value of the IEMs you're wearing.

The IEM body is made out of metal, the MMCX connectors are tight and high-quality, and the IEMs themselves feel very light and nimble.

Everything feels well made within E4000, and since the bodies are made of metal, have good meshes protecting the drivers, and those MMCX connectors, we can consider the build quality to reach a golden level of quality.

The fit and comfort is also quite excellent.

The isolation from the outside noise is fairly good, but Final Audio IEMs tend to leak quite a bit of sound. People around you can hear what you're listening to, even if you're listening at moderate levels, so if you need something with minimal or no leakage, there are other options you can choose from.



Sound Quality

Final Audio's general tuning is pretty consistent across their offerings, most of them being tweaks of the same headline, a clarity and detail that is way above what the price dictates, a huge soundstage, excellent instrument separation and versatility that is unmatched, Final Audio IEMs working excellent with anything, from the smoothest jazz, to the most rouch death or black metal, and everything in between.



The main signature is warm, thick, full of life, excitement and adventure, an enhanced bass, especially in the 100Hz area, giving it a really authentic thickness and impact, a slightly recessed midrange, with a clarity and tonality that is really life-like, without any dips or peaks, being honest to the voices recorded in the original, and a treble that is on the smoother side, but very present and energetic, with a nice sparkle, but with less quantity than what we'd consider a V-shaped, U-shaped or bright, being enough present to be interesting, but not a bright or a treble-happy IEM.

The bass is really deep and thick, it goes as deep as one's heart could ever desire, reaching the lowest depths with a natural decay, speed and detail. Each note is clearly articulated, although the presentation is slightly thick, which makes things a bit more natural than most flat or neutral IEMs. The bass also has a special kind of life to it, and so does the midrange.

The midrange is slightly recessed compared to the bass, but it is very life-like in its tonality, every male voice and female voice being natural and honest, without a trace of exaggeration and without dips or any other distraction. The thickness from the bass is extended a little to the midrange, but this isn't bad at all, giving it that life we were talking about. It is a little complicated to explain how this sounds, but basically, it sounds like the artists interpreting the music have a good amount of energy, force, life in them. Direct and vivid, E4000 is quite good at providing an interesting insight into the midrange of the music they are playing. The textures are on the natural side, without too much texturization, but enough to keep things interesting and funky. The instrument separation is something else that we need to write about, as on E4000 it is simply out-of-this-world amazing, everything having a very well intended space and location, without instruments crossing each other or other issues.

The treble of E4000 compliments the bass and the midrange quite well, being present enough to be interesting, having enough sparkle to make things exciting, but being below what we'd typically consider a treble happy-IEM, leading E4000 to be a IEM that can be considered by both treble-lovers, bass-lovers and just everyone out there. The treble also has a really smooth texture without grain, so even slamming brutal death metal has the cymbal crashes rendered enjoyable, being quite the delight with Jazz and other smooth music.



Soundstage

The soundstage size of E4000 is impressive, to the point where it is unbelievable. Especially, looking at their tiny bodies, you'd expect those to be some constricted IEMs when it comes to their soundstage, but instead, they sound huge, large, natural and open. They really do the soundstage a favor, and especially when this is combined with the excellent instrument separation we talked about earlier, it all sums up to a very enjoyable experience.



ADSR / PRaT

The ADSR and PRaT (Texturization) is natural in most places, a little slower in the bass, and a little quicker in the midrange, but overall it is natural. This means that textures sound natural, guitars are juicy and have enough detail in their chords to be interesting, with enough crunch to be fun, but nothing more than what the artist intended. The bass is quick enough to be fun and interesting, and technical death metal is resolved well enough to be fun, while slower bass like that found in house music is large and smooth, everything being in its right place. The treble textures are mostly smooth, there is very little grain, which makes E4000 enjoyable with almost any kind of music.



Portable Usage

The portable usage is excellent.







We're talking about a small IEM with a nimble cable, excellent fit with any ear size and shape, and with no microphonics in the cables. You can take a walk through the noisy streets of Bucharest without having to worry about the ongoing constructions or the rowdy college students worrying about their exams, and you can even enjoy music while doing a little walk.

