Final Audio S4000 Review

The Final Audio S4000, part of the renowned E series, marks a significant improvement in both design and performance over its predecessors. This model brings sleek aesthetics with its upgraded stainless steel housing while promising an immersive audio experience that caters to both casual listeners and audiophiles alike. Let’s explore the S4000’s design, soundstage, and performance across different frequency ranges, alongside its overall value. Whether you’re considering an upgrade or diving into the world of high-quality audio for the first time, the S4000 offers an intriguing option worth examining.

What You Get

• Silicon carry case
• Earpiece (Fusion-G 3 size)
• Ear hook Type A

Look & Feel

The S4000 Final Audio’s E series gets a huge upgrade in terms of using quality materials. Older versions of the E series IEMs had a silver finish, which has now been upgraded to a stainless steel housing with a blast finish. This is a much more high-grade product that Final is putting forward, with a new stock cable adding to its overall value. You also get two methods of fit with the S4000 with the optional ear hooks. The S4000 is comfortable either way, but I think the straight-down style feels a bit more natural for these earphones.

Design

The Final S4000 has a driver configuration that combines two balanced armatures with a new tone chamber system. This system helps develop the acoustic space for the drivers that allow for more control over the signal flow. It also affects volume output which makes the S4000 easy to drive from most headphone plugs.

Soundstage

Final’s E series IEMs always have wide soundstages, and the S4000 continues that. While the soundstage has a rather large wingspan for a pair of IEMs, the imaging is very linear. The soundstage often feels like it’s drawing a straight line across the left and right channels, offering good separation but little depth. The headspace the S4000 creates is small, but the left and right channels still have a lot of identity. It’s a specific style of spatial imaging common with IEMs around this price, but it can damper immersion in place of close positional accuracy.

Low End

Since the S4000 uses two balanced armature drivers, the bass probably won’t be the biggest factor in the sound signature. After listening to the S4000 that would be the correct notion. Although individual bass instruments have a surface-level clarity to them, the performance is thin. There is little sub-bass but the S4000 is still capable of some vibration, although it is congealed and not well separated. The root of the bass is in the mid-bass, which shows the most drive even though it’s still not significant. Bass heads might not be satisfied, but they provide enough presence to even out and support the sound signature.

Mids

While most of the meat from that S4000 is concentrated in the midrange, it’s not always the smoothest response. There’s a forward-pushing display to the mids which extends into the mid-treble. At its best, the mids provide defined instruments and specific details like the plucks of strings. Notes have a strike to them, which makes the midrange appear lively, but it’s not the most refined response. An aggressive layer of hokiness can overpower some performances, particularly vocals. It puts a veil over what should be a lot sleeker instruments.

Highs

The S4000 starts to clean things up in the highs. It’s a well-defined range that has a good layer of presence. While there’s that brightness in the mid-treble, the highs don’t extend into a piercing tone. There’s definitely a roll-off to it that smooths out the response, and it makes the sharper qualities easier to get used to.

Summary

The Final Audio S4000 serves as a testament to the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation within the competitive IEM market. While it delivers impressive soundstage capabilities and a well-defined high range, it does carry certain compromises in bass performance and midrange refinement that might not satisfy every listener. Nevertheless, with its stylish design and comfortable fit options, the S4000 is an appealing choice for those who prioritize a balanced sound profile and aesthetic appeal in their audio gear. Ultimately, the S4000 stands out as a worthy investment for individuals looking to elevate their listening experience without sacrificing comfort or style.

The Final Audio S4000 is available at Audio46.