Final Audio Design Impressions and Discussion Thread

[krumplib430]

Looking into buying a DAP to pair with my Final B3's and narrowed it down to either the FiiO M11 Pro or the Sony NW-ZX507. Has anyone here have experience with either of these DAP's with the B3? From what I read, I hear that the M11 pro is more on the brighter side while the ZX507 is more lush/warm. Any input is appreciated!

Hi,

I have B3, ZX507 and M11 Pro as well. B3 is quite a bit brighter than lets say E3000, 4000 or 5000.
Personally I like to listen to B3 on the sony. The sony has a system wide EQ which works beautifully with any app (I use Tidal), and for me B3 needs a tiny bit of bass boost. I guess the E series spoiled me with the bass and I'm missing it on the B3. After eq, the B3 sounds awesome from the ZX507. M11 Pro sometimes can be a bit too much and fatiguing with B3.

 

[kmmbd]

One question for Europeans out there: what is the best webshop to buy Final Audio iems in EU? Looking for good price for E1000, E2000 or E3000. Thanks

I'd recommend hifiheadphones.co.uk. I've bought from them multiple times and their support/communication is excellent. Also they have frequent open-box/returned items sale which are great deals IMO so look out for those. The one reason I avoided Amazon Japan is because I'm afraid German customs will make life miserable for me (and they've completely lost one of my Topre keyboard shipments before).

 

[kmmbd]

I too have taken the plunge with the E5000. I have to admit, I wasn't that thrilled by them the first day. Seemed overly warm, with some bass bleed into the mids. Presentation was decent at least. Still didn't seem like a $300 set to me though. After a few days, I started hearing nuances in the mids and treble that were not there on the first day at all. They remind me of Sennheiser open-back headphones in that they seem a bit laid back at first, but once your brain gets used to them--they just sound natural, articulate all while being smooth as silk. They have better imaging than many reviewers give it--also has some height to their sound and not just width. The soundstage is surprisingly large, likely due to the extremely good resolving power of the sub-bass. The mids resolve very well now, with a timbre that is just so damn smooth. I thought I was going to return these and just pay up for the Flares Pro 2 HD, but they have grown on me tremendously. Its still a bit too bass heavy overall, but once my LG G7 arrives, I can pull that down a db or two.

So yeah, I'm a fan and these will keep me in music nirvana for years to come.

I'd highly recommend getting a DAP for the E5000. I also own a G7 and I find that the dynamic Vrms adjustment thing that LG has implemented somewhat limits the driver potential (makes mid-bass a bit bloated while messing with upper treble extension). A powerful DAP like DX160 or Dethonray DTR-1 will be excellent on-the-go pairing while on the desktop side a good amp like Atom will serve you excellently. Fiio BTR5 and the likes are also good for on-the-go. I just find the G7 is not the best fit for driving low-impedance high-sensitivity IEMs.

 

[bhima]

I hope so!

But seems most people around here are constantly hungry for upgrades. I guess it happens because the technology is advancing so quickly. It becomes an obsession to get the newest flavor of the month IEM.

I try to fight that. Lately I've been using my nearly 4 year old KZ ED9's and they still sound quite good to me.

I honestly only fight this urge because my wife would kill me otherwise

 

[bhima]

I'd highly recommend getting a DAP for the E5000. I also own a G7 and I find that the dynamic Vrms adjustment thing that LG has implemented somewhat limits the driver potential (makes mid-bass a bit bloated while messing with upper treble extension). A powerful DAP like DX160 or Dethonray DTR-1 will be excellent on-the-go pairing while on the desktop side a good amp like Atom will serve you excellently. Fiio BTR5 and the likes are also good for on-the-go. I just find the G7 is not the best fit for driving low-impedance high-sensitivity IEMs.

