[Hooga]

I remember from my brief listens that I preferred the E5000 for the reasons you said being that the E4000 was a bit boomy, The E5000 had an amazing balance to that bass with its mid-high frequency clarity. I was so tempted to get it... but the price jump over the E4000's...

To my personal opinion E4000 and E5000 are two totally different beasts, they don't offer me the same emotions - beyond technicalities. Which is a complicated / long way to say that E5000 is not the "upgrade" to E4000.

Imo:

• E4000 is more "personal". It definitely adds a sort of "global colouring" to music, in the good sense of course. I underline global as yes you may call its basses a tad too beefy at times, its highs are lacking detail big time, and its mids can be called a tad too forward or even "too lushy" if you really want to be nasty. But, the ensemble is kind of liaised accross - I don't know how, but it is - offering an "integral sensation" rather than a collection of separated impressions one for the subbass one for the midbass etc etc.
  I tend to say that E4000 is an orchestra conductor - i.e. an individual that makes his something out of the skills of each single player in the orchestra - with great ability and most of all a unique pathos.
• E5000 is also an orchestra conductor (that is a general Final-E trait), also greatly skilled, but its personality is much dryer. It's like one of those conductors that give impact to the various voices but purposefully trying to keep tempos and accents as adherent as possible to the written penthagram. In addition to that, its orchestra features some arguably better individualities (sub basses and trebles).

I'm a man. If they were women, E5000 would be a breath-taking perfectly shaped model, with great culture and a fantastic wit in her conversation too. How can you not dream to have an affair with her? E4000 on the other hand would be one of those sub-missworld-grade beautiful women having "something" in their composite imperfections that makes her totally irrestistibly unique.

Going back to audio: I have both. If I had to keep just one, rationally I would have to keep E5000 as it gives a more "neutral" result on more different genres. But my heart would ask for the E4000.

 

[harry501501]

To my personal opinion E4000 and E5000 are two totally different beasts, they don't offer me the same emotions - beyond technicalities. Which is a complicated / long way to say that E5000 is not the "upgrade" to E4000.

Imo:

• E4000 is more "personal". It definitely adds a sort of "global colouring" to music, in the good sense of course. I underline global as yes you may call its basses a tad too beefy at times, its highs are lacking detail big time, and its mids can be called a tad too forward or even "too lushy" if you really want to be nasty. But, the ensemble is kind of liaised accross - I don't know how, but it is - offering an "integral sensation" rather than a collection of separated impressions one for the subbass one for the midbass etc etc.
  I tend to say that E4000 is an orchestra conductor - i.e. an individual that makes his something out of the skills of each single player in the orchestra - with great ability and most of all a unique pathos.
• E5000 is also an orchestra conductor (that is a general Final-E trait), also greatly skilled, but its personality is much dryer. It's like one of those conductors that give impact to the various voices but purposefully trying to keep tempos and accents as adherent as possible to the written penthagram. In addition to that, its orchestra features some arguably better individualities (sub basses and trebles)

That's a great way to describe the e4000. Totally agree.

Its funny I've never seen the e4000 go used on ebay, but have seen the e5000 several times. I've also saw the e5000 cable sold a few times on its own.

 

[Hooga]

That's a great way to describe the e4000. Totally agree.

Its funny I've never seen the e4000 go used on ebay, but have seen the e5000 several times. I've also saw the e5000 cable sold a few times on its own.

I could bet that the reasons are the ones I tried to outline

 

[harry501501]

I could bet that the reasons are the ones I tried to outline

Yeah, just read your post... Most likely

 

[harry501501]

The little rubber hooks are surprisingly useful. Eliminates noise completely from e2 and e3 completely and helps with e4 as cable is heavy and long

 

[F700]

Who still use his/her E1000 for commuting? 18 months and still counting here. Very solid IEM, good sound out of the smartphone, great isolation and low price.

 

[chickenmoon]

I have a Make 3 since yesterday.

