WilliamCruz

Previously known as aaabbbcccdddaaa
Amazing IEM with EXTREME Potential
Pros: Amazing Resolution
World-Class Timbre
Great Soundstage and Imaging (After Swapping Ear Tips and EQ)
Great all-rounder (After Swapping Ear Tips and EQ)
Great Speed (Except in bass region)
Great Sub-bass control
Great Micro-details
Pairs well with a bright source
High EQ-ing potential
Decent Build Quality
Cons: Too Dark (Resolved by swapping Ear Tips and EQ)
Stock Ear Tips (They DO NOT do the E5000 justice!)
The cable is Microphonic (Recommended to wear over-ear when travelling)
Not that good of an all-rounder (Until swapping Ear Tips and EQ)
Pairs badly with a warm source

First Impressions​

The Final Audio E5000 arrived at my doorstep a week ago, and they have been in my ears ever since. These are excellent IEMs, but I cannot help to mention a few drawbacks.

Firstly, soundstage and imaging are inconsistent as they suffer on darker tracks. Vocals (esp. female) can sound overly recessed/muffled. There is also a noticeable lack of energy. Next, the speed in the bass region could be slow at times. These points make the IEMs unsuitable to be an all-rounder.

The stock Final Type E ear tips are known to make the sound warmer, and they do not pair well with the E5000 due to its already dark nature. Also, the lengthened space between the diaphragm and exit of the ear tips muffles the soundstage and imaging, giving it a less 3-dimensional feel. I highly recommend swapping out the ear tips on the E5000.



Tinkering with the E5000​

I recommend pairing the E5000 with these three ear tips: Final Type E (TWS version), Whizzer EASYTIPS SS20 (Size: SS), or SpinFit CP350. These ear tips have shorter stems and reduce the distance from the diaphragm to the exit of the ear tip. This helps to increase treble, add more energy, and improve soundstage and separation.

Using the correct ear tips puts the E5000 a tad closer to a warm v-shape sound suitable for more genres. It also brings out the incredibly high quality and non-harsh treble that the E5000 offers. Bass quantity is also slightly reduced (depends on the seal). Bass and Mid-bass are less bloated as well. Changing ear tips on the E5000 is a definite must as the stock tips do not do it justice.

In addition to swapping tips, I also recommend EQ treble boost or pairing with a bright source to accomplish a more balanced, warm v-shaped sound for the E5000.



My Humble Setup​

Source: Desktop > Creative G3 > E5000
Listening Hours: Around 30 at the time of writing
Ear Tips: Whizzer EASYTIPS SS20 (Size: SS) *
EQ: Treble Boost *
* purpose explained throughout the review



Sound​

Timbre 5/5​

Timbre is what the E5000 does best, and every instrument sounds incredibly natural and of high quality. Pretty rare at this price point.

Speed 4/5​

Speed is great in mids and highs but sometimes suffers in the bass region.

Soundstage 3.5/5 (4/5 using SS20 tips)​

Depth and Height are lacking with stock tips. Changing ear tips to one with a shorter stem can improve Depth and Height, resulting in a more 3D sound.

Imaging 3/5 (3.5/5 using SS20 tips, 4/5 using SS20 tips plus slight treble boost)​

Separation can suffer in darker tracks, with the stock ear tips. Changing ear tips gives a better soundstage and increases treble, improving overall imaging.

Micro Detail 4/5​

Micro detail on these is something you'd believe only after listening to them. Final Audio has done well.

Bass Quality 4.5/5​

The bass is tight and punchy. It has well-controlled low rumble in the sub-bass region. It's also easy to differentiate the tonality of the bass. Overall, one of the best.

Mids Quality 4.5/5​

Smooth and Natural sounding. They are great, and I haven't found anything wrong with them.

Treble Quality 4.5/5​

The treble is very smooth and not harsh, even when given a treble boost—well-tuned and very natural sounding.

Bass Quantity 5/5 (4.5/5 using SS20 tips)​

Mids Quantity 3/5 (3.5/5 using SS20 tips)​

Treble Quantity 2.5/5 (3/5 using SS20 tips, 3.5/5 using SS20 tips plus slight treble boost)​


As mentioned, it's highly recommended to change ear tips for the E5000 and, if possible, EQ treble boost.

My current EQ settings are (+0.5dB @ 2K, +3.5db @ 4K, +2dB @ 8K, +1.5dB @ 16K).
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This transforms the E5000 into a warm v-shape sound that is much more balanced and a better all-rounder. Connecting to a bright source might work too.



Tracks​

Timbre and Speed


Soundstage, Imaging, Mids


Bass, Speed


Soundstage, Imaging, Speed, Micro-Detail


Vocals, Treble, Micro-Detail


Vocals, Treble, Micro-Detail, Sub-bass


Timbre, Vocals, Micro-Detail


Imaging, Soundstage, Bass, Vocals


Sub-bass, Bass, Vocals, Rap, Imaging, Micro-Detail


Sub-bass, Rap, Micro-Detail


Imaging, Soundstage
Last edited:
Cho Worsh
Cho Worsh
Nope. Save for something better sounding and use the e3000 or Mele in the meantime and get joy.

Audio Fun

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Overall tonality
Natural timbre
Well textured vocal
Warm and soothing
Fatiguing free listening
Detail
Build
Fit and comfort
Cons: Dark / warm signature not for everyone
May be too much bass quantity
May be too laid back on treble
Not the best bass speed for its price range
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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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E5000 cable
It come with the 2 core high-purity OFC silver coated cables that, it has L angled straight 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Spring1 ($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. Spring1 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.


Compare to my relatively more objective Head-fi star ranking, this ranking will be more subjective based on my personal preference and it doesn’t take price into my consideration.


Scoring system:
4/10 and below: Waste of money
5/10: Average
6/10: Above average
7/10: Good
8/10: Great
9/10: Excellent
10/10: OMG


Final audio E5000:
Overall tonality: 6/10
Bass: 7/10
Mids: 6/10
Treble: 5/10

Overall: 6/10


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

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Last edited:

Fralle

Head-Fier
So close to perfect
Pros: Pretty much perfect for most styles of music
Comfortable
Perfect tips
Cons: The sensitivity is just to damn low
I can not bear to read another review that contains detailed descriptions of graphs and various measurements. I prefer to listen with my ears and write based on the feeling I get from listening.
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So much has already been written about the Final E series by now that it may seem pointless to read (or write for that matter) another one. But in fact I think most reviewers completely misses the point of owning Final E5000.

First things first: Final E5000 is not just a bass cannon that is for EDM and hip hop exclusively. To me, this is more like an all-rounder if you got a real specific taste. It’s sophisticated but not analytical. It’s the closest think I’ve come to having a tube amp inside my ears.

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What I mean by the above is that almost everything sounds cozy as a campfire by the lake. Ok it is not suitable for fast and hard metal, so to call it an all-rounder is not completely true. But it's the closest to the perfect all-rounder Iv'e been so far. Rock, jazz, pop, hip hop, EDM and fine-tuned acoustic music - everything sounds so incredibly right. But the bass can be a tad to much, if you use the stock tips. The stock tips by the way, I really don’t get the hype. In a lot of reviews, you see them being compared to Spinfits. To me they are not even close to the comfiness that I associate with say the CP100. But all ears are different of course.

So it's really not the most natural IEM out there, far from it. Rather, it is the equivalent of a pair of Koss Porta Pro connected to a tube amplifier, but way more sophisticated. The sound will be quite colored, but so damn wonderful and cool to listen to. The only downside is that I had to switch to a balanced cable. Something I otherwise dismiss as BS, but which becomes necessary here. With their incredibly low sensitivity, a balanced cable connected to my Hiby R3 Pro is the only way I can power them on the go. Even my Quad DAC in my LG phone gets short of breath from trying to power these. Why make something so portable so hostile to portable players?

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Then again to make these bullets really shine, you should try and connect them to something with a lot of power. Iv’e paired them with my Technics SU-G700 integrated amplifier the last couple of days, listening to everything from old jazz recordings to modern rock music. And Iv’e gotta say, I think this is pretty close to audio paradise to my ears.

I would also like to thank the Swedish company Ilicon for this. You see me and ear tips really don’t get along that great, I must have some freak of nature ears or something, cause it’s almost impossible to find the perfect fit. That’s why I did let Ilicon 3D scan my ears to make some custom ear tips, as you can see in the picture below.

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These custom tips really did take care of that bass. Don’t get me wrong, these are still pretty bass heavy. But with these custom tips helps to make the bass a bit more controlled. So that I never get that feeling of the bass being a bit to much in acoustic recordings anymore. The removable filters let you adjust the level of isolation to fit your needs. My filter will be the lowest level of isolation, 12db.

The filter equalizes the pressure in the ear in a controlled way and when the sound leaks linearly from the outside to the inside, the idea is that it also leaks sound just as linearly from the music plug and outwards. So that the frequency response you actually hear from the headphones is optimally correct.

Is it weird that I’m not giving the E5000 the highest score? Especialy since I would call these IEMs my favorite IEMs in all categories, something I would not want to live without. Yes, it’s pretty weird. But so is the 93dB sensitivity, making these close to impossible to drive with anything less than a real powerful amp. I mean I can’t even drive these with my R3 Pro without using a balanced cable.

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F
Fralle
I could have written a lot more, I agree. I wish I could add some impressions now that iv'e had it for a while. But it seems editing a published review is impossible?
F700
F700
You can edit a posted review afaik. Go on your profile and goes to the « head gears reviews ». Once selected, you should be able to edit it. I have done it myself for fine-tuning my impressions and it worked.
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Fralle
Thanks
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RikudouGoku

Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
Pros: Sub-bass
Mids
Treble
Soundstage
Instrument Separation
Details
Timbre
Accessories
Stainless steel
Cons: Has a bit too much Mid-bass quantity
maybe too warm sounding for some
Needs a powerful source
Bullet style fit might no suit everyone
plastic nozzle
MMCX on the cable is very tight and feels like you will break it everytime you remove it
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EDIT 2020-10-20: From 4.5/5 to 3.5/5. Too bloaty bass and price is too high in the current market where for example the Ibasso IT00 is very similar to the E5000 but at a fraction of the price. (Also, the LZ A7 exists in the E5000´s price range.)

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

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 300 usd

Specifications:

Product code: FI-E5DSSD
Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
Connector: MMCX
Cable: OFC silver coated cable
Sensitivity: 93dB
Impedance: 14Ω
Weight: 24g
cable length: 1.2m

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Accessories:

Silicon Carry Case

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

OFC cable

Silicon Ear hook “adapter”

Karabiner

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Cable: a very stiff cable but it is a very good cable and absolutely no need to change it. There are no ear hooks on the cable but with the included ear hook “adapter” you can chose to wear it up or down.

Which is a very good thing because it gives the user the choice instead of forcing you to wear it up if it has ear hooks and being less optimal wearing up if it does not have ear hooks. The plug (3,5mm and mmcx) and divider are made out of stainless steel so it certainly looks and feels very premium and also has a working chin slider.

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Build: The iem itself is also made out of stainless steel with a chrome finish just like the cable. Very good build but there is one downside and that is that the nozzle is made out of plastic so it feels like they tried to cheap out and at this price range I feel it is a very bad thing to do. Since it is a bullet style iem it is a very small iem and therefore also very light despite being stainless steel.

Fit: I generally dislike bullet style iems since they always seem to fit worse than standard iems, but the E5000 has a very good fit despite that. The fit is good for everything besides training, in which case it can fall out of your ears. There are some microphonics if you wear it down because of the stiff cable, but wearing it up fixes that and helps the fit more.

Comfort: Since it is a small iem it doesn’t come in contact with your ear that much and also generates less heat, so the comfort is excellent for even longer listening sessions.

Isolation: isolation is below average because of the shape, and maybe due to the super hard to see vent at the back of the iem. So not recommended if you need a good isolation.

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

Lows: Very good bass quantity, it is enough to satisfy a basshead. But at the same time the bass isn’t very fast or tight and the texture isn’t very impressive. A lot of sub and mid bass at the same time. The amount of bass will make acoustic songs less suited because there is too much bass on them and this also applies to rock/metal where you want the bass to be fast/tight and clean. Slight bleeding into the lower mids and I feel like it could have been prevented if the bass was tighter and faster.

Mid-bass: Mid bass can be a bit too much for some, but for me the quantity is just right to make everything very musical.

Sub-bass: very powerful sub bass and can rumble very good. But at the cost of tightness.

Mids: since the bass quantity is on the larger side, you might expect the mids to be very recessed but it is actually not. Mids are VERY organic/natural so vocal centric music sounds very good, even though some might have too much bass. Female/male vocal balance is also very evenly balanced, although female vocals are a bit more forward due to it having some bass bleeding into the lower mids.

Female-vocals: extremely high quality while avoiding any hint of sharpness. Not many iems have this level of female vocals quality while also having ZERO sibilance.

Male-vocals: While the quality is on a high level, since there is some bass bleeding into the lower mids it will make female vocals stand out more.

Highs: excellent treble, the quality is on a very high level and sounds extremely organic/natural and might be the most natural treble I have heard. Very gentle treble since the quantity is low and very even with the mids. Extension is also very good despite having low treble quantity overall.

Soundstage: above average soundstage.

Tonality: a very thick and warm sounding iem that has a L-shaped sound to it. Timbre is top tier; it has an overall better timbre than the Blon BL-03 except in the bass where the 03 is better.

Details: Very high detail despite it being a warm iem. Very impressive for a single DD.

Instrument Separation: very good separation, and very impressive for a single DD.

Songs that highlight the IEM: ,

Good genres: EDM, Hip-hop, R&B,house, Pop, some acoustic songs without much bass.

Bad genres: acoustic songs with bass, rock, metal.



Comparisons:

Blon BL-03:
03 has harsher treble, more quantity. Mids are similar but 03 has a bit more female vocals, which does make it have slightly worse female/male balancing. Bass is extremely similar in presentation (sub and mid bass quantity) but E5000 extends lower has more rumble and a bit more quantity overall, 03 has tighter bass though and speed is similar in both.

Soundstage, details and separation is better on the E5000. Timbre is slightly better in the E5000, sounds more natural and makes the 03-sound sharp in comparison. E5000 has a very soft, relaxed and warm signature to it and 03 has a more “fun” and brighter signature. If you like a touch of brightness while also having a very strong bass then the 03 should suit you. If you like a warm, natural/organic and deep bass then the E5000 should suit you more.

Shozy Form 1.1: 1.1 has a bit better texture in the bass and is tighter/faster, while quantity is lower. Mids are more focused towards female vocals. Treble is more extended and has more quantity. Soundstage, detail and separation is better on the E5000. Timbre is a lot better in the E5000, the 1.1 sounds a bit unnatural in comparison.

E5000 overall sounds more refined and better except in the bass which to me can be a bit too much and makes it less versatile in what it can play. 1.1 is better if you want a tighter, faster and bit more textured bass (also is more mid-bass focused than sub-bass) while being just a bit brighter. E5000 is better if you want a deep rumbling bass with extremely good timbre while being a very relaxed warm signature and having good technicalities.

LZ A6 (pink filter): Almost a complete change in sound, A6 is a MUCH brighter iem. Treble is much more extended on the A6, quantity and quality are on another level (and also sibilance can appear on the A6). Mids are leaning a bit more to female vocals on A6. Bass is lower in quantity and also much tighter and faster while it doesn’t rumble as much.

Soundstage, details and separation is better on the A6 (most likely due to the increase in treble quantity). Timbre is much better on the E5000, sounding more natural/organic due to the massive treble boost and air quantity in the A6. If you like tight/fast, quality and is a treble-head the A6 should definitely suit you more (especially with 9 tuning filters). E5000 is better if you want a deep bass, relaxed warm and good timbre.

Audiosense T800(stock + green filter): bass extends lower in the T800 and quantity is similar although E5000 has more mid-bass quantity. The E5000 has a bit less rumble but more punch and is a bit faster/tighter while also sounds more natural. Mids are a bit more forward on the E5000 and also has better quality, female vocals just a bit more on the T800. Treble is more extended on the T800 and has more air and quantity is a bit more.

