I am a snob. Generally, when it comes to the best headphones and earbuds, you'll find me daily driving something that costs anywhere between $300 and $500, whether that's over- or in-ear. For the last few months, it's either been the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 — both options that set you back a fair chunk of your dollars.
It's also true that I'm a big fan of budget buds and headphones. And there's one company that makes some of my favorite low-cost audio products: Japanese firm Final. So when I recieved the Final ZE3000 SV in the mail, I was excited to give them a go.
I finally decided to take a look a couple of weeks ago. I placed my B&W buds into a drawer, and exclusively used the Final buds as my out-of-work heroes. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to be quite as impressed as I was.
Great fit
I've tried out other buds that Final has made, and they've all got one thing in common — the fit. Final seems to know how to make a comfortable pair of earbuds with well-judged shapes, excellent silicone eartips, and light construction.
The ZE3000 SV are no different. They're super small, incredibly light, and their silicon tips come in enough shapes and sizes to fit just about anyone.
I took them on a trip to London, where I wore them for almost the entire day. Not only were there zero fitting issues, they didn't fall out and for the most part I forgot they were even there.
Solid ANC
I don't think you can expect the most incredible noise canceling around out of something so cheap, but I was surprised by how much noise they managed to block out. Even during my walks through the busy London streets.
They're not as good as my Bose QuietComforts or the Bowers & Wilkins pair, but for something that costs so little the performance is incredibly impressive.
My trip on the train was quietened, silencing the noisy soccer fans at the other end of the carriage, and kept the noise of the train at bay. Engine noise was barely audible, and the rhythmic clacking of wheels on tracks was dampened.
In London itself the ANC continued to impress. The sounds of the streets were much quieter, as loud tire and engine noises where drowned out by a combination of ANC and my music. The chatter of passers-by was much more tolerable, and I was able to hear more of the actual music as a result.
The best bit: Epic sound
If there's one thing that Final always gets very right, it's the sound quality. The ZE3000 SV are another feather in Final's cap, featuring the best sound quality I've heard for the price. There's top notch detail on offer out of the buds, making sure that you can hear even the most subtle elements of your tracks with great resolution.
The mids and the bass are good too. There's some lovely low end representation for bass guitars and other lower frequencies, Guitars and vocals are well recreated by the wide and spacious mids. I found myself very quickly forgetting that I wasn't using my favorite buds. In fact, in some ways, they sounded better than the Bose pair — especially when it comes to detail.
Circuit Bender from Intervals allowed the buds to show the full spectrum of the sound abilities. There's plenty of body for the heavy, distorted guitars, afforded a certain extra edge by the highs. Calmer parts are clear as crystal, while the all important guitar solos move across the frequency range smoothly. The drums are vibrate your jaw impactful, but there's still plenty of thump on offer from the rhythm section.
Mr Bungle's Squeeze Me Macaroni brings the madness in spades, and the ZE3000 relish the occasion. The shift in tone is well handled, and the mad-cap vocal part is well reconstructed. The acoustic guitar parts cut through the mix with accuracy, and then the louder and more intense sections are perfectly bonkers. Loads and loads of fun — and the Final buds have no problem keeping up.
Every thing else (just buy a pair, like, now)
The battery life is very solid, the app is competent, and multipoint connection is very useful. There's not a lot I would complain about when it comes to the buds, even when taking their price into consideration.
I've come to love the little guys, and while they might not perform like my current chosen buds from Bowers & Wilkins, they're a great way to get incredible sound for not a whole lot of money.
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