Final Audio Design Impressions and Discussion Thread

[TooPoorForHiFi]

Sorry I don’t feel like watching all of the video, could you point out what the problem is/when in the video?
Mine have no particular sliding issue.

Here's is where it starts. In the video he said it came w/ rubberband to stop them from sliding. I don't know if the Pandora Hope VI is the same as the Sonorous VI?

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Here's is where it starts. In the video he said it came w/ rubberband to stop them from sliding. I don't know if the Pandora Hope VI is the same as the Sonorous VI?

Yeah ok, thanks for pointing it out. My response: classic case of a Youtuber blathering on and on about a non-issue to pad out his video and make the point that he is a critical thinker.
The sliders are indeed very smooth and you can easily end up wearing the headphones lopsided - which is exactly the same with more rigid sliders if you don’t pay attention, as it’s very easy to pull one side down more forcefully because of the resistance and then you have to take them off and hustle to level them. With the Final the weight is an immediate giveaway when they don’t sit symmetrically on your head, and with this smoothness it’s extremely easy to adjust them back, at which point they won’t slide down or jump up by themselves

As to the headband moving like that, I can only express my bafflement. It’s like this person never put the headphones on his head. That's what makes the headband steady: there’s half a kilogram resting on a wide, padded band on the crown of one’s head, so no it doesn’t move. At all. And I don’t have a big head at all.

Comfort is a major and notorious issue on the Pandora Hope VI, with the drivers painfully close to the ear, but that’s the only issue in terms of fit imo - and Final have stated that they designed the VI this way for audio reasons.

 

[ddmt]

Just got the e1000, I'm impressed. Way better than all the chifi IEMs I've tried within the price range.

 

[zilkhaw]

Just got the e1000, I'm impressed. Way better than all the chifi IEMs I've tried within the price range.

Yay, another person who like E1000. I really think that E1000 is one of the best IEM within that price range.
I have read some review which stated that KZ ZSN is better than it, so I bought one online. After listening to KZ ZSN, the sound is impressive for that price range, Low is stronger than E1000, but the clarity and detail for Mid and High and overall balance are totally unmatchable compared to E1000.

As for budget entry IEM, I would totally recommend e1000 to friends.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

How much different is the E1000 to the E2000 & E3000

 

[zilkhaw]

Just sharing some information from Japan.

In Japan, there is an award called Visual Grand Prix which decide which audio and visual product that is currently selling in Japan is the best according to their categories and price range.
The products are first nominated according to the vote from leading distributors and judges and then the final award results are decided among 10 judges who are reputable professional in the field.

The result of VGP2019 was announced last month and guess what, the Final E-series has basically beat all their competitors in the same price range.

IEM 50k ~ 75k yen
Winner: Sony IER-M7
Nominated: Final MAKE1, Noble Audio SAGE, JCV Wood 01 inner(HA-FW01), Noble Audio Savanna, Westone UM Pro50

IEM 30k ~ 50k yen
Winner: Veclos EPT-500
Nominated: JVC Solidege 01 Inner(HA-FD01), Veclos EPT-700, Veclos EPS-700, AKG N40, Veclos EPS-500, Azla MK2, Audio Technica ATH-CM2000Ti, Fiio FH5, Sony XBA-N3, Final MAKE2, Sennheiser IE80S, Jerry Harvey Audio Billie Jean, Westone UM Pro30

IEM 20k yen to 30k yen
Winner: Final E5000, JVC Solidege 02 inner (HA-FD02)
Nominated: AKG N30, Noble Audio EDC Bell, Panasonic RP-HDE10, Sennheiser IE60, Brainwavz B400, Campfire Audio Comet, Sony XBA-N1, TFZ Secret Garden

IEM 10k yen to 20k yen
Winner: Final E4000
Nominated: AKG N25, Pioneer SE-CH9T, Dynamic Motion DM100, Final MAKE3, Denon AH-C720, Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear, Sennheiser CX5.00, TFZ King II, Denon AH-C820, JVC HA-FD7, Macaw GT600s Pro, 1More E1001, Macaw GT600s, Panasonic RP-HDE5. TFZ King Ltd