Soundstage, separation and details is better on the T800 but overall, the E5000 sounds more natural and timbre is leagues beyond the T800. T800 is better if you want a more U-shaped iem. But the E5000 is better if you want a more natural sound and better quality overall.



Conclusion:
The E5000 has an extremely good timbre and has basshead levels of bass, while also being a very technical, warm and relaxed iem that you can use for a long listening session. E5000 is not a jack of all trades, because of the bass quantity but if you like your bass the E5000 will be a very pleasant iem to you.

Be aware though that the E5000 is a very demanding iem in power and is NOT recommended for mobile users or even low tier daps. E5000 is one of the few iems where you can use everything included in the packaging so just plug in and enjoy. Thanks for reading.

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acap13
acap13
Great review! Any comparison to Tanchjim Oxygen?
RikudouGoku
RikudouGoku
@acap13 Dont have it unfortunately. Although I might get the Tanchjim Hana and if they are similar I might compare them in the Hana review (if I get them).
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acap13
acap13
Thanks. Will look forward to it. Hana intrigues me too.

F700

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Timbre & Tonality
Bass & Mids
Comfort & Fit
Stock cable & E-tips
Price & Value
Solid MMCX connectors
Cons: Darkish sound signature that is not for everyone because of the tamed treble
Isolation & sound leakage
A potent source is required, so that the E5000 can unfold its full potential
Does another review of the Final E5000 really make sense? Most likely not, there are already dozen of them. Still, the E5000 is, along with the Sony N3, the only IEM I've preciously kept with me in the last 18 months while a lot of others, also much pricier ones, came and went. This review is not really one in fact, it's more like a tribute to these little drivers that have been giving me an immense enjoyment listening to my music since late 2018. I love them so much that I have a second set I use with a 4.4mm balanced cable.

All technical datas have been mentioned in previous reviews, so I will skip that part. Important to know is that the E5000 sports a 6.4mm single dynamic driver with a specific acoustic treatment from Final. Its low sensivity requires a potent source, so that the E5000 can be driven properly.

So small yet so powerful
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My taste in music is broad. It would be almost impossible and not relevant to show you a playlist that would make sense today, there are just too many tracks I play with. I like Electronics in almost all of its genres (techno, dub, ambient, drone, house), male and female vocalists, OST, 80's & 90's pop/rock, a bit of rap, also from the 90's. 80's and 90's were great musically speaking, crap!

So, what does the E5000 better than the other IEMs I have or had in my small collection (Sony Z5, Final B1, Fearless S8F, CA Comet, BGVP DM6, BQEYZ Spring 1, just to name a few) ? It is difficult to explain, but it's like there is some more matter to the music. The Sony N3 and the Oriveti OH500 also have this little something giving the impression that you are closer to your music, offering a full presentation of it. It actually is the way I like listening to my records, since 30 years now, with full-sized headphones or speakers. I understand that this is not the most common flavor, especially today with more and more listeners looking for maximal detail retrieval, treble extension, wide soundstage and perfect imaging. Still, for my tastes, the E5000 is more 2D as 3D sounding, has a realistically wide soundstage, good imaging and much better detail retrieval as one could think. Indeed, the somewhat tamed treble does not prevent the E5000 to present a lot of details from your music. I made a direct comparison with the Fearless S8F last year. The S8F, a so-called "detail monster" sounds airier and seems to dig more information in your tracks. Well, no, sorry. I have the same level of details in the E5000. They just are presented another way, less forward and direct, but you have them, if you really listen to your music. I was fond of my S8F and had to sell it when my financial situation got critical at some point. Now that everything is fixed, I was thinking about ordering it again, but I choose the CIEM route with an IEM designed and built in my country.

Stock cable is excellent - here displayed in an EE Pandora metal case
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Do you believe in synergy? I mean, knowing or thinking about the devices you will get connected to your drivers? If you ask me, synergy is crucial, generally speaking in audio. In portable audio at least, you don't have to care about room acoustic, that's a plus :wink: Anyway, by the time I received the E5000, I had it connected in 4.4mm to a Sony ZX300 and in 3.5mm to a Cowon Plenue M2. Both are good sounding DAPs, with a slightly warm, invitating sound signature. Both have EQ, the PM2 going quite far in that regard with the Jeteffect 7. I enjoyed both pairing, until I stumbled on a weird, hardcore looking DAP sporting an AK4490 DAC-chip and a 3.5mm output only. No touch screen, no EQ, nothing excepting a clear and pristine sound with a lot of juice coming out the 3.5mm HO. I knew I have reached the next level with the E5000. The DTR1 drives the E5000 perfectly. A few months ago, Dethonray released the HA-2 amp. No need to get it, I thought. But hey, why not? Here again, the DAP/AMP combo brings the E5000 a little higher by adding a bit more definition and sparkle in the presentation. It brightens the sound just slightly, while keeping the E5000 DNA. Quest over? Not quite. Two weeks ago, Phatlab released their last amp, the Chimera. It has everything I have ever looked for in a amp, namely 3.5mm/4.4mm output, long battery life (> 10 hours) and the choice between tube or solid state amplification. Is this endgame? I don't know where to go from there actually...and I surely don't need to, because I already enjoyed the E5000 with standalone ZX300 and PM2 a year ago. For the time being, source is soundwise perfect, amplification is at the very best of what's possible with hybrid modes, 4.4mm silver cable with rock solid MMCX connectors and, last but not least, our tiny music machine guns, the E5000.

Dethonray DTR1 - Phatlab Chimera - 4.4mm OC Studio Silver Zeux UE - E5000
IMG_Final.jpg

The Final E5000 is one of my favorite audio material, along with the Calyx M DAP (not the best pairing with the E5000 unfortunately) and the P-EAR-S UT-3 CIEM coming soon.

Thanks @Final Audio for having manufactured it and designed as it is. A small single dynamic driver that will stay in my collection and will give me goosebumps for years to come.
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F700
F700
deleted
bancanus
bancanus
@F700 Nice review! Which iem do you prefer to pair with DTR1? Etymotic ER2XR or E5000?
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F700
F700
Without amp, the ER2XR by a small margin. With the Dethonray HA-2 amp, the E5000 is slightly ahead. The ER2XR is more versatile and isolates much better. Fit is decisive here.

Mosauwer

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: - Excellent bass response
- Full-bodied mids with timber and texture
- Comfortable
- Practical accessories
Cons: - Treble shy
- Not easy to drive
- bass bump might seem a tad too heavy for somebody
- Not ideal for rock or metal listeners
Initials:

At the very first I need to thank Final audio to give me the chance to review the product. The review below is actually a self-opinion. Though Final Audio is kind enough to send the unit for free. My opinion wasn’t influenced by this move. Moreover, I've published my video review on my youtube channel. The link will be embedded soon. Your opinion may vary to your listening and circumstances. I believe music is a subjective thing. So your precious opinions and suggestions are cordially appreciated. In life, I can learn every day and this might be a day to understand something different. So flood my post's comment section.

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Let me start

Final is an japanese boutique audio company. They are impressing us with their best sound engineering and craftsmanship with every single of products. After 2007 its introducing many quality planner magnetic wonders and single driver iem(s) to our headfi community. Unfortunately, some of them are for themselves who have tons of cash in their pocket.
As a student like me, who has a love for music, has a bigger dream but a small pocket E5000 is a solid choice to feel and hear how the high-end stuff sound.
By the time you finish my review, you will get two things straight.


  1. Though it marked 14 ohms, it sounds alright with portable devices. But good amping really mandatory.

  2. According to my preferences this earphone pairs well with some analytical or bright source.


Who the hell I am

Just on the verge of starting, let me introduce yourself.

Music, from the very childhood is my first love. The day I started my guitar playing, and the day I opted to play Ukulele its been with me at home or outside. I every now and then enjoyed music through my daily setup, smartphone and mojo and sony ier m7. Its been four years, my journey along the path of music didn’t stop. I am fortunate enough to have to listen to many legendary headphones and earphones.

As music preference goes, I hear a lot of metal and rock songs. But as I have born in Bangladesh, my countries music library offers a lot more enriched genres. So I love to hear other genres too, until it sounds awkward to me. So, Folk, classical, pop, melody, instrumental are also in my liking list.




Lets start the review...

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Build, Design and accessories

Final E5000 is an earphone to remember. The chrome finish, the silver plated oxygen-free copper cable, dense stainless steel housings make the whole item a simple yet elegant design so far. The earpiece has a bit mirrored finish. If you get bored, you can look up to your face and find something unique. :p The mmcx-connector joint and the nozzle are made of ABS plastic. If I sum up my thoughts, this earphone looks appealing yet being strong to hold up beating, screaming quality build and preserving the beauty of craftsmanship.

Surprisingly I found no visible vent to prevent driver flex. Final designed e5000 in a way that they put a whole acoustic chamber on the back of the IEMs (the ridge between the housing and it’s rear). There’s also apparently another gap between the nozzle and the housing, and thus you have an IEM that doesn’t exhibit driver-flex even with the very deep fit.

Mirrored silver finish will introduce hand smudges and scratches after prolonged use. If you adore the sound of it and want to use it for an extensive period of time, you have to take great care of it just like you do for your newly gained corvette.

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For the build, it should receive 4/5

This earphone is priced at around $270-300. I have seen deals like 220 to 250ish with rebates and all. From a $200+ earphone we can expect a sheer amount of accessories and an ornament like packaging. Yet Final delivers totally on spot stuff in favor of practicality and effectiveness.

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E5000 came with the same package of e4000. It offers 5 pairs of awesome high-quality eartips. The soft silicon made carrying case, designed with origami touch, offers assurance of keeping the iem safe and unharmed.
As the cable goes, it's one of the well built, designed, and sturdiest looking cables you can get within 300 usd price range. Final may charge you about 150ish if you want to get this cable standalone. Technically it is a silver plated OFC cable which seemed a bit on the stiffer side. So, it engages some microphonics if I wear it straight down. Did I mention it has good quality mmcx connectors?
A pair of soft silicone ear hooks and a carabiner (branded final audio) are in the box too.

cable.jpg hooks.jpg pouch 2.jpg pouch1.jpg

For accessories and packaging 4/5




Comfort:

In three words, e5000 is comfortable. Like e2000, e4000 ( I had both of them for review) it has bullet like shell. E5000 has longer shell than the other E series iems. So, e5k offers a deeper insertion. Isolation is average at best. Most importantly it offers leakage. With e2000 i got better comfort as it was smaller in the bunch. I could fall asleep with e2k but not with the e5k.

For comfort: 4.5/5 (its comfortable but e2k has better comfort, so i can't give 5)

Spec

Product code: FI-E5DSSD
Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
Connector: MMCX
Cable: OFC silver coated cable
Sensitivity: 93dB
Impedance: 14Ω
Weight: 24g
Cord length: 1.2m


For the e5000 technological terms please visit: https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/E5000

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Does it sound too?

If you have a close inspection, E5000 has a sensitivity level of 93dB at 14 ohms it can’t get enough juice with smartphones. I personally used it with a lot of things. For portable tempotec sonata ($25) did fine. My mojo drove it well but it sounded too warm to say. It paired well with Astell&kern SR15 and pioneer xdr300. I am using pinnacle p1 for at least 1.5 years. E5000 shows inefficiency as like the p1 shows. It's no wonder a smartphone iem that you can use outside. But if you have something, as a good portable dac amp/dap setup, you are good to go. According to my listening habits, it paired best with analytical/ bright sources.

I hooked up this with THX AAA 789 this sung well but a bit dry than my preference. So I will mark this as a desktop iem. :p


Bass:

E5000 overall offers a quality warmth plus sheer bass under $300-400. The bass attacks deep. It will make you listen to the very bottom of bass pit. So, you will feel a subwoofer like attention inside of your head. The sub-bass section has 50% more boost than the mid bass section, where mid-bass is already boosted like 2 db than other frequencies. But this transition is a gradual process. The attack and decay are natural. Bass's presence has a warmth to it. It offers a smooth texture, resolve the bass notes on natural progression. It's not too fast nor too slow. But sometimes i felt like i am covered in a deep thick blanket of bass, I craved for fresh air.
Bass will get: 4.5/5


Mid:

Despite having the insane amount of quality bass, the mids are not lost. Rather it offers the body and thickness which I want most from any audio gears. A tiny amount of bass bleeds in the mid, it's barely noticeable. With the sort dip in the very lower-mid separated the bass and mid almost perfectly.
I am almost sold with the mids it offers. I could hear the vocal texture, the breath, and whatnot. I am very sensitive to vocal shoutiness in female vocal. Whenever I need to check any iem or headphones, I play Ame lee’s voice and check it. Final passed it with flying colors. I expected a bit more fluidity from e5000. But it should be a lie if I say, the mid is dry. E5000 has a totally natural timber that an instrument offers in real life. String instruments, piano etc have the exact figures and exact notes. I have heard a few iem in this range like FLC 8s, oriveti new primacy; which has a force-fitted placement and an artificial timber compared to the e5000 does. Yes, I would love to have a bit more micro detail and a lil bit of edge on the notes. If it happened, these would cost like a fortune.
Mid will get 4.5/5


High:

I am a bit sensitive to treble, yet E5000’s treble didn’t excite me at all. I missed a bit more sparkle on top. The treble is not offensive at all, got a muted tone. As i am a whore for metal and rock music, it felt like I am having a biryani without chill. Yet the upper treble extension should receive an appreciation. It has a bit of crispness when cymbal crashes. But i should appreciate this point that it won't forcefully feed you with tons of treble, sparkle, detail that you can’t process.

I felt the 8–10KHz roll-off is bugging me most for various tracks and genres. When I pair it with some bright/ analytical source, the treble gets compensated and has a bit more balance than the neutral source.
Treble will get 4/5

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Soundstage:

The staging is worthy to mention. It has height and a decent amount of width. I would expect to have a lil bit depth. I felt the presence of instrument fairly well. I enjoyed layering. Cause I can hear them laid on top of each other. It's fun and enjoyable
Staging: 4/5


Imaging:

Imaging suffered from the soundstage depth. It has good stereo separation and handled the liner image quite well. I am more habituated with pinnacle’s imaging which is very good with proper amping, so I am a bit more thirsty here.
Imaging: 3.5/5


vs Fiio FH5: I listened to fh5 side by side at my friends place. Fiio FH5 has a tad better detail and sparkle on the top with a bit more imaging presence. E5000 blows it away with the mid and bass section where fh5 was shouty and harsh.


vs pinnacle p1: Pinnacle p1 is the polar opposite of e5000. At least to some extent it is. Pinnacle has better soundstage depth and imaging than e5000. P1 holds micro detail a lot better than e5000 does. But I am afraid some people may find the pinnacle offensive and harsh of upper mid and treble. E5000’s bass and mid is fuller and heavier than pinnacle p1.


Vs oriveti new primacy: Oriveti is sharp. To some extent its too sharp to my taste. Mid is thinner compared to e5000. Oriveti has a tad better layering and air inside. But for the sharpness of the oriveti it lost, according to my preference.

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Bottom line:

If you are someone who likes bass, thick mid and musical listening experience, this e5000 might be a great pick up for you. For a metal head like me, don't want to confine myself under a thick bass blanket to be honest. Its a subjective choice that its not upto my preferences, but I have seen a lot of folks around me who are deeply in love with these iem when its paired with good source. And i have no shame for admitting that I am quite surprised to get this type of fuller bass and mid under $300. Just i needed a bit chill on top. I loved it with Oppo ha2, Sr15 and XDR300. I believe any portable/desktop amp with a bit of brightness will serve you like charm.


My brother KMMBD said, “It’s like your first teenage love — it doesn’t make much sense, and yet it gives you the butterflies. You overlook all the flaws for the beauty that lies in the eye of the beholder. It sweeps your feet away, leaving you in a trance”


Happy listening.



