FINAL AUDIO E3000 REVIEW:When lushness meet smoothness a mellow dream come true

FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E3000 REVIEW:

SOUND: 8.5/10
CONSTRUCTION: 9/10
DESIGN: 9/10
ACCESSORIES: 9/10
VALUE: 9/10

After my reviews of Final Audio Design E1000, E2000 and E4000, it’s time for me to share my impressions of the glossy metal lookers E3000 earphones.

As it make 2 months that I listen to it, i’m now very confident to share you my truthfull toughs wich again, to the risk of being repetitive, are very positive.

In fact, if you love one E serie model, there lot of chance you love them all, because like world cuisine recipes, even if it use specifics recurrent spices, the flavor aren’t the same yet they keep a recognizable taste. Whole E serie is delactable to my ears, and the E3000 wich have the warmest sound approach isn’t an exception.

We can call the E3000 the middle tiers of E series, tough the 10$ price jump from E2000 is very small. This make this 50$ earphones incredibly competitive in its price range and now we do not just talk about the sound as the look and construction is top notch as well and suggest higher price tag.

To my ears, E1000 and E2000 are more similar sounding than the E3000, wich offer more bass presence and thicker mids. This make the sound very refined, mellow with rich timbre and easy to listen fo long hours. Even if it use surely the same 6.4mm dynamic driver than its little E brothers, tuning is evidently different and I think E3000 could very be the more accessible sounding iem from whole E serie.

Let’s see why in this review.

Product LINK

SPECS :

Product code :- FI-E3DSSC

Housing :- Stainless steel mirror-finished

Driver :- 6.4mmΦ dynamic driver

Sensitivity :- 100 dB/mW

Impedance :- 16Ω

Weight :- 15g

Cord length :- 1.2m

ACCESSORIES, CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN :

UNBOXING is elegantly minimalist, and include same accessories than E2000, wich is a nice carrying pouch, 4 pairs of extra eartips of great quality and silicone ear hook.

CONSTRUCTION is irreprochable. The stainless steel miror finish is luxurious and eye appealing, but more importantly very sturdy. E3000 nozzle is made of plastic, all the rest is metal, including the nice venting grill in the back. Cable is standard but well hooked to the housing and have a quality L shape jack. There no manufacturing issue anywhere, all is slick and well put togheter, yet, this keep a low profile due to very small earphones size.

DESIGN is all about the genius of simplicity.

As the housing is only 1.7cm long and 0.6cm thick, wich is the same size of E2000 but smaller than E1000 and E4000, it make this earphones the supreme fitter for any type of ears and so comfortable you can sleep on your pillow without knowing you have them in ears.

It can be wear over ears or standard way, and that even without using the ear hook that come with it.

Unlike other bigger and heavier earphones, even if you pull the cable a little, it will not tend to fall so I think this earphones is very versatile for portable use, should it be for running, making bike or just surviving in chaotic city.

About sound isolation, if you insert the E3000 deeply, it will block noise quite intensely even if it have an open back design. For sound leakage, its l not as good, because yeah, your music is share from the back venting mesh. Depending of volume level you listen too, this can be innapropriate in some silent places.

SOUND :

Overall sound impressions is relaxing, immersive and extremely enjoyable, to be point that more you listen to the E3000 more your became addicted to the mellow richness of its particular soundsignature.

This is a cuddly sounding earphones, a really gentle one, but with rich and generous soul. What hit me first was the rich thick timbre of the bass, that sound full and perfectly articulate, not boomy at all, but still enough energic and punchy to deal well with rythm section. After this, you begin to notic how smoothly clear are the mids, and can’t believe how free of any sibilance or upepr mids peaks the vocal are represented, this is sure a big change from any U shape earphones I ever heard, wich make me consider bassy but balanced the E3000 even if lower bass emphasis warm overall sound the vocal are free of mid bass veil due to a soft approach in this region. How can timbre be so natural yet so mellow? I don’t know, but this is sure the magical tuning of E3000 because its treble roll off stole some texture grain without making timbre suffer from thinest or lack of coherency.

