[EMEM2049]

Wondering if anyone had any recommendations for myself:

Been using some Final F7200s as my daily driver along with my Acoustic Research AR-M2. Love them but I'm looking for an upgrade. Haven't got to listen to any other Final IEMs but I would preferably like to stick with them because every other IEM brand I've tried (Grado, Fender, Denon, MEE, Soul, Sennheiser, Yamaha, Klipsch, Beyerdynamic, etc) I haven't been as impressed with in regards to the entire package (sound quality , build quality, price, etc).

I'm very torn between the B3s (€485), B1s (€585), Piano Forte VIII (€445), FI-BA-SST35 (€799).

If anyone has tried these out, what would you recommend? Seriously considering the Piano Forte VIII but they're a decade old and don't have detachable cables which I do prefer. Very conflicted between the B1 and B3 because I prefer more clarity and treble in my IEMs. Don't mind bass but just not too much, quite like the clarity of bass on my F7200s though they do lack on occasion and can feel a tiny, tiny bit sharp in rare situations. Slightly concerned the B3's won't be as much of an upgrade over the F7200s.

Anyone have any experience with any and could offer some perspective? Cheers!

 

[kmmbd]

Wondering if anyone had any recommendations for myself:

Been using some Final F7200s as my daily driver along with my Acoustic Research AR-M2. Love them but I'm looking for an upgrade. Haven't got to listen to any other Final IEMs but I would preferably like to stick with them because every other IEM brand I've tried (Grado, Fender, Denon, MEE, Soul, Sennheiser, Yamaha, Klipsch, Beyerdynamic, etc) I haven't been as impressed with in regards to the entire package (sound quality , build quality, price, etc).

I'm very torn between the B3s (€485), B1s (€585), Piano Forte VIII (€445), FI-BA-SST35 (€799).

If anyone has tried these out, what would you recommend? Seriously considering the Piano Forte VIII but they're a decade old and don't have detachable cables which I do prefer. Very conflicted between the B1 and B3 because I prefer more clarity and treble in my IEMs. Don't mind bass but just not too much, quite like the clarity of bass on my F7200s though they do lack on occasion and can feel a tiny, tiny bit sharp in rare situations. Slightly concerned the B3's won't be as much of an upgrade over the F7200s.

Anyone have any experience with any and could offer some perspective? Cheers!

If you want clarity and resolution, the original FI-BA-SS is still hard to beat. The FI-BA-SST is a bit more toned down/mellow and not as ruthlessly revealing but with a good source I find myself going back to the FI-BA-SS. It is definitely a wholesale upgrade over the F7200 (much superior imaging/staging and macrodynamics). Also, the bass response on the FI-BA-SS is surprisingly good for a single-BA thought it does lack in sub-bass rumble.

 

[EMEM2049]

If you want clarity and resolution, the original FI-BA-SS is still hard to beat. The FI-BA-SST is a bit more toned down/mellow and not as ruthlessly revealing but with a good source I find myself going back to the FI-BA-SS. It is definitely a wholesale upgrade over the F7200 (much superior imaging/staging and macrodynamics). Also, the bass response on the FI-BA-SS is surprisingly good for a single-BA thought it does lack in sub-bass rumble.

Thanks for the response. It would be hard to pick the FI-BA-SS over the T model because the Ts are 30% off at HifiHeadphones UK right now, so I would probably have to go for those. Very tough to find the originals as well sadly.

Thanks for the advise though, appreciate it massively. Do you have any experience with the B1, B3 or Piano Forte VIII? Do you think they would be a worthy upgrade over the F7200s and even remotely comparable to the FI-BA-SST35s?

Thanks again,

Evan

 

[Rizzo43]

[QUOTE = "DJ Core, post: 16163591, membro: 505214"]
Acabei de comprar o cabo Silver hoje para usar balanceado. amplia o campo sonoro, ainda mais, os agudos diminuem um pouco, mas acho que cobre soa melhor neste IEM. Esperando pelo cabo de cobre balanceado.
[/ CITAR]

Awesome waiting for your result

 

[EMEM2049]

So I uhhhh maybe just kinda went full impulse and bought the Final B1s. Managed to snap them up around €200 off retail because they were open box. Should arrive within 3 weeks, a month max.

I'll give some thoughts once I get them and I'll test them on my Acoustic Research AR-M2, Astell&Kern SP1000M and Arcam AVR280 to see how they fare up.

Now I need to sell my old Final F7200s... served me well...

 

[pholcus1975]

Arrived... now on with testing!