Sources and amp

My pc (with creative sound core audio cheap)
Aune m1s
MCTH, thx 789
Chord Mojo, oppo ha2
Astell&kern ak70 mkii and sr15
pioneer xdr300
Phones: iphone 6s plus,


Playlist
Incubus - Summer Romance
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
SOAD - Chop Suey, Toxicity
Eminem - Rap God
Metallica - Fuel, master of puppets, enter the sandman
Massive attack - Mezzanine
Fall Out Boy - Immortals
Green Day - Know The Enemy
Skillet - What I Believe
Slipknot - snuff
Tool - Lateralus, Fear inoculum
And a few of my local audio collections. All are at least 16bit FLAC.


Thanks for reading this long. Don’t hesitate to share or ask anything. All those photos were captured by me. There supposed to be a lot of mistakes. Hopefully, that won’t bother you much. A long way to go for me. So your kind feedback is much appreciated.
iBo0m
iBo0m
Great review! I second driving the e5000. Who would guess that you need a such powerful source for such small earphones :)
Mosauwer
Mosauwer
Thanks @kmmbd bro and @iBo0m final is a great company to explore.
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iBo0m
iBo0m
@Mosauwer it is! I usually like audio brands who have their own way of making their products while not being influenced by mass marketing, which is sometimes sad to see what products may come out of a solid company (not that they would lower their standards, but they don't seem what they used to be).

kmmbd

500+ Head-Fier
Teenage Love
Pros: Some of the best bass response around
- Fantastic mids with excellent timbre and tonality
- Cavernous soundstage
- Beautiful housings and cable
- Great accessory set
- Very comfortable
Cons: Treble is a tad muted
- Not very good for hard-rock/metal genres/sub-genres
- Mid-bass bump might be distracting for those who prefer brighter tonality
- Needs some power to sound its best
IMG_2781_1.JPG


Update: 01/2024 - As I am still using the E5000 (over 5 years now), I believe it is high time for a 2024 update to this review, with comparisons against the modern "benchmarks" under USD$300. The update is in the works and will be published here upon completion.

Final Audio has one of the coolest names around, and they’ve made some of the most unique (to put it mildly) earphones over the years.

They came up with their new E-series IEMs somewhere around the end of 2017, and it is part of the “new” Final where they try to cater to every market segment instead of mostly focusing on the upper-tier. The E1000 is priced at $30, and is superseded by the E2000 ($45), E3000 ($55), E4000 ($150) and the flagship: E5000 ($280).

Strangely enough, all of them share the same dynamic micro-driver size: 6.4mm. Final does not state what is the driver-diaphragm material, or anything special they did with the driver in each individual model, but it’s rather evident that the driver is customized differently across the product range.

Being the flagship of the E-series, the E5000 faces a tall task, which is further compounded by the (literal) plethora of rather well-tuned Chi-Fi IEMs at this price-range. It must do something special to be considered relevant in this cut-throat market, so yeah — let’s see how it does. You can find more of the specs and a lot of text regarding the tuning philosophy of Final here.

Note: the ratings given will be subjective to the price tier. Definitely the expectations from a $15 IEM won’t be the same as a $150 one, and that’s the approach taken while assigning scores. I bought the E5000 with my own funds, so no strings attached — apart from that credit card bill of course. Disclaimer

Sources used: Yulong DAART Canary, LG G7 Quad-DAC, VE Odyssey, iPhone SE, Apple USB-C to 3.5mm dongle

Build:
Final E5000 looks and feels every bit as a flagship product should. The stainless steel housings are dense, and has an industrial, minimalistic look and feel. The mirrored finish looks exquisite, and while the mmcx-connector joint and the nozzle are made of ABS plastic — they blend seamlessly with the overall aesthetic and does not compromise the overall rigidity of the main housing. There are no visible vent-ports/holes in plain sight, but here Final did a trick: they put a whole acoustic chamber on the back of the IEMs (the ridge between the housing and it’s rear). There’s also apparently another gap between the nozzle and the housing, and thus you have an IEM that doesn’t exhibit driver-flex even with very deep fit.

0*ohrzypM2G-JmLE1A


My only complaint would be that mirrored finish — it attracts smudges (though they’re rarely visible unless under direct light) and worst of all it is a scratch magnet. My unit is full of micro-scratches after over six months of regular usage, so if you have an OCD regarding the looks of your IEMs, get ready to baby these.
4.5/5

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Accessories: If you are spending nearly $300 on a pair of IEMs, you should expect some top-notch accessories. Luckily, Final delivers on that front. The E5000 comes with 5 pairs of Final E-type tips, a quirky silicone carrying pouch, a carabiner to attach said pouch to your belt-loops or bag (I can’t fathom why anyone would do that), a pair of ear-hooks, and the star of the show: a drop-dead gorgeous cable.

Final waxes lyrical about the cable in their website (take a gander for all the juicy jargon) and even prices it accordingly: It’s $150 a pop if you want to buy it standalone. It’s a good thing that they’re in the box then, as spending half the price of an IEM over cables makes very little sense. The cable itself is really well-made, it matches the aesthetics of E5000 perfectly and almost never gets tangled. The only issue I could find is the above-average stiffness. I wish it were more malleable, but that’s about it.

The eartips should also get a special mention as they are, hands down, the absolute best eartips I’ve used so far. They’re better than Spinfits (which has a less grippy silicone), they’re quite a lot better than the Spiral-dots (which are poor for deep-fit) and they are nowhere near as fragile as the gunk-magnets aka Comply foams. Symbio Peels don’t even register as a competition.

All in all, a very solid accessory package befitting the price-tag.
4.5/5

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Comfort: The housings of E5000 are a bit bigger and heavier than the lower-end E-series models, but the weight is evenly distributed and with the proper tips ensuring deep-fit — these just disappear into your ear canals. The stiff-ish cable might be a bit of a nuisance if you prefer over-ear fit, but the ear-guides/hooks are there to aid. You can (and probably will) fall asleep while wearing these, and that’s sort of my comfort-level benchmark.

These pass that test with flying colors.
5/5

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Now, on to the sound, finally.

Lows: Oh boy. Here we go…

These have one of the best bass responses among all the IEMs I’ve tried under $500, and I have tried most of the “really bassy” ones, including the venerable JVC Woodies. These, however, take the cake for me.

The bass hits deep, real deep, you can even “feel” the 15Hz rumble. There’s this physical sensation inside your ears that you only feel when there’s a dedicated woofer around. The sub-bass is lifted at least 3/4dB above everything else, while the mid-bass follows by being 1/2dB above the rest of the frequencies. This would be a disaster in the usual case and you’d be left with an overzealous bassline that would literally chomp down every other frequency range.

Not here though, far from it. The bass acts as a foundation to the whole music, and gives this sense of coherency across the range. The bass is ensconcing rather than engulfing. It decays very naturally, and unlike most BA-driver IEMs at this range, it doesn’t just disappear abnormally. Another thing about the bass on these that doesn’t seem obvious at first: how smoothly it flows from one bass note to the next. There’s no abrupt shift, the transition between notes is sublimely handled, which is really hard to come across even when considering TOTL stuff. Just listen to the bassline of John Mayer’s Clarity, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
5/5

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Mids: With all the talk about bass, it’s pretty easy to overlook the midrange of the E5000, and that would be a grave mistake. The midrange here is perfect for my own taste. The lower mids starts to dip first and then rise slowly, which helps in reducing the potential bass bloom and bleeding into the mids/upper-mids. The comes the midrange, which rises smoothly from 1KHz upto 3KHz. This is as full a sounding midrange as you can get around anywhere.

That fullness isn’t all it’s got though. The vocal rendition is what sets Final E5000 apart from most of its competition. It’s exquisite, in short. You literally hear every single breath drawn by the vocalist, you don’t even have to concentrate hard for that (check out Damien Rice’s The Greatest person to get a feel for this). There is no shoutiness in female vocals, and male vocals, esp the baritone ones sound delightful. Just listen to to some Type O Negative songs, you’ll spot it right away.

Tonality and timbre are the best features of E5000’s midrange, as string instruments sound just like they would in real life. Grand pianos should get a special mention as they seem to be somewhat of a specialty of these IEMs. E.g. in this particular instrumental from Your Name’s OST you can even hear each key bottom out as the notes are played.

The only place where the midrange falls short is pulling out microdetails. Yes, you will definitely hear a few things you haven’t heard before if you’re coming from a lower-end IEM, but these can’t rival high-end detail monsters, e.g the Etymotic ER4P.

In that regard, midrange on these remind me of my most favorite over-ear headphones (for now) — the Sennheiser HD650. While HD650 are definitely the more resolving of the two, they share a lot of similarities in the midrange department, and that’s a compliment of the highest order.
4.5/5

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Treble: Treble is the least exciting part of these IEMs, some might say underwhelming even. While I won’t go that far, I would definitely want a bit more sparkle up top. The treble is a tad muted, inoffensive, and mostly there when called for rather than being shoved into your face like many other multi-BA IEMs. For this reason certain tracks with very fast cymbal hits will sound a bit… bland. Sepultura’s Attitude doesn’t sound like a song with much of an attitude with these, and I literally fell asleep once while listening to Gojira. These IEMs are at times too relaxing in the presentation for their own good, and I won’t really recommend them at all for metal. Not all metal songs sound that toned down, as Slipknot’s Unsainted sounded rather fine. In general though — it’s not an IEM I’d recommend if your playlist mostly consists of heavy-metal tracks.

The upper-treble extension is quite good, however, and adds a little bit airiness up top. Cymbal crashes sound crisp as well. It’s the roll-off from 8–10KHz that’s a bit problematic for certain genres.
4/5

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Soundstage: The staging is rather wide, and has good height, but the depth is lacking a bit. You don’t really get a “holographic” feel with these, but the layering of the instruments in the soundstage is rather unique here. Instruments seem to be laid on top of each other, and that produces a peculiar but enjoyable presentation.
4.5/5

Imaging:
Imaging is excellent for the most part, as even cardinality (instruments playing in top-right/left etc.) is taken care of well for the most part. In Yosi Horikawa’s Crossing, for example, the bikes sweep from right to left, starting a bit behind of your ears. However, due to the lack of soundstage depth, the effect is not so exaggerated as on full-size headphones etc.
4/5

Bang-for-buck:
It’s kind of weird talking about bang-for-buck when something costs nearly $300, but even then, these IEMs have a good value. Final IEMs usually hold their retail price well (Heaven V/FI-BA-SS still costs quite a bit) and given the bass and midrange performance of these IEM — these do give you your money’s worth on those fronts. The accessories package is also stellar. However, the cheaper but very capable E4000 exists, so these don’t look that much of a steal.
3.5/5

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Select Comparisons:

vs Fiio FH5:
Fiio FH5 has a similar tuning to the E5000, just that it’s rather inferior in every department, at least from my POV. While it has slightly better detail retrieval and a tad better imaging, the midrange timbre doesn’t hold a candle to the naturalness of the E5000 while the bass response feels lacking in comparison, and given their close pricing — it’s a no-brainer.

vs Etymotic ER4P: I only had access to the ER4P, but I expect the ER4XR to be similar in a lot of ways. First off, the comfort is miles better on the Final as they don’t “invade” your ears unlike the Etymotics. Isolation though is Etymotic’s forte. When it comes to sound signature, it’s polar opposite. ER4P has anemic bass, and the treble sparkle is rather fantastic, while the midrange is full of microdetails but lacks the fullness and lush presentation of the E5000. It’s a matter of preference at this point.

vs IMR R1 Zenith: I actually own these, and thus have been able to do a rather detailed comparison. R1 Zenith with the Black Filter has a bass response that can go head-to-head with the E5000, and if properly amped — they have a huge and energetic sound that belies their physical dimensions (a lot like E5K in that regard). However, their timbre falls short again, and the midrange is rather inconsistent in terms of performance. They do have much better soundstage and imaging, so there’s that. If I had to pick one — I’d pick the E5000, though R1 Zenith shines in genres where E5000 kinda slacks off, e.g. Metal/Hard-rock.

vs Sennheiser IE800S: Before buying the E5000, I almost bought the IE800S, firstly because Sennheiser was having a sale that put these in the 600 euro mark for the B-stock item, and secondly because, well, I loved the HD650 and thought these will have some of the same characteristics.
Well, I found how wrong those intuitions were after an extended audition. The midrange here is colored in terms of tonality, and it’s noticeably recessed compared to HD650 as well. The bass response is really nice, but E5000 has more body in the bass, thus snare drums and double-pedal kicks sound more satisfying. IE800S has more detail in the treble range, however, but considering the price premium, inferior accessory set and that absolutely awful cable — it’s a pass.

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Source and Amping: E5000 is not that sensitive when it comes to source (as long as it has power to spare). I personally found it to pair well with Sabre-chip DACs, and if you plan to use them while sitting on desk, something like the Khadas Tone Board or Topping D10 will serve you just fine. It also paired decently with Tempotec Sonata HD (just ~$20) so if you plan to use these on the go, those can be a good solution. The Apple dongle (just $10) also fared well, but the build quality is bad on those.

Usually micro-dynamic drivers need a bit more power than their spec-sheet would have you believe, and these are no exception. Heck, at 93 dB/mW — these are one of the most inefficient IEMs I’ve come across since the Pinnacle P1. The LG G7’s Quad DAC can reach good volumes at around 52/75 volume steps, but you won’t get the internal amp to turn on due to low impedance on these (14 ohm). Forcing the aux-mode will give you loudness but that raises the noise floor.

Personally, I’ve found class-A amps to work the best with these IEMs. On the Yulong Canary, these just shine. The slightly higher output impedance on those make the bass response even more impactful without messing with the rest of the FR, and I just love it. Of course, something like THX AAA 789 will drive these even better but at that point it’s just overkill and you’re strictly tied to your desk.

A decent DAP or a DAC-dongle like Sonata HD/Audirect Beam should be enough if you mostly plan to use them on the go.

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Conclusion

I usually try my best to be objective in my reviews. There is no single endgame-headphone/IEM, there is no universal “best under <enter random price point>” piece of kit — these are the mantras.

It’s a tad different when it comes to Final E5000, however, as it’s struck a chord with me that no other IEM (even ones that are far more expensive) have barely managed.

The E5000 has its apparent flaws. The bass might be a tad too much on certain tracks, it’s too power hungry for using with regular phones, the treble extension isn’t quite as good as the multiple-BA IEMs in this range, and it doesn’t do justice to many Hard-Rock/Metal songs due to the laid back nature of its sound.

Yet I love it to bits.

It’s like your first teenage love — it doesn’t make much sense, and yet it gives you the butterflies. You overlook all the flaws for the beauty that lies in the eye of the beholder. It sweeps your feet away, leaving you in a trance.

Most of all — you can’t even explain why you feel so moved, yet it makes perfect sense.

Highly Recommended, and then some. Just know what you’re getting into.

Test tracks (as YouTube playlist, often updated):



Also, check out my blog for more reviews and random ramblings: https://medium.com/@kmmbd
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NymPHONOmaniac

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Thick lush bass, rich mid range, wide soundstage, sweet and addictive treble, innofensive full bodied tonality, timbre have soul, natural sounding, construction is incredible, lot of accessories, tigh mmcx connection
Cons: Imaging and clarity could be better define so I can finally say I find Ultimate Perfection.
FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E5000 REVIEW :

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


INTRO :

Sometime, writing a review isn’t much fun to do and feel like being obligate to breath toxic air and explain how it taste and feel, so its plain suffocating and you wanna rush it as fast as you can.

Other time, you do not see the time pass and can work for hours and hours because you really are fascinate by what you listen to and how the sound is rendered within a singular musicality. Up to date, all E serie from Final Audio Design mystify me in some way or another and I never listen as long to audio products with any other earphones company I review.

Today i’m glad to finally review the Final Audio Design E5000, the glorious flagship iem of E serie,

It make about 2 months I listen to it daily and I can already confirm it sound even better than first day I listen to it due to long burn in period.

I’m not the type of audiophile that put on burnin sessions every iem he have, but when change occur in sound I hear it as i’m very sensible to timbre of instruments and separation in imaging. I love how the E5000 sound the very first day, but it was way warmer and gain in clarity, imaging and bass control with about 100H of use.