As we said, the cables are not microphonic at all, they are nimble, flexible, and they hide the price of E4000 fairly well, looking like any other IEM on the market. The IEM bodies are also small and allow for wearing them both over-the-ear and straight-down, leading to a really fun and interesting experience.

There is no driver flex, and Final Audio made sure that those are great for travels. The cables are dead silent and don't make a noise, so E4000 is also free of cable microphonics.

The only thing that would hinder their portable usage is that they leak music to the outside world, which means that you can't really use them in a really silent place, like a library, but otherwise, E4000 makes a really nice portable IEM.



Comparisons

The price range of E4000 isn't exactly an open one, and the fight for the best there is quite fierce, those being priced at 150USD, and having to fight with FiiO F9Pro, iBasso IT01, and Dunu Falcon-C, among other well-known IEMs, so they can have their place in this market. E4000 also has to be compared with E5000, their bigger brothers for you to know if investing almost double the price of E4000 is worth the effort, although we'll prepare an in-depth comparison in the E5000 review for this.



Final Audio E4000 vs iBasso IT01 - We generally recommended IT01 as being one of the best 100 USD IEMs, and we need to also compare it to something 50% more expensive to make up for our assertion back then. The package is similar, with the biggest difference being the carrying case, which is a round metallic case for IT01, and a flexible rubber case for Final E4000. E4000 also comes with ear hooks, but we consider those to be less relevant to most people, as even wearing those over-the-ear is simpler and more comfortable without the ear hooks. The IEMs themselves are very comfortable, for both of them, but E4000 is more comfortable and versatile, allowing them to be worn straight-down as well as over-the-ear, while IT01 can only be work over-the-ear. The IEM shells are made of plastic for IT-01, and aluminium for E4000. There is some driver flex for some users with IT01, at least judging from what others reported over forums like Head-Fi, even though we haven't had any. There is no driver flex with Final Audio E4000 in our tests, and not a single user reported any, meaning that E4000 is truly safe from driver flex. The cables are excellent with both IEMS, both having OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) cables, but the cables on IT01 look thicker and a bit moe flexible, while E4000 has more nimble and more incognito cables if you don't want to get unwanted attention. The sound is quite different between the two, the largest difference being that IT01 has more mid-bass emphasis, especially around 100Hz, along with more treble sparkle and bite, being more focused on acoustic, metal, rock and electronic music, while E4000 is more versatile in the long run. This doesn't mean that IT01 doesn't work with Jazz or other smooth music, but E4000 tends to work better with all music, where IT01 tends to be better suited for more energetic music, like Electronic, Metal, Grindcore, Acoustic, and Pop. The detail levels are better on E4000, but then again, we consider that E4000 has the performance of a 300USD IEM in general, besting even New Primacy, and they do cost about 50% more than IT01, so if you mean to invest a little more in an In Ear Monitor, E4000 makes an excellent choice, while if you want to get an affordable IEM with an amazing performance as well, IT01 is still one of our favorite, and makes an even better price/performance ratio. All in all, if you want more versatility, and if you want to spend a little more, E4000 makes an excellent choice, while if you want something more focused on rock, electronic, metal and energetic music, and if you want to spend a little less, IT01 still makes a very compelling choice.

Final Audio E4000 vs FiiO F9Pro - If you've read our FiiO F9Pro review, you know that we are in love with those IEMs, and that we consider them worthy of considering, especially if you're in the market for something amazing at that price range, and that they are comfortable, but those are things we said about E4000 as well. We feel that the comfort, driver flex free nature, accessories, and build quality of both E4000 and F9Pro is similar enough (outstanding on both) to skip the comparison straight to the sonic comparison. Starting with the bass, F9Pro is tuned to be much more linear in the bass, more neutral. This means that they have much less bass quantity, less bass impact, although the percussion especially tends to be more articulate. This works well for music styles that don't require the bass to be overly large or explosive, and this works quite excellent for technical music styles, like technical death metal, or math metal, but for jazz, electronic, or pop, E4000's bass tends to make for a more natural experience. The midrange is quite similar between the two, with an excellent definition, spot-on timbre and tonality, outstanding detail and clarity, and just a fun overall experience, the largest difference being that E4000 has a slightly larger soundstage, while F9Pro has a slight advantage when it comes to their drivers, technically being the better, more revealing IEM with an edge in the texture presentation. The treble is fairly similar in texture between the two, but the treble presentation is quite a bit different, F9Pro being considerably brighter, with more treble sparkle and bite, being better for acoustic and music which relies heavily on a strong treble presentation. If you're looking for a IEM with a more detailed texture presentation, slightly more overall detail, more linear sound, and with an over-the-ear wearing style only, FiiO F9Pro holds its place as one of our favorite IEMs at its price and technical performance, but if you're looking for something with a thicker bass, larger bass amounts, with a wider soundstage, more instrument separation, and a sound that's generally full of life, E4000 from Final Audio is an excellent choice no one can ever contest.

