[Knee Deep In Epoxy]

As far as iems go, I'm a longtime user of many Etymotics (except the Evo), I recently got the Zero Red and now the A5000, which I chose instead of the Moondrop Blessing 3 (based on limited reviews rather than auditioning myself). I've been much more if headphone person so far but I'm enjoying exploring iems more these days.

My very first impression of the A5000 was... Excellent bass, excellent separation, spaciousness and resolution... But it is brighter than I expected/hoped, and depending on my mood and the recording, it can sometimes creep into VERY slight harshness (emphasis on "very slight"). It's tricky because the airiness that makes it sound spacious and crisp, is, I think, the same thing that tips the harshness over on certain tracks (think R.E.M. losing my religion).

Overall I am really enjoying the flavour it brings to my collection, and am happy I bought it instead of the Blessing 3.

It also looks pretty darn pretty and I like how small and light it is.

I wish it came with foam tips or that there were some dedicated aftermarket foamies available for better isolation. I've tried random foamies I have lying around, but they cause too much bass to be lost and add a little more brightness which is definitely not needed.

I also really like the cable and case it comes with.

Also, as a person who generally favours linear or even forward mids, I'm not picking up recessed mids from the A5000. Yes it is V shaped, but I feel the mids are well tuned. It's just a peak in the highs at around 8k that I pick up that can catch me off guard sometimes, but even then, I've heard worse

At £50-70 less than the Blessing 3 I'm surprised they haven't been talked about a lot more.

 

[MudEnjoyer]

I wish it came with foam tips or that there were some dedicated aftermarket foamies available for better isolation. I've tried random foamies I have lying around, but they cause too much bass to be lost and add a little more brightness which is definitely not needed.

If you are using foams, make sure not to use old ones you’ve already used (not only for their sound but also health concerns) and be careful with no name ones. Most of the cheap foams I’ve used from Aliexpress add really painful resonant peaks that will damage your hearing.

The best ones that don’t color the sound too much are the Sony EP-NI1000 (bad isolation and expensive but awesome sounds and last long) and the Moondrop MIS (great sound when new but treble extension dies with time).

From what you write, it actually seems you want to alter the sound a bit. Take a look at Comply, the ones with the wax guard. They are my go-to when I want to tame bright IEMs (by flattening the 6 to 10kHz region). The only issue with foams like Comply and INAIRS is that the treble extension isn’t great.

 

[meecydarko]

I have final e5000 and wanted to use on my iphone 14.Is ibasso dc03 pro should be enough for e5000 ?

 

[crodrig]

Wow… this is sad. I have send them two mails and never heard a word from them

I hope I will never have any problem with their unit. They have excellent gear but if I the support sucks and I will have any problem with contacting them in the future this will be my last purchase

I was kinda sad too but could just be hard to keep up with. Who knows but I still like the gear and the company maybe there are just better avenues to contact.

 

[Edric Li]

Final is releasing REB GRID01, a MAKE4 w/o the back vent adjustment, and VR2000, a cheaper VR3000.
https://reb-audio.com/blogs/news/04 https://reb-audio.com/blogs/news/05

Info on REB GRID01 can be found and google-translated on Final's website. I got the following from email on VR2000:

Pre-listening of the new gaming earphone "VR2000 for Gaming"!

The VR3000 for Gaming features an overwhelming spatial expression that allows you to immerse yourself in the game world.
Prior to the announcement and sale of its brother "VR2000 for Gaming", you can listen to the preview.
It features clear sound quality that focuses on the ease of listening to the sound emitted from the target.
Recommended for those who are particular about their response to sound.

Booth dedicated to gaming earphones

To better experience the different features of VR3000 and VR2000
We will prepare a booth dedicated to gaming earphones where you can listen and compare in a "game-playing environment"!
What do you want in game audio, "space" or "response"? Please experience it with the power of the big screen!
To commemorate your participation in the "VR2000 for Gaming" pre-listening experience, we will be holding a "VR3000 vs VR2000 Listening Comparison Campaign"!
Please see the details below for the campaign overview.

I quite like the MAKE4-w/o-back-vent idea. It takes away the least useful tuning option on MAKE4, thereby shrinking the size to close to that of the E-series.

 

[Edric Li]

Yesterday @Hooga and I had a highly informative chat with Final Audio representatives over at the High End Munich 2023. Final is offering a first look at their new flagship, the X8000, but it's literally the first "look" as these are not to listened to... yet.

The tuning isn't final, pardon the pun, but will be by the end of the year, approximately Q3 or beginning of Q4. The design, however, is what you see here. The finish might change to a mirror-finish (i.e. similar to A8000) but that's about it. The earpads are silicone too, if you are wondering, and they are like that for a reason.

While we couldn't listen to them, the reps were willing to get into the design details and some reasons as to why this is their new flagship and a game-changer.