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The E5000 have the house sound of all E serie wich is balanced and clear with a smoothed upper treble and warm lush timbre. I consider it as the big brother of E3000 that is a little more bassier than E2000 and E4000 wich are more mid fowards. If you love the E3000, next logical step is the E5000, as its way more refined in timbre and have better attack and lushier mid range.

Priced at 280$, they are mid range high end earphones thinked for audiophile that search a natural, laid back musicality with thick timbre and juicy bass.

At this price, I will be more severe than with E1000, E2000 and E3000 in term of price value, but I consider the E5000 still fairly well priced and accessible to anybody that wanna invest in serious iem. With its sturdy construction, i’m not afraid about durability of those and this aspect is a most when you make a big purchase.

You can find the E5000 on Amazon, Ebay, Audio46 and other seller. For more info about this Final Audio (S'NEXT co.) company, please give a look to their very interesting (and educative) WEBSITE.

Disclaimer: I wanna thank Final Audio Design as well as my friend Kyo for giving me the opportunity to review another of their products. I'm sincerly a big fan of Final Audio tuning and its always fascinating to test their earphones whatever the price range. I try my best to stay objective in my subjectivity, but I most confess i'm very addict to audio philosophy of this great company that translate in the way they tune their refined drivers.

SPECS:
  • Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
  • Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
  • Sensitivity: 93dB
  • Impedance: 14Ω
  • Weight: 24g
  • Cable: 1.2m; MMCX Connector; OFC silver plated coated wire


ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :

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UNBOXING is a ceremonial one with the E5000, every details of presentation was thinked meticulously by Final Audio designer and you feel respected has a consumer. You will be very happy to own one of the most unique earphone protective case too, wich is included with plenty of accessories like the famous high quality proprietary Final eartips, memory foam tips, and ear hook.
The E5000 are wrapped like precious jewelery and seriously look precious.

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CONSTRUCTION is utterly impressive. Begining with an high end 4 cores silver plated cable that fit the mirror stainless steel finish of housing, the E5000 sure look high end and most of all extremely sutrdy and durable. The use of higly rigid machined stainless steel isn’t just for the look, unlike alumimium that is prompt to shock damage as well as unwanted sound vibration, the thick ultra solid housing of E5000 is thinked to minimize any unwanted distortion form housing material and keep the driver safe and steal in its body. In hand, you feel that it have some weight for such a minuscule housing and crafmanship is perfection. The mmcx connection is extremely tigh and will never disconnect whatever you pull the cable by mistake, unlike cheaper earphones using mmcx that often feel having too loose connectors.

DESIGN is a work of minimalist art to me, and Japanese are know for minimalist perfection that is both about practicality and calm contemplativity. Yes, the E5000 are the more eye catching E serie earphones, but they have same simple small cylinder shape than E4000. The difference is in the stainless steel quality of housing wich have a sumptuous mirror finish. E5000 have a back vented housing too just under the beautifull Final Audio logo at the side of mmcx connector. I wish I have serious macro lens to show you how fascinating the E5000 can look with different light.

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COMFORT is supremely enjoyable and versatile, it will fit any type of ears and can be wear deeply inserted or the common way. If you use small eartips, you can insert the E5000 further for extra sealing and isolation as well as a more treble emphased soundsignature, the common way will expend soundstage and bass and this is how I wear it.

ISOLATION from outside noise is sure better than E2000 that have back vented grill housing, but still average if we compate to universal customs earphones. For people like me that listen to music loud, i do not ears lot of outside noise, but people that listen to very low volume will perhaps find the E5000 isolation not enough. Anyway, what is more notable its the sound leakage, due to the littke venting space in the back housing sound do leak and I would not suggest the E5000 in very silent space, still, there no problem wearing it in public space as its not like using open back headphones like Grado that are really too generous about sound leakage.



SOUND:

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Yes, I was expecting alot from the E5000. Sure, I have a little idea of house sound of E serie and was’nt waiting for a more analytical sound approach or something bright or vivid, but yes, I wish I can heard audible improvment and refinement in timbre as well as pristine natural clarity.

First impressions was very positive, it remind me of E3000 warm thick sound with improved clarity, more weighty and define attack and bigger more holographic soundstage. More and more I listen to the E5000, more and more I do not want to stop using them, the lush, sirupy lively but laid back sound they produce deliver such rich musicality it was as sweetly addictive than honey for bees.

The Bass dig so deep, is juicy and so well rounded in timbre, it will sure please bass lover and is among the best one I ever heard. Until now It have this little silky something in timbre thickness with just the right amount of texture that give it a palpable roundness. Punch is smooth yet energic and spot on, again, all about weight. It just warm lower mid range a little without veiling it due to how whole frequencies range is cover in a smoothly sculpted curve. Until 15khz drop that happen with all E serie earphones, level of details and richness is just mind blowing in a mature epicurian way, wich mean, being able to elegantly enjoy pleasure of sound without the need of excess that is translate with over coloration or sharpness with other fun targeted earphones.

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First of all, let talk about AMPING, these have low sensitivity as well as a micro driver that need more amping juice even if not having a high impendance. Every E5000 fan will confirm that these are hard to drive properly and that you haven’t heard them fully until you find their sweet amping spot. For me, portable amp will do, but they shine particularly with my powerfull Xduoo T-10 hybrid tube amp. With proper amping, soundstage improve as well as clarity and bass control.

SOUNDSTAGE of E5000 is the biggest, deepest and more holographic of all E serie. Its very very wide and around your head, even have an airy spaciality without decay or hall like sensation it imply. Unlike subpar single dynamic driver iem, sens of deepnest is circular and super realist.

IMAGING too is a strong point of E5000, and again in a natural well balanced way. Unlike sharp and vivid instrument separation that we can find with multi drivers earphones, nothing sound forced or having too much or not enough space between instrument. As an amateur music producer and big fan of music concert, it remind me the best audio calibration condition that permit to heard specific instrument placement without having one insturment too proeminent that stole imaging attention and balance.

LOWER END sure dig deep very very deep and perhaps even under hearable 20hz, I would say its the most elevated frequencies range and beging a slow drop around 200hz so the slam and rumble keep control and do not drown drastically mid bass definition. Still, it move lot of air for such a tiny driver, this is surely due to double back housing chamber because there really something unique with the juicy lush thick timbre of sub. Its the opposite of bright or dry sub bass and give extra body to toms, cello, piano, male vocal. For synth bass, acoustic bass it really is excellent, and only die hard fan of fast slap bass will perhaps find it lack sharp details in timbre and wish for brighter presentation.

MID BASS is weighty with just enough attack speed that keep its control even in fast jazz percussions, its a little warmer than more rounded sub end so definition is smoothed and punchiness is more about weight than attack timbre. The kick are very well rounded up and have impressive body and definition for such a smooth approach. I don’t think fan of fast rock or metal will find the kick enough fowards because it isn’t an agressive mid bass and timbre is more about thickness and tonality than grain and texture. Bass embrace lower mid range in natural transition that give extra warmness to male vocal, it isn’t an analytical bass presentation with supreme separation from mid range, more a layered one that mix with whole sound with thick transparence. The bass is very versatile and will perform well with electronic, jazz, classical, pop and some rock, less so with ultra fast punchy music tracks.

MID RANGE is so luscious yet not in an artificialy fowarded way. Even if Final Audio stated they do not emphase any particular frequencies range, I feel it have a slighly U shape soundsignature that tend to gently warm the vocal when the bass is very present in a track, but the mid range is so lush and fully extended that it never sound veiled or too dark, still, to enjoy it fully I would listen to bass light music and enjoy thick, lush, full bodied vocal with rich color in tonality. Vocal presence is wonderfull and very immersive, it have a buttery thick timbre that give a natural full sounding tone to the voice, separation is well done with other mid range instrument wich is a masterclass of tuning work. No harsh peak or upper mids sibilance, its thick, trasparent, wide and full bodied with pleasant texture and very accurate timbre that give extra subtelities to voice and instrument and permit better attack grip to violin and piano, wich sound fabulous with E5000.

TREBLE is polished on top as if it was to add upper highs ‘’sfumato effec’’t that permit to see light and shadow better in lower and mid treble. Extremely refined the treble extract natural texture of every instrument it have, it have some sparkle too but decay is more present in lower range. Definition is extremely clear and accurate, and what impress the most is how full sounding timbre is rendered it really have a palpable approach and a holographic sens of rendering that is hard to explain. Violin sound extremely lively and have fast attack and grip but never sound too harsh, just natural and energic. To my ears, only Final Audio can render this type of treble that inject life to all instruments musicality. Its rare that I say this, but here we are very very near perfection in term of instrument timbre that have multiple subtle textures layers. SO, saying the treble is roll off isnt giving enough respect to incredible tuning work of E5000, the diamond is polished and shiny, or more likely round as an magnificent opale with complex luminosity patterns.

SUB BASS : 9/10
MID BASS:8/10
MID RANGE:9/10
TREBLE : 9.5/10
TIMBRE : 9.5/10
IMAGING:8.5/10
SOUNDSTAGE : 8.5/10
ATTACK-DECAY : 8/10


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PAIRING the E5000 can be a little tricky because of their amping need, I can listen to them with the Xduoo X3 but the soundstage and bass will not be at their best. My favorite pairing is with ultra clear sounding and quite powerfull Ibasso DX90 DAP, these 2 are meant to be togheter and deliver more clarity and micro details even if a more bassy soundsignature due to DX90 coloring in lower bass. The perfect DAP will be a powerfull one with a slighlty mid centric and analytical sound and supreme black background. I do not suggest using the E5000 with a phone unless you have a portable DAC-AMP pluged to it.


COMPARAISONS :


VS FINAL AUDIO E4000 (150$) :

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Soundsignature of E4000 is similar to E2000 while E5000 is more similar to E3000, or the perfect mix between this 2 entry levels model.

It mean that E5000 have an overall thicker fuller bassier presentation with more present lower mids and a slightly less detailed sound in upper mid range.

BASS is more bodied in low end while the E4000 have a mid bass centric approach and sound less muscular sub bass. As well, bass tone is a little dryier with E4000.

MID RANGE is more full bodied and natural sounding with E5000, instrument are more natural sounding while E4000 sound thinner in timbre. As well, vocal sound little dryier with E4000 and more intimate and centered.

TREBLE is dryier with E4000 but have more transparence and little more upper treble emphasis that give airier presentation but slightly darker lower and mid treble.

All in all, E5000 clearly sound as the flagship of E serie and justify the big price jump over E4000 if you are craving for richest sound with thick natural timbre and weighty immersive musicality. No doubt here : they are from another league than all other E earphones even if it follow the law of diminushing return in term of price value.


VS BRAINWAVZ B400 (200$) :

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B400 have 4 balanced armature drivers wich are tuned in a smooth way and make them very interesting to compare with single micro driver of E5000.

SOUNDSTAGE of E5000 is notably wider and more around your head than B400 but have less deepnest to it.

IMAGING is about the same with both but benifit extra clarity of layering with the B400 due to more layered and transparent sound so i would say B400 win in this department.

BASS dig way deeper with the E5000 and offer full bodied lower end while the B400 have bass roll off begining around 80hz. Mid bass is very similar due to smooth punch, but E5000 have more weight and sens of impact. Overall bass sound thinner and dryier with B400.

MID RANGE only feel more recessed in term of vocal for E5000, but vocal sound thinner and more intimate with the B400 making the more mid centric approach less appealing and natural than thicker more meaty mid range of E5000. As well, due to bass warming lower mid range, B400 sound a little brighter and have slightly more emphasis in upper mid wich make vocal and instrument sound less natural than E5000.

TREBLE of both these earphones is rather relaxed on top, wich give hint of extra darkness to B400 while it tend to extract more overall texture details with E5000 while B400 extract more micro details with its multi drivers. Overall clarity is more analytical with B400 even if timbre is less rich.

All in all, these aren’t that similar in term of sound signature finally. B400 have a more mid centric approach while E5000 is more bassy and have a more balanced mid range even if warmer in tone.


VS FLC8P (280$):
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Well, even if these 8P have more than 35 sound tweaking option, I will try to compare overall sound with the E5000 but no I will not make the 35 sound tweaking so its to take with grain of salt.

SOUNDSTAGE is again wider with E5000 while FLC8P have a deeper more intimate soundstage that still have an around your head feel.

IMAGING is more accurate with E5000 but have a less airy presentation than 8P.

BASS have more sub emphasis and an overall more juicy and weighty presentation with the E5000 while the 8P is more mid bass fowards and punchy. Sub bass sound a little anemic with 8P.

MID RANGE is brighter and more fowarded with the 8P, its more detailed in upper mids region and vocal stole the show to other mid range instrument that can feel far in the back compared to more balanced mid range of E5000 that have thicker timbre and more bodied presentation but a less mid centric and coloured approach that would only highlight vocal as 8P do.

TREBLE extend further with 8P and sure extract more micro details than more relaxed E5000, its delicate and sharp and very fast sounding compared to thicker more refined E5000 treble. There an upper high emphasis that give beautifull sparkle and decay with 8P and lack with E5000, but at the same time, it can sound too analytical with some tracks and confirm the statement about Final Audio saying highs can distract from mid range as unlike E5000, its not the bass the will shadow vocal but the upper percussions with their agressive approach.

CONSTRUCTION is way better with E5000 and feel kind of underwhelming for the price with the FLC8P wich have a cheap plastic housing and cheap cable too. With E5000, you feel more confident about durability but about seriousness of material used for construction. They seriously look like high end earphones, not so much for the FLC.

All in all, if you wanna enjoy a laid back but full bodied and lush sound, E5000 are the one to choose, and for more analytical earphones I guess FLC are interesting for those wanting to play with sound filters, but in term of price value I think E5000 win easily due to better construction and more refined balanced sound even if bassier and warmer.


CONCLUSION :

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‘’Let the sand sings,


Under the cuddling wave.


Sea see sound.’’


I decide to write my first Haiku as an hommage to Final Audio Design E5000 (even if i’m no Basho).

Sometime only poem can translate wonder of abstraction, and universe of sound sure is very abstract to describe with words. Here are some hint to understand the poem : sand is timbre, wave is weight and thickness of soundwaves, sea is musicality, imaging and treble.

A piece of art is what I would call the E5000 and this is why I use haiku japanese art here to translate more abstract impressions. This earphones are work of passionate and dedicated craftmanship and deliver a unique type of sound that have no compromise in tuning perfectionism. Strangely, I think about impressionism painting too with the E5000, the one with numerous small thicks paints stroke like Monet or Van Gogh. Its colorful yet contemplative, physical yet calming, harmonious yet full of different layers of textures, but most of all, it have a special way to touch your soul with grandeur.

Final Audio E5000, as any piece of art, will not please everybody, some would have prefer ultra realism that show every micro details, other would have prefer cubic art that have a cold mathematical frequencies response rendering, other would have prefer immesne fresco that offer hall like soundstage, but anybody that listen closely and respectefully to these wonderfull earphones cannot be insensible to the life it inject in bass line, voice or instruments. Their no doubt E5000 are something special and precious.

If you are on the search of the best natural sounding dynamic earphones that deliver a balanced lively silky musicality. lush thick bass, flat and revealing mid range and extremely refined treble that never offend the ears, the Final Audio E5000 might not be the cheapest earphones around here but sure are the only one I would choose as the perfect all arounder if I have to go live alone on an island. These are inoffensively addictive, and they will pass test of time in all sens of the term (durability, look and soundsignature).

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F700
F700
Cannot agree more on everything you said. Bravo et merci

Zelda

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Build quality
Sleek, compact and comfortable design
Impressive sound quality. Well balanced, full bass response, sound stage, extension overall detail.
Shines with more powerful sources or amplification
Cons: Cable noise when used straight down.
Isolation is average
Low sensitivity - requires higher volume / amplification for best performance
REVIEW - S’NEXT final E5000

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Website - S’NEXT final (in English)

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Specifications
  • Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
  • Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
  • Sensitivity: 93dB
  • Impedance: 14Ω
  • Weight: 24g
  • Cable: 1.2m; MMCX Connector; OFC silver plated coated wire
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Price: ~U$ 265.