IEM 5k yen to 10k yen
Winner: Final E3000
Nominated: Audio Technica ATH-CKS700X, Sennheiser CX3.00. Pioneer SE-CH5BL, AKG N20U, AKG N20, Muix Ix5000, Meze Audio 12 Classics, Muix Ix1000 HE, Sennheiser CX2.00, Sennheiser CX1.00, JVC HA-FX77X, Panasonic RP-HDE3, Marshall Mode EQ Black and Brass

IEM 2.5k yen to 5k yen
Winner: Final E2000
Nominated: Audio Technica ATH-CKS550X series, Panasonic RP-HDE1, Pioneer SE-CH5T, Final E1000

IEM 1 yen to 2.5k yen
Winner: Pioneer SE-C1T
Nominated: Audio Technica ATH-CK350 series

So basically, E-series has totally become the big winner. I wonder if E1000 is slightly cheaper, would it also become the winner for the price range below 2.5k yen. As a Final fan, I am really happy to see all the new products from Final are actually gaining their reputation.

Even the MAKE series which is so limited in the market are all nominated. Lets hope for a better future from Final. Yay! E8000!

 

[zilkhaw]

How much different is the E1000 to the E2000 & E3000

I own E1000 and E3000 but unfortunately, I do not really have the chance to take time comparing them.
Because currently, I am basically using MAKE2 most of the time, when I got my E1000, my colleague has been already borrowing my E3000.

The day I got my E1000, during my working hour, I tried a real quick comparison (which is REAL quick, like less than 2min) by getting my E3000 back from my colleague,
I run a random song from my walkman and the first impression was, both of them sound very similar but when the music come to bassy part, distortion (it feels like the drivers were struggling to push the bass and at the same time mid and high become blurry) happened on E1000 but not on E3000. Then I got a phone call from my boss and the comparison session ended.

Sorry, I know that this means nothing actually. Since when I tried both of them, my E1000 was only played for less than 5 hours, the burn-in period was totally different. Secondly, my comparison period was REALLY short.


EDIT: I am currently listening to E1000. What I can say are
1. If someone blindfolds me and let me listen to it, I will never know that it is a $20 earphone.
2. It totally represents the sound signature and the soul of tuning from Final. If someone wants to know Final's sound signature but do not plan to pay much, he can try this. If he don't like it, then I think he won't like most of the Final product. Maybe personal opinion? Because I really like Final tuning, so E1000 really impress me.
3. While I am listening to it and typing here (passive listening), I might mistakenly think that it is my MAKE2. Only if I focus on listening to it, the weaker imaging and resolution let me differentiate both of them.

 

[acroyear]

I just bought the Adagio III's for fun, out of curiosity. Are they as bad as people say? I wanted a fun, basshead iem that I don't have to be too careful with. Anyone here actually like the Adagio III's?

Wow. Such an underated earphone. The sound is detailed, fun and bassy. Nothing "strident" about the treble. Oh NO!! The mids are recessed!? Yeah. Big surprise. Haha... Love these.

 

[F700]

I own E1000 and E3000 but unfortunately, I do not really have the chance to take time comparing them.
Because currently, I am basically using MAKE2 most of the time, when I got my E1000, my colleague has been already borrowing my E3000.

The day I got my E1000, during my working hour, I tried a real quick comparison (which is REAL quick, like less than 2min) by getting my E3000 back from my colleague,
I run a random song from my walkman and the first impression was, both of them sound very similar but when the music come to bassy part, distortion (it feels like the drivers were struggling to push the bass and at the same time mid and high become blurry) happened on E1000 but not on E3000. Then I got a phone call from my boss and the comparison session ended.

Sorry, I know that this means nothing actually. Since when I tried both of them, my E1000 was only played for less than 5 hours, the burn-in period was totally different. Secondly, my comparison period was REALLY short.


EDIT: I am currently listening to E1000. What I can say are
1. If someone blindfolds me and let me listen to it, I will never know that it is a $20 earphone.
2. It totally represents the sound signature and the soul of tuning from Final. If someone wants to know Final's sound signature but do not plan to pay much, he can try this. If he don't like it, then I think he won't like most of the Final product. Maybe personal opinion? Because I really like Final tuning, so E1000 really impress me.
3. While I am listening to it and typing here (passive listening), I might mistakenly think that it is my MAKE2. Only if I focus on listening to it, the weaker imaging and resolution let me differentiate both of them.

