Final ZE8000 still puts sound quality as the first consideration. If you need a strong ANC noise canceling effect, you don’t have to choose it. Because Final has already said – ZE8000 is a non-oppressive noise canceling design. If you pay attention to sound quality, want to hear more sound details and wear it comfortably for a long time, then you must put Final ZE8000 in the priority choose list.
Final ZE8000 specs and features:
- Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC/AAC/aptX Adaptive codec
- 5 hours playback of per charge
- Charging case can charge earbuds fully 2 times
- IPX4 waterproof rating (earbuds)
- Supports Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound
- $349 – Check latest price on Amazon US, Amazon Germany, Amazon UK or other Amazon countries
Appearance Design and Comfortable Fit
The shape of the charging case is very similar to the powder box. The overall size is relatively small and can be comfortably placed in any pocket. There are four LED lights under the front of the case, which represent the power status. In addition, the opening method of the charging case is different from the common TWS earbuds, they are pushed up to open the case cover.
Both the earbuds and the charging case are made of lightweight resin material. If you look closely, the surface is coated with irregular textures, similar to the lens surface of a high-end SLR camera. This is also the usual design of Final, which is to hope that the Final ZE8000 is like a high-end camera – worthy of your cherished use! In addition, it also has the advantages of anti-slip and anti-fingerprint.
Judging from the appearance, the size of the earbud is quite huge. If you look closely, you can find that it is actually three cavities – this is a design made to improve wearing comfort. A common practice is to put the drive unit, battery, and circuit board into the same cavity, and the volume of the earbud will naturally increase, which may squeeze the ear and cause discomfort. The Final approach is to separate the three, the part close to the ear is the drive unit, and the outer part is the battery, circuit board, microphone and other components. On the one hand, it reduces the volume of the part that enters the ear, and on the other hand, it can also prevent the drive unit from being interfered by the magnetic force of the circuit.
In order to further improve the wearing comfort, specially shaped silicone eartips (5 sizes) are designed for the ZE8000 instead of Type-E eartips. The actual wearing feel is soft and fit. Although the earbuds look big, but they are not heavy, and they are light and stable to wear.
After long-term use, the sound hole filter of the earbuds will inevitably be dirty or clogged – Final presented 5 sets of filters (10 pieces) for users to replace. There are also filter post-it sticks of the same size to allow you to press and hold the new filter in place.
ANC without pressure, 4 noise canceling modes
Final said that their ANC technology is the result of independent research and development, emphasizing the high-quality active noise canceling without oppressive feeling, and does not affect the sound quality. In the actual audition, the noise canceling effect is not as powerful as other first-line brands – Final has made a certain choice in consideration of sound quality and listening comfort.
But don’t worry, the noise canceling ability of Final ZE8000 still has a certain degree of strength. When using it on the street, I can feel that the surrounding environment sound has weakened, and the low-frequency noise of the vehicle engine has also decreased – although it is not completely quiet, it is indeed not aurally stuffy or oppressive sense.
In addition to ANC Mode, Wind-Cut Mode, Ambient Sound Mode and Voice Through Mode are also provided. The effect of Wind-Cut Mode is very obvious – after turning it on, it can significantly reduce the wind noise caused by the wind blowing through the ears. The Ambient Sound Mode also feels natural, without the feeling that the sound is obviously amplified – while also eliminating footsteps, low-frequency noise, etc. If you need to talk to others, you can turn on Voice Through Mode – at this time, the volume of the song will be automatically reduced, and you can clearly hear the surrounding background sound (enhanced version of Ambient Sound Mode??). However, only ANC Mode and Ambient Sound Mode can be quickly switched by using the touch area of the left earbud. The other two modes (Wind-Cut and Voice Through) must be switched through the Final Connect App.
Codecs – Calls
The wireless transmission of Final ZE8000 is Bluetooth V5.2, which supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive codecs. In addition, the packaging box is also marked to support Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, providing CD-level lossless sound quality or 24bit/96kHz sound quality for aptX Adaptive, allowing users to enjoy high sound quality and low latency at the same time. But your device must support Snapdragon Sound.
The earbud stem has holes on the top and bottom ends, and built-in beamforming microphones – which can improve the clarity of phone calls and video calls. When I called my friend on the street, he said that he didn’t hear any obvious background noise, and my voice could be heard clearly – a little muffled but not serious, and the overall clarity was not bad.
APP Support – Controls
There is an EQ adjustment in the Final Connect APP, which is called PRO Equalizer here. The difference is that there is no preset EQ for users to choose – only OFF and Custom. In custom mode, +/-3dB adjustments can be made for four frequency bands of 35Hz, 350Hz, 1.6kHz, and 10kHz.