 

[pholcus1975]

Now I haven't much time to test, more tonight, anyway ootb they sound great for my taste and my music, mainly hard rock, classic heavy metal, some thrash, 80-s hair rock.
Bass is there and super fast with double bassdrum kicks, upper mids (snare for example) crispy and "real" , highs crispy and airy, not grainy at all. More impressions later, I listened only few secs of my fav songs. So far I feel it can be my endgame.
Fit ok for me with largest tips, bass is there but you must insert them properly to have a good seal. I didn' put those rubber arches yet.

 

[weissglut]

Hi,

there are ear tips of different colors for the E series (E4000/E5000), e.g. https://audio46.com/products/final-audio-color-silicon-eartips-for-e-series
Some say, there is a sound difference from different colors, e.g. https://www.personalaudionotes.com/2020/06/29/final-e4000-e5000-no-choice-is-possible/

Best eartips for E5000: final E white as they offer a wee-bee lighter subbass which I appreciate

Is this true or is just the color different?

Thanks!

 

[RikudouGoku]

Hi,

there are ear tips of different colors for the E series (E4000/E5000), e.g. https://audio46.com/products/final-audio-color-silicon-eartips-for-e-series
Some say, there is a sound difference from different colors, e.g. https://www.personalaudionotes.com/2020/06/29/final-e4000-e5000-no-choice-is-possible/

Is this true or is just the color different?

Thanks!

yes it is true, the clear version on the Type E tips (the tips in the E series) is a bit brighter than the standard black.

Final also confirms that.

https://snext-final.com/en/products/accessories/detail/earpiece.html

 

[weissglut]

Is E5000 with clear tips still darker than E4000?

 

[RikudouGoku]

Is E5000 with clear tips still darker than E4000?

Its only a minor change IMO.
So yeah, still darker.

 

[pholcus1975]

I'm more and more impressed with a4000, I have no words, they sound really impressive. I cannot find a single flaw, even if it's my 1st impression. Everything is so natural, airy , detailed and clear. And the soundstage, it's wide, it's the 1st iem that makes me clearly hear 3 guitars on Iron Maiden latest albums. Listen to Death or Glory.
And snare sounds well like...snare! Listen to Sad but True by Metallica or first 30 seconds of What's It gonna Be by MR. BIG.
And the bass, so fast and clear, never bloats into midbass. Blackened by Metallica from 1:10 on. It doesn't loose control on those bass notes by Hetfield rhythm guitar.
Even on bass light 90s thrash metal, Tornado of Souls by Megadeth (not remastered version), bass drum kicks are there punching. In this song I've never been satisfied with hihats sound, too bright and artificial with Kz BA10, too recessed with re600, too peaky with Soundmagic e80, but with a4000 it sounds just as you were live!
With modern hard rock, Shock by Tesla, bass is there filling the room.
Slayer Raining Blood bassdrum kicks are really tight and fast, excellent.
I will keep on listening tonight, but this iems are really top. I've never tried summit fi iems, but really I don't know what I could want more for now. Just heard a bassdrum triplet by Portnoy on God of the Sun by Sons of Apollo, I almost fall from my bed!

 

[EMEM2049]

yes it is true, the clear version on the Type E tips (the tips in the E series) is a bit brighter than the standard black.

Final also confirms that.

https://snext-final.com/en/products/accessories/detail/earpiece.html

It's so frustrating that it's nearly impossible to find the clear E-Type tips in stock here in the EU. They would suit my taste in music a bit more but alas.

 

[RikudouGoku]

It's so frustrating that it's nearly impossible to find the clear E-Type tips in stock here in the EU. They would suit my taste in music a bit more but alas.

yeah, I feel ya. They dont ship to sweden with amazon japan....

I only got them (accidentally) when I got the Co-donguri brass since they are the stock tips. (but I dont recommend getting that iem just to get the tips, the iem is not good and not cheap either.)

 

[Edric Li]

I have E black tips, E clear tips, E TWS black tips and E TWS clear tips.

Bore length: E > E TWS
Bore diameter: E TWS > E
Bore hardness: E black > E white >>> E TWS black ~= E TWS white
Tip softness: E TWS black > E TWS clear >>> E black > E white
Tips smoothness (think of piano black paint as smooth and matte black paint as not smooth): E TWS black > E black > E TWS white > E white

In terms of sound, I can hear very clearly that E has a more defined bass and treble than E TWS. Instrument attack sounds more lively. Better soundstage depth. I cannot hear a difference between the two colors of E and the two colors of E TWS (my ears, my earphones and my music; YMMV). The two colors of E however feels very different in the ear, when they grip my ear canal. I personally prefer the black, as it grips better for me.