Back story:
Following the demise of my Heaven V Ageing, I walked into my local audio shop, planning to grab a pair of VE Monk or Espresso. The staff was doing a promotional photoshoot of the E3000 by pairing it together with AK240ss. That moment I thought, "Aren't those little IEM pretty? They must cost around S$300 (200 USD). With that undetachable cable, they should be some midrange IEM." I didn't know what IEM it was. And I didn't care, cuz all I wanted was a cheap pair of earbuds! So I didn't bother inquiring about it. I already had my EE Zeus R, so what's the point of spending a few hundred bucks on some non-TOTL IEM that I'm gonna resell after a few weeks of disuse?
And what a mistake I had made by not asking what the new earbuds were! As I was about to pay for the VE Monk, I asked for recommendations for any other affordable earpieces, in the hope that I would find something more comfortable than the Monks. Without a second thought, the sales assistant pointed to the E2000 and E3000. I didn't knew the prices yet, but I didn't want to ask just yet, as I was afraid it would affect my judgement. Here's what happened--
Sales Assistant (A): Try these, they just arrived yesterday. New IEMs <passes me the E3000>
Me: Sure. <pop E3000 on, play music via phone>
Me: <Immediately impressed by the tuning, listened for 2 minutes, switching about 8 songs I was familiar with, each to their best sounding part> Hmmm... They are nice! Can I try the other one?
A: I knew you would like them <passes me E2000>
Me: <listened for 30 seconds, some snippets of about 2-3 songs> Mehh the first one is much better! What's the price difference?
<I expected about 70-100 dollars difference. Notice that I didn't ask for their prices directly, as I thought they would cost around 200-300, and I wasn't planning to spend today>
A: ermm about $20. let me check... <took out his notebook to check for the pricings>
Me: <in disbelief> what? only $20 difference? Why are they so closely priced while sounding so different?
A: <finishes checking prices> actually just $10 difference. The E3000 is a tier better than the E2000.
//I was very puzzled, as usually for IEMs, a tier better would translate to $100-400 more, depending on high-end the IEM is. Curious, I decided to ask for their price//
Me: so how much are they?
A: the one you like is $71 (~50USD)
Me: <looked at VE monk, then at the E3000> Heck, I'm taking this. <pointing to E3000>
1. Introduction:
According to the Final Audio Design Website - "The E series was developed with the concept of achieving all of the following: high sound quality, simple design, ease of use and affordable price. With this, we aimed for a product series where the products chosen would undoubtedly be referred to as standards for years to come."
That's a pretty ambitious goal. I remember Beats by Dr Dre had a equally profound goal too, but that's where the similarity ends.
2. Packaging:
-Simple paper box outer packaging
-5 pairs of Type E eartips (according to Final Audio Design website, this type of eartip provides the highest amount of isolation and bass tone in comparison to Final Audio's other eartips)
- A pair of rubber ear hooks for those who prefer an over-the-ear wearing style
-A small drawstring pouch made of what looks like faux leather
-The E3000 IEM, powered by a 6.3mm dynamic driver
-A brochure and warranty card
3. Build quality:
The machined stainless steel housing is small and light, very comfortable in the ear. There is a unique stainless steel mesh at the back of the housing. It serves as a vent for the dynamic driver. E3000 uses very thin cables - so thin that I worry it might be too fragile for daily use and abuse. The L-shaped 3.5mm gold-plated jack is sleek and should fit most pockets and smartphone cases.
4. Sound analysis:
Overall:
I tested the frequency response of the E3000 using Macbook Pro and my own ears. E3000 roughly follows the Olive-Welti target without any significant deviation. I don't have any equipments other than my ears. All I could was to listen to a full hearing range frequency sweep and make qualitative comments as objectively as possible. There might be some inevitable personal bias, and I am unable to provide any data on distortion etc that require more than a human ear to quantify.
Bass:
The bass (20-200Hz) is pretty consistent, with a gentle roll-off below 27Hz. Relative to other frequency ranges, the bass is elevated. The result is a warm sound signature with an impactful bass with a rather slow decay that is characteristic of dynamic drivers. Phil Colin's Another Day in Paradise bass riffs sounds lush and rhythmic. However, the slow speed makes the bass in Ed Sheeran's Eraser sounds exaggerated and overdone.
Mids:
The mids (200-2000Hz) is extremely consistent with absolutely no peaks or dips. (the beauty of a single DD design!) The speed is fast, and this makes the mids in the E3000 forwardly-placed and crystal clear. It is not the most detailed I've heard (I've heard much more details from my Zeus R), but it is definitely very detailed and euphonic. Nils Lofgren's Keith Don't Go sounds simply magical on E3000. The reverb, the sound of the occasional string plucking, the raspy vocals, the tone of the guitar... Simply amazing!
