Final ZE8000 review: Serious sound
Final has been a longstanding favourite in the audiophile world, it's a Japanese brand with a reputation for quality audio and outstanding design.
While it's well-established in hi-fi circles, it's a newcomer to the Bluetooth scene, only having launched its first TWS buds and wireless ANC headphones in 2022.
The brand's debut Bluetooth products were both on the affordable end of the spectrum, with the price sitting around the $149 mark. And they were both very impressive for the price point. This year, however, Final is kicking things up a notch.
The ZE8000 are Final's first attempt at a flagship true wireless earphone, and they come in at a price of $349 / £299 / €329. The question is, can these new buds live up to the premium price tag? We've been trying them out.
4.5/5
The Final ZE8000 produce truly exceptional sound, possibly the best we've ever heard from a wireless earphone. They lack some basic features, but with sound this good, we're happy to work around the shortcomings.
The ZE8000 come in either black or white, and both options feature Final's signature Shibo finish. This is the same finish that we saw on the UX3000 headphones, and we're quite fond of it. It reminds us of the finish on a high-end mirrorless camera, and, more practically, it's very fingerprint resistant and grippy.
When we first got the ZE8000 out of the box, we were immediately struck by the size of the charging case, it's easily the largest that we've come across. Thankfully, its curved edges make it easy to slip in and out of a pocket, but you can expect a significant bulge when doing so.
The unique design extends beyond the textured finish, with the case lid sliding to open, rather than flipping up like your average case. The earbuds
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