[mark2410]

Final Audio Heaven IV Review

 

Thanks to Hifiheadphones for the loan.

 

 

 

First Impressions:  Box, it looks like a normal box.  Open the box and holy mother of Christ!!!  Before you is the most amazing looking IEM case I’ve ever beheld.  I’ll suspect it may not be the world’s most practical but my god would you just look at the thing!!!! Just wow, simply wow.

 

Venturing inside the case there are the IEM’s and they too look quite exquisite.  If you are vain then this could be the set up for you, these are the best looking IEM’s I’ve seen in ages.  Slapping them in my ears, they feel very open and detailed.  Rather light in the low end and somewhat ER4 like up top I think.  Lots of detail but perhaps erring towards the gritty.  Its a very light and lovely sound.  I think this may be an audiophile pleaser but not so much a “mainstream” consumer crowd pleaser.

 

 

 

Source: FiiO E7/E9 combo, Hisoundaudio Studio V 3^rd Anv., HiFiMAN HM-601, 1G Ipod Shuffle, Nexus 5.

 

Lows:  For quite some time what I was hearing was simply not matching up with what I was reading from others about these.  Over and over I was reading that the bass was great, of reasonable fullness too and I was not hearing it all.  It turns out that I was letting these sit rather more shallow than others.  Once you get them shoved in good and deep the bass begins to make itself known.  If you put it up against mainstream dynamics the quantity is rather lacking.  However for me the natural competition for the IV is the ER4 and side by side the IV feels massive and deeply scaled.  RAAAAARRRR.  It really is dependent on getting a very deep fit, or was for me.  Then its lower end comes to life and reminds me of the “moving armature” IEM’s.  Some halfway house between a BA and a dynamic.  You get a hint of the scale and vigour dynamics are capable but retaining most of the lighting speed and solidity of BA’s.  I’m not sure if it’s enough to please everyone and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

 

It texture is pretty good.  Its quantity is fairly sized.  Still I find for me it’s not got the best aspects of either and while many speak exceedingly highly of it, it’s just not doing it for me.  If I was only to have one IEM then maybe I’d appreciate its versatility more but I have lots so…..

 

 

 

Mids:  Things here are rather more to my liking.  While BA’s can sound mesmerizingly clear they forego a little fullness and can sound slightly unnatural.  They can strip out any vocal richness and a certain naturalness to its timbre.  The IV’s retain a bit of this organic quality that while sacrificing a little clarity giving it a lovely “natural” quality.  Its gently smooth, the faintest hint of additional warmth to offer a relatively silky vocal reproduction.  Still my ear tells me it’s so close to the achingly detailed and nuanced ER4.  I cannot help but feel they are falling into the same trap as the EB-50 did.  Trying to be a bit of both worlds and just not quite nailing it.  Where I felt they did nail it was with Regina Spektor’s vocals.  She sounded epically glorious on them.  Enough nuance yet with a healthy dose of her ethereally bizarre vocal dynamism.  She was thrilling and captivating to hear.  Then, foolishly I put the q-JAYS in my ears.  The Heavens felt so slow beside them, slow and inarticulate.  Still they did have that slightly more natural quality to them so I’m reluctant to say the q’s are “better” but… well I personally would be picking the little baby JAYS every time.

 

I can’t help recalling the e-Q7 and their “moving armature” tech.  Essentially a BA plugged to something bigger and edging itself towards the abilities of a dynamic.  Sadly while many seem wildly enamoured with the Heaven IV’s presentation, every time compare it, it just feels like a halfway measure.  Yes it’s good but a proper BA can do vocals better.  Great width, great scale and convincingly accurate, but a proper BA has greater articulation and clarity.

 

 

 

Highs:  Erm, well a bit so so.  It’s not that there is anything particularly wrong with the treble but it’s a tad ill refined.  When songs start getting fast paced the driver, trying to do reasonable bass just can’t do everything at once.  The first place issues become noticeable is always in the highs.  Normally they are pretty clean with a tiny bit of an edge going on.  It’s a little bit laid back, it tends to let the mids have centre stage and the highs will gently and accurately play away.  Detail levels are quite good and likely to be cleaner and crisper than most dynamics but, well these are expensive and its competition is excellent.  The ER4 just feels so much more aggressively pin sharp and things like the IE8 or 272 can shimmer and sparkle circles round the Heaven IV. 

 

 

 

Soundstage:  I must grant the Heaven’s some kudos here.  When you A/B there with the ER4 these sound stupendously vast and the Ety’s like a tiny needle point of sound.  As a BA IEM goes these are exceedingly large and grand in their presentation.  Even when doing something intimate sounding it still sounds like it’s in a vast hall with some real space to breathe.  Simply put, for a BA the breadth and width here is vast.  Instrument placement is slightly diffuse but in that great sound scape its of minimal consequence.

