With its headquarters in Japan, Final Audio is quickly making their reputation known in the US market with several high-end headphones and earphones. They have a wide range of excellent sounding products and one of their latest in-ear headphones is the E3000 priced around $55. When listening to Final Audio headphones, audiophiles tend to notice a unique sound signature for the models in each series. So the big question regarding the Final Audio E3000 is.. what does it sound like? And is it worth the money. Let’s find out with a full review.
Final Audio E3000 Earphone Review
In The Box
In the package with the Final Audio E3000 you get 5 sets of eartips, optional ear hooks and a carry bag. A simple set of necessities for listening on the go.
Design / Style / Durability
The E3000 earphones have the signature look of the Final Audio in-ear lines. A very simple and elegant looking cylinder. The polished stainless steel housing exudes class and simplicity. When I first saw some of the Final Audio earphones like Heaven V and F7100 I thought they looked extremely strange but I’ve really warmed up to this iconic design.
The cable is a bit thin but I don’t have experience with these long term so it would be unfair to say anything negative. I’d be curious to see how these cables stand up to wear and tear over 6-months to 1-year. For now I have no complaints. I do like the 3.5mm L-connector which is better for keeping the wires from getting stressed inside near the audio jack. I’ve lost too many earphones to the old-school straight connectors and Final Audio has the right idea with connector the E3000 earphone.
The Final Audio E3000 is a nice fit. This low profile earphone has all the eartips you need to get a nice fit and solid seal due to the swing-fitting ear mechanism. This is essential to getting the best sound and the engineers at Final Audio clearly know this.
Features
Aside from the swing-fit tips and L-connector the Final Audio E3000 has 1 main featured which is shared by its’ sibling the E2000. There’s apertures or ports on the back side of the E3000 earphone that serve to help shape the low frequencies. It may sound like an open-back earphone like the Audeze iSine but according to Final Audio there is also a filter inside this tiny earphone housing designed to prevent sound leakage. I tested this by covering up the output port and giving the back a listen. The sound leakage was nominal. Not much more than the average amount you’d get from any earphone in fact.
Aging or Burn-In
The E3000 uses dynamic drivers and has an impedance of 16 Ohms which is pretty normal. One interesting note however regarding the Final Audio E3000 is that they recommend 150 to 200 hours of use to get the intended signal output. Final Audio actually goes into detail about this and calls it “Aging”. Most audiophiles know this as “burn in” and it can get pretty controversial. But the research done by the developers at Final Audio have found there to be some truth to it. The main thing to remember here is to just listen to your music in the same way you always listen to it. The “burn-in” will happen naturally. There’s no need to run hundreds of hours of white noise or any other type of test frequencies through it.
Sound
The Final Audio E3000 and E2000 earphones have a similar look and design but have very different sound signatures. You can see my in-depth review on the Final Audio E2000 to get a better idea of what it’s like. The E3000 however has turned out to be my favorite of the two.
Frequency Response
The frequency response of the E3000 is quite incredible. If full “Final Audio style” the E3000 earphone has amazingly crisp high-end and mid-range frequencies that bring the music alive. I’ve noticed lately my favorite earphones tend to have metal housings for the drivers and I’m betting this is why the Final Audio E3000 earphone is so good. But on top of all that crystal clear high-end is the magical part of the E3000… the balanced bass. The reason I say balanced bass is because it’s not huge or overwhelming. It’s a very precise balanced sound that doesn’t take over, yet it’s still punchy when you get a good seal.
Sound Signature
The overall sound signature of the Final Audio E3000 can be best described as “balanced and crisp with a touch of bass”. This is why I personally prefer it over the E2000. I mainly listen to rock and electronic music genres and I love to hear the bass. But don’t discount this earphone for other genres either. Almost all music has some amount of low end and this earphone is very true to the original mix.
Volume Output Levels
One other interesting thing about the Final Audio E3000 earphone is the volume. I found myself turning it almost all the way up. It wasn’t bad at all but it’s unusual that I would need to do this. Maybe some of the sound does escape a bit from the back of the housing. One thing I did try however was a Audioquest Dragonfly Black DAC/Amp. That seemed to do the trick. Normally I wouldn’t recommend something like this and it really is all this earphone could take. Use your best judgement but under no circumstances would you use the Dragonfly Red. The 2.1 volts of power way too much and not a good mix.
Pros
The pros of the E3000 earphone are simple. It’s light, totally portable, and sounds incredible. I like the 3.5mm L-connector and relatively discreet size. The optional ear hooks are a nice touch and I found myself using them because they kept the earphone in the ear and resisted any slight tugs that might otherwise pull them out.
Cons
There’s only one thing that I would change about this earphone. I prefer detachable cables with earphones but this isn’t a total deal breaker.
In Review
In review, the Final Audio E3000 is a winning earphone. I found the frequency response to be light years beyond that of similar priced in-ear headphones at only $55. The earphone fit was great and the optional ear hooks made it even better. I really enjoyed the crisp, clear sound of the E3000 and my favorite part was the true bass response. I could even see myself mixing with this kind of earphone. Overall, the Final Audio E3000 is an excellent earphone with premium audiophile quality sound.
Specifications
Housing Stainless Steel
Driver Dynamic
Impedance 16 Ohms
Sensitivity 100dB-mW
Cable length 1.2m
Accessories Earpieces, Earhooks, Pouch