SOUNDSTAGE is wide and stereo like, it have an intimate and frontal approach and not alot of deepnest. Anyway, it do not feel stock inside your head, but more close to the musiciens stage. If your into concert all ultra airy spaciality, this isn’t what your looking for, but if your into real life like bookshelf stereo system imaging at about 1 feet of your head, this is sure a good reproduction of this audio experience.

AMPING, for me at least, is needed as I find it open up the sound more and permit a better imaging and dynamic. Out of a phone or very unpowerfull DAP, E3000 will lack attack and decay and sound less airy. Extra amping give more authority to bass, so E3000 became less mid centric.

LOWER END is slightly emphased and have good thickness to it, it’s very clear and tigh with minimal rumble to it but nonetheless a weighty presence. Timbre is impressive, neither dry or bright, it have good body and definition with just enough texture to it to make him natural and lively. Separation from mid bass is good, but even more from mid range, so, your sub bass line are extremely accurate, should is be from an acoustic bass or a synth, it’s very impressive how well rendered and agile 20hz-150hz section is rendered. To me, it make the E3000 the more exciting E models for electronic, due to weighty slam that never sound too agressive but can deal with energic and fast IDM gloriously.

MID BASS is less proeminent than sub, but have enough grip in timbre to compensate a too soft attack. Warm and accurate, it have an organic feel to it that will be benificial for instrument separation and vocal clarity, but less so for extra punchy energy that some fast music type need like rock or metal. Toms will sound fuller and more extended than acoustic drums kick that gain in energy from brighter tuning. This mellow approach to mid bass permit a soft, non agressive and more versatile sound presentation.

MID RANGE is pure organic sugar. Sweet as orange blossom honey.
This is the type of midrange that you can swim in for long time, should it be to explore richness of sound ocean or just to float on your back to contemplate musicality. It is rich yet super mellow, and fully cover from 1khz to 8khz without any harsh peak. More elevated than mid bass, and about same level than lower end, instrument separation in this wide range section is generous and accurate but do not benifit from extra air, its an intimate presentation with plenty of audio information that without sounding over saturated feel quite neutral in its presentation. Here, attack is great but decay do not expand due to very limited soundstage space. I find the female signer to sound fuller due to mid bass drop that is more important to male vocal, in instrumental music where there not lot of bass, like Susanna Wallumrod ‘’Sonata Mix dwarf cosmos’’ album, her voice is full and natural, without too emphased treble, it is centered in middle of instrumental and she sign very near of you, without any unpleasant peaks to her voice.

TREBLE is liquid and accurate, it extend up to 12khz without any harsh peaks, giving incredible richness to everything under upper highs. Level of details is very nice even if the highs aren’t very sparkly or crisp. To my ears, the timbre is as much soft than rich, wich mean it have a rich natural presence that never feel coloured, as in real life you will not hear every micro texture of an instrument, the E3000 render piano note fully, with impactfull body and realist transparency that I rarely find with other to opaque or dry sounding earphones. Even if the plucked instrument like guitar or harpsichord did not have lot of decay, the thickness of every note is so well articulated that it permit to never sound out of phase. Finely tuned as only Final Audio can do, this type of treble is permissive yet accurrate, and perferct for long listening session free of any hearing fatigue. Lush and very musical, i find that more you listen to the E3000, more you discover that it isn’t as warm sounding as it look and fully expose the music subtility in an gentle contemplative way.

SUB:8.5/10

MID BASS:7/10

MID RANGE : 8.5/10

TREBLE : 8.5/10

TIMBRE : 9/10

ATTACK : 8/10

SOUNDSTAGE : 7.5/10

COMPARAISONS :

VS Brainwavz KOEL (70$) :

Soundstage of is wider and more around your head than Koel more intimate and transparent one, wich have slightly more deepness to it even if it feel more in your head.

BASS of E3000 is more extended, thicker and more impactfull, it have better fuller timbre and more energy to it, but can slightly warm the lower mids. Koel have drastic bass roll off and feel thin and dry in this region, mid bass is more fowards but lack body wich make the impact quite light.