Buy link from Jaben (authorized distributor).

More info on the E5000 model.


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Design

As another model of the E series, the E5000 has a very compact and straight cylindrical design. It is identical to the lower E4000 just differing in material used, well deserved as the current highest model of the line. The dynamic driver inside is a small one of 6.4mm diameter allowing the housings to very compact and lightweight. The material here is stainless steel (like the E3000, if not wrong) over the aluminum alloy applied on the E4000 and E2000. The mirror like finish is very sleek and gives a very premium look. It does add a little bit of weight but nothing to be noticed. The 'final' and 'E5000' writings are printed on each side of the earpieces and R and L labels at their bottom. The nozzles have a standard diameter of ~5mm so the usual ear tips can be used here. There is proper lip at the top part of the nozzle and a thin mesh piece on them.

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The earpieces are very light and very easy and comfortable fit. The housings seem to be completely sealed but no driver flex that could be noticed. The nozzle may be short but the long and thin design provides a good seal with the included final tips, although isolation is just around average.

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The cable is supposedly an improved one with silver-plated OFC wire that can be easily seen through the transparent jacket (PU, probably). It consists of 4 separated strands each one holding two twisted SPC wires inside. The MMCX connectors are differentiated by red and black rings to mark the right and left sides. Metal covers are used on the 3.5mm plug, y-split and MMCX parts as well, with the same mirror like finish. While the cable looks of good quality, its main disadvantage is on the noise; not an issue if worn over-ear but with the usual cable down way it can be annoying, especially when compared to the so soft and quiet E4000's cable.

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Sound

Main IEMs for comparison: final E4000, Dunu Falcon-C, Symphonium Audio Aurora, FLC 8n, Periodic Audio Be.
Sources: iBasso DX120, Fiio M6 and K3, HiBy R6 Pro, AQ Dragonfly RED.


From the lower priced model E4000 with a kind of unique tuning on its midrange, specially with female vocals and full and energetic lower treble, the E5000 here takes a different yet very good and much more balanced tuning as well. The sound holds very strong technical traits but also in a most enjoyable sound presentation that ranks very well for the price.

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The low end is large and powerful but nothing overdone. It is very full from the lower sub-bass and continues well balanced up to the upper bass. The mid-bass kicks with strong impact, though not in a heavy-bass fashion. It packs high quality, great texture, extension and depth, full rumble yet well controlled, not too aggressive and doesn't get tiring after extended listening. Not the tightest bass out there, and doesn't try to be, but definitely is fast and very dynamic with good layering.

Midrange is natural and rich, engaging with a bit of warm tonality. It is not too thick or too forward to be considered mid forward sounding like the E4000, but yes well weighted from low to high midrange with a very balanced and linear response. It is musical and coherent and strikes with great resolution and natural flow of details. The separation is well done, though not the most airy against more technical sounding competitors - like the FLC8n or Dunu DN2002 -, however the E5000 is fuller and more dynamic and enjoyable. Vocals are fairly sweet; weightier on male vocals than the E4000, and while not as euphonic with female, they are more clear and detailed on the E5000.

The highs are spot-on on the E5000. Neither too laid-back nor very bright, just very nicely balanced with a proper amount of sparkle, energy and crash when needed that won't go too excessive or tiring. They sound very accurate and refined carrying a high level of detail which it arrives in a smoother musical way. For instance, the E4000 has more lower-treble attack while the E5000 is more linear and controlled, with further and more effortless upper extension.

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The presentation is fairly large and very spacious; too surprising for just a single, and relatively small, 6.4mm driver. Soundstage is very wide and shows great depth, just not as impressive height. However, it can scale much better with some extra power or amplification. The E5000 is not very efficient with the sensitivity turned down even lower than the E4000. The better the source the better the response of the E5000, but even so, the small Fiio K3 proved to be an excellent match (and practically the same volume level as the Hifiman Sundara to give some reference) with plenty of headroom and extension.

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Overall, as the top model of final E series, the E5000 performs really well. It packs high build quality with a compact and comfortable design, and which also looks very nice. The only complain could be the cable noise if worn straight down, compared to the so quiet cable on the E4000; though the E5000's cable is of higher quality. The sound quality is impressive with very good extension, full yet controlled bass response, detail and spacious and wide sound stage. While it can sound very good on any source, with the low sensitivity it benefits with extra amplification or more dedicated audio players, but definitely worth as it will raise to a higher level.
Zelda
Zelda
Thank you!
Blazer39
Blazer39
great review..can we get direct comparison with Periodic Audio Be?!
Zelda
Zelda
Thought of adding a comparison vs. the Be. The review got a bit long, but should update it soon with that.

ustinj

500+ Head-Fier
Pros: clean design, natural & warm gentle v-shape tonality, subbass extension & separation, midrange timbre
Cons: leakage, isolation, barrel shape not as secure as other iems, so-so treble sparkle, difficult to power
I wrote a review on the final audio E4000 earlier — it’s a good earphone and a great value at that, offering a fairly balanced and natural slight v-shaped tone for a very reasonable price; downsides being its somewhat loose bass response and poor isolation. Let’s see what the next step up, the E5000, brings to the table.


The E5000 is the final E4000’s ‘older’ brother. It has a completely different, more luxurious shell finishing, machined from mirror-polished stainless steel rather than its anodized black aluminum counterpart. In addition, it comes with a more premium, high-purity OFC silver-plated cable flaunting matching stainless steel hardware. Coming in at nearly double the E4000’s MSRP, it may have a fairly high bar to clear.

To cut things short: the E5000 is a step up from the E4000 in quite a few ways, but doesn’t do much to discredit the latter’s excellent price to performance ratio. I’d like to thank final audio for being kind enough to provide me with the E5000 for review — of course, this does not affect my opinion of the earphone. I will do my best to describe the E5000’s strengths, as well as its shortcomings.

The E5000 is currently available for $279.99 via Amazon.com with 2-day Prime shipping. For more technical details on this model and a source to purchase, check out the following links:




GENERAL
The packaging is the exact same as the final E4000 — it comes in a fairly unimpressive slide-out box printed with technical specifications and photos. Organization is fairly simple, the earphones are packed neatly into the silicone case with a cool final branded carabiner (intended to attach to the case). All polished metal hardware (earphones, 3.5mm jack) comes in its own plastic wrapping, a sign that considerable care has been put into shipping these off. A bag of final E-tips is nestled just below that. Nothing too crazy to speak about here, but packaging is not of utmost importance anyway (and shouldn’t really be).

In the box, you get:

  • final E5000 IEMs
  • high-purity OFC silver-plated MMCX cable
  • silicone carrying case
  • carabiner
  • tips (XS / S / M / L)
  • soft ear guides
If you haven’t read my E4000 review, I would like to note again that this is a pretty unique carrying case. It offers pretty solid protection from drops, though I’m not sure how stable it would be if I were to run over it with a car (I actually feel the IEMs would come out unharmed, but don’t plan on trying it). It’s a cute design that doesn’t offer much space / room to breathe, but does what it does well and strays from the typical generic zipper case.




BUILD & DESIGN
In terms of build and design, the E5000 is pretty minimalist, taking a narrow straight barrel-shaped form factor with detachable MMCX cables. The body itself is forged from stainless steel, polished meticulously to a mirror-finish and branded with the final name and model number. On the rear end of the cylinder, the elegant final ‘honeycomb’ logo can be seen in a matte print contrasting the reflective stainless steel. Quite a clean design, once again meeting the final audio design standard.



The barrel housings are very comfortable, I have no qualms or issues with discomfort or pain from long listening sessions. However, I must add that it does not feel the most secure in the ear especially for those who like to wear the IEM with the cable facing downwards. For that reason, I almost always find myself wearing the E5000 with the cable upwards wrapped around the ear. The included ear guides are pretty great for this, and they are comfortable as well.




CABLE
The cable is different from the E4000’s stock. In terms of aesthetics, it is mostly an improvement — the E4000’s no-frills black stock cable may be a bit of an eyesore for some of the fancier audiophiles out there, so the E5000 comes paired with a beautiful 4-core, 2-layer, twist-braided silver plated copper cable. The MMCX connectors, y-splitter, and 3.5mm jack are also upgraded to matching mirror-polished stainless steel hardware that aims to impress with a premium feel.



From an ergonomic standpoint, I would actually say the E5000 cable is a downgrade. It’s stiffer than its simpler black counterpart, resulting in retention of minor kinks and curves that take a few minutes to straighten / soften out (but come back after wrapping the earphones into the case). Additionally, the sheathing is on the harder side of things — this cable is more microphonic than the predecessors, leading to a slightly noisier commuting experience that is mostly nullified by over-ear wear. Once again, the included ear-guides prove to be pretty useful.

SOUND
To me, the E5000 can be classified as a warm-natural and very gently v-shaped earphone tilted towards the lower frequencies. Subbass is generously boosted and midbass follows just behind. Upper midrange is bumped up a bit to maintain a good sense of clarity without coming off as grating or overly forward. Lower midrange is fairly balanced in between the two, slightly lifted to give vocals a warm and natural timbre. Relative to its neighboring frequencies, center midrange does not feel to be recessed but just slightly behind in the mix, with ample note weight. Mid and upper treble are tuned below neutral, though I would not exactly consider the E5000 to be an overly dark earphone (dark, i.e. Oriveti Basic).

Soundstage is fairly wider than average, providing a large space for instruments and vocals to settle on. Imaging is not pinpoint accurate or holographic along the likes of Andromeda, though left / right stereo imaging are nice in their own rite. Forward and backward axes feel a little more compressed and mixed. Then again, I feel like soundstage would vary a lot on canal shape and insertion depth, so take this impression with a grain of salt!

BASS
The first thing that comes to mind when listening to the E5000 is how low the bass extends. In other words, the IEM has praiseworthy subbass extension and rumble. Midbass follows suit, providing commendable impact to kick drums and bass guitars. Decay feels to be just slightly slower than expected but holds a well controlled sense of ‘tightness’. Texturing is also smoother than something like the Acoustune HS1551, giving the E5000 a more liquid, fluid bass presentation. Overall bass is not overwhelming in quantity, but separation of low-end notes is clean and subbass notes that would typically be overshadowed cut through the mix surprisingly well.

MIDRANGE
Though the E5000 has an impressive bass response, there is little to no midrange bass bleeding. Lower midrange is full and gives vocals a warm natural timbre without sounding especially bloated, though it dances just below the border of feeling so. Center midrange is just a bit laid-back relative to the lower and upper midrange, giving vocals a bit of spacing / distance without sounding too recessed in note weight. Upper midrange rises gently as well, providing clarity to vocals. As you may have noticed from my choice of words, the E5000’s midrange is very safe and balanced — it doesn’t boost or restrain any particular region heavily, avoiding any offensive shoutiness or recession.

TREBLE
The E5000’s treble peaks in the lower treble, where the following mid and upper high frequencies take a back seat rolling off gently. The lower treble peak is not much, but can come off as a tad aggressive to sensitive listeners (felt this way on certain tracks, but it seemed perfectly tame on others). Resolution is good, but ultimately nothing too mindblowing. Treble is the least extravagant region of the E5000’s tuning, apart from the lower treble peak there’s not much to take note of or critique. Though the upper treble frequencies are subdued in quantity, the E5000 does not come off as dark or closed-in. It actually still sounds pretty open and spacious, though I might actually attribute that to the somewhat open vented design of the the earphone.






COMPARISON TO FINAL E4000

As expected, the two must be compared. The E4000 is considered by many to be a fantastic value, while the more expensive E5000 is less well-known. I’m actually surprised by the differences I’m hearing, as I was expecting more minor improvements / tonal shifts.

In comparison, the E4000’s bass is actually noticeably looser and more feathery in impact. The E5000’s subbass extension and rumble trumps the E4000 without a doubt, and even doubles down with more impressive and tighter impact. Though the E4000’s bass is fine on its own, when listened to side-by-side it doesn’t really seem like a fair comparison.

Lower midrange body is about the same, both have the velvety warm vocal timbre that sounds pleasing to the ear. However, the E4000 has a more forward upper midrange, leading to an increased sense of perceived clarity. However, the side effect of this is that the E4000’s center midrange sounds more recessed, so the note weight doesn’t feel as natural and full as the E5000 whose upper midrange is more tame in comparison. The E5000’s upper midrange sounds to be more refined, contrasting the E4000’s more immediate sense of clarity.

Treble is about the same, honestly. They both don’t do too much impress in the treble region, resolution doesn’t really fall in either earphone’s favor. However, due to the less emphasized upper midrange / low treble frequency, the E5000’s extension is more apparent while the E4000’s rolloff feels more sudden.

A question that gets asked a lot is, “Is the E5000 worth the upgrade?” The improvement in the bass department is substantial — there’s no question there (this alone can warrant the upgrade). Midrange changes are more debatable and probably ultimately up to preference, but if you feel you’d like a bit less grain and more natural note weight (if you feel the E4000’s midrange can come off as thin at times), the E5000 gets a green light. If you’re looking for more treble from the E4000, look elsewhere because the E5000 does nothing to directly improve upon it.


CONCLUSION
The E5000 is a solid warm-natural earphone, placing controlled emphasis on the subbass regions and upper midrange for a comfortable listening experience without being fatiguing. This leads to an engaging sound signature with defined and punchy bass notes, following a natural sounding midrange. Final’s reputation for elegant design comes across clearly with the E5000 as well, with the slim barrel-shaped housing that is sure to fit almost any user without issue. To my surprise, the E5000 actually manages to improve slightly on technicalities over the E4000, namely bass control and upper midrange refinement; however there will still be users who mesh better with the E4000’s more forward and clarity-focused tonality.

FastAndClean

Previously known as presata
Pros: Warm and organic sound, musicality over the top, wide soundstage, big bass line without losing control, very high level of detail represented in a gentle way, warm and smooth mids, beautiful treble response
Cons: a little bit too much mid bass for my taste(EQ it down and you are ready to go), wide stage but not very deep
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Fit and comfort
You know that one just by looking at them, small, light, amazing comfort and fit.

Isolation
weak point, they have vents all over the place, the isolation is weak, they can block some noise but not a lot, for me that is good, i don't use them outside

Overall sound signature.
Warm, lush signature with big bass and smooth creamy mids and treble.

Bass
That thing can hit, the bass is elevated, the whole bass area, sub and mid bass.
Very deep and punchy, it has very good texture and control, however the mid bass is a little bit too much for me, with 2.5db down from 100 - 200hz and is perfect. Tight, deep and punchy bass. Detail retrieval is very high and the bass sound natural with real instruments.

Mids
The mids are warm and smooth, creamy sounding, just beautiful. They are not forward or recessed, right in the middle but have very smooth inoffensive tone to them. Vocals sound realistic and clean but without adding too much color, just a little bit of warmth.

Treble
The treble is gentle, it has a little bit of sparkle but in a smooth way, no narrow peaks here. One of the most natural sounding treble.The extension is good not great, very high level of detail but extension demons they are not. For some people they can lack sparkle, for me they are perfect, i enjoy different kind of signatures and can appreciate their approach.

