Not all true wireless earbuds are designed with the same priorities in mind. While many focus on advanced features or high-impact sound, others take a more subtle approach, one centered on comfort, ease of use, and relaxed listening. The Final Audio ZE500 ASMR earbuds fall into this latter category, offering a pared-down take on wireless audio that emphasizes simplicity over excess. Let’s take a closer look at how the ZE500 performs in everyday use, examining its design philosophy, wireless implementation, battery life, and overall sound presentation to see who these earbuds are best suited for.
What You Get
- ZE500 ASMR Earbuds
- Charging Case
- 3 Eartip Sizes (S, M, L)
- Extra Dust Filters
Look & Feel
The Final Audio ZE500 is one of the smallest true wireless earbuds I’ve come across, and it’s a very intentional design. Each earbud’s ultra-compact body, combined with a zero-pressure shallow insertion shape, helps them sit gently in the ear without pressing deeply into the canal, minimizing fatigue even during extended listening or while lying down. They use integrated soft silicone eartips that envelop the housing for a snug yet soft seal, and the inclusion of pressure-relieving “ASMR ports” further reduces ear-canal strain, making them particularly comfortable for voice-focused or bedtime use. The minimal size also cuts down on accidental touches when adjusting or turning over, while the charging case and optional wireless charging add practical convenience to the overall ergonomic package.
Design & Functionality
With the Final ZE500 being designed for the simple purpose of sleep and relaxation, they don’t pack many features. There are no noise-canceling, ambient-aware, or even EQ features. You can download the ZE500 companion app, which allows for a couple of tools, like the volume step optimizer that the Tonalite has, which allows you to set more specific gain levels. Then there’s ASMR mode, which basically turns off the ZE500’s touch sensors so you can lie down without any of the functions activating.
Bluetooth
The Final Audio ZE500 comes equipped with Bluetooth version 5.4offering modern wireless performance with efficient power usage and reliable signal stability. In terms of CODECs, the ZE500 is very limited in its offerings, only supporting standard SBC and AAC. While they don’t include advanced features like multipoint or high-resolution codecs (e.g., LDAC), the wireless implementation is tuned to prioritize connection reliability and battery efficiency over extended use.
Battery Life
On a single charge, the earbuds provide up to about 4.5 hours of continuous playback, ideal for moderate listening periods without frequent recharging. When paired with the included charging case, total runtime extends to approximately 18 hours, combining multiple earbud charges for all-day use or several listening sessions before you need to top up the case itself. Just about 10 minutes of charging can yield roughly 1 hour of playback, ensuring you can rapidly recover listening time when you’re in a hurry.
Soundstage
With how small the ZE500 is, you wouldn’t be expecting a big sound, but these earphones have a few tricks up its sleave. The stereo image is maintained well, showcasing solid left/right channel distinction without congealing in the middle. The ZE500 even has good projection of spatial imaging, pushing its natural and laid-back sound signature pretty close up to your face. This gives the ZE500 an impressive amount of localization thanks to its surprising depth. It doesn’t appear like a huge amount of space, but the ZE500 is particularly good at stacking layers of sound linearly without them rubbing up against each other. The soundstage lacks height, but the inward headspace is quite good, and allows the ZE500 to communicate a surprising amount of room.
Low End
While the ZE500 aims to be a very relaxed sound, the bass is still a present part of the sound signature. There’s a fullness here that is bodied and impactful without being dominating and intrusive. Its tone is smooth and elegant, communicating bass power with an impressive level of grace. Sub-bass extension allows for the notes to establish a strong foundation and provide a fun, surface-level rumble to make the frequencies appear bouncier. It’s all quite clean and effortless.
Mids
Even with some recession in the midrange, the ZE500 can present full, engrossing instruments. Everything has enough room to push forward, even with a relaxed resposne. The low mids bloom from underneath, while soothing upper-midrange vocals provide smooth textures. None of this ever sounds foggy or inarticulate, just very mellow and slightly dulled. It doesn’t allow notes to attack with any velocity, but depending on the genre, you might prefer this. I personally found a lot to like about the midrange when listening to slowcore and post-rock, as I was able to still be gripped by the instrumentation without it being the most resolving.
Highs
Without being able to communicate much height, the high frequencies can appear quite airy and floaty. There’s a hard limit on how far the highs can extend, but it’s never severely destructive to the timbre of these frequencies. It’s a smoothed-out tone that is easy to digest, but it also doesn’t sound too plain and uninteresting. It still clicks and slightly shimmers enough to be natural and pleasant.
Summary
The Final Audio ZE500 ASMR earbuds succeed by fully committing to their purpose. Rather than trying to compete with feature-packed true wireless models, they deliver a uniquely gentle listening experience that feels carefully considered from the ground up. Their ultra-compact form factor, pressure-relieving design, and shallow fit make them exceptionally comfortable for extended sessions, especially when lying down or listening late at night. Sonically, the ZE500 favors smoothness, intimacy, and spatial clarity over analytical detail, resulting in a sound that’s easy to sink into without demanding attention.
While the limited codec support, short standalone battery life, and lack of advanced features may be dealbreakers for some, they feel like deliberate trade-offs rather than shortcomings. If your priority is relaxation, ASMR, podcasts, or mellow music in a fatigue-free format, the ZE500 offers a refreshing alternative to the usual true wireless playbook. It’s a niche product—but within that niche, it feels remarkably refined.
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You can find more from Final Audio at Audio46.
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