Final Audio E4000 vs Dunu Falcon-C - We can't quite make an outrageous statement, like the fact that E4000 sounds pretty much as good as most 300 USD IEMs, without comparing it with an IEM that is also performing really well, but which is more expensive. We picked Dunu Falcon-C for this task because it is one of our favorite IEMs priced a bit above E4000, and which we consider to also prive performance above its price. The package is excellent for both IEMs, both come with their own unique sets of tips, Falcon-C with spinfit tips, while E4000 has Final Audio's own brand of tips. The carrying solutions are slightly different, E4000 having a rubber case, while Falcon-C has a Rectangular parallelepipedic metallic case. The sound is quite different between the two, Falcon-C has a more V-shaped sound with more treble sparkle, and with the midrange pushed a little back compared to E4000. The percussion tends to be similarly articulate between them, although Falcon-C's driver is a little faster, resolving finer bass quicker, thing which is quite important for Metal music in general, the midrange is presented with excellent detail and vividness on both, although it is thicker on E4000, while it is slightly more natural on Falcon-C. The detail level is quite good on both, Falcon-C having a technically faster driver and resolving more details in textures, E4000 being more fit for a smoother / natural texture. All in all, each is an excellent choice, E4000 making a statement when it comes to the price/performance ratio and naturalness.



Recommended Pairings

Final Audio E4000 is slightly hard to drive, it doesn't get loud enough from the typical smartphone, and a better source does make it sound better. This doesn't mean that it isn't possible to enjoy them even from a lower powered source, but you're better off with a DAP or DAC/AMP rather than a computer / smartphone powering them as far as how much juice you're squeezing from them goes.







Final Audio E4000 + Opus #1s - Opus #1s is also really lush and organic, making an excellent pairing with E4000. They simply sing together, and the large amounts of power that #1s has really helps with E4000, as they are quite power-hungry and require a little bit of juice to sing their best.

Final Audio E4000 + FiiO M7 - FiiO M7 is the one DAP we wrote about quite a bit in the pairings part of our reviews, and we have a feeling we will continue doing that, as it is one heck of a little DAP. It can drive well most portables, has all the bells and whistles in connectivity one could desire for, and its neutral signature will pair with anything out there, as it doesn't really alter the signature of the IEM / Headphone it is connected to.

Final Audio E4000 + iFi xDSD - iFi xDSD is a DAC/AMP from iFi we are going to review in the future. It has a lot of bells and whistles, and for the last few weeks, we found we have been using it far more than we'd have expected. The main headlines for xDSD are its portability and versatility. Where iFi's iDSD Micro was a little too big to be truly portable, xDSD is really nimble, and even smaller than our test smartphone, Xiaomi Mi Max 2. In fact, at audiophile Heaven, we all have either Xiaomi Mi Max 2 or Xiaomi Mi Max, simply due to their large display and ease of work / multimedia consumption. xDSD is a nice pair with those smartphones, as well as other smartphones, and the best part is that its signature also works well with almost any IEM, it has a slight warm tint, but otherwise, it is also really colorless and gives a nice touch to E4000's sound.



Value and Conclusion

We've been talking quite a bit about this little jewel of technology from Final Audio, and we feel we did so for a good reason. Final E4000 is an excellent example of what a great company can do for the right price.







Starting with the package, Final Audio made sure they included everything you could require in that little package, from a large number of excellent proprietary tips, all the way to an ingenious carrying solution, a rubber carrying case. Although this may seem a little strange to those used to more classical plastic or metallic carrying cases, Final Audio's solution is quite delightful and we actually like seeing something new now and then.