The other is “Volume Step Optimizer” – allowing users to make more subtle adjustments within the volume range they are used to, to optimize the listening experience.
The control logic of Final ZE8000 is slightly different from other TWS earbuds. If you don’t read the manual, you may be slow to get started. For example, the inherent impression of answer/ends calls is to single-tap the earbuds – ZE8000 is double-tap. Besides, there are many other differences, which can be resolved by reading the manual for the control part, so I won’t say much here.
8K SOUND+ and f-CORE Dynamic Driver
There is an “8K SOUND+” function in the Final Connect APP. According to Final’s explanation, the preset 8K Sound digital signal processing is not turned on to the strongest level – but if you switch the 8K SOUND+ in the APP to ON, the full computing power will be activated. When turned on, the power consumption will also increase, which is said to reduce the battery life by 1 hour. Is there a solution to this problem? Final is honest – that’s charging more often. Of course, there is another way, which is to turn off 8K SOUND+, but it may affect the performance of sound details, it depends on your choice!
ZE8000 is equipped with the exclusive developed f-CORE for 8K SOUND ultra-low distortion dynamic driver. It claims to adopt advanced production technology, and combine light weight and high rigidity aluminum-magnesium alloy diaphragm with soft silicone suspension-edge with unique production techniques.
Judging from the section view provided by Final, it seems that the suspension-edge firmly clamps the diaphragm, which saves the need to use adhesives and further reduces the weight of the diaphragm. It also increases the area of the central sounding area, which is approximately equivalent to a 13mm dynamic driver according to Final’s calculations. In addition, Final changed the lead wire of the voice coil to a suspended overhead design this time, which reduces the use of adhesives and also helps to reduce the weight of the drive unit.
The amp circuit adopts a class AB design that is rare in true wireless earphones, emphasizing that it can reduce distortion, improve signal-to-noise ratio and better instantaneous response. In addition, Final ZE8000 also uses a Japanese Rubycon film polymer laminated capacitor (PMLCAP), which can reduce the noise floor of the circuit and achieve the purpose of improving sound quality.
Sound Description: Excellent sound details and sound channel separation
Lee Morgan’s “Ceora”: The piano sounds warm and slightly glossy. The jazz drum is lightly tapped on the side, and the low-frequency graininess of the cello is clear but the quantity sense is not much. Lee Morgan’s trumpet is added, and the sound of playing is warm and solid, and the treble is full of energy, smooth and not irritating. Through Final ZE8000, you can carefully taste the performance details of various instruments, and the separation of sound channels is good and the positioning is clear. The spatial performance of the sound field is moderately developed, not particularly loose, but not tight.
Oscar Peterso’s “Days of Wine and Roses”: The piano is in the middle with a mild luster, and the keys are clear and unambiguous. The cello plays a brisk bouncing rhythm on the closer position on the right, and the low-frequency extension and quantity sense have been increased – but it will not be out of control and flood, and will not affect the details of alto and treble. The position of the jazz drum is in the middle left, the metallic luster of the cymbals is crisp and not irritating, the positioning of the three is distinct, and the details are still rich – very exciting!
Hearing this, what would be the sound performance if “8K SOUND+” is turned off? My feeling is that it sounds warmer and softer – not as sharp as before, especially the treble and bass details. But I have to say that the gap between before and after comparison is not very huge, and it may take repeated comparisons to feel it. Obviously, the preset 8K SOUND of ZE8000 already has a good sound level.
Soft and detailed vocals
手嶌葵 – Asukaへの母纸: The texture of the piano playing at the beginning of the song is gentle and full, and the piano sound is extended with an elegant luster. I also noticed a delicate touch of the piano keys that is usually imperceptible. The singer’s singing sounds loud and close to the front on the ZE8000. The singing details are very rich, but there is no too strong tooth sound, and the fresh voice has a soft feeling of appropriate thickness.
Low-frequency is deep and powerful without being excessive
A Star is Born Album – “Black Eyes”: The song begins with electric guitar, followed by a low-frequency beat of drums. The ZE8000’s bass performance on this song is not weak at all, but rather deep and powerful – and the speed is crisp and not procrastinated. It seems that the bass of Final ZE8000 can be said to be strong when it is strong, and it does not interfere with the details of mid-high frequency.
Conclusion
After waiting for many years, Final finally launched the flagship true wireless earphones equipped with ANC function. Even so, Final ZE8000 still puts sound quality as the first consideration. If you really need a strong noise canceling effect, you don’t have to choose it. Because Final has already said – ZE8000 is a non-oppressive noise canceling design. If you pay attention to sound quality, want to hear more sound details and wear it comfortably for a long time, then you must put Final ZE8000 in the priority choose list.