Some might say U shape, some might even V shape, for me it’s more like a W shape (even with slight recessed mids I think they are in a nice level still), slight priority to the sub-bass. That artificiality is where the smooth sound of the A4K bests the OH-1, and one could rightly justify choosing either for the character presented. Bass that is strong and rich versus a smooth texture. The OH-1 is good for that smashmouth sound, while the A4K would be the brandy after dinner on a snowy night. Neither is wrong. The Final Audio A4000 and Moondrop Blessing 2 have a lot of similarities and one major difference. Price difference is obvious but let's continue with the sound comparison. The tone is very similar between the two but timbre is a clear win for the Blessing 2. The A4000 has a small boost in the bass that adds just a touch of oomph that some say is missing with the Blessing 2. The mids of the Blessing 2 have better body, weight and density and are not near as forward as the A4000; nor do they sound floaty. The bottom end of the mids are more pleasing on the Blessing 2. The treble is better controlled and not as intense on the Blessing 2. BUT the biggest and most major difference between the Blessing 2 and A4000 is the detail retrieval and resolution; the Blessing 2 is by far the superior, not even close in comparison. Weird notch inside 2 pin that doesn’t work with every 2 pin cable. Very comfy, excellent build and fit. Final Audio Design (typically referred to as simply “Final Audio” or even more simply as “Final”) is a bit of a weird brand in the context of the current IEM market. I’d consider them as your standard-fare “quirky Japanese company” making some oddball IEMs, but they’re also pretty much the only Japanese brand that have managed to retain some form of relevancy in the modern mainstream-ish market.

final PRODUCTS | final

With how boosted the 4-10k region is, the treble is the star of the A4000. It’s not peaky, energetic, vibrant. Some may say it even has hot treble, which I agree. Bad recording can be easily spotted because of this. Microdetails are slightly above average. Intruments like cymbal strikes and hi hats are very forward, yet it doesn’t linger around as much, making it loosing that shimmering characteristics that I know of.Here is where the A3000 and A4000 really start to find the first major differences in both earphones. I found the A3000 to have significantly less output power than the A4000, which is strange considering they have the same impedance. It’s also strange considering the A3000 is the cheaper model in comparison, so you’d expect it to produce a better signal for laptops and smartphones. However, the A4000 ends up being the one that bolsters the amplification. This isn’t to say that the A3000 is unusable with most common devices, you just won’t have a ton of room to adjust the volume level. With the A4000 it’s easy to find that comfortable gain that leaves room for volume modification. Piano sounds nice, although it sounds a bit veil. Violin sounds lively, precise with a decent bite from the bass to boot With each earphone, you’re going to get a nice punchy bass that doesn’t overexcite, however in comparison the A4000 definitely feels more feeble than the A3000. They both offer good detail, but the A3000 has a meatier response. The textures are a lot more natural but avoid warmth as they start to flatten out by the midbass. Each bass has a true feel to them, the difference here is how much you hear of it. Coated in rubberized material, the cable is like an old lamp cable with two strands melded together below the y-splitter, and single above. I often took great pleasure in pulling apart my father’s old lamp cables, with his permission of course... microphonics are minimal and much better than some others of more expensive ilk lately. Final Audio seems to value the soundstage greatly, as it seems to be impressive across all their models. The A4000 has a fairly upfront sound to it for the most part, and conveys a fair amount of distance along with plenty of width. They have highly distinctive sound separation and layering, especially for their price point, creating an organized space for music to shrink and expand within. You’ll find these wider than your average earphone and consistently immersive.