The build quality of E4000 is just as great, a little black IEM with the body made of Aluminium, for enhanced acoustic properties, along with an excellent build quality, you'd have a hard time breaking the IEM body regardless of what you'd place it through. In fact, our unit even took one or two falls during our photo shoot, but it got out unharmed. The MMCX connectors are of the highest quality, and the IEM is simply too comfortable to be true, a small IEM body, versatile, offering both over-the-ear and straight-down wearing styles, and with a nice cable included with it.

The sound is one you'll immediately fall in love with, thicc, deep, lively, full of passion, but not overly bright, so it is also gentle. The texture levels are not quite as expressed as other performers which are more technical, but E4000 is one of the most natural you can hear, with their deep bass, natural tonality to their midrange, lush and organic presentation, ad smoothly textured, yet present and enjoyable treble, making a signature that is not only very versatile, but also really easy to listen to. They work great with music from the smoothest Jazz, to technical death metal, so pretty much anything you can throw at them, they will play nicely.



If you're in the market for an IEM based on versatility, you surely have to check out Final Audio E4000, and the only thing that should be holding you back, if you like what you've read so far, is that there is an Final Audio E5000, which we will be reviewing very soon, but otherwise, if this is your budget, there's no other IEM with this signature and comfort, at least that we know of. We're really happy that Final Audio also has outstanding customer support, and they're known for excellent build qualities, so don't hesitate in getting a pair of E4000, if the sound fits your needs.



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.

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
Manafest - Impossible
Thousand Foot Krutch - The Flame In All Of Us
Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
Infected Mushroom - Song Pong
Doctor P - Bulletproof
Maximum The Hormone - Rock n Roll Chainsaw
Rob Zombie - Werewolf, Baby!
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
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Metallica - Fuel
Veil Of Maya - Unbreakable
Masa Works - Golden Japang
REOL - Luvoratorrrrry
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 - Tommy Gun
Astronautalis - The River, The Woods



I hope my review is helpful to you!



We hope you have a nice evening in there! Stay safe and remember to always have fun while listening to music!




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Overview

final E4000, one of the recent additions to the new E series from the very well known S’NEXT Japanese audio company, and their final brand (or more famous as Final Audio Design). Using a single dynamic driver with metal shells and a very compact design, adding a detachable cable MMCX connection, and priced at $150. With a bit of unique sound presentation, pleasant, engaging and detailed, this is a very solid option to this price range.

Official E4000 info

Technical Specifications

(Taken from the S’NEXT final site)

• Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
• Connector: MMCX
• Cable: OFC cable
• Sensitivity: 97dB
• Impedance: 15Ω
• Weight: 18g
• Cord length: 1.2m

Price (msrp): U$D 149.


The included accessory pack is rather limited with only the new final set of tips that arrive in 5 different sizes from SS to XL, a unique round carry case with a carabiner (or karabiner) to attach to it and a pair of short earguides. Nothing unusual from the final models or from other Japanese companies, unlike various Chinese manufactures that tend to pack their products with a wide array of eartips selection, cases, cables and whatever more.


Design & Build Quality

The E4000 takes a very compact design with the small dynamic driver of just 6.4mm inside. The small cylindrical shaped earpieces are made of aluminum in a smooth matte black color that give them a nice, elegant and discreet look. On the rear part there is the final logo. At the bottom the R and L sides marking, while the inner and outer sides have the ‘final’ and ‘E4000’ writings on them, respectively. And finally, on the frontal part the nozzle has a thin mesh material to act as filter (and might have a damping purpose too).


The material is very lightweight and with very smooth surface they are very easy to fit for practically any ear size. There’re no vents to be spotted on the housings, and yet there is no driver flex issue on the E4000. The nozzle width is of the standard ~5mm which should match several of the common aftermarket ear tips options. The included ear tips are of good silicone quality; similar to the Sony ‘hybrid’ tips but of a thicker/stiffer material, and do provide a very easy seal. The bore on the included tips is likewise narrow and has its effect on the overall sound presentation. Moreover, bi-flanges, SpinFit, Spiral Dot, and many others can be used to tweak the sound a bit.