Interesting. I have been using them exclusively with my Fiio E17K which definitely powers them well. I'm a bit disappointed that the LG won't quite cut the mustard on its own--its why I bought the phone in the first place haha! Oh well, still will be better audio than if I bought another Nokia. I have tested the E5000 on the LG v30 and it was good--required maxxing the volume though . Still better than my Nokia by leaps and bounds but likely not as good as my Fiio. And while I am an enthusiast, there is no way I'm carrying another brick in my pocket besides my phone--not gonna happen

 

[mochill]

Interesting. I have been using them exclusively with my Fiio E17K which definitely powers them well. I'm a bit disappointed that the LG won't quite cut the mustard on its own--its why I bought the phone in the first place haha! Oh well, still will be better audio than if I bought another Nokia. I have tested the E5000 on the LG v30 and it was good--required maxxing the volume though . Still better than my Nokia by leaps and bounds but likely not as good as my Fiio. And while I am an enthusiast, there is no way I'm carrying another brick in my pocket besides my phone--not gonna happen

On my lg v30+ I use about 45-50 , never max :-O

 

[Hooga]

Even with shipping?

To Italy, absolutely yes. Both when using Amazon shipping, and when setting up a reforwarding service with companies like Tenso or whatever (for those items where no international shipping is offered).

 

[RikudouGoku]

To Italy, absolutely yes. Both when using Amazon shipping, and when setting up a reforwarding service with companies like Tenso or whatever (for those items where no international shipping is offered).

Is tenso safe to use? How much in fees do they take?

 

[Hooga]

Is tenso safe to use? How much in fees do they take?

Well I can't vouch for them ofc but until now I never got robbed
As I move little stuff from Japan I opened a zero-fixed-cost account, so I am only billed on a per-forwarding basis.
They give a free 30 days temporary stocking service to consolidate a few purchases into one single refwd parcel too.

That said, for items available on Amazon JP whenever the Amazon platform offered international shipping to Italy I found it economically convenient to use the Amazon transporter rather then triangulating via Tenso. Still, Tenso has until now been a good option to buy some items offered with "domestic only" shipment on Amazon or other platforms, or even on manufacturers' direct shops, for which the comparison is a) a much higher cost listed by their European importer or even b) the impossibility of getting them any other way.

 

[ShaneyMac]

I'd recommend hifiheadphones.co.uk. I've bought from them multiple times and their support/communication is excellent. Also they have frequent open-box/returned items sale which are great deals IMO so look out for those. The one reason I avoided Amazon Japan is because I'm afraid German customs will make life miserable for me (and they've completely lost one of my Topre keyboard shipments before).

Thanks for your recommendation, they have realy good prices indeed. Unfortunately, for some reason, they don't deliver to my country I did contact them, and I ask if they can change this in the near future. So fingers crossed...

 

[mochill]

Enjoy

 

[bhima]

On my lg v30+ I use about 45-50 , never max :-O

It was my brother's LG v30. Maybe I was doing something wrong?? Max volume on it with the quad DAC was like 50-60% on my E17K.

EDIT: So I got my G7. Audio has to be cranked to max to be moderate at best. I found out exactly why. LG sets the power based on the OHMS of the device plugged in. The E5000 look like normal low-ohm headphones needing normal power because LG isn't quite smart enough to factor in sensitivity. This is the reason why my AKG, which absolutely should require more power can get ear-bleedingly loud on this G7.

I found a Janky fix here:


Wish there was a way to completely remove this auto power feature. Anyone know?

 

[kmmbd]

Wish there was a way to completely remove this auto power feature. Anyone know?

You gotta root your device and use a Magisk module. At the end of the day, even using a line out (that activates the line out mode which has more power but also a lot more distortion) is a suboptimal fix. I wish LG allowed users to choose their desired gain level but alas. At the max gain it's actually a pretty capable device (~2Vrms out, as good as most $200 DAPs)

 

[kmmbd]

I've officially switched to the E3000 as my everyday-carry IEM. I bought it with zero expectations and it's pleasantly surprised me ever since. The instrument separation (esp the air between instruments) and lifelike vocals are too good to ignore. The fixed cable is my only pet peeve.

 

[phixion]

Usual question I guess, but E2000 vs E3000? I've heard people lean towards the E2000 thanks to the heavier bass.