Final Audio A4000 - Is Soundstage the Only Skill? - DBS Tech Talk Final Audio A4000 - Is Soundstage the Only Skill? - DBS Tech Talk

Driveability: I know I need to use the 4.4 port on my dongle immediately. The A4000 does shine with more power. This has a brighter sound in its mids as it does in the highs. They have a natural-resonant tone, definitely driving a lot of presence but staying relatively at bay in the 500Hz-2kHz range. The 1kHz+ range has a bit more bite to it, enough to create a satisfying edge that’s still devoid of harshness. These definitely have warmer low-mids than they do high-mids as is not uncommon, but still retain enough silkiness in the high-mids to create an overall smooth, comfortable tone and give up front, realistic sound. The latest A5000 IEMs from Final Audio has finally been released. Suffice it to say, impressed many of us here at MajorHiFi, but there is also the A4000 to consider. When you have one of the best budget IEMs getting this kind of upgrade, a comparison is a no-brainer. Hopefully, this review will help you decide which one to get. What You Get With IEMs, I always do the usual burn-in of about 50 hours; it’s not that without this the IEMs do not sound right, but rather that the burn-in helps them to reach their full potential. Now, much more important than the technical burn-in, I consider the so-called phycological burn-in, which helps the listener to get acquainted with the IEM; in that sense, the phycological burn-in does not actually have a limit, and the more you listen the better you get to know the IEM. The Spring2 is one of those “new” offerings of which I spoke in the MS4 blurb. With a narrower soundstage than the MS4 and A4K, that does not dissuade from a thoroughly engaging sound. Lifted guitar work, and a solid if not too deep reaching bass line is countered by distinct and clean treble note. While that bass is not the deepest, its speed is unparalleled here to me, and with that comes a control of the signature, which puts it at the top of this category. Or near. In my review of the Spring2, I called it the first IEM at this price to make me think twice about my most recommended. That recommendation still holds and the one in which it nearly dethroned is the Finschi. I also throw the MS4 in that range as well.The sound signature of the A4000 can be summarized as clean, natural, airy, and non-fatiguing. Upon the first listen I was immediately impressed by the clarity and how open the soundstage is. There are good extensions in both bass and treble regions. I can feel the bass rumbles if it was present in the music recording. I remember some frequency response charts showing that there is a small peak in the 2-4 KHz area. That might have something to do with the improved clarity. It also made A4000 sounded like some high quality BA drivers. The mid-range also sounded smooth and balanced, it’s not forward or recessed. Although sometimes the male vocals may sound a little thin. Imaging and separation are both decent and on par with the IE80 and FX750. From the product photo it did make me question the fit and comfort of the A4000. I understand there were reasons that the shell was designed this way. However, the A4000 does fit my ears relatively well. I didn’t feel any stress or pressure points after wearing them for extended amount of time.

Final Audio A5000 Vs A4000 Comparison Review - Major HiFi Final Audio A5000 Vs A4000 Comparison Review - Major HiFi

Most would be familiar with Final due to their immensely popular E-series of IEMs, dynamic-driver IEMs with rather pleasant tunings that have captured the hearts of many budget-level audiophiles. Less would be familiar with their B-series, even less with the Heaven series, and only the hardcore would recognise the extremely strange Piano Forte series, Sonorous series (formally “Pandora Hope”) and the “prototype” to the E-series, the Adagio. Detail retrieval was impressive at first with the A4k, and it sure is very capable in this domain, just not to the very-top level anymore. Things like the S12, the Heyday and many others have joined the fray and are giving the A4k a tough battle to fight. In my opinion the A4000 still manages to win out the others because it has many pros and almost no cons where the chinese planars always represent some compromise in their replay, be it closed stage like the Tangzu or the off timbre on the S12. It's nonetheless the best experience you can currently get, maybe at the exception of the A5000 (that I have yet to try)The IEM carry case was a nice addition but I wish it was bit bigger and more user friendly, and more secure. I think a small carry box would been better. So it could be more secure and not open up in your portable as well allowing you to store your portable dac/amp and lighting/Type C cables along with the IEM's. SPATIALITY is holographic, circular, at the same time wide, high and deep but not in an extreme way, it remains a little intimate as if we were in a bubble with loudspeakers on all sides. The A4000 has a crowd pleasing character. It’s not the type of headphone with any sound extremities that jump out at the ear immediately, straying far from any sort of polarizing or controversial timbre. They have a well-tamed resonant sound and their response has balanced distribution of cuts and boosts across the frequency spectrum. EQUIPPED WITH IN-HOUSE DEVELOPED DRIVER "F-CORE DU"​ Achieves transparent sound with crystal clear clarity and deep sound The 2-pin connector is a highly accurate in-house developed product that uses the 0.78 standard, which is said to be the most versatile. With a soft and supple covering material in consideration of touch noise, it bends flexibly even when using ear hooks, achieving a perfect fit.