The earpieces are really comfortable and can be used with cable either down or up. The earguides are recommended to get a more secure fit, though the length of the included guides is kind of short to surround the whole ear. Isolation is around average though; the seal is good with any ear tips, just that the E4000 won’t block much of the outer ear with its thin and compact straight design.


The connection is of the standard MMCX type. Haven’t tried to detach and reattach them as the connection seems solid enough. The cable may look a bit plain but is of good quality, nonetheless. Very soft with practically no noise when moving around. Supposedly it has OFC wire material inside, which cannot be confirmed with the solid black coating. It mainly consists of two separated cables attached together from the plug up to the split. The plug is made of strong aluminum material too and seems very durable. The y-split is not as tough, made simply of a plastic or rubbery material, but it also means no extra weight. The MMCX plug are well covered, though there is no real strain relief around them; not much of an issue as the cable is soft enough and there’s always the possibility to replace the whole cable.


Sound Impressions

The E4000 is one of the new additions to the final E series, all currently using a single dynamic driver of 6.4mm diameter. Arguably, this size of driver might be considered as a micro-dynamic driver when used as an only driver for an in-ear option, while it is also used as tweeter on multi-dynamic driver setups. Nevertheless, regardless the driver technical details, the E4000 is not something to be considered as small in sound quality and its presentation.

While being among the less effective IEM sets I’ve tried in years, extra power is not essential to bring the E4000 to its best performance, but just requires a higher volume step to achieve a proper listening volume. Overall, the E4000 has a slightly warm, yet full and rich presentation that keeps a very enjoyable balance from bass to treble without over boosting a specific region, and still it manages not to miss in any particular part. It is definitely not a signature that should classify as ‘neutral’ or too flat; the E4000 does carry a certain coloration to the sound, however it is presented in such a very natural and musical way.


The bass is full, well defined and rich. There is a small lift on the mid-bass area that is not too offensive but yet present when called forth. The control is excellent and the speed while not the fastest it fails to be slow. Attack and decay feel very natural and coherent. Layering is surprisingly very good with nice detail and separation. Sub-bass too, is of very good quality, and while not with best extension the depth and rumble are very enjoyable and the E4000 is capable of giving a thunderous yet controlled bass response if the track has it.

In comparison, the E4000 has much a stronger and defined bass than the Vsonic GR07 and higher control too. The iBasso IT01 is darker and together with the Lear Kaleido are closer to the heavy-bass category than the E4000 could be. On the other hand, Dunu Falcon-C or the new Advanced GT3 while not smaller in quantities, are faster and tighter than the E4000 which has a smoother flow.

The midrange is a strength of the E4000. It is slightly forward, warm and very rich. Balance from low to upper mids is great, though there is a noticeable emphasis on the upper mid region that gives a higher priority to female singers and upper instruments as well. Brass and strings instruments on this upper region simply shine with the E4000, though they tend to take some more attention from the listener, but the texture is really nice and sound very engaging. Foam tips if used, may take down the emphasis a little if more neutrality is wanted. Male voices also sound detailed and textured, though the E4000 is better with Japanese male singers on J-rock/pop genres (not much of a surprise being a Japan made earphone). There is no noticeable bloat from the upper bass region, just some fullness and warmer tonality that merges into the whole mids.

Apart from the very specific emphasis on the lower treble, the whole treble is smooth but still carries enough energy and sparkle. The extension is more than competent for a below $200 in-ear set and didn’t show any peak even with brighter tracks. Micro detail is easy to discern without having a very upfront and aggressive treble.

Stage is not very wide, but the presentation doesn’t sound closed or congested. The E4000 can handle complex music without much effort, but of course, not in the way as more analytical tuned earphones.
On the other hand, transparency is not where the E4000 stands out, and wouldn’t fill under a very ‘liquid’ description. It is airy, accurate and has very good separation, and it is more about being dynamic and very coherent instead of trying to show strong technical characteristics. Immersive, easy to listen and simply musical in the Final Audio type of tuning.


Value

With the E4000 we can see quite an affordable earphone from final audio that deserves a high value rating. It offers not only an uncompromising discreet and compact design which is really comfortable and solidly built with the detachable cable option (even though it’s MMCX standard), but most importantly sounds really good. It is a good example that mixes quantity and quality all together, with a strong sense of musicality, good control, accuracy and not good overall detail. The slightly colored sound may not fit everyone tastes but it is a very enjoyable in-ear set.

