The problem with an incredible sound is that people want more of it. I don’t feel at all like these would struggle to deliver more DB in the overall sound department and this would be my #1 suggestion to make these a winner for more people. The touch controls on the ZE8000 work well, and despite the fact that only the portion of the bar that intersects with the body of the earbud is touch-sensitive, I had no problems getting taps to register accurately. You can’t change the gestures, but for the most part, they’re easy to remember and you get access to every feature, including volume control. Overall, the ZE8000 sounds like a pair of TWS IEMs made by an audiophile-grade company. The most important aspects are the tuning and the soundstage, with both being exceptional for this kind of product. While I wouldn’t call the ZE8000 the most detailed TWS on the market, it shines in different ways that for this type of product, are even more important.

Final Audio ZE8000 ANC earbud review | TechHive Final Audio ZE8000 ANC earbud review | TechHive

It’s not really a surprise though, as Apple has been the biggest player in the TWS market for years now, damn…they actually created the market on their own, so it’s not surprising.The Final ZE3000 are the entry-level TWS IEMs in Final’s lineup and are one of my favorite wireless IEMs. The ZE8000, meanwhile, are the flagship and have far more features. Once they’re in position, there’s quite a lot to enjoy about the way the ZE8000's sound. Certainly from the top of the frequency range (which is bright, substantial and carries an awful lot of detail) down to the bottom of the midrange (which is equally information-rich, equally varied where texture and timbre are concerned, and equally convincing) they’re enjoyable and winningly naturalistic. Tonality is consistent, and the generous nature of the soundstage the ZE8000 create means even complex recordings are laid out well and easy to follow.

Final audio ZE8000 review: distinctive earbuds for discerning Final audio ZE8000 review: distinctive earbuds for discerning

There is, however, a catch. The "groundbreaking wireless audio protocol" that allows for lossless audio at 20-bit/48 kHz (a better-than-CD-quality resolution) is powered by the AirPods Pro's H2 chip, but for now, it only works when paired with the upcoming Apple Vision Pro headset. At the moment, Qualcomm's aptX Lossless Bluetooth codec (when used with compatible wireless headphones and smartphones) is the only technology that supports lossless audio wirelessly, and even that technology is limited to 16-bit/48kHz. The first and most significant issue of the ZE8000 is EQ. The in app EQ may as well be called unresponsive and isn’t particularly well made. You have the choice of 4 eq sliders with a dial at the bottom to select 4 or 3 different channels per slider. As far as I can tell you can set the dial to a frequency to eq it but can’t change the dial on the same slider to increase that freq. For example the first dial changes to 35, 60, 110 and 220 hz but you can only influence one of these frequencies at a time. A separate wind-noise reduction mode is helpful when there’s a breeze, however, it only works for ANC — calls are another story.It's true, I haven't heard any tws clearer than the ZE8000, In Dean Martins That's Amore there are moments where I'm sure I can hear the sound of his lips coming apart as Martin begins his next verse SENIOOORREEEEE Ignoring the slightly slushy feel in the lowest part of the midrange (which again, can be easily adjusted), I was thrilled to find an IEM that gives the low mids so much love relative to the higher midrange. It’s a unique tuning and definitely geared to those who love a very full-bodied and lush sound. At the same time, instruments in the higher mids are well separated. Still, the overall profile is more gentle in its delivery than the tighter and snapper ZE models that have come before it. That’s not to say that the the ZE8000 is not sufficiently detailed in this range. In fact, it avoids any compression, taking its time to reveal subtleties in timbre and breath. Still, there is more smoothness than grip on these IEMs, giving a more fluid feel overall. Highs The Class A/B amplification powers Final Audio’s new 'f-CORE' dynamic driver. It’s a full-on piece of engineering: a lightweight aluminium/magnesium dome is injection-moulded into the middle of a flexible silicone surround, and the copper-clad aluminium wire voice coil leads connect using a floating mechanism. This means f-CORE is light, can (as there’s no common adhesive used in its construction) achieve a very stable pistonic motion, and is supposedly the dynamic driver with the lowest total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) of any in-ear monitor.

Final’s Flagship ZE8000 Noise-Canceling Earbuds Reviewed: Final’s Flagship ZE8000 Noise-Canceling Earbuds

ZE8000 is unique. It is flat balanced and superbly natural and clean. It has the beautiful Final tonality, with very well-controlled bass, intimate vocals and detailed but never harsh tremble. Its presentation is characterized by maximum transparency, extended soundstage, holographic image and excellent separation. If you’re willing to play around with the equalizer to achieve your ideal balance, the ZE8000 is certainly an IEM worthy of the Final Audio brand. Do not look at the ZE8000 as a step up form the more affordable ZE3000. It doesn’t have the liveliness or shine of rest of the ZE series. Rather, this model takes a more “toned down” and more detailed approach, choosing to focus on bringing out tonal subtleties and variations that you would usually only expect from a wired IEM at this price point. Specifications Disclaimer* I don’t like audio tropes; when I hear people say things like "It feels like I'm right there in the studio" I think “Don't you want your music to sound better than that? Don't you want it to feel beyond what is felt in the studio? Don’t you want it amplified baby!” The Final Flagship is perfect for this kind of thought as the music sounds like it’s being given a colour to it that you wouldn’t hear on reference or Neutral buds. This is perfect for me as I like character over neutrality.The ZE8000 use Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless connectivity (they go without multipoint connectivity, it’s worth noting), and they’re compatible with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive codecs. This means genuinely high-resolution audio content (up to 24bit/96kHz) is on the menu. As Final’s top priority has always been sound quality, the Company took of advantage of the latest Bluetooth technology. Final’s engineers customized the drivers and the earbuds’ internal structure and incorporated the latest manufacturing techniques. The result was the Company’s first TWS model, the ZE3000, which was soon followed by ZE2000 that adopted a different sound tuning. Both have been very successful and considered by many as the best-sounding true wireless earbuds nowadays. But there is chaos, danger and clashing of sounds together as they twirl and spin into melodic bliss. I’ve always thought that it must be similar for metal fans, the risk of the whole thing just falling apart is always present and the symphony of noise can feel dangerous. Do increases in separation and clarity reduce that sense of chaos? Or is that up to the artist?