Final Audio E2000 and E3000 – Impressively Inexpensive

Final Audio E2000 and E3000 – Impressively Inexpensive

Final Audio are a large company known for their Sonorus and Heaven series, along with their really exquisite FI-BA-SS series. Today we’re going to be looking at their absolute entry-level IEMs, E2000 and E3000. 

 

Introduction

Final Audio is a beloved and respected company when it comes to IEMs (In-Ear Monitors), and they also designed some mighty over-the-ear headphones in the past, but today we’re looking at absolutely their most inexpensive offerings. If you’re on a budget, and on a very limited budget, this is going to be fairly interesting for you. For mentioning a few words about the company, Final Audio is a very friendly company with a very strong after-sales service and support, and they are very helpful with advice and in guiding their customers to the right product. Their products are also sold in some shops around the world, and although they’re very improbable to break, it is nice knowing that you can get them fixed easily, if the need may be. 

It should be noted that I have absolutely no affiliation with Final Audio, I am not receiving any incentive for this review or to sweeten things out. This review is not sponsored nor has been paid for by Final Audio or anyone else. I’d like to thank Final Audio for providing the sample for this review. The sample was provided along with Final Audio’s request for an honest and unbiased review. This review will be as objective as it is humanly possible, and it reflects my personal experience with Final Audio E2000 and E3000 models. Every opinion expressed is mine and I stand by it, the purpose of this review is to help those interested in either E2000 or E3000 find their next music companion. 

 

Product Link

You can purchase Final E2000 from www.amazon.com here: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Audio-Design-Resolution-Headphone/dp/B072MK1WDF

You can purchase Final E3000 from www.amazon.com here: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Audio-Design-E3000C-Stainless/dp/B077D5ZGSB

 

Packaging

First things first, let’s get the packaging out of the way:

 

 

 

Both those IEMs come packaged in a very similar package of similar shape and similar size. They are so similar, that without looking in the box, you might have a hard time telling which is which. 

Both come packaged in small cardboard boxes with the IEMs being shelled in a plastic cut out, while the rest of the accessories and the ables are tucked underneath.

What is actually lovely to see is that Final Audio doesn’t take even their most inexpensive IEMs lightly and they actually provide a large set of accessories with them. Besides a lovely carrying pouch made of leather, you’ll get a wide selection of tips, all of which are quite comfortable and well made. We are impressed with the quality of them, and we feel like Final Audio does a great job in making a small yet effective package. 

There are ear hooks included in the package with both E2000 and E3000 IEMs, for those who want to wear them over the ear, but we are using them without the hooks, we always considered them to reduce comfort and won’t consider them a plus for actual usage of the IEMs, the cables being better at taking the natural shape of the ear. 

For two IEMs without detachable cables, there’s not much to talk about, and for a good reason, they don’t go overboard with including stuff that very few would use, and they don’t dedicate much of the price of those IEMs to accessories that many might never use. 

 

Build Quality/Aesthetics/Fit/Comfort

The build quality is really similar between the two, and besides the color being different, we feel like most users won’t really notice a difference. 

Both IEMs are round in shape, just like a bullet, and both have non-detachable cables. Both look like they are going to be very comfortable, both have metal bodies that look really durable, and both have a vent / opening in the back that allows for a better sonic reproduction and venting for the IEMs. 

 

 

The aesthetics are really pleasing, and while E2000 is a matte kind of black, the highly reflective, shiny surface of E3000 is going to look really classy and high-quality. Both have similar cables, and to our knowledge, there are versions with remotes and microphones on their cables as well. 

The comfort of both is excellent, the IEM body is very small and it works well with the tips, the IEM fits both while being worn straight-down and over-the-ear, and both have just an excellent overall comfort. There is no driver flex (this is a pretty serious issue until one reaches the midrange sector), and there simply isn’t any issue with the comfort that we can mention. In fact, thing which is really amazing, both E2000 and E3000 reach our golden standards of comfort, both feel good while being worn, work well over the ear, with no microphonics, with good tips from the box, and with everything else working simply really well. 

You can wear either for hours in a row without an issue, and both make excellent companions for your music-listening adventure. 



Sound Quality

The sound Quality is a little different between the two models, but both have some things in common. The short version is that both are amazing, having a really natural tone, along a clear and open midrange, with a good extension both ways, and both have an excellent soundstage and don’t sound congested, neither coming off as too dispersed. Neither isn’t boomy and doesn’t have any glaring issue, making them an instant favorite at their price range (which is really really low, 50 USD for E2000 and 80USD for E3000). 

For this price, simply, we can’t complain in any way. The detail levels are clearly in line with what other IEMs at those price point usually offer, really you’re getting better sound quality than the price is able to warrant for them. 

