The new Final Audio B series from Final Audio Design is the feature of today. Let’s take a close look!
Disclaimer: Final Audio B series’ samples were sent to me free of charge for this review. The market prices are 299$ for B2, 499$ for B3 and 599$ for B1. Prices can differ with discounts and locations.
Intro
I’ve never done a triple IEM review before. But since I didn’t see it possible to separate these IEMs from each other, I decided to write it this way.
The IEM market is quite mature nowadays. When we look at the course of the outlet, we see that there are a very few companies that can make a big difference. Let’s see if Final Audio can do anything about it.
About Final Audio
Final Audio was launched in 1974 in Japan, to produce turntable cartridges. The business shifted to pre-amps, power amps and speakers later on. In 2007, a new company “S’Next” was launched to produce OEM and ODM products for consumers. S’Next doesn’t want to be just another company and they look at things a little different:
We would like to create earphones and headphones that people have an affinity for and continue to use in much the same way they have with a mechanical wristwatch, the kind that will be valued as an antique in the future.
More information on S’Next and Final Audio can be found here. Final Audio is also known for its wide range of headphones and earphones : Sonorous, Piano Forte, Adagio and of course Heaven. If you were in the audio game in the past few years, you must have heard these names and have some idea about them.
The New B Series
This is a new engineer driven product series from Final Audio, which is a result of the latest research efforts. Now from the prices I gave in the disclaimer, you may have noticed that the prices and the product naming doesn’t match. Since we already know that Final Audio see things differently, this is not much of a surprise.
Series concept and retail price are not bound in a hierarchy. Instead, the product names and numbers reflect the order of development. Of course there’s a flagship, mid tier and entry-level IEM, but the model names can be confusing. Thankfully Final Audio explains the reason in their page so we know the reason of the naming.
This new B series follows the footsteps of the MAKE series, so the concept of the life-time usage is retained with modular structure.
About B1
This is the flagship from this new series and it was developed before the other two, hence it is named as B1. It has a rose gold colored, stainless-steell shell which is mirror-finished. It certainly looks amazing, eye-catching and more fashionable than the other two models.
It has a hybrid configuration which is a 1 Dynamic + 1 BA Driver system. However, Final Audio differs from other brands as they claim this is a “network-less” setup. By my understanding, this means there’s no crossover network. The cable is chosen as a OFC Silver Coated one.
About B3
The B3, despite its “3” number, is the mid tier IEM in this lineup. It has the same stainless-steel shell but with a frost silver finish this time, which looks very slick and sharp.
2 BA driver is the setup with the B3 (which makes its name even more confusing), with the same network-less design. It has the same OFC Silver Coated cable as well.
About B2
To repeat; this is not the mid-range model. B2 is the entry-level model instead. This one has a simple 1BA Driver setup in a gunmetal colored shell from the same material.
The cable is OFC again but there’s no silver coating this time. The cable is instead coated with a conventional plastic material. An interesting point is; the B2 is harder to drive in paper than the other two models with its 41Ω impedance. It doesn’t affect that much in real life though.
Design
The new B series, which is the continuation of MAKE series as design, also stand out with sharp and angular lines. I need to say I find these new IEMs quite pleasant in terms of looks. Especially the B1 looks very classy, while the B3 reflects a more professional look. The B2 as the entry model looks less stellar but still cool.
So in just pure appearance, these new Final IEMs certainly bring different aesthetics and classiness to the market. The IEMs certainly look different, authentic and original. So to my eyes the new B series is very impressive and premium. However, I particularly liked the B3 because it looks really cool, fresh and complementary with the silver coated cable.
The B1 model in particular is very prone to fingerprints and smudges so be aware.
The review continues on PAGE 2 by clicking here using the page numbers below
Vincent
Thanks for the comparison. Wondering how the noise isolation is on the B3? And yeah the naming is confusing.
Berkhan
It’s pretty good with the right tips. Sits flush and blocks some noise.
Brett
If given the option between the B3 here and a Campfire Audio Polaris II, which would you pick? Obviously they are two very different IEMs but which do you favour?
Berkhan
I would go with the B3.
Karan Sharma
Hi
Can you please give a comparison between B3(B1) and F7200 ?
Thanks
Berkhan
Hi. I can’t, sorry. Never heard the F7200.