I was a bona fide member of the anti-ASMR club but then I tested these bizarre ASMR earbuds: here's what happened

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Ever heard of ASMR? Autonomous sensory meridian response?

You know that feeling when someone whispers in your ear or someone puts their fingers on your scalp to give you a head massage and the hairs on your arms stand up? Or you feel a shiver down your spine?

Yes, that's ASMR, and chances are, you've unwittingly listened to it or experienced it, even if you don't actively seek it out.

ASMR videos are everywhere now. Many YouTubers have built entire careers revolving around sensory stimulation, and I can see why viewers and listeners enjoy it. Me, personally? I'm not a fan of ASMR, only because it triggers my fight-or-flight response.

So what happens when an ASMR hater tests a pair of earbuds designed specifically for ASMR? Enter the Final ZE500 earbuds.

A few questions popped to my mind when I was offered the ZE500s for review: how do I even go about testing these? What do you mean they're specifically designed for ASMR? Are they any good for music?

Of course, all of these were answered as soon as I put them in my ears. I ended up awarding them 4.5-stars and the coveted Editor's Choice Award. So do I still hate ASMR? Allow me to share my experience.

Let the waves of calm wash over you

ASMR is all about layer and instrument separation. There are many different sounds involved, and you need a pair of earbuds that will make you feel like the person in the video who's whispering is right next to you — that's what the Final ZE500 earbuds excel at.

Listening to binaural beats in the respective ear and hearing the ocean waves crash did indeed make me feel very calm — and it boosted my productivity, too! It was like all my worries had melted away.

Look, I'm not a huge fan of this but even I can't deny the ZE500s' charm.

First, these earbuds are extremely comfortable — dare I say the most comfy I've tested so far? They sport a pressure-relieving design and are very light, so they kinda burrow into your ears and sit their snugly. I barely felt them most of the time.

Secondly, the ZE500s boast incredible and accurate instrument and layer separation, which is ideal for ASMR. This means that you can appreciate every single soft and loud sound in an audio clip, making it more immersive and three-dimensional.

I won't lie, listening to binaural beats in the respective ear and hearing the ocean waves crash did indeed make me feel very calm — and it boosted my productivity, too! It was like all my worries had melted away.

Tingles and shivers

When I test earbuds, I listen to songs I'm familiar with to try and pick out what sounds good and what doesn't. How did I test the Final ZE500 ASMR earbuds, you ask? I had to do the one thing I wasn't looking forward to: watch and listen to ASMR videos.

I looked out for instrument separation, how well binaural sounds and directional audio worked through each earbud, and whether it made me feel calm. And the ZE500s exceeded my expectations regardless of what I threw at them.

If you're interested in the videos I used and would like to check them out for yourself, have at it:

My seal of approval?

So, do I like ASMR now because of the Final ZE500s? No, I'm still not completely sold on it. It really depends on the type of ASMR but I don't like all of it. Some of it is nice though, like I actually want Kathryn Hahn to read me a bedtime story now considering I've watched nearly every video of her doing ASMR.

But I get the appeal now. Because our brains respond to gentle stimuli in real life, such as a gentle touch or a soothing voice, I understand why people seek out ASMR. A lot of ASMR videos also follow specific non-threatening patterns, which can lull your brain into a sense of security.

Many ASMR videos emulate real-life, relaxing scenarios too, such as getting a head massage or a haircut. If it can help a person's mental health or provide them a moment of escape, I am all for it.

What's that you ask? Will I be actively seeking out ASMR now? Maybe. But I do know one thing for certain: I will be using the ZE500s for everything for a while considering they are great for practically everything.

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Nikita is a Staff Writer on the Reviews team at Tom's Guide. She's a lifelong gaming and photography enthusiast, always on the lookout for the latest tech. Having worked as a Sub Editor and Writer for Canon EMEA, she has interviewed photographers from all over the world and working in different genres. When she’s not working, Nikita can usually be found sinking hours into RPGs on her PS5, flying a drone (she's a licensed drone pilot), at a concert, or watching F1. Her work has appeared in several publications including Motor Sport Magazine, NME, Marriott Bonvoy, The Independent, and Metro.

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