Wireless Earbuds

Final Audio A5000 vs E4000 Comparison Review:

For this comparison review, I may be in the odd situation of having used the Final Audio A5000 before the E4000, but unfortunately, here we are. For an IEM under $300, the recently released A5000 made a great impact on me and is well deserving of the MajorHiFi Silver award. But, Final Audio’s E4000 has established itself as a very well-received release and, when it was released a few years ago, was awarded a MajorHiFi Gold. The E4000 costs $149, which is less than half the price of the A5000; this review is more concerned with how well each IEM demonstrates its value and whether or not the A5000 is an appropriate upgrade. It is safe to say that most people would agree that the A5000 is the victor.

What’s In the Box?

Final Audio E4000

Final Audio A5000

E4000 earphones

A5000 earphones

MMCX Cable

Silver plated 2 pin cable with 3.5mm jack

5 Type E Silicone Ear Tips

5 Type E Silicone Ear Tips

Silicone Carrying Case

Silicon carrying case

Earhooks

Ear hooks

Karabiner

Look and Feel

It almost seems unfair to compare the Final Audio A5000 and E4000 side by side in this area. The A5000 is built of ABD resin and features a more conventional in-ear monitor design with a form that fits the listener’s concha. The physical shape of the E4000 is similar to a “screwdriver,” sticking straight into the ear canal with a small, L-shaped structure. It is composed of aluminum. The pictures probably make what I’m describing clear to you. My preferred fit belongs to the A5000 because I frequently have trouble getting screwdriver earphones or IEMs like the E4000 to feel evenly located in my ears. Having stated that, while some individuals prefer oranges, I prefer apples.

Both have a pretty slim build and a very practical light weight going for them. I had no issues having to readjust the E4000 after I got used to its form and design, and regardless of my personal preferences, I would definitely classify it as comfortable. Both in-ears provided above average passive isolation, however I believe the A5000 had a tiny advantage due to its ear-filling physical qualities. I’ll go into more detail about how the physical makeup of the E4000 influenced my opinion of its staging and image shortly.

Technical Design and Specs

With the launching of the E4000, Final Audio has made significant advancements in its driver designs, which are reflected in the A5000, which incorporates design ideas discovered while the business was developing the top-of-the-line A8000. The brass front housing of the A5000, which is less reactive to magnetic interferences than regular aluminum, is a manifestation of these improvements. To reduce the weight of moving elements and speed up response time, lighter voice coils and adhesives were also used. Also, a custom-made F Core Du dynamic driver is present, which Final Audio praises for the uniformity of its diaphragm, which results in a “distortion-free” listening experience. The E4000’s notable design features include an acoustic resistor connected to the L-shaped acoustic chamber on the back of the housing, which together control low-mid frequency characteristics.

Final Audio E4000

Final Audio A5000

Sensitivity

97 dB

100 dB

Impedance

15Ω

18Ω

Driver Type

6mm Dynamic

6mm F-Core Du Dynamic

Cable

MMCX

2 Pin Silver Coated

Weight:

18g

28g

Soundstage

There is one area where, given their price ranges, both machines perform nearly astonishingly well. Both the A5000 and the E4000 appear to have an abundance of depth and width. Tracks are clearly divided into various sections that dynamically approach my ears with superb spatial dynamics and angular features. When they were at their best, both even had height components, with the A5000 placing vocals just above my forehead and the E4000 transmitting tracks that were heavy on the lower mids and prone to bending beneath my jaw.

Both devices have excellent imaging, but the Final Audio A5000 maximizes this quality by combining its high spatial separation with an extremely fine balance. The A5000’s image is slightly larger than the darker, denser E4000 thanks to its airy, wide sound. The E4000’s “screwdriver” design created an audible illusion by creating rich depth while simultaneously feeling barely present in my ear, despite the A5000 narrowly winning this close race in its staging and picture. In conclusion, I give both units high marks.

Balance Comparison

The A5000’s low-end boost is steep yet narrow, focusing on mid-bass but also raising subs by a little. It’s all about clarity and separation. The low-mids appear to utterly overpower this increase while the upper bass appears to be substantially rolled off. Before things start to spike up again in the high mids as well as the low and mid treble, flat low mids are followed by a tiny center mid scoop.

The E4000 focuses more on warmth, amplifying its low end significantly and appearing to use the remainder of its frequency response for its roll off. When you increase the frequency, noise levels decrease. As a result, it has a lively, fuzzy bass end that prominently propels the mix, with just enough high mid presence to prevent an overtly muffled sound quality.

Overall, the balance of the A5000 is undoubtedly more complicated and refined. The smooth and airy high end seems to work on a distinct layer from the tightly enhanced bottom end, which creates a dramatic impact and density that does an excellent job of preserving the detail on both low-end and high-end timbres. To put it bluntly, the Final Audio E4000 cannot come close to matching the A5000’s clarity. It does have a lovely fuzziness due to the low end concentration, but the A5000 can offer more pronounced contrasts and separations. The E4000’s low end appears as a single, solid layer and is unable to access the finer and faster details that the A5000 can do so with ease. The E4000 has just enough treble to prevent a muffled sound, but not enough to be particularly revealing in the higher frequencies. It also tends to overly muffle the harmonic overtones of higher pitched guitars and synths, as well as the lifting aspects of voice breath and cymbals.

The Final Audio A5000 is, in a nutshell, airy, sharp, and clean with plenty of pleasant bass. The E4000 is cozy, cozy, soft, and bassy, but when it comes to balance, it simply cannot compare to the A5000’s revealing nature.

Conclude

I’m quite happy with both units after using them. In order to respond to my initial query about whether or whether the A5000 presents itself as an enticing $279 upgrade from the $149 E5000, I can say without a doubt that it does. The E4000 undoubtedly performs better than its price, but the A5000 also does so and does so more gracefully and elegantly. While I would recommend the Final Audio E4000 as a superb in-ear device that doesn’t break the bank, there are obviously a few identifiable shortcomings in its balance clarity that make the addendum of being exceptional “for its price” required. The Final Audio A5000, which I listened to for hours and could only find a small complaint about for its attenuation of its center midfrequency, I can’t quite say the same about. It doesn’t require a “for its price addendum” because, as I stated in my assessment, it is just a great IEM overall. My opinion? The improvement is priceless. The Final Audio A5000 is a $279 device that sounds like it costs $500, while the E4000 may be a $149 in-ear that sounds like it costs $225.

 

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