Review: Final Audio E4000 & E5000 – Summer Love

Specifications

 

The Final Audio E4000 & E5000 are dynamic driven earphones, the driver is 6.4mm! wide with a small hole for the bass and a proprietary filter system. Everything is home made, even the driver so I’m expecting to hear great things. In opposite of the old E3000 and E2000, the back of the shell isn’t open so the isolation should be better.

Full specs

– Type : IEM & Style : Dynamic driver
– Crossover : none
– Drivers : 6.4mm driver with titanium membrane
– Socket : MMCX

– Frequency response Range : 20Hz – 20kHz
– Sensitivity : 97dB/mW (E4000) – 93dB/mW (E5000)
– Impedance : 15 ohms (E4000) – 14 ohms (E5000)
– Price : 129€ (E4000) / 249€ (E5000)

Sound performance

Overall signature

E4000

The Final E4000 is very different from what I expected, maybe because the only Final I own is the Pandora/Sonorous VII. It’s a very relaxed sound, without a specific peak or caveat, which is a good thing for long-term listening. It’s not a fun IEM, by no means, but if you like an effortless presentation, you’re well served.

As I grew accustomed to multiple driver IEMs, it was strange to listen to a single dynamic driver again. The E4000 doesn’t offer the clarity of multi-BA earphones but the sweet sound can be addictive over time, the more I listened, the more I liked it. Of course, if you’re mainly into electro or classical like me, the thin line between mellow and dull can be crossed on various occurrences.
On hard-hitting electro like Solomun or The M Machine, you won’t get that extra harshness that makes the highs pleasant. On the contrary, Jazz, Pop and vocal suit perfectly to this IEM, so choose wisely.

E5000

The Final E5000 is really close to the E4000, sonically speaking. Still, there is a clear upgrade if you listen to them alternatively. The E5000 is more precise and more refined than its younger brother. This is especially palpable on classical tracks, on Part I from Prequel’s latest album, you can distinguish the violin from the viola at lower volume. I couldn’t do it on the E4000.

Another good point of the E5000 are the fast transients. Usually dynamic earphones are slower than balanced armature earphones due to the nature of the driver, fortunately that’s not the case here. It’s still a flat IEM but not a dull one by no means. You don’t get the resolution of top tier IEM but on everyday commute, it’s the perfect mellow sound that drives you far and away.

This IEM is clearly more polyvalent than the E4000, electro still doesn’t get extra harsh, but the boost in resolution makes the E5000 more potent to the task. Soothing sound with precise transients isn’t an easy task and that makes this IEM a good all-rounder, a fast one moreover.

Tonality

E4000

Bass is deep on the Final E4000, which is no surprise thanks to the dynamic driver. It is never overwhelming thankfully and thanks to its small size, the driver is never trailing behind. I’d love to hear a bit more impact to make the sound more involving though.

Mids are a bit recessed and the vocals are not the main point of the E4000, on complex songs it’s always behind as if the IEMs were shy. If there is one flaw for me, it’s here. I think you can get better voices in the same range, it’s good for pop and jazz, but it could be better. Highs are non harmful, a bit shy too, but not as much as the mids could be. They’re never sibilant, which is a good thing, and they can cover the full spectrum of hearing. On Low from Lenny Kravitz, the brass were pretty pleasant, compelling swiftly with the bass, a pleasant experience !

E5000

The tonality of the Final E5000 is roughly the same as the the Final E4000. Roughly, because you get the same recessed mids but with more resolution, more texture and overall more details. I may look hard on the E4000, but that’s mainly because I think the E5000 is a real upgrade, even more if you listen to them one after the other.

After a few weeks of listening, switching from the KZ to the Final to my usual CIEM, I was really surprised to find myself listening daily to the E5000 on my train. It’s not as impressive as the KZ6 but over time, I think the Final are a better choice if you want to go for long listening session.

Sensitivity / Hiss / Association

With 96/97dB of sensibility, the Final E4000/E5000 aren’t hard to drive by any means. They aren’t prone to hiss, so you should have no issue, even with a crappy source (even if you shouldn’t use a crappy source). Smartphones and small DAPs are what Final aimed for with its latest IEM, so even my good old iPhone is driving them loud and clear.

A good pairing I discovered, through all my listening, was with the good old AK70Mkii. It’s a smooth combination, easy to carry on and overall pretty musical. It’s not a killer combo as could be the SP1000 and the Utopia but it’s also way more cheaper.

Strangely I had a few echoes with the E4000 on some live songs that I could hear with the E5000. I don’t know if it’s the IEM or just a bug but on Justice Woman Worldwide, the pan seemed off. No issue with the E5000 though, so it may just be my setup.

Conclusion

The Final E4000 and E5000 fit nicely into the Final catalog, filling the empty spot between FXX00 and the Heaven. The fit and finish are nearly perfect, the case is great and even though the cable seems rather fragile, you can change it with no hassle.

Sound wise, the E4000 isn’t as strong as the E5000 but it certainly isn’t bad either. With a slight bump in the mids, it could have competed with its sibling but as it is, choose the E5000 if you can. The Final E5000 is the real winner here, for the price you get a flat yet precise IEM. A perfect choice for the commuter.

All in all, it’s hard not to like these IEMs but “love” them maybe is a bridge too far for me personally. Then again, maybe these are exactly what you want, and if that’s the case, get a pair.

3.9/5 - (63 votes)
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A nerdy guy with a passion for audio and gadgets, he likes to combine his DAC and his swiss knife. Even after more than 10 years of experience, Nanotechnos still collects all gear he gets, even his first MPMAN MP3 player. He likes spreadsheets, technical specs and all this amazing(ly boring) numbers. But most of all, he loves music: electro, classical, dubstep, Debussy : the daily playlist.

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