• Incredibly light weight shell which is a mix of stainless steel and a probably the toughest Titanium alloy available (which requires special ordering). The magnet array is suspended by this Titanium alloy cage and the entire magnet assembly + diaphragm is much thinner compared to the usual planar magnetic offerings. This is also the reason why they have to use custom cable connectors that match the thin housing. All of these result in a 220g weight, which is perhaps the lightest planar flagship out there.
• The headband is also a unique stainless steel shape-memory alloy. They did not divulge much information about this but only mentioned that it needed custom formulation.
• Then we get to the drivers. The details we got: planar magnetic driver, only air-film damping is used, with no usual damping materials put in the front or back of the driver. The final product should have a protective mesh in front to keep dust and debris out, which will be acoustically transparent.
• The earpads are silicone and are shaped like that to contour around the ears rather than being "on ear". The driver housing being much smaller than usual, this was the solution they came up with. I put it on and had one of my colleagues try it as well, and the comfort was an absolute non-issue. The clamp was slightly high but nothing uncomfortable. The top headband doesn't really deal with much weight and is not supposed to have any leather or foam materials on top.
• The sound is supposed to be on a very different level from the D8000 Pro LE. I asked if it is similar to the Yamaha YH-5000SE and the answer was basically "it's so much better". It was hinted that these are better than even a properly driven Stax SR-X9000. Well, quite a bold claim.

Of course we couldn't hear them, so all of the aforementioned snippets are from the reps themselves. We will get to know more once these come out. Price will be above 5000 euros, but most likely will fall in the 6000 euros price bracket (Stax SR-X9000 pricing, basically). So definitely targeted at the summit-fi market. Kinda bummer for sure, but it is what it is.

Beautiful stuff but I wouldn't hold my breath for it. A couple of years ago Final debuted an all-metal clip-on headphones at a show. It was the most elegant personal audio product I have ever seen, and now I can't even find a picture of it on the internet to prove that it existed.

 

[james444]

Beautiful stuff but I wouldn't hold my breath for it. A couple of years ago Final debuted an all-metal clip-on headphones at a show. It was the most elegant personal audio product I have ever seen, and now I can't even find a picture of it on the internet to prove that it existed.

 

[nihalsharma]

I asked this on the A8000 thread too.

I have loved my Final Audio B3 a lot. It has amazing tuning. I am getting a B-stock A8000 for nearly $1100. There is a 3-month warranty on it. I'm just wondering if I should pull the trigger on it. I know Final IEMs are built like tanks and will last forever. I'm just a bit worried if excess of brightness will be an issue. But I know that can be tamed using foam tips, good copper cables, eq etc. Suggestions.

 

[izzyfcuk]

I asked this on the A8000 thread too.

I have loved my Final Audio B3 a lot. It has amazing tuning. I am getting a B-stock A8000 for nearly $1100. There is a 3-month warranty on it. I'm just wondering if I should pull the trigger on it. I know Final IEMs are built like tanks and will last forever. I'm just a bit worried if excess of brightness will be an issue. But I know that can be tamed using foam tips, good copper cables, eq etc. Suggestions.

I have the A8000 if you want. It’s not doing anything as it sitting in the cupboard

 

[MudEnjoyer]

The entire A series lineup is a disaster to me.

Kudos to Final for being daring, experimenting and not doing the same cookie cutter tunings everyone (specially ChiFi) is attempting these days, but I just can’t enjoy music like this.

If you end up buying the A8000, try it with the Comply tips with the wax guard.

 

[Layman1]

I asked this on the A8000 thread too.

I have loved my Final Audio B3 a lot. It has amazing tuning. I am getting a B-stock A8000 for nearly $1100. There is a 3-month warranty on it. I'm just wondering if I should pull the trigger on it. I know Final IEMs are built like tanks and will last forever. I'm just a bit worried if excess of brightness will be an issue. But I know that can be tamed using foam tips, good copper cables, eq etc. Suggestions.

I reviewed the A8000 as well as the B1 previously.
A8000 review here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/final-a8000.24043/reviews#review-23707

I'd tread with caution regarding the A8000.
It really depends on how sensitive you are to brightness in an IEM.
I'm pretty sensitive, and on top of that, I also generally prefer a powerful bass (think Fir Kr5, EE Legend X, Evo etc).

So for my personal preferences, the A8000 just didn't meet my requirements.
And yet, having said that, if I had the funds to splash around, I'd happily own a pair and listen to them on an occasional basis, simply because I think the technical performance and the presentation of the music on the A8000 is astounding, and done in a way that I've heard on almost no other IEMs.
Just the way they immerse you in the music and present huge amounts of detail, but in a natural and organic way.
They also just have a lovely delicate and shimmery sound signature which is pretty unique too.