 

 

 

Fit:  I tend not to love flat cables for wearing up, as is how I prefer to wear things, here it was fine.  Worn up or down there gave no issues and was a case of, shove in and done.  They did sound best when shoved in a bit far though.

 

 

 

Comfort:  Good.  These did sound better when shove in deep but their large bore meant that wasn’t wildly comfortable for many hours of use.  Then if you let them sit more shallow they were perfect for comfort but its aural talents were diminished. 

 

 

 

Microphonics:  Worn up, more or less none. Worn down it was quite annoying, this was not helped by no chin slider.

 

 

 

Amped/Unamped:  They were rather easy to drive and as such worked just fine out of my phone.  They did get more noticeably mid focused and the bass in particular lost some authority.  Its move to a slightly more light but punchy sound as though the current just wasn’t there to really make it rumble.  It wasn’t a huge change but it was noticeable.  So if these are you daily driver I would have a wee look at getting an amp.

  

Isolation:  Really rather good.  It’s a little on the weak side for a BA but easily bests most dynamics out there.  I’d be fine using these on a long flight or on the Tube.  As ever, more than sufficient, even with no music playing to get you run over if you don’t look where you’re going.

 

 

 

Build Quality:  First class all the way.  The true test is using them every day for two years but from where I sit they look and feel great.

 

 

 

Accessories: you get a bunch of tips, two types of them.  Then you get the most “look at meeeeeeeee!!!!!!!” case I have ever seen.  It is arguably a beautiful thing but so attention grabbing its erring on the side of pretentious.  It just screams look, I bought very expensive earphones don’t you know, yes they were expensive, pretty and cost a lot of money.  I have better earphones than you, just look at how shiny they and their ”luxury” case is.

 

 

 

Value:  Erm.  How important is pretty to you?  Acoustically these just don’t cut it value wise for me.  They are expensive and I know that for that money I can get things that sound better.  I have no issue buying things that don’t look impressive and come from some Chinese company normal people have never heard of.  The Heaven IV’s are not bad sounding but you are clearly paying for them being so pretty and whatnot.  As an all-round package I could see why some would be very happy with them, no doubt they would make a gorgeous looking Christmas gift for someone. 

 

 

 

Conclusion:  If these were a song it would be Nora Jones, “Wish I Could.”  It’s got very little happening acoustically, its breathy and laboured.  Its soft and lingering strings.  It’s a lovely little serene scene laid out before and around you.  Is it lovely?  Why yes good sir it is, mightily lovely and pretty on the ear. I cannot though help but notice they are very highly spoken of elsewhere and so clearly many do love what they have to offer.  In certain circumstances their mids are pretty fantastic and for lingering ballads they are gorgeous but…

 

 

 

You know, all of the problems I have with the IV is down to its price.  I just can’t really bring myself to place a great value on the looks of something because for me, an IEM’s aesthetic value is merely incidental.  It’s a bonus if something is pretty but I don’t actually care how it looks.  I mean for god sake I’ve worn TF10’s in public.  So the IV’s when I take them solely on their musical talents they just fall short.  They haven’t the versatility I want in a generalist (like the DN-1000) and they haven’t got any particular stand out point of excellence (like the ER4) so as I swither back and forth I find that for me they just don’t wow me. 

 

 

 

So, what about you, should you buy one.  Let’s assume pretty matters because these do look lovely, and let’s face it, that case looks just wow!  If you were perhaps buying a pair of earphones for a lady friend and you wanted something to make a visual statement then these will make a tremendous impression.  They simply scream I am a premium object that getting someone an RE-400 cannot hope to achieve.  The Heaven IV’s have a lovely ethereal sound for soft Jazz or Bossa Nova and visually they look transcendent, if those aspects are what you want then they make a fine choice.

 

[mark2410]

Final Audio Heaven IV Quick Review

 

Thanks to Hifiheadphones for the loan.

 

Brief:  Final Audio and a case to die for.

 

Price:  £139 or about US$218 though they seem a bit rare in the US.

 

Specification:  Driver Type: Custom made balanced armature, Sensitivity: 112dB, Impedance: 16Ω, Cable Length: 1.2m, Weight: 17g per earpiece

 

Accessories:  6 pairs of white silicone tips, 3 rounded and 3 more conical.  Then of course there is that case.

 

Build Quality:  Super.  They visually positively drip plush and priemiumness.