Ok, let's invest USD 20.- and see what these are capable of.... Final, a company that offers IEM/Headphone from USD 20.- to USD 5000.-, but the whole range has a purpose and makes sense (to me at least). Bravo Final, once more

 

[F700]

Yeah ok, thanks for pointing it out. My response: classic case of a Youtuber blathering on and on about a non-issue to pad out his video and make the point that he is a critical thinker.
The sliders are indeed very smooth and you can easily end up wearing the headphones lopsided - which is exactly the same with more rigid sliders if you don’t pay attention, as it’s very easy to pull one side down more forcefully because of the resistance and then you have to take them off and hustle to level them. With the Final the weight is an immediate giveaway when they don’t sit symmetrically on your head, and with this smoothness it’s extremely easy to adjust them back, at which point they won’t slide down or jump up by themselves

As to the headband moving like that, I can only express my bafflement. It’s like this person never put the headphones on his head. That's what makes the headband steady: there’s half a kilogram resting on a wide, padded band on the crown of one’s head, so no it doesn’t move. At all. And I don’t have a big head at all.

Comfort is a major and notorious issue on the Pandora Hope VI, with the drivers painfully close to the ear, but that’s the only issue in terms of fit imo - and Final have stated that they designed the VI this way for audio reasons.

The VI is a special headphone. Soundwise and fitwise (as the whole Sonorous range). I like the sliders system a lot actually. I never have had problem with it.

The pads NEED to be replaced. You have two viable options: the Shure 1540 pads, soft and deep, not altering the sound at all, improving it tbh. Also possible are the Lawton lambskin pads. The sound is a tad darker, the bass firmer but I miss the holographic presentation of the Shures. A colleague of mine prefers the Lawton. A question of taste.

 

[F700]

I spent now 2 weeks switching between the E5000 and the Sony XBA-Z5. Both balanced, 4.4mm, OC Studio Zeus for the E5000 and Forza Audioworks Hybrid for the Z5. DAP is Sony ZX300 linked to FiiO Q5. The E5000 costing approx 60% of the Z5 today. The Z5 has this wide, almost speakerslike, presentation. A tad less darker as the E5000, you have here an amazing IEM, playing music as hell! The fit is very important though. After months of trying different tips, I ended, once more, buying JVC spiral dots MS. These are on the Final mounted as well. The Z5 with these tips are perfect for my ears, which are normal/small. Now, although I find the Z5 to be technically more capable, I ended up spending more time with the E5000. Song after song, I said to myself, time to switch. Strange feeling. You feel and admit that one IEM is "better" than the other, but you still want the sound of the outsider. Emotion, in music and likely in other areas, is conveyed via this "little something" you cannot explain. The E5000 sound a bit too dark, with a silver cable, compared to the Z5. In SE mode, the E5000 take the lead nevertheless, with better imaging and layering. The Z5 need to be driven balanced.
You have a bit of spare cash? You have a powerful portable source or an amp? You might want to give the E5000 a try, priced below USD 300.-, and offering an accurate, warm, cosy, but precise sound. The Z5 remain better to me, but maybe 5-10% better, and once more, it is just and only a matter of taste.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

The VI is a special headphone. Soundwise and fitwise (as the whole Sonorous range). I like the sliders system a lot actually. I never have had problem with it.

The pads NEED to be replaced. You have two viable options: the Shure 1540 pads, soft and deep, not altering the sound at all, improving it tbh. Also possible are the Lawton lambskin pads. The sound is a tad darker, the bass firmer but I miss the holographic presentation of the Shures. A colleague of mine prefers the Lawton. A question of taste.

I never dared replace the pads. I did think about it of course after long listening sessions when I thought my ears would start bleeding but Final only offered the pads from the IV and made it clear it would alter thr VI’s signature. Improving comfort would be so great! I take your suggestion very seriously. Do any of those pads tame the slightly bright treble? Also, do you mention them because they are the only ones that fit, or because they sound the best?