Soundstage and imaging.
The soundstage is very wide but not very deep, the instruments and the vocals are kind of close to you but surrounding you at the same time. Imaging is spot on, very good positioning and instrument separation.

comparison between Final E5000 and Kanas Pro -
Bass - KP rumble harder, E5000 punch harder, KP sound more meaty in the bass, it sounds big, not like in quantity but like the bass is coming from a big woofer, both have tight bass, E5000 seems a little bit quicker, E5000 need mid bass reduction with EQ to really shine, KP don't but i am doing it anyway (i am not a mid bass fan)
Mids - they are very similar, neutral, KP have a little bit cleaner mids, E5000 have more euphoric warm mids
Treble - KP has nice clean treble with sparkle in the upper part, they have more air and more snap to the cymbals, E5000 has very high quality treble but is very neutral sounding and next to the big bass line it can be a little bit subdued sounding
Soundstage - E5000 has a nice wide soundstage but it lacks depth, the instruments are close to you but because it is very wide they are like surrounding you at the same time, KP is wide and deep
Isolation - E5000 has weak isolation, KP is better but still less than fully closed in ear

Conclusion
Great warm sounding little in ear with hard hitting bass, kind of a dark horse of the whole line.
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Dobrescu George

Reviewer: AudiophileHeaven
Pros: + Thick, Lush Sound
+ Natural Midrange
+ Clarity is top notch
+ Bass Depth and Resolution is outstanding
+ Smooth Treble, but with good presence works well with almost any music style
+ Well Separated Sound
+ Fairly dynamic
+ Flawless construction quality
+ Excellent Comfort
Cons: - Thick sound won't work quite as well with thin-sounding female vocals
- Leaks a lot, won't work well in most public places that are quiet, also can't use them if someone is sleeping in the same room
- Really hard to drive, needs some power, due to their really low sensitivity of 93dB/mW
Final E5000 - Thick Sound Delight

Final E5000 is the current upper midrange model from Final Audio, a IEM that promises to sound incredibly natural and fun, statements which we're going to put to test in this review, as well as comparing them to other similarly priced IEMs.






Introduction

Final Audio is a huge company from Japan, with a passion for innovation and music. They're known for producing some of the best made headphones and IEMs out there, usually relying on unique approaches for their headphones and IEMs, also being known for some of the most interesting and vivid kinds of sound. We had the pleasure to speak with them before as well, and we found Final Audio to be friendly, responsive, and very reliable, feeling you can trust them to purchase a high-end headphone or IEM from then without an issue.

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 E5000. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in Final Audio E5000 find their next music companion.



About me

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



Packaging

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














Final E5000 is packaged in virtually the same package as Final Audio E4000, both coming in the same cardboard box, with a rubber carrying case holding the IEMs.

Final Audio has a special kind of tip for their IEMs, and they include lots with E5000, thing which we found quite useful, as we would actually use those tips with other IEMs as well.


E5000 has detachable cables, by its nature, and those are based on the MMCX protocol, so the cable can be considered a separate part of the package, especially considering how thick and high-end it feels.

All in all, we feel that Final Audio has done a great job with E5000 and its package, including everything most people could desire, for a IEM at this price point.




What to look in when purchasing an entry-level In-Ear Monitor

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



Technical Specifications


Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished

Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Connector: MMCX

Cable: OFC silver coated cable

Sensitivity: 93dB

Impedance: 14Ω

Weight: 24g

Cord length: 1.2m




Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

Final E5000 is a unique IEM, made of metal, with a metallic shell, and with a thick, white-silvery-transparent cable that looks out-of-this-world. They look and feel high-end, Final having given great attention to details when designing E5000.





The comfort is, in one word, incredible. They simply is in one's ears, the tips are made of high-quality rubber that doesn't get slippery, and in fact, E5000's tips are some of our favorites, even being in line with Spinfit tips, which we love and hold in high regards.

The IEM bodies are small and elegant, they look and feel well made, the metal has really nicely worked edges, and everything feels like it was created to work as one piece. There is no driver flex, and you can wear E5000 any way you want, both straight-down and over-the-ear, having a comfort much better than some flagships that we love, like IE800.

The isolation from the outside noise is amazing, and they do well at blocking busy builders and crowded areas.



Now, if there is one thing that we can mention as a negative about E5000, that would be its leakage. They leak a lot of sound to the outside world, and others may give you strange looks if you're blasting death metal with E5000, imagining that no one would notice it. In spite of the leakage, the isolation is quite great, the design being based on Final Audio's own mechanism, which allows for sound to go out of E5000, but not come in from the outside world.

All in all, the aesthetics, build quality, and comfort of E5000 truly reach our golden standards, and they should be taken as an example for those characteristics.



Sound Quality

Now, the title may give a little away about how E5000 sounds like, but in one word, they are really really thicc. They are quite natural in their overall tuning, Final Audio delivers well on their promise of a natural midrange, but the bass is a thicc and deep delight, while the treble is mostly smooth, but retains enough sparkle to be fun and enjoyable, even for those who like a slightly more V-Shaped signature. If there's any word that would fit E5000's sound really well, that is organic, they simply sound warm, thicc, deep, full, lush, fun and romantic.





The bass's one of the lowest-reaching we heard to date, and there's very few IEMs out there that go as low as E5000 does, especially at this price point, and size constraints. In fact, we're quite amazed by this performance, given E5000's small overall footprint, and especially given their amazing comfort. The bass is not the fastest out there, so it won't be tight, but it is fast enough to keep up with most metal, even technical styles, although it really shines with older rock, more organic and slower music.

The midrange is one organic, fun, natural and vivid experience. Final Audio's midrange can be described as textury, crunchy, musical, romantic, fun, and engaging. They have amazing dynamics and detail, and we can say that for their price point, they have one of the most fun midranges there is.

The treble is on the leaner side, and although it has some sparkle to keep things interesting, it is still a little on the leaner side, not exactly made for those who like a brighter sound, being what we'd consider balanced. You can hear cymbal crashes, but they are smooth and creamy, and they don't impose themselves in music, being around to keep things entertaining, without taking the big spotlights.



Soundstage

The Soundstage of E5000 is fairly good, especially considering their size and shape, having a nice width and depth to it, with a nice instrument separation. This being said, the value of the soundstage and instrument separation goes as far as the price of the IEM does, being great for the price, but being normal-sized. They most certainly aren't intimate or jumbled together, but they aren't huge in sound, being the right thing for those looking for a balanced and natural experience.



ADSR / PRaT

The ADSR and PRaT (Texturization) is natural to slightly quick, textures and micr-textures being rendered well, but without much over-texturization. With music like Mindless Self Indulgence, you can clearly hear the intricacies behind the synths, but you those don't get carried away by a technical or analytical side to make music a bit too textury.



Portable Usage

The portable usage is okay.







This is one of the few IEMs we can't fully recommend for portable usage, and this is mainly based on two reasons. First, E5000 leaks quite a lot of sound outside, so much, that in fact, we were amazed such a small and nimble IEM can leak so much. If you're blasting them really loud, your music will be audible in an entire room. Of course, they leak much less than a fully open-back headphone like Sennheiser HD800, but they still leak more than most IEMs we tested to date. This is quite in contradiction with the fact that they isolate fairly well.

The second thing we didn't quite like about E5000 is that it is really really hard to drive, to the point, that most smartphones won't be fit for the job, and they will either sound really quiet, or be a bit distorted. We feel that a music lover who already has a great music source, like at least a Shanling M0, or something more interesting, will be taking full advantage of them, but we can't recommend them to go with any smartphone on the market at the point of writing this review, unless you don't need obscene amounts of volume for your music enjoyment. Looking at the sensitivity, you can see that at 93dB / mW, those are much lower than most IEMs out there, making them quite quiet from a smartphone or lower-powered source.

Other than those two points, E5000 is one of the most comfortable IEMs we tested to date, so you won't be bothered by any kind of comfort issues, they should sit nicely in your ears, and they aren't one bit microphonic.

The cable is thick and looks like it can take a beating, and they look like you'd be proud walking outdoors wearing them.



Comparisons

Wen tried comparing E5000 with the most relevant competitors, although the list is much longer, and this price range is actually an intense fight for the best IEM.



Final Audio E5000 vs Final Audio E4000 (280USD vs 180USD) - We received quite a few requests to do this comparison, and we can totally understand why. The package, build quality, and comfort are similar between the two IEMs, so similar, that you'd be pressed to tell which is which. In fact, we feel like Final Audio should make a bit more of a difference between them other than the color of the IEM shell, since people may get them confused. Going forward to the first difference, the cable that comes with E5000 is much thicker, it is white / silvery in color, compared to the black cable of E4000, and E4000's cable is lighter and more nimble, while the cable of E5000 tends to be better suited for stressful usage. Isolation is similar between the two, and both leak quite a bit of sound, and both are rather hard to drive, so not recommended unless you're using at least HIDIZS Sonada HD, or an entry-level DAP, as smartphones alone won't be able to get a really good performance out of either. The sonic performance is quite different actually, and while E4000 was already an amazing IEM, with a really thick and natural sound, E5000 is an overall upgrade from it in every way, with the same signature, but improved in every way imaginable, detail, resolution, textures, vividness, soundstage size, everything is simply improved. Of course, the price of E5000 is also quite a bit higher, so you need to make a decision based on whether those improvements are things you're looking for, but we'll leave this comparison with the note, that, if you have a limited budget, and can't afford E5000, then E4000 is an amazing experience, really worthy to prove what Final Audio created, while, if you have the money, you should really go for E5000, which really showcases what a high-end IEM should sound like.

Final Audio E5000 vs iBasso IT04 (280USD vs 500USD) - iBasso IT-04 is a much more expensive IEM than E5000, but we got quite an overwhelming number of requests to do this review, so we'll try our best to provide service to our fans and readers. Starting with the construction quality, both IEMs rely on the MMCX connector, but IT04 comes with a much thicker and softer cable from the factory, while E5000 has a thinner, harder cable, which may be an advantage in some ways, since E4000 is less prone to tangling. The IEM shell build quality, is actually amazing on both. E5000 has a metallic IEM shell of really small sizes, and it allows both over-the-ear, and straight-down wearing styles, while IT04 is made to be worn over-the-ear. The comfort is great with both, although E5000 has a smaller IEM shell and will fit with more ears, especially with more small ears. Isolation and leakage is much better on IT04, and you can even use them while playing on a stage, and IT04 is considerable easier to drive, being drive-able properly from a modest smartphone, while E5000 requires you to have at least an entry-level audio source to get a good performance out of them. The sound is quite different, and iBasso and Final Audio went in entirely different directions with their overall tunings. The bass on E5000 is thick, full, lush, deep and slow, while IT04 has a really quick, neutral, light and tight bass. The midrange is comparable, although E5000's midrange is thicker, and a bit more emotional, with a bit more textures, while IT04 has a touch smoother midrange, with a slightly more neutral overall presentation and less emphasis on emotion, with more emphasis on accuracy. The treble is much much more extended, brighter, more airy and more energetic on IT04, while it is smoother, more natural, more relaxed and laid back on E5000. From the two, we'd recommend E5000 for people looking for a lush, natural and organic sound, while we'd recommend IT04 for folks looking for a tighter, more neutral, more accurate ergo less bassy signature.

Final Audio E5000 vs FiiO FH5 (280USD vs 270USD) - Here's an interesting one, as FH5 tends to be a favorite for many at this moment, and for a good reason, having impressed us once again with what is possible to do if FiiO is designing it, but Final Audio is not going to just sit there and look at this. Starting with the package, FH5 comes with a more encompassing package, although most tips found with FiiO FH5 are below Final Audio's proprietary tips in terms of comfort. The IEM shells are both made of metal, but FH5 can only be worn over-the-ear, while E5000 can also be worn straight-down. The comfort is actually a bit better on E5000, since it has a deeper fit and seals more than FH5, which may feel a bit loose in terms of seal. FH5 also creates a bit less void, so it is more comfortable for really long hours of usage. Isolation is better on E5000, which isolates the listener more from the outside noise, but leakage is much less on FH5, which doesn't leak at all, where E5000 leaks quite a bit. FH5 is easier to drive from most sources, but it picks up hiss much easier than e5000 which doesn't seem to pick hiss almost at all. The sonic performance is quite a bit different, especially in the midrange. While the bass is thick, deep and lush on both IEMs, and while the treble is comparable in terms of presentation and detail, the midrange is much more forward, intimate, and less spacious on FH5, and more extended, more separated, wider and deeper on E5000, which manages to present the soundstage in a natural way. In this sense, we recommend both IEMs with an open heart, but if you want a more intimate experience, if you want to sing together with the singer, right next to him, FH5 achieves that quite well, while if you want to hear everything in a larger space, to have a natural room, and an even larger space where music happens, then E5000 is a great choice, and it can totally stand up next to FH5 as a IEM in this price range that is totally worth its asking price.




Recommended Pairings

Final Audio E5000 is rather hard to drive, extremely hard to drive for a IEM, being probably the hardest IEM to drive we have, right next to Sennheiser IE800. This means that using a higher end source will result in a better overall experience and performance, while using an undersized and lower powered source will result in a less engaging experience.







Final E5000 + iBasso DX120 - DX120 is a great example of a DAP that can totally drive E5000 just fine, and it doesn't really cost an arm and a leg. It also has two microSD slots, and can do a lot for its asking price, making it a great choice for you to rock your E5000's to, having a good battery life. The sonics of the pairing are warm, lush, open, well-separated, fun, and engaging.

Final E5000 + FiiO X7mkii - E5000 tends to sound best with a high-end spruce, and they scale really well with a high-end source, X7mkii making a great example of this, giving them a much more detailed sound, with more instrument separation, more dynamics, quicker bass, more air in the treble, and a more engaging overall experience. We were in love with this pairing, and we could recommend it to anyone at any given moment.

Final E5000 + Burson Play - Now, you may wonder why we'd bring a gun to a knife fight, but Burson Play is a big reason why we ever found that E5000 leaks sound. We used E5000 quite a lot with Burson Play, and in all honesty, this is one of our favorite pairings, simply because the sound is sublime. Burson Play has a really quick bass, neutral yet musical and engaging midrange, and a neutral treble with a touch of sparkle, so it takes away some of the lushness and thickness of E5000, while giving them a touch more sparkle, making the experience really fun and engaging, making them even more versatile in terms of music styles they can play.




Value and Conclusion

At the end of the review, you may wonder what does E5000 cost, and while we wrote a few articles on Final Audio IEMs before, we never wrote an article on one that was this expensive, E5000 costing about 270USD, being the most expensive Final Audio IEM we wrote about to date. This makes it quite interesting, because we had a lot of expectations at the beginning of this review, and we hope we made it clear whether Final Audio reached our expectations or not. Let's recap a little though.



The package of E5000 is quite good, being the same package E4000 comes in, making them a fairly well packaged IEM, but losing a bit of edge to IEMs with a more complete packages, like FiiO FH5. You do get Final Audio's legendary tips, with E5000, an carrying case of the best kinds, and the amazing cable that they sport. We would have liked a Balanced cable thrown in there, and maybe a hard carrying case. In any case, the package still reaches our golden standard because the carrying case included is quite innovative, and because of the price range E5000 is in.

The comfort is one of the best there is, a small IEM shell combined with Final Audio's legendary tips, combined with no driver flex, no cable microphonics, MMCX connectors, and Final Audio reliability, and design, making E5000 an absolute love of an experience. The build quality is also flawless, like all Final Audio products we tested to date.

Going forward, to the sound, we found that Final Audio promised a really natural sound in every way possible, and while their definition of natural is what we'd call natural, we also feel the need to mention that they have a really thick, lush, warm, and engaging sound. The treble is on the leaner side, but after all, this may sound the most natural to most people, and a brighter treble, while more akin to hearing cymbal crashes live at a metal concert, do not paint a natural scenery for all music styles. The midrange of E5000 is one of the most natural there are, with a lush and life force that they simply have, you don't hear in many other IEMs. The soundstage size is large enough for them to sound natural, but it doesn't go beyond what we'd call natural, nor does it cross into the "intimate" area. The instrument separation and PRaT are also quite good for the price range, the instrument separation being very good for the price, while the PRaT is natural to slightly slow all-around.





At the end of the day, if you want to hear a lush, warm, fun, engaging, dynamic, strong, full of life, forcefull, and fun sound, E5000 is one of the best IEMs we can recommend at 270 USD, offering a performance that stands its ground when compared to the large number of IEMs in this price range, and offering what we'd call one heck of a deal. If you have 270 USD, and you're looking for reliability, flawless build quality, a natural, lush, and dynamic sound, then E5000 should be at the top of your list, especially if you don't mind a bit of sonic leakage, and you can blast your music really loud without anyone minding your business.



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
Eletric Six - Dager! High Voltage
Kishida Cult - High School Of The Dead
Dimmu Borgir - Dimmu Borgir

Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow
Manafest - Impossible
Thosand 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
Skillet - What I Believe




I hope my review is helpful to you! We hope you have a lovely evening in there!!