 

Isolation:  Very good.  A bit on the lower side for a BA but still great, enough for most flights and the Tube if needs be.  Oh and do watch out for traffic as you will not hear it with these in.

 

Comfort/Fit:  Hmm pretty good.  They seemed to want to sit a bit deep but they have a wide nozzle so it was a balancing act.  Mostly fine though.

 

Aesthetics:  Oooh, all of the pretty.

 

Sound:  Good.  For a BA they sound massive, a real semblance of scale and space for the music to really breathe.  Vocals are slightly ethereal and have natural feel to them.  I can see why some have found them to be quite mesmerizing.  For me though, it felt like it has lost some of the forwardness and explicit nature of most BA’s.  I won’t say either is “better” but well, I like forward and explicit.  The bass, while again well textured for a BA it lacked real presence and couldn’t keep up with the mids.  The highs, again with a slightly diffuse nature were lovely and airy but, head to head with others their detail levels just weren’t quite as good.  While I can’t say I’ve loved each aspect in a technical sense the whole here is a grand and beautiful soundstage.  Everything feels so very layered and spacious and I can honestly say it’s a beautiful whole.  For a BA the atmosphere created here is slightly mesmerising, the sort of thing you could listen to eyes closed and hear the assemble tableau both before and all around you.  That is where it truly shines.

 

Value:  Its super pretty and you certainly pay for that.

 

Pro’s:   Pretty.  Beautiful and expansive sound scape .

 

Con’s:  Raw detail retrieval isn’t awesome, bit pricey.

 

 

[getclikinagas]

Nice review mark.
 
FA really know how to squeeze good dynamic range out of a single BA. At a price though.
I am really interesting in knowing how this compares to the new Sony-XBA100, which is no slouch in the looks department. According to ClieOS it trades in the soundstage in favor of forwardness.
 
PS: Your lowly Samsung camera is not worthy of being reflected on the sweet shiny case 

 

 

[mark2410]

lol.  yes i know, i keep thinking about replacing the camera.  maybe something for if the wallet survives Christmas.

 

[SpaceQuest]

Could NOT really agree with your Review.

Plug your Heaven IV into a iBasso DX90 or AK240 DAP and redo.

The Details and Space they throw out are amazing ! For a 16Ohm IEM no extra
Amp is needed only if the Phone/Pod DAC is crap.
More and more newer DAPs are made and tuned for BA's operation...

 

[goodvibes]

You can disagree with Mark's opinion but he has plenty good enough kit to do this review with.

 

[SpaceQuest]

You can disagree with Mark's opinion but he has plenty good enough kit to do this review with.

 



I saw his very loooong equipment list, BUT he made the review with a

- FiiO E7/E9 combo ( outdated, but ok )
- Hisoundaudio Studio V 3rd Anv. ( worder )
- HiFiMAN HM-601 ( ok )
- 1G Ipod Shuffle ( really ? )
- Nexus 5 ( come on ! )

Selecting a more detailed playing Source from his huge list, the more the
FAD H IV's ( not HIV ) come up ! But i think his selection could ok for
the masses...

And Sorry, what music did he playback ? MP3 ? WAV ? etc.
These IEMs are not only fine for bossa and smooth jazz.
I like them with hard Elektro/ Minimal, too. The little week subbass is gone
after 50h of playback...

 

[jant71]

Could NOT really agree with your Review.

Plug your Heaven IV into a iBasso DX90 or AK240 DAP and redo.

The Details and Space they throw out are amazing ! For a 16Ohm IEM no extra
Amp is needed only if the Phone/Pod DAC is crap.
More and more newer DAPs are made and tuned for BA's operation...

 
But can't you do that with plenty of other gear of the time as well like a CK10 or others. Even at the time there was gear that synergized better with the IV. If you know that you are fine and you make your mental adjustments to account for this. His review with his gear at the time is totally valid. Maybe better to add your experience and say you get a good result than say use this and redo(really!). Getting the info out there is fine, just maybe with a bit more tact.

 

[goodvibes]

 

  You can disagree with Mark's opinion but he has plenty good enough kit to do this review with.

 



I saw his very loooong equipment list, BUT he made the review with a

- FiiO E7/E9 combo ( outdated, but ok )
- Hisoundaudio Studio V 3rd Anv. ( worder )
- HiFiMAN HM-601 ( ok )
- 1G Ipod Shuffle ( really ? )
- Nexus 5 ( come on ! )

Selecting a more detailed playing Source from his huge list, the more the
FAD H IV's ( not HIV ) come up ! But i think his selection could ok for
the masses...

And Sorry, what music did he playback ? MP3 ? WAV ? etc.
These IEMs are not only fine for bossa and smooth jazz.
I like them with hard Elektro/ Minimal, too. The little week subbass is gone
after 50h of playback...

