Final Audio E3000 Review

I never get tired of trying out Final Audio earphones, even if my drool is stripping the laminate from my review desk.  But really, I can’t get tired of their earphones.  So I’m as psyched as usual to test out the inexpensive $54 E3000.  Claiming some next-level performance and a balanced, dynamic sound, can it live up to the hype?

Final Audio E3000 Review

With a pleather carrying pouch, extra eartips, and some rigid plastic ear clips for added stability, the E3000 doesn’t come with a bunch of useless accessories.

The earphones themselves utilize a stainless steel design.  Slim and lightweight, they offer a snug and feather-light fit.  However, the earpieces still feel solid in my hands – like they could take some real abuse before giving up the ghost.

A mesh screen on the back of each earpiece supposedly offers better performance in the lows, without bleeding tons of noise.

Finally, the 4 ft (1.2 m) cable appears slight while still remaining quite resilient, ending in a right-angle 3.5mm stereo plug.

Specs

Frequency Range: NA
Impedance:  16 ohms
Sound Pressure Level (SPL):  100 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):  NA

As we can see from this spec list, there’s no given frequency range for the E3000, but I’d guess it’s something close to 10-30,000 Hz.  The low impedance of 16 ohms will work perfectly with low output devices – like a cell phone, or a portable hi-res music player.  Sound Pressure, at 100 dB, might seem a tad bit low but the sound doesn’t seem to suffer any volume-related issues.  Lastly, Total Harmonic Distortion isn’t rated by the manufacturer, but I’d posit that it’s <0.1%.

Low End

In the low end, the E3000 hosts good detail and strong bass.  A competent sense of control rules out any bleed, and even first-time listeners will notice a distinct lack of compression or distortion.  Clean, crisp, and just downright awesome, the E3000 sports one impressive low end.

Mids

While not as astounding as the low end, the midrange keeps any aberrations in check.  The resultant sound offers articulation and contrast, and handles both instrumentation and vocals with a fine attention to detail.

High End

Not too bright but still rocking ample detail, the high end on the E3000 strikes me as perhaps somewhat relaxed.  Strings sound smoother, yet all the finer details are there.  Never piercing or uncomfortable, this fine balance works wonders with strings and female vocals.  I mean, hot damn.

Soundstage

Tons of depth and decent placement team up to deliver some intense soundstage.  While still not as lifelike as an open-back over-ear design, this in-ear headphone comes amazingly close to grazing that level of realism.  Suffice to say, this is the best soundstage I’ve ever heard with an in-ear model.

Other Observations

The intense low end and relatively dynamic sound will recommend this earphone to almost any genre.  Add to this equation a plethora of detail, and you’ve got one heady overall sound.

I’ve been cycling through old playlists for the past hour or so, re-listening to old tracks and hearing them in new ways.  The E3000 is one of those rare ‘phones that forces you to re-evaluate your music catalog.

That bass and detail is heaven where G-Funk is concerned.  Ice Cube, Too $hort, even Dumbfoundead…it all sounds so good.

Recommendations

The E3000 makes some bold claims regarding performance, but it meets or exceeds the bar it sets for itself.  I’m at a loss to make any genuine recommendation against this earphone because NOTHING sounds like this.  The unique sound remains equally dynamic and balanced, with a crawling, bumping low end and a smooth but sparkling high end.  The mids round it all out, just bursting with meaty details.  And let’s not downplay that soundstage, either.  I almost hate saying it, but the E3000 might be the perfect earphone.  It’ll handle any genre with style, and it’ll melt your spine while it’s doing it.

Final Analysis

With an amazing sound that defies logic, the Final Audio E3000 kicks ass and takes names no matter what you throw at it.  The rich, detailed sound offers a rare balanced dynamism that I’ve never heard before.  Regardless of your listening tastes, this is one earphone you need to audition – I’m not going to tell you to buy it (you’ll be hard pressed not to once you give it a listen…), but you really owe it to your ears to give the E3000 a long, hard, steamy listening session.

You can find these buds for the best price here:

Audio 46 (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)

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