Treble:
The treble rises steadily from 2.5kHz to 6.4kHz with a very slight dip at 4kHz. Beyond 6.4kHz, the treble softens and dips significantly from 7.1k to 9.4kHz. There's another smaller peak at around 11kHz, and rolls off quickly at 16.3kHz. The result is a far treble extension and airy presentation. While the IEM tuning is not overly bright, the instrument separation is very good and there is a sense of space too. In fact, the treble is rather backwardly placed and polite. In other words, the treble is mellow and unaggressive. For example, the distant ride cymbals in Coldplay's Yellow sound appropriately gentle and extremely emotional and satisfying. The treble on E3000 can be good for those who are sensitive to sharp trebles, but at the same time, it lacks the energy and excitement of a sparkling treble. But heck, you can't find a nice sparkling treble at this price range, can you?
Speed:
Not very fast, as expected in a dynamic driver at this price range. In Muse's Reapers, a very dense and fast track, the E3000 struggles to catch up to the fast cymbals, while doing poorly on the slower cymbal crashes. However it does not sound congested at all. Also, the bass can sometimes be muddy and the subbass rumble is not obvious. (But of course, the bass doesn't bleed into the mid-range.)
Sound stage and imaging:
Average width, rather good depth. It's imaging is rather accurate, but not the best I've heard. For example, in Hotel California (live acoustic) by the Eagles, I can hear where the claps and cheers are coming from using Zeus R, but it sounds rather diffused on E3000.
Matching:
I've not done sufficient pairing with different sources to find out it's ideal pairings, but with the impedance of 16 ohms, it should play loud enough on most sources, including smartphones. The soundstage is exceptionally wide on my AK Kann, but a mobile phone should suffice as a good enough source.
Comparison:
Well, what shall I compare it with? E3000 is priced similarly to a pair of SkullCandy (correct me if I'm wrong), The closest I can think of (and I am familiar with), is the Westone 3. E3000 has less midbass bump than the Westone 3, and the mids are slightly more lean and clean. It would be unfair to compare the E3000 with IEMs from a higher price range, although the E3000 sound quality and comfortable form factor is able hold its own against competitions from higher price ranges.
5. Conclusion:
The E3000 is indeed an elegant IEM that stands out prominently among its competitions of the similar price range. While it is not a TOTL product, the E3000 definitely punches above its weight. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike.
Following the demise of my Heaven V Ageing, I walked into my local audio shop, planning to grab a pair of VE Monk or Espresso. The staff was doing a promotional photoshoot of the E3000 by pairing it together with AK240ss. That moment I thought, "Aren't those little IEM pretty? They must cost around S$300 (200 USD). With that undetachable cable, they should be some midrange IEM." I didn't know what IEM it was. And I didn't care, cuz all I wanted was a cheap pair of earbuds! So I didn't bother inquiring about it. I already had my EE Zeus R, so what's the point of spending a few hundred bucks on some non-TOTL IEM that I'm gonna resell after a few weeks of disuse?
And what a mistake I had made by not asking what the new earbuds were! As I was about to pay for the VE Monk, I asked for recommendations for any other affordable earpieces, in the hope that I would find something more comfortable than the Monks. Without a second thought, the sales assistant pointed to the E2000 and E3000. I didn't knew the prices yet, but I didn't want to ask just yet, as I was afraid it would affect my judgement. Here's what happened--
Sales Assistant (A): Try these, they just arrived yesterday. New IEMs <passes me the E3000>
Me: Sure. <pop E3000 on, play music via phone>
Me: <Immediately impressed by the tuning, listened for 2 minutes, switching about 8 songs I was familiar with, each to their best sounding part> Hmmm... They are nice! Can I try the other one?
A: I knew you would like them <passes me E2000>
Me: <listened for 30 seconds, some snippets of about 2-3 songs> Mehh the first one is much better! What's the price difference?
<I expected about 70-100 dollars difference. Notice that I didn't ask for their prices directly, as I thought they would cost around 200-300, and I wasn't planning to spend today>
A: ermm about $20. let me check... <took out his notebook to check for the pricings>
Me: <in disbelief> what? only $20 difference? Why are they so closely priced while sounding so different?
A: <finishes checking prices> actually just $10 difference. The E3000 is a tier better than the E2000.
//I was very puzzled, as usually for IEMs, a tier better would translate to $100-400 more, depending on high-end the IEM is. Curious, I decided to ask for their price//
Me: so how much are they?
A: the one you like is $71 (~50USD)
Me: <looked at VE monk, then at the E3000> Heck, I'm taking this. <pointing to E3000>
1. Introduction:
According to the Final Audio Design Website - "The E series was developed with the concept of achieving all of the following: high sound quality, simple design, ease of use and affordable price. With this, we aimed for a product series where the products chosen would undoubtedly be referred to as standards for years to come."