You may want to check his profile and list if earphones to find out what the word perspective means. His perspective likely has a greater depth than yours. Again, it doesn't mean his view is correct for everyone but it's a well experienced one. A $200 is not intended for AK240s and is unlikely the 1st choice of someone that owns it. A DX90 is a great value but it's not in the ak240 league either. Have you heard an early 1G shuffle with a redbook wav file? An Anniversary 3 playing a 24/44 FLAC file? I suspect not. I have and if it takes more than that to appreciate something is good, the product is way too limited for it's intended market. My guess is that those that like the Heaven IV would love it on those devices and those that don't, won't like them on a DX90 either. As I've said. You can disagree with his take but not with his process in this case.

 

[mark2410]

Could NOT really agree with your Review.

Plug your Heaven IV into a iBasso DX90 or AK240 DAP and redo.

The Details and Space they throw out are amazing ! For a 16Ohm IEM no extra
Amp is needed only if the Phone/Pod DAC is crap.
More and more newer DAPs are made and tuned for BA's operation...

well, in addition to my list i have an HW-650 here too.  while im quite happy to accept that others have seemingly reported back the Heavans as rather special, rather more so than i, if there is something you specificaly think i should have a look at again then let me know but...... if you are suggestiong that unless someone has a DX90 or AK240 the heavens dont perform at their best then surely that in itself is an issue?
 
if from what i have there is particular setup you would like to suggest i try im happy to have another listen before they go back.

 

[sgtbilko]

Hi Mark
 
How would you compare them to your HF3's?
 
I had a pair of those (until they broke) and they were my favourite IEMs - so very used to pushing tips into the ol' brain matter. I found the HF3's had minimal bass, but were a beauty for detail
 
thanks in advance

 

[mark2410]

  Hi Mark
 
How would you compare them to your HF3's?
 
I had a pair of those (until they broke) and they were my favourite IEMs - so very used to pushing tips into the ol' brain matter. I found the HF3's had minimal bass, but were a beauty for detail
 
thanks in advance

hi, the ER4 are as close to the ER4 as to make little difference so take my commentary regarding them as to be applicable to the hf3 too.
 
in short, the etys are needle points of detail and clarity.  the Heaven its a broad, open expanse that while will give you more bass it wont match the pin sharp detail youve had.

 

[kcazbarach]

Helpful review, and I can't help but feel alot of your complaints came from the value (obviously valid).
 
Well, I'm importing these from Amazon Japan for about $100ish (90$+import fees).
 
You think that'd be more comfortable around that range? (USD 100)
 
Originally I planned to get the heaven 2 on U.S. amazon then realized I could import the heaven IVs for like $20 more.

 

[mark2410]

oh well if your getting at what is essentially half price then it becomes much better value obviously. 
 
they are very pleasing sounding IEM and they do look wondrous

 

[soundbear]

  Helpful review, and I can't help but feel alot of your complaints came from the value (obviously valid).
 
Well, I'm importing these from Amazon Japan for about $100ish (90$+import fees).
 
You think that'd be more comfortable around that range? (USD 100)
 
Originally I planned to get the heaven 2 on U.S. amazon then realized I could import the heaven IVs for like $20 more.

Mark, it really did sound that the value of the IEM did influence your review.   You did hit it on the head by saying it is an "audiophile" pleaser, and my new definition of "audiophile" pleaser is trying to make an IEM to convey emotion, and many FAD Heaven users say "its just you and the music", similar to what you mentioned.  
 
Pinoyman, in post 130(http://www.head-fi.org/t/674105/review-final-audio-design-heaven-vi/120) did complain about the highs in his VI as being "hot" but scaled up with better equippment the issue went away.  While you lean to the Jays, ijoker also has his lean, and that is also a built in bias.   That being said, after having the DBA's, GR07, RE262, the crappy AS2, and sony 7550, I was literally blown away by my Heaven V(under $200total from PriceJapan/Tenso.)  To me its a mini 1P2 without the resolution/harshness to my ears.   I also hear the soundstage as more up and down than across, but across accuracy is excellent to my ears.   The cable is crap, microphonic as hell, but for sitting down they work fine.   I don't understand how they can make such an expensive IEM with such a horrible cable, but Dale did the same thing with the custom$600 AS2.
 
  If I could make my Heaven V a custom I would.  I do realize its not for all music but for what I listen to its fine.   I have read many of your very fine and concise reviews and you do hit the nail on the head.   It did sound like these did blow you away too and that for a right price you would pick up a pair and be happy between them and your Jays!!LOL!!