 

[Hooga]

The little rubber hooks are surprisingly useful. Eliminates noise completely from e2 and e3 completely and helps with e4 as cable is heavy and long

Totally true. And they recently fixed the sole "small limitation" those had, which is their tendance to partially "come off" at the ends, by developing a different model with "locks" that has been initially bundled with some non-E models, and is not available separately as a spare part.

https://final-audio-design-directshop.com/fs/final/earhooks/FI-EHBCL

Can't wait for Japan post to waive the ban on air shipments to many countries including mine to have some pair of those Tenso-forwarded to me (I also have a box of E-Clear M tips in my cart waiting).

 

[Qwervy]

@Hooga I see you have the Heaven IV in your line up. Do you mind sharing what your experiences have been with that?

A little while ago I was temped with the option of getting the Heaven IV or both the Fiio FH1 and Heaven II at the same time (which is what I opted for) but the Heaven II being my first FAD IEM has made me even more inquisitive of the Heaven line up.

Thanks

 

[Hooga]

@Hooga I see you have the Heaven IV in your line up. Do you mind sharing what your experiences have been with that?

In general it's smooth, delicate even.
Soundstage is big in all directions: wide tall and deep. Imaging and separation are just great.
Bass is probably the most surprising part of the product. Fast and neat as you would expect from a single BA (which it is ofc), it's very articulated and fully extended all the way into the sub-bass with virtually zero rolloff, but also full, strong, body-ed, as you would normally expect from DD. It takes final to obtain a result like that...
Mids are just spectacular. I can't begin to find the words to describe them. Way better than E4000's (and that's quite something!). Incredibly musical, airy but not bright, dark-ish even, "bodied" but never "heavy". Just a one of a kind. Until I will afford a Heaven VI at least
Highs are refined, not particularly airy nor sparkly. I wouldn't call them "dark" but they are certainly not "bright". No shrilling or sibilance whatsoever. Big extension but I'm generous to call "average" their detail. They are well extended on the right, and fast.

Amongst the downsides: the (non removable ) cable is one the most annoying microphonic poops I ever came accross. You simply must wear H-IV over your ears, which they do not indeed appear designed for, and in facts you got to be very careful and picky about positioning to avoid the housings to move/nudge once in, which would (and will) alter sound and even make you lose the seal at times. Due to this, unlike all E-series models, I found eartips selection for Heaven IV not trivial.
If all the above weren't enough, the cable's structure is not perfectly flexible, on the contrary when you wind it up to store it you have to manage its elastic tendency to return straight. If there's ever been one hateable feature in all final products I own, that's definitely Heaven IV's cable. I just hate it.

Another less than perfect element is the case. So much shiny and classy to look at, as infuriantingly unfit to do its job in a remotely handy let alone ergonomic way.
I personally can't complain about its cost as I got my Heaven IV 2nd hand for a great bargain price so who cares but if you take my specific experience out I think that very expensive box, surely originally intended as a stylish added value feature, is a total technical failure, therefor just a silly product price aggravation.

Finally, about applicability: I use Heaven IV for classical jazz, vocal jazz, folk / songwriters, at times for some progrock, as well as for some specific classical music (mainly single of few instruments compositions)

I do not use Heaven IV for cool jazz, bop, bebop as for that genre H-IV midbass is too meaty and treble lacks detail. Indeed I wish I had a final IEM for cool jazz but I don't and the one I might suppose could be good for that application (A8000) is way too expensive for my pockets. After much consideration I recently acquired a pair of Shuoer Tape's for cheap which after some eq'ing are sensibly better than my previous option there, being T4's. But even the Tape's are a B-plan.

For pop & rock my main goto drivers are E4/E5000.

 

[mochill]

I have a Make 3 since yesterday.

Did you get it from eBay

 

[chickenmoon]

Did you get it from eBay

Yes.

 

[mochill]

Yes.

Auction

 

[jwbrent]

I continue to be impressed with how good the E500 sounds for a $21 IEM. I should have my review up in a few days.

 

[Makahl]

I continue to be impressed with how good the E500 sounds for a $21 IEM. I should have my review up in a few days.

I wish this IEM was my first IEM some years ago, this could've saved me a lot of time and money, lol.