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Usuarionow
Usuarionow
Hello, thanks for the review, being both singular dynamics, and similar designs, how does e5000 compare with senheiser ie800 in soundstage, and clarity?
Dobrescu George
Dobrescu George
@Usuarionow - Ie800 has a smaller soundstage, but better instrument separation. IE800 is more clear, but more thin, splashy, and with much less mid-bass. Next to each other, E5000 feels more natural, fuller, more direct, more impactful, but with less detail and less clarity, where Ie800 feels like one of the clearest images you could see, although too thin and too spalshy at times. Comfort is worlds apart, much much better on E5000 though :)

Wyville

Headphoneus Supremus
Pros: Versatile, fun and exciting signature that is very coherently balanced, bass response is especially good, small form factor with a comfortable fit, very good build quality, detachable cables, excellent value
Cons: Sound leakage restricts their use in public places, stiff and microphonic cable
Final E5000

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 E4000 review here.

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E5000
  • Housing: Stainless steel mirror-finished
  • Driver: 6.4mm dynamic driver
  • Connector: MMCX
  • Cable: OFC silver coated cable
  • Sensitivity: 93dB
  • Impedance: 14Ω
  • Weight: 24g
  • Cord length: 1.2m
  • Price: £219/$279

Links:
http://snext-final.com/en/
Available at:
HiFi Headphones (UK)
http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk/final-e5000-in-ear-isolating-earphones-with-detachable-cable.html
Audio46 (US)
https://audio46.com/shop/final-audio-e5000-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.

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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 preffered 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!

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E5000_cable.png


Build quality and fit
The E5000 are really nice small form factor IEMs that have an excellent build quality. It is clearly a step up from the E4000, which I still consider to have a great build quality. Not only has the housing been upgraded from aluminium to stainless steel, the cable too has gone from a copper to a silver-plated copper. Unfortunately here I find that while the cable material is an improvement, the ergonomics are not. The cable is quite stiff and the braiding that was used further exacerbates the microphonics to rather annoying levels. It means that these, in my opinion, really should be worn with the cable over the ear, rather than straight down, which I only do when sitting behind my desk where I can secure the cable to prevent it from moving.

Aside from the cable, which is detachable and so can be replaced (phew!), comfort is outstandingly good. The stainless steel housing does add some weight, but I have had no issues whatsoever with the fit. This is in no small part due to the Final E tips that are included, which I love and use on most of my IEMs, including my $1,800 Empire Ears Phantom. The E5000 sit securely and comfortable for hours on end while I work, cook, everything. These are just brilliant in that regard and a real selling point.

One point to be aware of is that the E5000 (and E4000) 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.

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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 little thin and less impressive, but both IEMs come alive when given more power, especially the E5000.

Presentation
The E5000 have a somewhat U-shaped signature with a little more emphasis towards the sub-bass to give a warm and smooth signature with a surprising amount of impact. By comparison the U-shape of E4000 is tilted a little more towards the treble to give a somewhat brighter tone (by comparison, not bright as such). The E5000 have a well-balanced signature that is lively, very coherent and wonderfully smooth. The stage is wide, very wide at this price point, tall, but not very deep. Thanks to the width and height, separation is incredibly good. I like torturing IEMs I review with classical symphonies, as those are technically demanding because of all the instruments, the layering and the different tones of instruments. While the E5000 are not ideal for classical music, they do an incredibly good job of presenting the performance. The layering is really quite good thanks to the excellent separation and it is further improved by a still quite natural tonality, especially with mid-range instruments such as woodwinds. It is not a perfectly balanced image with some emphasis on the bass section thanks to a very energetic bass, and strings are a little accentuated, though as a lover of violins I can't really complain about that.

The real strength of the E5000 is in presenting an energetic sound that feels balanced just right for more popular types of music. When I fed them Imagine Dragons' 'Yesterday' as one of the first songs I listened to, the slam and energy really impressed me. These are fun IEMs to listen to. Not IEMs with a high resolution and tons of detail, they are not all that impressive in those aspects, but that is immediately forgotten because of the energy with which they present the music. While the resolution might not be all that impressive, I was actually quite impressed by their clarity. Vocals sit a little further back than I would like and are perhaps lacking a little in density (I am a "vocalholic", so take it as such), but they are very clearly defined.

Bass
The E5000 have an amazing bass that can hit surprisingly hard. I mean, the first time I heard them I went "What?!" and yanked them out of my ears to re-confirm their diminutive size because they sounded flipping huge. Oh my, did Imagine Dragons' "Yesterday" sound good! The bass hits so hard, can really rumble and has just the right amount of emphasis that the rest of the signature remains squeaky clean and clear. The tightness of the bass does mean less warmth is added to mid-range than I think is needed for it to sound entirely natural (in the same sense as the E4000), but that is soon forgotten once you start listening to pop music or metal or anything really with a sense of pace and energy.

While I do find that the bass is not quite natural and a cello sounds like it is lacking the resonance I like while listening to the E4000, the bass does have more air and detail in it. It is articulate and more so than with the E4000 dictates the rhythm and pace to really engage the listener. I never get tired of it and every time I return to the E5000 after listening to other (much more expensive) IEMs I still get that What-moment when the bass kicks in. Thoroughly engaging!

Mids
The mids are a little less far back than with the E4000, giving the E5000 a slightly more linear signature, although still U-shaped and far from flat. Thanks to the tighter bass mid-range clarity is excellent and it really impresses me how clear and detailed everything sounds without forcing the detail forward. It has a certain natural smoothness to it that means classical music is not among the E5000's strong points, but that again is soon forgotten because it just sounds "right". I can still happily listen to classical music and forget about trying to pick up every little detail and simply enjoy the flow of the music.

Vocals are a very good and feel a stronger than with the E4000. Vocals always come through very clearly and smoothly without a notable bias for male or female vocals. I love listening to vocal music with these and even though I think the E4000 do relatively better with acoustic music, I still end up preferring to listen to Caro Emerald's Acoustic Sessions with the E5000 because of the quality of the vocals. It just sounds so lovely and smooth and clear and... am I really listing to IEMs costing £219?! It is not quite "budget", but the E5000 sound gorgeous for the price.

Treble
The treble of the E5000 is more linear than with the E4000 and relatively speaking slightly attenuated, and that is a good thing. The E5000 don't need much of a lift due to the tighter bass and the result is a very natural sounding and pleasantly sparkling treble. It is less articulate and blends in a bit better within the image to give a more natural feel to instruments such as cymbals. It means the overall signature is less focused on details and to my ears has better coherency, something that I find back in the presentation of metal music such as Disturbed's 'Mine'. It sounds raw and energetic without the cymbals sparking with the sharpness of the E4000 (not that the E4000 sound that sharp, just by comparison). Cymbals sound more complete, like they are given more time to resonate properly.

The treble is, as can be expected, very smooth and never offensive or sibilant in any way. I personally prefer my treble this way and it makes for a comfortable and fatigue free listening experience.

E4000_E5000.png


Comparisons
-E4000-
Sadly I do not have the E3000 to compare, which would have been very interesting, as I think the E5000 will probably be a more mature version of those. No doubt it will be a significant step up, as this is already the case between the E4000 and 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. For the E5000 that would mean possibly spending extra on getting an aftermarket cable, which, at this price point, I am not sure would be sensible. Still, I have seen people do it with very nice results, so the potential of the E5000 might still make it worth considering. 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 E5000 have really impressed me and I think they offer excellent value. They are exciting IEMs that sound much larger than their diminutive size suggests. Final have come up with an incredibly well-balanced and coherent signature that works great for all types of popular music, making them very versatile and a great option for many people to consider.
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Moonstar

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Great detail level for the price (both E4000 & E5000),
Warm en emotional male vocal presentation (E5000),
Clean and transparent female vocals (E4000),
Good build quality (for both E4000 & E5000),
Nice accessory’s package (both E4000 & E5000),
SPC cable with stellar build quality (E5000)
Cons: Not very easy to driver IEM’s (E5000 is even more power hungry),
Refinement (E4000)
Final E5000 vs Final E4000; The Comparative Review



Introduction:

S’NEXT is a company that sells high-end audio earphones and headphones under its own brand “final” as well as conducting component technology development, product planning, design, planning, manufacturing and sales of other companies’ brands.
The company was established in 2007 in Japan.

The E Series is created to fulfill high-quality sound, simple design, user-friendly for a affordable price.

They are actually 6 models that belong to the E Series. The E2000, E2000C/CS, E3000 and the E3000C which are the entry level models without MMCX connector, the E4000, which is the intermediate model with MMCX connection and the E5000, which is the top of the line.

I will compare the final E5000 with the E4000, which have a quite different sound tuning.



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This review was originally posted on my Review Blog, which I want now to share with the Head-Fi community:

Original Post: http://moonstarreviews.net/final-e5000-vs-e4000-the-comparative-review/



Disclaimer:

The final E4000 and E5000 are provided to me by S’NEXT as a review sample. I am not affiliated with S’NEXT or any third person beyond this review and these words reflect my true and unaltered opinions about this products.


Product Link:
http://snext-final.com/en/products/eseries/


The Price:

The final E5000 is sold for $279,00 and the final E4000 for $149,00.

S’NEXT doesn’t sell its products directly, but the list of the dealers for the international market is bellow;

http://snext-final.com/en/dealers/



Package and Accessories:

Both In-Ear Monitors are coming in a identical package. This is a white cardboard box with glossy finish that sports the product visual and model name on the front and technical details on the back.

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The accessories included to the package are identical and are listed below:

  • 1 pair x of final E5000 or E4000 In-Ear Monitor
  • 5 pairs x Silicone Eartips (E type in 5 sizes – SS/S/M/L/LL)
  • 1 pair x of Ear hook
  • 1 pcs x Karabiner


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The Karabiner and silicone ear-hooks/guides that are included to the package are a nice addition.

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The package of both IEM’s is including 5 pairs (comes in 5 sizes – SS/S/M/L/LL) E type silicon eartips which are very comfortable to insert in to my ear channels. If you look on the back of each pair, you can see that it differs in colors. The gray indicates left and red is for the right ear pieces.

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The carry case that is inclueded in the box of both IEM’s is made of silicon and the cables can be rolled up and stored easily in it. The earphones themselves are gently secured using thin dome-shaped silicon covers.

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Design and Build Quality:

Both the final E4000 and E5000 sharing the same design language and have a small tube like shaping. The main difference is the material and color used for the housing. The E4000 is machined from aluminum and has a black painting, while the E5000 is machined from stainless steel that has a mirror finish. The housing of the E4000 and E5000 sports on one side the final branding and on the other side the model information.

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The form of both IEM’s is sound nozzle that is made of a black plastic material and sports a filter in each of those nozzles.

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On the back of both IEM’s is the final logo branding that looks like a honeycomb, which consists of three hexagons.

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On the bottom you can find the MMCX (Micro Miniature Coaxial) connectors and the left right markings are easily to identify. The build quality of the MMCX female connectors are great and don’t have a loose or too tight fitting.

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The overall build quality is on a high level and gives a solid appearance.

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Cables:

Both, the final E4000 and E5000 have detachable cables with MMCX (Micro Miniature Coaxial) connectors which are developed in-company. The main difference is in the wire material, look and feel.

The cable of the E4000 is made of a high purity OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) wire and has a soft and flexible black PVC coating.

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The cable of the final E5000 is made by the Junkosha Corporation. This Japanese brand develops and manufactures products such as high speed coaxial cables that boast the world’s fastest transmission speed at 95% the speed of light, as well as cables for demanding fields such as marine and aerospace, healthcare and power generation facilities.

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The wire of the final E5000 cable is made of a high purity SPC (Silver Plated Cooper), which has a transparent PVC coating.

The insulator film is made from PFA (perfluoroalkoxy) which is transparent and has a light blue glow. This material is an also developed by Junkosha who used their extensive know-how through the JUNFLON® brand to create an low-permittivity material.

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The MMCX connector housing of the final E4000 MMCX is made of plastic and has right (R) and left (L) markings. The right connector sports a red ring for an easier identification.

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The MMCX connector housing of the final E5000 on the other hand is made of metal (aluminum) and has also Left and Right markings and a red ring for the right and black for the left channel.

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The MMCX male connector of the E5000 is fitting tighter and gives a sturdier feel than those of the connector on the E4000 cable, which is not bad at all.

The 3.5mm (TRS) single ended headphone jack of the final E4000 has a black L angled profile with a black metal housing.

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The headphone jack of the final E5000 has the same design with a L angled profile, but has a mirror like finish.

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As a result; The final E5000 is more visually appealing and gives an extra feel for fine details.





Fit, Comfort and Isolations:

The final E4000 and E5000, both are very ergonomic and comfortable to wear due the small tube/cylinder like design, which fits perfectly in to my ears. They are also very lightweight, because the stainless steel E5000 measures only 24 grams, while the E4000 with aluminum housing is even more lightweight with 18grams.

The noise isolation for both E4000 & E5000 is above average, but is in a acceptable level for the use in public environments like metro, bus or train.

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Drivability:

This final IEM’s have a relative low impedance of 14 ohms for the E5000 and 15 ohms for the E4000, but all this details doesn’t mean that this IEM’s are easy to driver. Yes, you can drive both IEM’s via Smartphones, tablets, etc. but you can feel that this IEM’s need some extra power due the relative low sensitivity of 93dB for the final E5000 and 97dB for the final E4000. To hear the true potential and make this IEM’s really shine, I would advice to use a small portable amplifier or a Digital Audio Player (DAP) with good amplification.

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Features:

There is an acoustic resistor inside the rear housing of the driver unit, and this controls the low mid-range frequency characteristics that determine the framework of the sound quality. At the end of this, there is a pipe bent into an L-shape (acoustic chamber) which is necessary for tuning to achieve a balance between the volume of low frequencies and clarity.

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Technical Specifications:

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Sources:

a) In Ear Monitor : final E4000, final E5000
b) DAP/DAC : Cayin N5II, Chord Mojo, Hidizs DH1000, Fiio Q5, LG V30 Plus, Audirect Beam

c) Albums & Tracks used for this review:

  • Minor Empire – Bulbulum Altin Kafeste (Spotify)
  • London Grammar – Interlud (Live) (Flac 24bit/44kHz)
  • Laura Pergolizzi – Lost On You “Live at Harvard and Stone” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
  • Jehan Barbur – Yollar (Spotify)
  • Vivaldi – Le Quarttro Stagioni “The Four Season” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
  • Steve Srauss – Mr. Bones (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
  • Otto Liebert & Luna Negra – The River (DSF) – Binaural Recording
  • GoGo Penguin – Fanfares (Tidal Hi-Fi)
  • Adam Taylor – Colour to the Moon (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
  • Casey Abrams – Robot Lover (Tidal Hi-Fi)
  • Future Heroes – Another World (Tidal Hi-fi)
  • Lorde – Team (Flac 24bit/48kHz)
  • Tom Player – Resonace Theory “Album” (Tidal Hi-Fi)
  • Liquid Tension Experiment 2 – Acid Rain (Spotify)
  • Opeth – Damnation (Tidal Hi-Fi)
  • Megadeth – Sweating Bullets (Flac 16bit/44kHz)
  • Metallica – Sad bu True (Flac 24bit/96kHz)


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Sound Analysis and Comparisons:

This review is written after a burn-in of approx 95-100 hours. I have used the stock silicone ear tips for both IEM’s, which were included to the package..


Sound Signature and Tonality:

The final E4000 and final E5000 are belonging to the same E model series, but that doesn’t mean that they share the same sound signature or tonality. The final Audio e4000 has a brighter tonality and is more midrange/ upper midrange focused, while the final E5000 sounds in general warmer, fuller, bass-focused and more detailed.

Both In-Ear Monitors are relative power hungry and needing some juice, which you can get with a DAP, amplifier or DAC/AMP to archive a more balanced sound. The E5000 needs even more power than the E4000 to show its potential.