Simple Man’s review – Final E4000 (~150 USD incl. import);
This is called simple man’s review because they are based on the sound of these earphones directly from my mobile phone (HTC 10), using 320 Kbps mp3 tracks. No expensive gears nor lossless tracks,no EQ, and all that hi-fi stuff.



Product Specs :
Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
Impedance: 15 Ohms; Sensitivity: 97dB
Weight: 18g
Cable: MMCX connectors, 1.2 m, OFC cable - black

Build – 4.5/5
Great build quality, super light. The E4000s employ machined black aluminium housings that are very rigid. The cord is of good thickness, not overly thick, still you feel secure with them. The wires are very flexible and feel nice to touch. Not at all springy, they conform nicely to any position you set them to. The MMCX connectors also colour coded with Red with Black to indicate Right and Left respectively. The theme here is black, with black aluminium housings and black cord. The Y splitter is a small cylindrical hard rubber chunk, and so are the MMCX connector housings at the end of the cable. They are closed back unlike the little brother E2000. They have a nice black neck cinch as well. No worries here., minus 0.5 because the E5000 is much more solid and pretty.



I forgot to mention about the nozzles. Both E5000 and E4000, although housed in stainless steel and aluminium respectively, have hard black plastic nozzles. Since the nozzles aren’t long and protruding, breaking them while tip-rolling is not a point of concern. Still, it’s worth mentioning that they aren’t all metal. They also have a nice white filter to stop dirt from entering the earphones.

If you’ve already checked out my E5000 review, you can skip all the bits below and jump straight to Sound. Only point is difference compared to E5000 would be with wearing comfort where the E4000 is more comfortable due to lighter weight.



Accessories – 5/5
Ditto E5000.
Silicon Carrying case: We get a very premium and stylish silicon carrying case that looks great, feels great, and they don’t occupy a lot of space either. They have an unconventional design. It looks like a hollow black bowl of rubber, on the outside we have the Final logo, on the bottom is the flap to open and secure the case, three protruding tabs help to keep them fastened. It has an interesting locking mechanism as well that avoids a zipper. The case is so small that it can hold just one unit comfortably.
Karabinger: The case also has this facility to deploy a coupling link, which is part of the accessories, so we can fasten them to our belt loops to carry the earphones around. This is pretty cool and can save a pocket when you are out and about.
Silicon tips: 5 sizes of tips, with the stems having grooves or stripes which have tight clamping force. The grooves enable flexibility to adapt and angle into the ear canals a bit. These tip stems are also colour coded to indicate L/R, and different sizes.
Ear hooks: They also provide a super slim set of black ear hooks (E5000 has transparent ones) that are flexible and are extremely comfortable as well.

So much thought an effort has been put into each component to satisfy the spending customer.

Isolation & Sound leakage – 3.5/5
Ditto E5000.
Isolation is left wanting a little. Not as bad as open/semi open earphones, but you can hear speeding cars even with the music on. Sound leakage is not a point of concern even in quiet environments

Fit – 5/5
Fit is easy and comfortable. The lighter housing (compared to E5000) only adds to the comfort and ease of use. Around-the-ear and conventional straight-down wear is compatible.

Microphonics – 4/5
Ditto E5000.
Wearing them around-the-ear eliminates touch noise, more so with the ear hooks. Straight down, it is quite present.

Before we get to the sound:
You must know that i don’t listen to trance, EDM, or bassy stuff, no metal stuff, so, take my opinion about the extremes of the sound spectrum, and speed,etc., with a grain of salt, as they are just based on the kind of music I listen to- namely Jazz, blues, some progressive rock from the 70s/80s. However, to give a fair review, i include some of my favourite Daft Punk, Tool, NIN, and some Pop songs among my test tracks.

From Final’s site regarding the tuning of E4000/5000:
We’ve carried out the sound design of this product based on the latest acoustic engineering and psychological research results. Using the usual method of sound creation whereby high frequencies are given a sharp peak and certain high frequencies are emphasized, you’re given to feel vivid sound when you first listen, but because of this peak, the anteroposterior ranges are masked and hard to hear. With the E series, making the arc of the frequency response smooth overall ensured that no bands were masked, and we achieved high resolution. Compared to E3000/E2000, a purer, subtler sound is achieved.