MID RANGE of E3000 is warmer and fuller, but more recessed than mid centric Koel. With Koel we have wide vocal presentation that feel more present than other frequencies range, while it is very appreciate for signers, it tend to stole the show of rest of instrumental and affect proper imaging. Mid range of E3000 is more linear and richer in the sens it show everything in 1khz-8khz range without discrimination and feel overall more balanced and natural than Koel. As well, male vocal of E3000 sound fuller due to better bass response.

TREBLE extend further with Koel, wich make them brighter too, but not in an unpleasant agressive way. Anyway, even if E3000 have rolled off upper treble, timbre sound richer and overall tonality more natural than dryier Koel, that while giving more micro details and sparkle, feel less well balanced and more distorted when lot of instrument mix up.

Construction of Koel is average, mmcx connection looking fragile as well as rough 3D printed housing. E3000 look more expensive than it cost, for Koel, its the opposite even if it have detachable cable.

VS MACAW GT600S (90$) :

SOUNDSTAGE is just less wide than E3000 but offer more deepnest and airier presentation.

BASS is more mid focused with brighter more fowards punch but thinner and dryier lower end, as well, it feel less well controled and natural than thicker E3000 that offer fuller timbre.

MID range is fully covered byt the E3000 while the GT600S feel more coloured in upper mids sections and less bodied in lower mids, vocal sound more recessed with GT600S as well as more prompt to sibilance.
TREBLE is more extended but less linear and balanced than E3000, it have upper treble emphasis that make highs more sparkly but more artificial sounding too. Level of overall details is richer with E3000 apart from above 12khz region.

CONSTRUCTION is excellent with both iem, and you have changeable nozzle with GT600S wich is nice. For comfort, I prefer small housing of E3000.

VS FINAL AUDIO DESIGN E2000 :

These two little brothers have the same size, but one look more luxurious due to is polish stainless steel finish that caught they eyes. As well, little brother E2000 have a slightly higher sound pressure being 102db vs 100db of E3000.

E serie is all about sublte soundsignature change or improvment. Here, using different housing construction, we already have surely some sound change but that’s not all

E3000 is even smoother in attack than E2000, with a hint more low end extension, wich give a fuller warmer soundsignature. Soundstage feel a little less airy than its brother and mids have more thickness to it wich give them more weight. Treble is even more smooth and could well became the best 50$ iem for treble sensitive audiophile, as it give buttery vocal that never hiss or shout. There a little extra texture in 3khz region to help separation from mid bass and lower mids as well as give extra clarity to snare, that with the well rendered natural percussion add extra energy to a very smooth musicality. The E2000 sound more W shape with a more lively presentation but both sound very similar in they end.

VS FINAL AUDIO E1000 (30$):

SOUNDSTAGE of E1000 is taller-airyer-deeper while the E3000 is slightly wider.

BASS of E3000 have more sub presence and smoother mid bass, while E1000 is faster punchier and brighter.

MIDS of E1000 are more fowards, have wider presence and brighter timbre with more emphasis on upper range and cleaner lower range than E3000, wich feel warmer, thicker in the midrange.

TREBLE of E1000 is more linear, transparent and a little dryier than the E3000, wich feel more sparkly in upper range and more natural and relaxed. Timbre have a little more finess with pricier E3000.

AMPING is more needed for E3000 than for E1000.

CONCLUSION:


My journey trough Final Audio E serie models was a very rewarding one, and even change my perception of sound to discover the inner subtelities of a well balanced mature tuning. By mature, I mean a smooth musicality as neutral as possible and here, with the E3000, this softenen treble approach is pushed even further than other E models because of little sub bass emphasis. With Final Audio, its always about subtle elegant change in tuning and whatever the models you choose you will not be overwhelmed by artificial treble spike.

The E3000 lush, agile and smooth sound presentation is very lively because of the phenomenal timbre approach, its hard to explain how fascinating it is but let’s just say it have a generous transparent soul. This very model will appeal wide audience, and as I can see around here on headfi, audio reviews blog or on amazon, it’s already a quite well hyped budget earphones and this isn’t because it’s the more bassy model, as its far from being a basshead over coloured sounding earphones.

If you struggle to find a versatile earphones that offer rich natural timbre, with thick articulate bass that do not drown the fascinating mellow mid-range as well as a fatigue free approach in an ultra small housing, search no further, because the E3000 can even stay in your ears until you sleep.