That's a pretty ambitious goal. I remember Beats by Dr Dre had a equally profound goal too, but that's where the similarity ends.
2. Packaging:
-Simple paper box outer packaging
-5 pairs of Type E eartips (according to Final Audio Design website, this type of eartip provides the highest amount of isolation and bass tone in comparison to Final Audio's other eartips)
- A pair of rubber ear hooks for those who prefer an over-the-ear wearing style
-A small drawstring pouch made of what looks like faux leather
-The E3000 IEM, powered by a 6.3mm dynamic driver
-A brochure and warranty card
3. Build quality:
The machined stainless steel housing is small and light, very comfortable in the ear. There is a unique stainless steel mesh at the back of the housing. It serves as a vent for the dynamic driver. E3000 uses very thin cables - so thin that I worry it might be too fragile for daily use and abuse. The L-shaped 3.5mm gold-plated jack is sleek and should fit most pockets and smartphone cases.
4. Sound analysis:
Overall:
I tested the frequency response of the E3000 using Macbook Pro and my own ears. E3000 roughly follows the Olive-Welti target without any significant deviation. I don't have any equipments other than my ears. All I could was to listen to a full hearing range frequency sweep and make qualitative comments as objectively as possible. There might be some inevitable personal bias, and I am unable to provide any data on distortion etc that require more than a human ear to quantify.
Bass:
The bass (20-200Hz) is pretty consistent, with a gentle roll-off below 27Hz. Relative to other frequency ranges, the bass is elevated. The result is a warm sound signature with an impactful bass with a rather slow decay that is characteristic of dynamic drivers. Phil Colin's Another Day in Paradise bass riffs sounds lush and rhythmic. However, the slow speed makes the bass in Ed Sheeran's Eraser sounds exaggerated and overdone.
Mids:
The mids (200-2000Hz) is extremely consistent with absolutely no peaks or dips. (the beauty of a single DD design!) The speed is fast, and this makes the mids in the E3000 forwardly-placed and crystal clear. It is not the most detailed I've heard (I've heard much more details from my Zeus R), but it is definitely very detailed and euphonic. Nils Lofgren's Keith Don't Go sounds simply magical on E3000. The reverb, the sound of the occasional string plucking, the raspy vocals, the tone of the guitar... Simply amazing!
Treble:
The treble rises steadily from 2.5kHz to 6.4kHz with a very slight dip at 4kHz. Beyond 6.4kHz, the treble softens and dips significantly from 7.1k to 9.4kHz. There's another smaller peak at around 11kHz, and rolls off quickly at 16.3kHz. The result is a far treble extension and airy presentation. While the IEM tuning is not overly bright, the instrument separation is very good and there is a sense of space too. In fact, the treble is rather backwardly placed and polite. In other words, the treble is mellow and unaggressive. For example, the distant ride cymbals in Coldplay's Yellow sound appropriately gentle and extremely emotional and satisfying. The treble on E3000 can be good for those who are sensitive to sharp trebles, but at the same time, it lacks the energy and excitement of a sparkling treble. But heck, you can't find a nice sparkling treble at this price range, can you?
Speed:
Not very fast, as expected in a dynamic driver at this price range. In Muse's Reapers, a very dense and fast track, the E3000 struggles to catch up to the fast cymbals, while doing poorly on the slower cymbal crashes. However it does not sound congested at all. Also, the bass can sometimes be muddy and the subbass rumble is not obvious. (But of course, the bass doesn't bleed into the mid-range.)
Sound stage and imaging:
Average width, rather good depth. It's imaging is rather accurate, but not the best I've heard. For example, in Hotel California (live acoustic) by the Eagles, I can hear where the claps and cheers are coming from using Zeus R, but it sounds rather diffused on E3000.
Matching:
I've not done sufficient pairing with different sources to find out it's ideal pairings, but with the impedance of 16 ohms, it should play loud enough on most sources, including smartphones. The soundstage is exceptionally wide on my AK Kann, but a mobile phone should suffice as a good enough source.
Comparison:
Well, what shall I compare it with? E3000 is priced similarly to a pair of SkullCandy (correct me if I'm wrong), The closest I can think of (and I am familiar with), is the Westone 3. E3000 has less midbass bump than the Westone 3, and the mids are slightly more lean and clean. It would be unfair to compare the E3000 with IEMs from a higher price range, although the E3000 sound quality and comfortable form factor is able hold its own against competitions from higher price ranges.
5. Conclusion:
The E3000 is indeed an elegant IEM that stands out prominently among its competitions of the similar price range. While it is not a TOTL product, the E3000 definitely punches above its weight. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike.