I would add that it might be worth you checking out the B1.
I know they don't have that whole flagship/TOTL prestige that one might enjoy as an owner, but they capture a great deal of that "immerse you in the music and present huge amounts of detail, but in a natural and organic way" quality from the A8000, AND on top of that, I find the bass is much more satisfying and there's no brightness issues.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

I reviewed the A8000 as well as the B1 previously.
A8000 review here:
https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/final-a8000.24043/reviews#review-23707

I'd tread with caution regarding the A8000.
It really depends on how sensitive you are to brightness in an IEM.
I'm pretty sensitive, and on top of that, I also generally prefer a powerful bass (think Fir Kr5, EE Legend X, Evo etc).

So for my personal preferences, the A8000 just didn't meet my requirements.
And yet, having said that, if I had the funds to splash around, I'd happily own a pair and listen to them on an occasional basis, simply because I think the technical performance and the presentation of the music on the A8000 is astounding, and done in a way that I've heard on almost no other IEMs.
Just the way they immerse you in the music and present huge amounts of detail, but in a natural and organic way.
They also just have a lovely delicate and shimmery sound signature which is pretty unique too.

I would add that it might be worth you checking out the B1.
I know they don't have that whole flagship/TOTL prestige that one might enjoy as an owner, but they capture a great deal of that "immerse you in the music and present huge amounts of detail, but in a natural and organic way" quality from the A8000, AND on top of that, I find the bass is much more satisfying and there's no brightness issues.

Good sir, how would you rate the B1 versus the lower-end A series (3000 to 5000 I mean)?

 

[Layman1]

Good sir, how would you rate the B1 versus the lower-end A series (3000 to 5000 I mean)?

Alas, I have not heard the lower-end A series models, only the flagship A8000 (which I appreciate is perhaps a good 'problem' to have!).

I can only comment with any kind of authority on A8000 vs B1, which I already did in my previous post.

However, to try to be helpful - and with the disclaimer that this is just a speculative opinion based on the models I *have* heard - I'd say the following:

Final Audio, for me, have a pretty unique tuning and way of presenting both the micro details and the music as a whole, which I discussed in my previous post.
A8000 took that presentation to the highest level, but in a signature that some find to be excessively bright and/or lacking in low end presence (which could have balanced out the brightness if it had been more elevated).

Again, purely subjectively and going on memory of the A8000, I'd say B1 gets about 80-90% of the way there in terms of the "unique tuning and way of presenting both the micro details and the music as a whole".
And on top of that, it's got a bass that can hit hard when required, a bit more organic warmth overall, and none of the ultra-brightness of the A8000.

As mentioned in another previous post on this thread, It's been 3 years since I reviewed the B1, and it's *still* my daily on-the-go IEM.
And I have several IEMs in the price range $1k - $4.5k, so I hope that speaks volumes regarding my appreciation of the B1.

What's more, even in the last 7 days, I've had numerous experiences of hearing songs that I've heard countless times before, and just being astonished by the B1's presentation of them, or noticing new details (and this with no other change in my other gear).

With this in mind, I'd suspect that - at the very least - the B1 would be able to offer something as good as A3000 or A5000.
Hopefully someone who's heard all 3 of them could comment with more authority!

PS: not sure if I've mentioned it previously, but I love your Head-Fi username

 

[nihalsharma]

I would add that it might be worth you checking out the B1.

Thanks for your input. Definitely considering the B1 too. It seems to be much cheaper option and still getting a good hint of A8000. Plus it looks really beautiful.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Alas, I have not heard the lower-end A series models, only the flagship A8000 (which I appreciate is perhaps a good 'problem' to have!).

I can only comment with any kind of authority on A8000 vs B1, which I already did in my previous post.

However, to try to be helpful - and with the disclaimer that this is just a speculative opinion based on the models I *have* heard - I'd say the following:

Final Audio, for me, have a pretty unique tuning and way of presenting both the micro details and the music as a whole, which I discussed in my previous post.
A8000 took that presentation to the highest level, but in a signature that some find to be excessively bright and/or lacking in low end presence (which could have balanced out the brightness if it had been more elevated).

Again, purely subjectively and going on memory of the A8000, I'd say B1 gets about 80-90% of the way there in terms of the "unique tuning and way of presenting both the micro details and the music as a whole".
And on top of that, it's got a bass that can hit hard when required, a bit more organic warmth overall, and none of the ultra-brightness of the A8000.

As mentioned in another previous post on this thread, It's been 3 years since I reviewed the B1, and it's *still* my daily on-the-go IEM.
And I have several IEMs in the price range $1k - $4.5k, so I hope that speaks volumes regarding my appreciation of the B1.

What's more, even in the last 7 days, I've had numerous experiences of hearing songs that I've heard countless times before, and just being astonished by the B1's presentation of them, or noticing new details (and this with no other change in my other gear).

With this in mind, I'd suspect that - at the very least - the B1 would be able to offer something as good as A3000 or A5000.
Hopefully someone who's heard all 3 of them could comment with more authority!

PS: not sure if I've mentioned it previously, but I love your Head-Fi username

Thanks for all the inputs my friend!