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Final also offers a range of wireless products, such as the ZE3000 (review here) or the UX3000. It was when they announced the ZE8000 that they got A LOT of attention. Is it a wireless version of the A8000 at a fraction of the price? Well extraversion is the name of the game for these buds, in it’s audio processing as well as for it’s design. And if you want to explain to people exactly what 8K sound means, well you better do it with confidence or the whole conversation is just going to fall apart. Next up, the 8k sound. I’ve tried, I really did, but I cannot hear even the slightest difference between it being turned on or off. For the sake of this review, I’m keeping it on, to ensure the highest quality (regardless if the difference actually exists or not). Amid the slew of new Apple products launched today, only the tiniest mention was made of the fact that Apple has also given the AirPods Pro Gen 2 wireless earbuds a not-so-minor refresh. Along with the expected addition of USB-C, making the AirPods Pro the first Apple headphones to ditch the Lightning connector, Apple has also given the iconic white noise-canceling earbuds the ability to do lossless audio wirelessly -- something that has never been seen on the AirPods family before, and is even a rarity among non-Apple wireless audio devices. 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.
Final ZE8000 review: Serious sound - Pocket-lint Final ZE8000 review: Serious sound - Pocket-lint
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 You won’t be listening to those hi-res files for perhaps as long as you might be expecting without a visit to some mains power though. Despite their impressive size, the earbuds hold just five hours of ‘go’, while the charging case has two more charges on board. We don’t have time, or space, to list all the true wireless alternatives that can outperform the ZE8000 where battery life is concerned. I was told these had a similar sound signature to the Sonorous III which I read was similar to the Sonorous X, as I couldn’t find the III on wavelet I opted for the X auto eq which improved the sound of these quite a bit. Highs become sharper (in a good way) and the bass went deeper and shook more heavily. The ZE8000 app includes the Volume Step Optimizer which allows you to increase or decrease volume in smaller decibel steps than is usually set on your smartphone’s volume control. However, most of my reviewing was done using an Astell and Kern SE180/SEM1/SEM4 DAP which works much smaller than 1dB steps. However, using this app on my Sony Xperia phone was a godsend. 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.Furthermore, as the linear phase is essential in rectifying both the frequency and time response, Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters are used in collaboration with DSP to reproduce the highest possible timbre quality, which is the hard core of ZE8000’s performance. I need to charge them about twice a week during regular use using the AptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, with ANC and 8K sound enabled. Your mileage may vary depending on the parameters. The case only holds around 12 hours of battery life despite the large size. I didn’t expect a Bluetooth IEM could sound better than my more expensive wired IEM, but I was proven to be wrong. This is a spectacular product that is not only excellent at all frequencies and all types of music but offers a highly transparent and fast performance. Once you get used to the unusual looks and fitting, this will reward your music collection with long listening sessions. AT A GLANCE Instead, the ZE8000 require a degree of restraint. Gently inserting them, with a very slight twist — and stopping as soon as you meet some resistance — is the key. If things sound muffled, or the bass response feels thin, try switching eartips or placing the earbuds slightly shallower than you might normally think to do. Simon Cohen / Digital Trends Impressive performance
Final ZE8000 Review: Outstanding Sound, Unique Style - MUO Final ZE8000 Review: Outstanding Sound, Unique Style - MUO
There are several things that differentiate ZE8000 from ZE3000/ZE2000, but if we wanted to single one out, then this would be Final's proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology. The f-CORE drivers are powered by Class-AB amplifiers, which Final says delivers a better balance between sound quality and power efficiency than the Class-D amplifiers that most true wireless earphones use. Final promises lower total harmonic distortion (THD) from these drivers than we’ve experienced from other true wireless earphone models, resulting in a higher level of detail and more precise sound texture. Absolutely clean. Even the quietest IEMs or headphones have some bottom noise. The feeling with ZE8000 is that the bottom noise is zero; it is hard to believe it, but this is one’s impression. A separate wind-noise reduction mode is helpful when there’s a breeze, however, it only works for ANC — calls are another story.
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.
final ZE series | final
The EQ function helps in adding some much-needed boost to the upper mids, but these frequencies cannot be altered more than +/- 3dB, which is barely adequate. I would have also preferred multiple profiles since now you can only have one custom profile (which seems like an arbitrary limitation). Comparisons vs Final ZE3000 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. The ZE8000 has 4 modes in total: - Noise-Cancelling (Basically indoor usage mode), Wind-Cut (Cuts wind noises by using the mics on the earbuds), Ambient Sound (Allows you to listen to other people along with your music at around 60% volume), and Voice Through (Literally drives your audio down to 1% or so to listen to people around you). I am currently using it with the Final Connect app on my iPhone 14 Pro, and I have not faced any difficulty in changing through modes or connectivity in general using the app. It just works. The app also has other features such as Pro EQ, Volume Step Optimizer, and 8K SOUND+.
How was the Final Audio ZE8000 tested?
Final has not given more details on DSP, as there is a patent pending. However, one thing is certain: All DSP’s computational power aims towards (only) one purpose, sound reproduction quality. 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
Final ZE8000 Review | Trusted Reviews
The price difference is a big barrier for many. The ZE8000 are more than twice as costly as the ZE3000 without being a wholesale upgrade on all fronts.
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Sadly, the ZE8000 need certain usability improvements. The carrying case is comically large, the ANC has issues cutting out wind noise, and the battery life is far from class-leading. Also, the price is no joke, veering into the territory of wired IEMs that are noticeably better in terms of sound. Let me start by saying that the biggest advantage of Bluetooth headphones and earphones, over the conventional wired headphones and IEMs, is that in the former has everything in one shell: The DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), the amplifier system, the computing unit, the power source and the drivers, all are crafted into a single unit. This gives a big advantage in perfecting sound quality, from the sound source signal input all the way up to the sound wave output.
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