8k Resolution!

PROS: natural tonality with hi-res tuning, holographic soundstage expansion, secure and comfortable fit, ANC with different modes, Final app with Pro semi-ParametricEQ.

CONS: custom eartips, touch controls, no LDAC support.

The product was provided to me free of charge for the review purpose in exchange for my honest opinion.

Manufacturer website: Final.  Available for sale from various retailers, including Bloom Audio.

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Intro.

It has been a while since my last TWS review.  I’m still focusing on high end IEMs and DAPs, but in the last 3+ months a pair of earphones that occupied more of my listening time than any other IEM was… a true wireless pair from Final, their flagship ZE8000 (ZE8k) model.  The TWS scene still feels like a rollercoaster ride.  People were fascinated by the freedom of cutting the “umbilical” cord between their smartphone and left/right earpieces.  Then, we got flooded with mediocre releases, focusing more on the convenience rather than the sound quality, taking down the anticipated audiophile excitement.  When pro audio manufacturers joined TWS revolution, surprisingly, some didn’t put as much effort into the sound tuning either, focusing more on mainstream consumers rather than demanding audiophiles.

But things are turning around, and I’m starting to notice the sound quality becoming a higher priority with some manufacturers trying to bridge the gap between consumer level functionality and audiophile tuning.  For example, there are more releases with Active Noise Canceling (ANC) and cleaner voice calls, along with more advanced digital audio signal processing and in-app support of higher quality EQ adjustment.  These changes are reflected in a higher price tag, but it is still just a fraction in comparison to flagship IEMs from the same manufacturers who are now expanding into TWS realm.  The latest release from Final is a prime example of that, and after spending many hours with ZE8k in my ears and already featuring it in my latest DAP reviews (as part of BT pair up), I’m ready to share what I found.

Unboxing and Accessories.

The packaging box has a premium presentation with a lot of info you can gather about ZE8k just by reading the printed spec, app description, and even the list of included accessories.  Once you lift the magnetic cover of this sturdy cardboard box, you are greeted with a pair of TWS earphones and a charging case, securely stored in a foam cutout insert.  Furthermore, you will also find a detailed user manual and a separate box with accessories.

Right away you will notice a custom shape of ZE8k eartips, available in 5 sizes, SS/S/M/L/LL.  Included was also usb-c charging cable.  And you get a set of dust/wax filters for the nozzle along with a tool to help in applying it.  These look like the same filters included with A8000, and I actually used it in the past as a sound filter which helped me reduce a bit of a high frequency glare (in A8k) when you layer and stack up a few of these together.  Of course, with ZE8k and its natural organic tuning, that was not necessary.

Design.

ZE8000 has a rather unconventional design, not like their ZE3000 or other TWS earphones where all the components are stuffed inside of a traditional shell.  But some of those traditional TWS designs often end up with oversize shells that just too bulky, uncomfortable, and don’t sit secure in your ears especially if yours are small.  To solve this problem, Final came up with a design where the earpiece portion of ZE8k with a driver fits into the concha area of your ear, and the rest of the components are in the extended portion on the outside.

From a distance, one might question the fit.  But the ergonomics of this split-level design along with a custom dual-layered Type-Q eartips just works.  It makes earpieces go in easily, feels very comfortable, and stays secure in ears no matter how much I was shaking my head.  The eartips are custom, but they do come in different sizes to help you find the best fit.  Inside, Final developed a new ultra-precision and low distortion large diameter 13mm DD, driven to its full potential with Class AB amplifier.  They even had room for thin film PMCAP capacitors to help suppress amp distortion and to improve SNR.

Would be great for Final to release an adapter so you can use your own eartips.  I was also thinking about taking the smallest size pair which I don’t use, snipping off the eartips portion, and trying to fit other eartips over the exposed stem of these Type-Q tips.  Might try it later.

ZE8k supports BT 5.2, and various codecs, such as SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm’s aptX Snapdragon Sound and aptX Adaptive.  There is no LDAC support, but Snapdragon Sound does its own DSP sound processing to enhance the quality.  You will also get two beam-forming microphones for crystal clear (as I have been told by people on the other side of the line) phone and video calls.  ZE8k is also IPX4 rated, meaning it can withstand light water splashes and should be ok when sweating during exercising.

When it comes to TWS earphones, charging case is as important as earphones themselves.  To accommodate unique shape of these earpieces, the case is a little bigger than the average.  It is slim, but the size is bigger.  On the outside, you have a clear view of 4 LEDs to indicate charging capacity.  Also, ZE8k pairs up automatically with the last connected device as soon as you slide open the top cover of the case and before you take them out.  The playback time is around 5hrs, and with a case you can get extra charge cycles for up to 15hrs of playback.  It doesn’t support wireless charging, but with a direct connection you get about 1.5hrs for earphones and another 2hrs for a charging case.

The fit.

Functionality.

When it comes to TWS earphones, it’s not just about the sound tuning, but also the overall functionality.  ZE8k offers Active Noise Canceling (ANC) along with other modes.  For example, Ambient sound mode mixes in the external sound to raise the awareness of the surrounding so you are not as isolated from the outside world.  Voice Through mode pushes the music into the background while prioritizing the “voice” of the sound around you to be more forward when talking to people.  Wind-cut does a great job when you are walking, running, or riding a bike outside, literally cutting down the annoying noise of the air/wind around you.  ANC doesn’t need introduction, and it is quite effective to cut down the outside noise.

The available Final CONNECT app, for either Android or iOS, offers a Pro semi-Parametric EQ with one custom preset, the volume step optimizer for a more granular adjustment, enabling/disabling the hi-res “8k sound+” DSP mode if you want to prioritize battery life, and access to switch ANC modes.

The EQ adjustment is +/- 3dB, and it has 4 semi-Parametric bands (fixed frequencies and no Q):

• LOW – 35Hz, 60Hz, 110Hz, 220Hz
• MID-Low – 350Hz, 700Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz
• MID-High – 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz, 4.8kHz, 7.2kHz
• HIGH – 10kHz, 12kHz, 16kHz

There are no genre specific presets, and unfortunately, you can only have a single custom preset.  I hope in a future Final will add an option for more custom presets.  But one important thing to note, once you adjust and save the custom EQ setting, it will stay with ZE8k no matter what other devices you pair it up with.

One wishful thinking is to be able to customize touch controls, though I have been told by Final it is not implemented due to limitation of Snapdragon Sound processing where controls are hardcoded.  That would have been very useful because by default next-track requires triple tap of the right earpiece, and half of the time I was either doing it too fast or too slow and triple-tap was registering only as a double tap, raising the volume instead.  Tbh, I was a bit frustrated with touch controls, especially skip next which I typically use a lot.

Page 2 – Sound Analysis, Source Pair up, and Conclusion.