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Bass:

The final E4000 has less sub-bass depth, emphasis and amount than the E5000. The bass extension and sub-bass depth of the final E5000 is superior.

Both In-Ear Monitors have a petty controlled bass presentation, while there is a difference in character. The bass of the final E4000 sounds cleaner, brighter and dryer, while the final E5000 shares a thicker fuller and a warmer bass presentation.

The lower frequency performance of the final E5000’in will satisfy most users, even bass-head’s, because of its pretty good bass emphasis, depth and rumble. The bass of the final E4000 sounds cleaner and has better speed compared to the E5000, but is missing some depth, which makes it more suitable for genres like acoustic, rock or even metal music.



Mids:

The final E4000 has a relative bright, transparent and lively midrange presentation. The final E5000 on the other hand sounds warmer, fuller and softer, together with a wider midrange area than those of the E4000. The final E5000 has in most situation a better detail retrieval and instrument separation capability.

The final E5000 offers more detail and depth in the presentation of male vocals. The final E4000, on the other hand, has the upper hand in presenting female vocals, which is due to the extra vivid, crisp, and emphasized tonality, which means that the E4000 has a female vocal tuning. The midrange of the final E5000 sounds softer and more emotional, while the final E4000 has a brighter and more vivid appearance.

Both In-Ear Monitors have a quite controlled upper midrange presentation, without any remarkable interference/intermixture.

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Treble:


The treble range of the E4000 sounds bright/clear and a litter bit on the dryer side, while the E5000 sounds fuller, softer and warmer together with a ticker tonality. The treble presentation of both In-Ear Monitors is sounds pretty comfortable and is sibilance free, which makes those IEM’s ideal for long listening periods.

The treble/highs of the E5000 are like blizzards in the dark. The treble performance of the E5000 is technical superior to the E4000, due the better extension, sharpness and detail level. The treble presentation of the E5000 sounds also slightly fuller than those of the E4000.

The E5000 sounds more natural with woodwind instruments, while i like the E4000 better with instruments like violins. I quite enjoyed the violin performance of the E4000 was Vivaldi’s – Le Quarttro Stagioni “The Four Seasons.

Both IEM’s sharing a pretty good performance while presenting the cymbals in Megadeth – Sweating Bullets. The tonality of instruments like cymbals sounds slightly dry with the E4000, while the E5000 sounds fuller and with more volume.

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Soundstage:

The soundstage of the E5000 is wider and deeper than those of the E4000, which performs otherwise pretty well for a sub $200 In-Ear Monitor. The soundstage of the E5000 wider than its depth and the same situation is noticeable with the E4000 where the difference is slightly lower. The height of the E4000 performs slightly better than E5000 and both IEM’s have adequate soundstage for a pretty good instrument separation.



Conclusion:

Both, the final E4000 and E5000 sharing some great detail level packed in a small and lightweight housing with pretty good build quality and the best thing is that the price of this Japanese IEM’s is on the reasonable side. But you should note that both of this In-Ear Monitors need some juice to show the true potential. All in all, great job!



Pros and Cons:

  • + Great detail level for the price (both E4000 & E5000)
  • + Warm en emotional male vocal presentation (E5000)
  • + Clean and transparent female vocals (E4000)
  • + Good build quality (for both E4000 & E5000)
  • + Nice accessory’s package (both E4000 & E5000)
  • + SPC cable with stellar build quality (E5000)
  • – Not very easy to driver IEM’s (E5000 is even more power hungry)
  • – Refinement (E4000)

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iems0nly

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Sublime delivery. Novel tuning. Very smooth, yet detailed sound
Cons: Unconventional tuning; warm sounding; laid-backed highs. Takes a while to appreciate
Simple Man’s review – Final E5000 (~299 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.

Final Like Facebook dropped the “the”, Final dropped the “Audio Design”. I really appreciate this move and it sounds much cooler this way. The logo as well.

Product Specs :
Driver: 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver
Impedance: 14 Ohms; Sensitivity: 93dB
Weight: 24g
Cable: MMCX connectors, 1.2 m OFC silver coated cable

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Build – 5/5
Stellar build quality. Virtually unbreakable. Narrow and small cylindrical stainless steel house the driver. The twisted white wires are covered in a protective sheath which are transparent and feel good to the touch. Cylindrical Stainless Steel (CSS) is the theme: with CSS housings for MMCX connectors, CSS Y splitters and CSS L shaped housing for the 3.5mm jack as well which has great strain relief. The MMCX connectors also colour coded with Red with Black to indicate Right and Left respectively. They are closed back unlike the little brother E3000. The entire unit with the white cord is a feast to the eyes. They look impeccable.

Accessories – 5/5
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 pant 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 transparent ear hooks 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. This feels like five-star treatment and I feel royale.

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Isolation & Sound leakage – 3.5/5

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. Around-the-ear and conventional straight-down wear is compatible.

Microphonics – 3/5
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.

Before we get to the sound, let’s look at Final’s statement about their tuning:
This is applicable to both E4000 and 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.”

Final says that E5000 is an upgrade of E3000; while E4000 is an upgrade of E2000.

Before the actual sound, let me brief you on my immediate impressions and experience:

Let me start by saying that these earphones are tuned like no other.

Upon my first listen, I noticed that the bass was really overwhelming, making the sound signature really warm, even dark. I generally tend to prefer brighter phones rather than warmer ones. I was initially taken aback by this pervading warmth and lushness in the sound signature. It reminded me of the FX1100 that I owned some time back, only with greater bass that envelops the entire soundstage, with tamed highs. I’ve never heard something like this. But then, I took some time to understand what their tuning philosophy is, and I went back to the site to check out what they have to say (Posted above). They say that the signature is tuned to be smooth and laid-back. They say that any peak in the highs are attenuated to present a smooth frequency response. In all the measurement graphs that you generally see, you would notice a number of peaks and valleys after 1KHz or 2 Hhz up until 10 or 16 KHz. Here, Final has basically introduced zero peaks in the measured response. Imagine a straight line from 20 to 20 Khz in the measured frequency response (not perceived). That’s what they have aimed for with the E series. They suggest 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 I can see the magic unfold. Any more volume, the earphones will not sound good and you will just sink into a pool of lushness. 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.
UPDATE: SPINFITS, using spin-fits brings a little brightness into the mix, making them the ideal tips for Final E5000. Stock tips are second best although it is a bit warmer than SpinFits.

Sound—
This is how I felt while listening to music with the E5000.

Imagine sitting in the open spacious bath with steam all around, in the garden of Aphrodite. You tilt your head backwards and relax. A couple of the most luscious, beautiful, Greek muses, Erato and Euterpe, come beside you, one on each side with a silver spoon in their hand, no, let’s make that Stainless Steel spoons. In their spoons is honey- not the gooey kind, but less viscous and fluid. They heat the honey to a lukewarm temperature, a very soothing temperature. Together, at the same time, they pour this honey into your ears, slowly. It’s the sweetest honey in all the worlds. The warmth just comforts your soul. The honey keeps flowing, wave after wave, into your ears. You forget who you are, where you are, what you are doing. The song comes to an end. You remove the earbuds and just sit there with your dropped jaw refusing to shut your open mouth. You can’t remember what song was just playing or how many songs played through.

Please don’t pour honey into your ears for any reason. The above description is not to be taken literally.

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Bass:
In the sweet spot, the E5000s bass is spectacular. It goes really deep, and gives you all the rumble that is there in the recording. The dynamic driver really pumps the bass. It is a warm earphone, and the bass is very authoritative. That said, the bass is tight, and has great definition. You can make out every note from that bassline, and that very clearly. They very much play in their position and do not bleed anywhere else. Remember, we’re always in the sweet spot where the volume is rather low. So, this won’t go rattling your brain. Here, you will just hear tight authoritative notes positioned perfectly. There is enough sub-bass here to satisfy hardcore bassheads, but to enjoy the rest of the spectrum they must keep the slam low. Those that love lush signatures will totally dig this signature. This kind of visceral bass is much suited for jazz or classical music where timbre of the cello or the double bass reverbs to extreme satisfaction. Electronic bass can easily go overboard and colour the signature dark. Sweet spot is the key.

Mids:
The juicy bass also makes the mids very lush and creamy. With all that bass quantity, I still don’t see it disturbing the stuff going on in the mids. This is because of the layering. The mids play in their own zone and can be heard clearly alongside the bass instruments. The mids just borrow the lush quality from this bass which adds to the timbre. Every instrument sounds real, better than real, in fact. The vocals are so sublime, and full of soul. They add an earthy feel to the voice. You can hear every breath taken. Both male and female vocals are presented very gracefully. Everything sounds so smooth, nothing jumps out, and they all hold strictly their position. The mids are also very detailed and a painted in a very subtle, at the same time vivid, manner. The decay is perfect and it’s just a pleasure to listen to.

Treble:
In the sweet spot, the treble is very clear and any sound in this spectrum is presented in a magical way. There is absolutely no noise to be noticed. Not a single spot taints that black canvas of the soundstage. Every chime, every bell, rings clearly and disappears into the blackness that it came from. Every sound in this region is a stroke of colour in that black stage. The micro-details, as well, are presented in the same subtle, yet vivid, manner. But to enjoy all this you are restrained to your sweet spot. If you increase the volume, the bass will take over and the sublime presentation is tainted. The instrument positioning is stellar. The more I listen to, I more I feel that the treble and the micro-details are very sharply presented, and I find them lacking in no way. To feel this, you need to spend some time with these earphones and burn your brain to the signature.

Soundstage is as wide as you get from a closed IEM. Good depth of field is displayed. Very 3 dimensional and dynamic soundstage. The soundstage can present classical music and complex passages very well due to it's great layering capabilities.

Comparisons
Let’s do some very brief comparisons to get to know the flagship of the Final E series better.

Comparing these to any other earphones is a challenge per se. The E5000 sounds so smooth that I find it hard to match the sounds with the other earphone. I generally settle for the sweet spot of Earphone B vs sweet spot of E5000.

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Final E5000 vs Final Audio Design Heaven IV
First, let’s compare this with one of the Heaven series BA earaphones. It would have been much interesting with Heaven VI, but unfortunately I own only the Heaven IV. This should do, anyway.

Switching from E5000 to Heaven IV, you will notice that the Heaven IV is far brighter in comparison. Remember, Heaven IV is actually one of the warmer BA earphones in the market. The bass of the Heaven IV is so low it appears anaemic and lacking in comparison. The E5000s bass hits harder and goes deeper, and are very tight. This paints a far darker picture overall with the E5000. The details in music are very apparent with the BA driver of Heaven IV. The E5000 presents all the details in a very subtle and delicate manner. Every detail is hidden in the soundstage and delicately presented amid the lush music. The cymbals and hi-hats are way in the background in the E5000 vs very present and on top with the Heaven IV.

Final E5000 vs Piano Forte II
Another one from final, the piano forte is also known to have a non-conventional tuning.
Again, I got only the basic offering from this series. So, let’s check them out.

PF II also comes across as brighter in comparison. PFII, it must be noted is an open earbud type phone with no sub-bass impact whatsoever. However, they have one of the best vocals I’ve hear to-date and have a wide soundstage, very out of the head. The hi-hats in the PF II are again up high and details are presented fairly up front. E5000s are again dark in comparison, and everything is so smooth, subtle and tight. Everything you heard with PFII is also present here, but are very delicately presented.

Final E5000 vs ATH CKR100
Again, similar difference. Smooth and warm vs brighter with spiked highs. CKR100 has it’s upper mids pushed up to the front as well. E5000s dig deeper and is tighter. Subtle presentation vs forward presentation.

Final E5000 vs Donguri Syou Kurenai vs Sony EX800
Similar again, E5000 is super warm, deeper bass, subtle and smooth presentation. Donguri and EX800 are brighter incomparison, have very present highs with great up-front clarity. EX800 is warmer than the Donguri, but brighter compared to E5000. EX800 has a very wide soundstage as well.

To put things into perspective, imagine a scenery. Sun rises at 6 AM. FAD IV, shows you how it looks at 9 AM when the sun has risen and it’s nice and bright. Etymotics would be noon. Sony and Donguri give you the picture when it’s around 2 PM. Piano forte shows the same picture when it is 4 PM. And the E5000 will be the picture when it is 6:30 PM, sun sets at 6 PM. (edited the timings)

Please note that A-B comparisons have really no meaning because of the super smooth response of E5000. This essentially demands one to be psychologically tuned to the tuning of the earphones. Meaning, listening a while and easing into the signature. Still, this is done here just to give you an idea about the tuning.

Another one earphone that I have which possesses a similar dark signature is the Flare Audio R2A. But I will reserve this comparison only for E4000 since they fall in the same price category. This will be up in the next few days.

Let’s do some essential comparisons within the E series.

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Final E3000 vs Final E5000
Final E5000 is the direct upgrade to Final E3000. Final says compared to the E3000 “a purer and subtler sound is achieved” in the E5000. Let’s see how they compare side by side.

The E5000 digs deeper into the sub-bass region in comparison, and rumbles more readily. The E3000 has authoritative bass as well, but isn’t so deep and also isn’t so tight as the E5000. The E3000 also has a little more presence in the treble, whereas the E5000 is much, much smoother. Although subtle, clarity is better with the E5000. Only, noticing it is not so easy in comparison. Instrument positioning is also better and more localised in the E5000. For those who already own the E3000, if you prefer better definition and more sub-bass rumble at the cost of smoother treble, you can go for the upgrade. E5000 is also a touch warmer due to the smoothed higher registers.

Final E5000 vs Final E4000
Let’s see how the E5000 stands alongside the E4000, it’s cousin.

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E4000s bass is tighter than the E3000, but the sub bass impact and quantity is lower than the E5000. E5000 goes much deeper and has significantly greater rumble. The mids appear forwarded in the E4000, mids and vocals, as a result, are more transparent and present in the E4000. In E5000, the mids appear subdued in comparison, slightly 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. 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, and you are OK with some extra warmth, then E5000 will give you no regrets.

How many times have I used the word “tight” to describe the E5000s sound? I’ve never felt this tightness, precision, and thick note presentation in another IEM, and this can be felt throughout the frequency spectrum. I see this as the defining quality of the IEM. This quality is exactly why I keep coming back to the E5000, in spite of its warm and relaxed presentation. I can’t get this anywhere else.

Overall Sound rating of Final E5000: 9.1/10
Vocals 4.5/5
Soundstage 4/5
Instrument Separation 5/5
Details 4/5
Timbre 4.5/5

Conclusion –
Final really opened new doors of perception for me with this tuning. With this “Less is More” approach towards the high frequencies. I never knew that music could be so relaxing and still have such great clarity. I never thought I’d write a positive review for a warm sounding IEM. I would definitely suggest all audiophiles to give the E series a chance. They aren’t asking half a grand for this beauty. It’s perfectly priced. You’re not going to get in-your-face details, you’re not going to get splashy highs showing off extreme clarity, playing with sibilance. But if you give these a chance you will be rewarded with a sublime musical experience with subtle, magical, highs that will fill you with great pleasure.
iems0nly
iems0nly
@kkl10 CKR100 tries to sound correct, like reality. E5000s go for euphonic, thick musical sound. E5000s are also hard to drive with smartphones, unless you have HTC10/LG quads.
A
AlexFL
Thank you for great review, just got them from Amazon, can’t take them out of my ears. Agree with everything you said. I have both IE800 and SE 846 and E5000 is exactly what I was missing in my life. You brain adjust to them in 15 minutes and you just can’t go back to listening anything else. Treble are so well made here. I was looking for HD660s treble with impactful bass and not shouty mids for gym and commutes and these are just phenomenal.
josesol07
josesol07
late for this party. Congrats for such a great and thorough review. the comparison section is just awesome. I have E3000 which I like very much for what they do for their asking price but considering E5000 as a direct upgrade. the only thing holding me back is the sound leakage.
as the sound leakage on E3000 is not too bad for me, would you say E5000 has worse leakage than the former?
I expect E5000 to be great IEM for progressive rock and jazz fusion, genres I listen the most. TIA
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