*To heighten the resolution across all ranges, acoustic pressure has been lowered. When you listen, the sound appears laid-back; turning the volume up gradually while assimilating this subtlety affords the user a comfortable listening experience. This product is one whose merits become more apparent the longer you use it.

And, it is interesting to know that Final considers that E5000 is a direct upgrade to E3000, and E4000 is a direct upgrade to E2000.

Sweet-Spot:
Final suggests to gradually turn up the volume and find the sweet spot where we can say that the highs are lows are in line with one another. This sweet spot for me lies between 30 to 50% volume in HTC 10 depending on the track. This is where they sound sublime. The 4000 is easier to drive than the 5000 and accordingly the sweet spot comes a couple of notches below in the volume bar. The E4000 and 5000 are especially made for you listen in the sweet spot. Any more volume, the earphones will not sound as good, and the E4000s will lose some of it’s magic. Once you find this sweet spot, run a few songs and let your brain accustom to the signature. Coming from bright earphones and monitorersque signature, I needed quite a bit of brain burn-in.

Tips: I tried different tips, but I settled back to the stock tips. They work just fine.

Sound –

The E4000 really sounds smooth and in-offensive, yet detailed and lush. The highs are airy, yet not overly done, like those flashy IEMs in the market today. None of the IEMs in the E series come across as flashy, but the E4000 and 2000 have more airiness to them than the cousins. It strikes the perfect balance. If you don’t like overly lush presentation with supreme warmth, the E4000 is for you.



Let’s have a deeper look.

Bass:
The bass is creamy. The sub-bass lies slightly behind the mid-bass in impact. You will feel the sub-bass, softly. The mid-bass hump is not introduced in the wrong place. This is more tastefully positioned in the lower side of the mid-bass. Therefore, they behave very well and do not interfere with mids like some other IEMs with an abominable hump do. The bass isn’t super tight, like the 5000, and presenting the bass texture is not in the topmost of its priorities. That said, this isn’t a bass shy earphone by any means, only, they are not the main players here. The bass is like the Rook providing solid support to the King’s castle. Which brings us to His Majesty

Mids:
If all earphones did mids so perfectly, Final wouldn’t have gone for this. They have nailed it. Mids are transparent and notes are perfectly presented. The aren’t thick, they aren’t thin, go figure. All the instruments have some air around them. The timbre is top-notch.

Without the Queen the King’s castle will soon crumble. The queen of the mids, vocals, is presented in all her glory here. The presentation of vocals here rival Piano Forte II, which is my gold-standard for vocal presentation. Maybe, they are even better. It’s hard to tell. The vocals just pop slightly above the rest of the instruments in the mids. They are treated like a queen and presented like one. If you listen to any song with vocals with these E4000s, the vocal element of the song will be the one captivating you most. It would sound like all the other elements of the song work together to lift and position the vocals in its sanctum sactorum.

Treble:
The treble is smooth and they extend well. The treble is on the same level as the bass on impact and presence. The are airy, and play at a good height in the soundstage. I wouldn’t say they are super detailed, but every instrument is clearly presented to you, in a very smooth manner. The cymbals and hi-hats decay very tastefully, and I might even go so far to say they add a nice splash to the highs. The treble can be likened to the Bishop on the chess board, cutting across like hot knife through butter.

Soundstage:
The soundstage is wide and have very good height, taller than E5000. It also displays good depth of field, but not so much as the 5000 clearly. Instrument positioning is very decent, and each sound owns some air around them to make their position clear.

Comparisons

Final E4000 (~$150) vs Final E2000 (~$40)
Let’s first see how much of an upgrade the 4000 is from its little brother the E2000.



If earphones like humans can grow up, E2000 will grow up to be the E4000. I’m not joking. Switching from 2000 to 4000, I find everything sounds better and more refined. It’s basically the same signature with better clarity, better instrument separation, better definition, deeper and tighter bass. Vocals are also better. If you love the E2000, you must totally save up and buy the E4000.

Final E5000 (~$300) vs Final E4000 (~$150)
Let’s see how the E5000 stands alongside the E4000, it’s cousin.