 

[F700]

I never dared replace the pads. I did think about it of course after long listening sessions when I thought my ears would start bleeding but Final only offered the pads from the IV and made it clear it would alter thr VI’s signature. Improving comfort would be so great! I take your suggestion very seriously. Do any of those pads tame the slightly bright treble? Also, do you mention them because they are the only ones that fit, or because they sound the best?

Lawton pads will tame the highs a bit while keeping the SS very similar. Pads are pricy but it is the best quality. Period. For me, the Shure pads open the soundstage and make the fit a dream! I am not listening to classical (check my profile page maybe). There might be other pads compatible, but I have the luck to know a Final insider. I can tell one thing: forget the stock pads. Give these 2 alternatives a chance and decide by yourself. Shure or Lawton. The way to go.

Oh, and remove the mesh of the BAM (treble driver), sound improves a bit, to me at least

 

[F700]

Just sharing some information from Japan.

In Japan, there is an award called Visual Grand Prix which decide which audio and visual product that is currently selling in Japan is the best according to their categories and price range.
The products are first nominated according to the vote from leading distributors and judges and then the final award results are decided among 10 judges who are reputable professional in the field.

The result of VGP2019 was announced last month and guess what, the Final E-series has basically beat all their competitors in the same price range.

IEM 50k ~ 75k yen
Winner: Sony IER-M7
Nominated: Final MAKE1, Noble Audio SAGE, JCV Wood 01 inner(HA-FW01), Noble Audio Savanna, Westone UM Pro50

IEM 30k ~ 50k yen
Winner: Veclos EPT-500
Nominated: JVC Solidege 01 Inner(HA-FD01), Veclos EPT-700, Veclos EPS-700, AKG N40, Veclos EPS-500, Azla MK2, Audio Technica ATH-CM2000Ti, Fiio FH5, Sony XBA-N3, Final MAKE2, Sennheiser IE80S, Jerry Harvey Audio Billie Jean, Westone UM Pro30

IEM 20k yen to 30k yen
Winner: Final E5000, JVC Solidege 02 inner (HA-FD02)
Nominated: AKG N30, Noble Audio EDC Bell, Panasonic RP-HDE10, Sennheiser IE60, Brainwavz B400, Campfire Audio Comet, Sony XBA-N1, TFZ Secret Garden

IEM 10k yen to 20k yen
Winner: Final E4000
Nominated: AKG N25, Pioneer SE-CH9T, Dynamic Motion DM100, Final MAKE3, Denon AH-C720, Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear, Sennheiser CX5.00, TFZ King II, Denon AH-C820, JVC HA-FD7, Macaw GT600s Pro, 1More E1001, Macaw GT600s, Panasonic RP-HDE5. TFZ King Ltd

IEM 5k yen to 10k yen
Winner: Final E3000
Nominated: Audio Technica ATH-CKS700X, Sennheiser CX3.00. Pioneer SE-CH5BL, AKG N20U, AKG N20, Muix Ix5000, Meze Audio 12 Classics, Muix Ix1000 HE, Sennheiser CX2.00, Sennheiser CX1.00, JVC HA-FX77X, Panasonic RP-HDE3, Marshall Mode EQ Black and Brass

IEM 2.5k yen to 5k yen
Winner: Final E2000
Nominated: Audio Technica ATH-CKS550X series, Panasonic RP-HDE1, Pioneer SE-CH5T, Final E1000

IEM 1 yen to 2.5k yen
Winner: Pioneer SE-C1T
Nominated: Audio Technica ATH-CK350 series

So basically, E-series has totally become the big winner. I wonder if E1000 is slightly cheaper, would it also become the winner for the price range below 2.5k yen. As a Final fan, I am really happy to see all the new products from Final are actually gaining their reputation.

Even the MAKE series which is so limited in the market are all nominated. Lets hope for a better future from Final. Yay! E8000!

Thanks for sharing. E8000 will be a blind purchase for me. I then will be put them against the hopefully-in-February19-to-be-released Sony IER-Z1R.

 

[TooPoorForHiFi]

I'm hesitant to drop $700 on a headphone that needs pad change.

I don't want to alter the Stock sound signature or the intended Sound signature.