The bass of both units is deep and reaches very low, and has good punchiness, although the sub-bass is good for this price range only. The E3000 is warm and the upper midrange and the lower mids are very satisfying, while E2000 is thinner and has a more neutral approach to things, although it keeps a fairly interestingly slower decay bass that might feel natural or rather “at home” especially for users looking for a IEM at this price range. 

 

 

The midrange is quite a little different, with E3000 being more satisfying and thicker in the long run, while E2000 is more neutral, also bringing more emotion to the female vocals and to the upper midrange instruments like violins. E3000 feels more like a chill-and-relax IEM, while E2000 feels more like the emotional performer that would bring the emotional part of the music closer to the listener.

 

 

While we’re talking about the midrange, we would love to note that there are no peaks, no dips, the midrange is strangely balanced and really well done, we’re talking about a midrange that not only has a natural tone for this price range, but which has a suspectly good midrange tonal balance for up to 300 USD price point. 

The treble is also quite different, with E3000 having the more treble of the two, and E2000 being the smoother one. There is some slight roll-off, for those who love to hear less treble and to focus more on the midrange and the bass, and there is a fairly good amount of detail in the treble as well. We’re impressed that both IEMs made it this far, and to be honest, E3000 is the more impressing of the two, for having the more balanced overall sonic signature, although with its overall presentation, E2000 is not far behind. 



Soundstage

Here’s the actual surprise. We love soundstage. We actually can’t get along quite that well with congested soundstage because we feel it kills part of the presentation, and although metal music usually is very forward, it needs to be wide to sound clean and well presented. Bands like Incubus also require depth for their music to achieve the full impact intended in the original mix, while bands like Dope require more of a wider presentation to come off as fun and playful. 

Both E3000 and E2000 achieve excellent results on the soundstage, both have excellent sound stages for the price, and while E3000 has the larger one, E2000 doesn’t fall behind either. The instrument separation is also impressive, and although we’re using something like big words here, please keep in mind that at this price point we didn’t have much expectations. We literally expected them to be much less impressive, and the shock of hearing them sound so good makes us use big words to describe them. The soundstage size is what Final Audio really delivers on, and we’re happy to note that there is a good amount of air between instruments, and one can describe layers of instruments with ease. 


ADSR / PRaT

The ADSR/PRaT/Texturization is fair. There’s nothing to complain heavily about them, but there’s not much to say about them either. The textures are generally natural to slow with a fair amount of detail retrieved from textures. Textures of instruments are not overblown, but they are not the most fine either, still fairly good for the price. 

Portable Usage

Small IEMs with non-detachable cables, but with a thin and supple cable, ready to come with you on a second’s notice. This probably describes both E2000 and E3000 really well. They pair really well with almost anything, be it smartphone or professional-grade DAP, they sound nice with almost anything, and they don’t really win that much from better sources, not being revealing enough to make the source matter more. 

The isolation is fair to pretty low, because the back part of the IEM seems to be open (it seems to be a grille), so they won’t isolate well from the outside noise. For the gain they have in soundstage and instrument separation, along with how the music is generally presented, we feel that the fact they are open isn’t a large drawback, but if you require something to isolate you from the outside noise, it is worth noting that neither E2000 nor E3000 can’t do that. 

The fit and comfort is excellent, even great for running, they fit both straight down and over the ear, the tips are uber-comfortable, the IEM shape and bore size will work with almost any ear, and they are projected to be lightweight and to simply work. They don’t feel uncomfortable after a while, and they stay in ears, even after being there for hours, so they really are an excellent IEM in this aspect. 

The overall portability factor for both is good, excellent comfort, great cable and good overall portability. 



Comparisons 

Final Audio E2000/E3000 vs FiiO F5 – We have very few inexpensive IEMs currently, and FiiO F5 is one of them. In a few words, F5 is larger in size, has a smoother, thicker, bassier, and similarly open sound. It has a metal construction, just like E2000 and E3000, but it has detachable cables. Most folks won’t buy extra cables for a 50USD IEM, so they tie up in that aspect. If you prefer a really thick and warm sound with a satisfying overall tone, F5 is a good choice, if you prefer a more balanced presentation, either E2000 or E3000 is a good choice. 

Final Audio E2000/E3000 vs Shozy Hibiki – Roughly at the same price point, Shozy Hibiki is a nice-looking IEM, with a really interesting design. It has more going on for it with the detachable cables, but again, we don’t feel like anyone purchasing a IEM below 100USD will invest in aftermarket cables. The sound is more mid-centric on Shozy Hibiki, with a much more forward midrange, good instrument separation, and good soundstage. To be fair, if you prefer a more mid-forward signature, Hibiki delivers that, while if you prefer a more balanced signature, E2000/E3000 both are more balanced with a more balanced overall tone. 