Mids is the King in E4000, and Bass is King in the E5000. Vocals is the queen in E4000, Subtle Detail is queen in the E5000.



The E5000 bass hit harder and goes deeper, and is more authoritative. There is this great amount of lushness and warmth that is considerably tamed in the 4000. As a result, switching from E5000 to E4000, the mids appear forwarded. Mids come across as more transparent and vocals are more present in the E4000. In E5000, the mids are lush, warmer, also you can perceive better tightness and micro-definition in the E5000. Instrument separation is better in E5000 as a result. Details are subtler in E5000. Vocals are forwarded and sound mesmerising in the E4000s. They float to the top and tease you plenty. Like I said in the E5000 comparison, If you love mids and vocals, E4000 is the best of the bunch. If you want the best of definition and the deepest sub bass impact, then E5000 will not dissapoint.

More comparisons


Flare Audio R2A (~$150 – extinct) vs Final E4000 (~$150)
The Final E series, upon first listening, immediately reminded me of the R2A. They also have a very warm tuning with lush mids and nice vocals. Let’s see how they compare.

The bass goes deeper in the E4000 and has tighter and better control, and a very slightly bigger impact. Bass is slightly muddy in comparison in the R2As. The treble is more pronounced in the R2A and chimes and hi-hats have a sharper, harsher, quality to them as opposed to the smoothness of the 4000. The amount of warmth is very similar. The E4000 shows more depth than the R2A. Vocals are clearer and better in the 4000 as well. Trumpets and horns sound a little thicker (better?) in the R2A for some reason. Instrument separation is on a level. They are more similar than different, and the differences mentioned are slight in quantity (except treble). R2A can be called the brother that strayed from the E series family and went rogue.

Final E4000 (~$150) vs Final Audio Design Heaven IV (~$140)
This is just a reference comparison.

The difference is BA vs Dynamic. The Final is much brighter in comparison, with forward and brighter highs, greater on-your-face detail presentation. The Heaven IV is in no way harsh, but the 4000 is much smoother is comparison. The bass is better and digs deeper in the 4000 as well. Instrument separation is perceived better in Heaven IV vs the subtler presentation in the 4000. Clarity and definition is on the level, I would say. Maybe a slight edge to the BA driver. E4000 is more organic. Heaven IV comes across as analytical and boring in comparison (can you believe that?)

Final E4000 (~$150) vs ATH CKR100 (~$400)
ATH CKR100 was my most favourite IEM before I had the E series in my possession. Now, I don’t know if I like E series better or not. Anyway, this is an interesting comparison with E4000, so let’s get to it.

The CKR100 is also a lush earphone that has forward mids and good presence in the highs as well. In terms of warmth, they are very close in quantity. Bass quality is stellar as well, with the CKR100 reaching deeper, but the overall bass quantity is higher in E4000. The bass is “correctly” done with the CKR100. Vocals are also great in both, I would be hard pressed to admit a winner here. The highs being more present, displays more clarity and better definition in the CKR100. Every instrument is very clearly portrayed in the CKR100. The smoothness of the 4000 somewhat presents all this in a subtler fashion, but this works in favour towards the E4000 as it adds that little magic (with prolonged listening) that comes with smoother highs. CKR100 is a more rounded earphone that appeals to your brain, whereas the E4000 with its smoothness speaks to your heart directly.

If you can own only 4 IEMs in total, I would say you must have the following:
1. E5000 (for warm, lush, subtle, creamy goodness with an extra helping of bass)
2. E4000 (smooth and subtle highs with forward mids, and goddess-like vocals)
3. ATH CKR100 (best overall signature, “well-rounded” is what comes to mind)
4. Etymotic ER4XR (Analytical monitor– just to know what is hidden out there)

Overall Sound rating of Final E4000: 9.1/10
Vocals 5/5
Soundstage 4/5
Instrument Separation 5/5
Details 4/5
Timbre 5/5

Conclusion –
The E4000s deliver one of the best mids created in IEMs where the vocals “speak” more than they sing. The smoothened highs and warm lows only add to the magic of the mids. Presents a very organic sound nailing the timbre right. Nuanced delivery of details is the name of the game. For the price, it’s really a no brainer if your priority is to enjoy music in a laid-back manner. Five stars because priced right.