Crinnotes] Final Audio A3000 and A4000: Budget-isation [Crinnotes] Final Audio A3000 and A4000: Budget-isation

Soekris DAC1421: Similar to the Spectre X in that it is warm, lush and detailed; pairs nicely with the Final Audio A4000. Switching to Turbine Gold, I think it sounded closer to A4000 than IE80 and FX750. The Turbine Gold also has a similar soundstage and clarity as the A4000. The Turbine Gold has metal shells so they are heavier and not as comfortable as A4000. The standard against which everything should be measured. I think it deserves that strong of a statement, because realistically it's what I always end up doing. "Is it as comfortable as my A4000 ?" If not, then I'm not going to grab that next IEM as much as the A4k I already have. "Is it as light as my A4000 ?" If not, I'm not going to wear it for long, and end up not touching that next thing because of that. "Does it sound as good as my A4000 ?" If yes, then that IEM is certainly special and deserves a review. While far from cheap the A4000 sits at a reachable price point for many and challenges products twice as expensive in many ways (weight, practicality, ease of use) or even any IEM on the market in others (soundstage, imaging, comfort) Well this reputation is kinda deserved, but at the same time it's not. The 800S sounds much wider than other headpones, even some twice or thrice the price (the Utopia comes to mind). The A4k sounds much wider than other IEMs, even some 10x the price (use the A8000 as a comparison). But this similarity doesn't mean the A4k has anywhere near the soundstage of the 800S, we're far from it.

The A4000 arrived boxed in a lift-top style box with a graphic of the earpieces on front and specs on the reverse. Lifting the top reveals a round clamshell style silicone case and box with tips cradled in a foam support. The earpieces and cable are inside the case with each earpiece bagged to prevent scratches in transit. The Tip case houses 5 different sizes of E-series silicone tips. Foams are not provided. Under the silicone case is another small clear bag with the snap-on ear-hooks contained in it and beneath it is the documentation. The Silicone case is a unique style with one convex and one concave side and 3 latching points around the outer edge. It holds the earpieces and attached cable very tightly so carrying anything extra in the case is not possible. Also there is no dedicated connecting point for a clip or caribiner to attach the case to a bag or keys. Slightly lowered the bass, as I found subbass could get overwhelming pretty fast on genres that didn't benefit from the push in that region. The eartips provided enjoy so much popularity, I need not to expand on them. Great material, does not make your ear sweat exceedingly like an S&S will, no pressure buildup in the ear canal (compared to foams, or again the S&S for that matter), tonality wise it of course matches perfectly with the A4000. I don't like them so much on other IEMs, but that's outside the topic of this review. Guess what? I was wrong in both! Just a few months ago, Final presented A4000 and A3000, two lower, actually way too lower, value IEMs than A8000. While, on April 26, 2021, Final launched SHICHIKU.KANGEN, which is the next big thing after A8000. Typically, SHICHIKU.KANGEN belongs to the Collaboration series, because it was developed in collaboration with the DITA Audio company; in reality though, it is of the same breed as A8000, at least in regard to its construction, and it costs almost 50% more than the latter. Volume scaling: Medium to medium high volume. My ears would be ringing from that boosted 4-10k region before I reach my enjoyable level of bass.