Final Audio E2000/E3000 vs Kinera Seed – How do they fare against the mighty little Kinera? Well, they fare well. Kinera Seed is a reminder of Kinera H3, which was aggressively V-shaped, but this time being less aggressively V-shaped, but still pretty V-shaped. Kinera Seed also has good instrument separation, and good soundstage, but the tonal balance is much more in favor of bass and treble, with the midrange being placed in the background. This means that music sounds more punchy and impressive, but it sounds more balanced on E2000/E3000. Like in the other two comparisons, E2000 and E3000 both feel like they are really balanced. If you prefer a more colored sound to warm, to mid-centric, or to V-shaped, any of the IEMs in the comparison list can provide that, but if you’re looking after the most balanced one, E2000 and E3000 are that. Kinera seed is just as impressive, but tuned for another kind of taste.



Recommended Pairings

Due to their less revealing nature, and balanced tonality, E2000 and E3000 both can pair well with almost any source. They usually are influenced by the source, but given their rather good starting point, they are still enjoyable with analytical, with warm and even with bright sources. 

Final Audio E2000/E3000 + Shanling M2s – A little DAP to match the size and portability of those two, M2s is more than capable of powering either of the Final Audio IEMs to great overall results, it adds a bit of weight to each musical note, adds a bit of sparkle to the lower treble, and it provides a pretty good amount of detail for their level. 

Final Audio E2000/E3000 + Samsung T580 Tablet – This is an interesting synergy case as we found out, Samsung T580 pairs extremely well with those two IEMs and it leads to a very dynamic and energetic sound, something that many will enjoy. It isn’t the best textured sound, and it doesn’t have the best depth at all times, but the raw energy and lively presentation surely are worth to consider this pairing. The soundstage is considerably wider than most lower priced sources, and the instrument separation is quite excellent as well. While we haven’t tested many Samsung devices, T580 surely impressed us thus far. 

Final Audio E2000/E3000 + HIDIZS AP200 – AP200 is another less expensive device that leads to good results with E2000 and E3000. Similar to Shanling M2s, it is also thicker sounding, with a less expanded soundstage size, but with a bit of a sparkle in the lower treble, along with a thicker sound. 



Value and Conclusion

We should keep in mind that we’re reviewing two IEMs that are priced around 50 USD and 80 USD, so they are well in the entry-level area. For this price, you’re getting a really solid package, with a good selection of high quality tips, you’re getting a fairly interesting carrying package, although the leather pouch probably won’t protect them that much from an impact, and you’re getting some great sounding IEMs. 

The build quality of both E2000 and E3000 is top notch, with metal bodies, and a fairly sturdy, and supple cable. The cables are not detachable, but at this price point most users probably won’t get aftermarket cables either. The bodies are vented and they don’t present any kind of driver flex, nor have any kind of microphonics, already being pretty good for a IEM in the entry-level area. 

Both IEMs are aesthetically pleasing, with a modern and sleek deisgn, and both IEMs are very comfortable when worn, regardless whether you favor the straight-down or the over-the-ear wearing styles. The tips included in the package don’t get slippery after usage, and the IEMs themselves are lightweight and sit well in the ears, without having any hard edges or large body sizes that would otherwise be uncomfortable. 

When it comes to their sonic performance, they are simply astounding. The tonal balance of those two little IEMs was never seen before on such well-priced IEMs, they sound open, they sound clean, and they sound clear. The amount of details that they do reveal, they reveal well and place in good light, and both of them are great at presenting the listener with a good level of dynamics in the music. 

If you’re into a smoother IEM with a more laid-back presentation, then E2000 might be the better choice, and if you’re looking for a little more treble sparkle, along with the more emotional presentation, then E3000 might be the better choice for you. At any rate, both those IEMs have good strengths that can make you want them, and if you’re really constrained by your budget, then you can get a great performance for just a few USD with either of those two lovely IEMs!

 

Product Link

You can purchase Final E2000 from www.amazon.com here: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Audio-Design-Resolution-Headphone/dp/B072MK1WDF

You can purchase Final E3000 from www.amazon.com here: https://www.amazon.com/Final-Audio-Design-E3000C-Stainless/dp/B077D5ZGSB

---

--- Please remember to stay safe, and always have fun while listening to music!---

 - If you have a dime to spare, please donate, and help us! It would make the day brighter for me and my wife- 

---

Full Playlist used for this review

We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature.  I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5

--- Contact Us ---

---