Final F7200

Disclaimers:
1) This product was provided to me by Final as a review sample at no cost. There is no incentive for a positive rating and this review expresses my honest opinion of the product. I also feel compelled to mention that I purchased the F7200’s younger sibling, the F4100, with my own money at CanJam NYC 2017.
2) Audio is a very subjective hobby, and my opinions might not accurately reflect your preferences and experiences. So please keep this in mind when reading my review.

Also, as this is my first review, I welcome any feedback and questions.



Introduction
Final (formerly Final Audio Design) is a Japanese audio company that was founded in 2009, but their history designing speakers and vinyl accessories dates back to 1974. Currently, they produce IEMs and headphones. The F7200 is the premium model of the F7200 ($479), F4100 ($279) and F3100 ($189) range. All three models contain the same single balanced armature driver with slightly different tunings. The F3100 lacks a removable cable and the F4100 lacks the premium cable and stainless steel construction of the F7200.

Final claims that these three earphones are the smallest in the world, and I see no reason to doubt that. In a market of countless IEMs with an ever-increasing number of drivers, the F7200 stands out for its minimalist approach. It keeps things simple, which in my view isn’t a bad thing.

Included in the simple cardboard box is the case, containing the F7200, the cable and the silicon tips, a paper roll containing the foam tips, the safe fit rings and earwax filters for the driver units, as well as paper documentation and the warranty card.








For this review, I used my iPhone 6 as a source and music ranging from 320kbps Spotify to lossless. I own higher end desktop sources, but believe that IEMs should be able to be driven well from a smartphone. The F7200 might sound slightly better with more expensive equipment, but they are relatively easy to drive at 42Ω, so I wouldn’t expect much of a difference. Final doesn’t provide a frequency response range or much else with regards to specs.

A Google search will bring up several authorized dealers that are selling the F7200 online. That is probably the easiest way to buy it if you’re interested.

Design – 10/10
The design and workmanship of the F7200 is superb. The headphone jack, splitter and earphones themselves are all made out of stainless steel. This is in contrast to the F4100 and F3100, which both use a magnesium-aluminum alloy. Stainless steel gives the unit a sophisticated and luxurious look and feel. The only downside of the stainless steel is that it can act as a fingerprint magnet, but due to the small size of the earphones it’s hard to notice unless you’re actively looking for it.

The cable deserves a paragraph of its own, as it is an excellent cable and a huge upgrade over the basic one included with the F4100. The F7200’s 1.2-meter removable cable has of a total of four strands of oxygen free copper (OFC) with silver coating. Each channel consists of two braided strands in a PVC tube, and the two tubes are beautifully braided prior to the splitter. The 3.5mm headphone jack is mostly stainless steel, with a small amount of plastic. It is very cleanly designed and has excellent strain relief. The other two ends of the cable terminate in industrial looking right-angle MMCX connectors. This is good as it allows the cable to be replaced or upgraded if necessary, but I have not found any other companies that make cables with these right-angle connectors and using standard straight MMCX cables will look silly and prove impractical. The only after-market company I have found that can make cables with them is Null Audio in Singapore, but I can’t speak to their quality. That being said, this cable is beautiful and extremely well made. I don’t see it failing anytime soon. And due to its high quality, I imagine it would please nearly all audiophiles, especially since it would cost a majority of the price of the F7200 to buy a serious upgrade. The only downside with regards to the cable is that the left and right channel markers are somewhat hard to see and the nub that marks the left channel took some getting used to until I was able to pick it out by feel. But this is a minor issue.

The case is silicon and can best be described as practical. It consists of a dome with a main compartment that holds the F7200 and then has the cable wrapped around the sides. The 3.5mm connector is then placed under the tray in a bottom compartment. This bottom compartment can also be used to store tips, but you would need to be careful as they might fall out when it is opened to remove the 3.5mm connector. The case is very compact and easily pocketable. I am also confident that it will more than adequately protect the F7200 for mobile use.

There are only two design issues that I can think of. The first is that the driver units can rotate on the MMCX connectors and spin around, although this doesn’t bother me. They will not come off of the connectors without some force, so there is no need to worry about them accidentally falling off. The second is that Final puts in fine print on its website and in the included documentation that the right angle MMCX connectors were not designed for frequent connecting and disconnecting. I have tried removing them and reattaching them several times and have had no issues, but it’s probably best not to do this unless the cable dies or you want to upgrade it. They do reserve the right not to cover the unit under the warranty if it is found that it failed due to terminal failure from frequently disconnecting the MMCX connectors. When purchased form an authorized dealer, the F7200 is backed by a two-year warranty.

To summarize this long section, the F7200 is made in Japan, and the workmanship is excellent. The connections between components are flawless. The change between the stainless-steel driver units to the gold MMCX connectors and then to the cable are perfect and aesthetically pleasing. This continues throughout to the 3.5mm jack. The case is compact and practical.

Comfort, Fit and Isolation – 9/10
I have grouped these three together because I believe that for IEMs they are all intimately related. If you don’t get a good fit, the earphones are likely to be uncomfortable and not isolate well.

The F7200 comes with five pairs of Final’s excellent E Type silicon tips and three pairs of foam tips that cover the entire driver unit. These are very different than typical Comply foam tips. Final’s silicon tips are the best I have yet used, and I have used a lot over the years. According to a pamphlet I received from Final at CanJam NYC 2017, the E Type earpieces, “employ two types of silicon differing in rigidity for the sound conduit and for the earbud that comes into contact with the user’s ear.” I used the medium silicon earpieces for this review. With these ear tips, it is easy to get a good seal and the F7200 stays put in my ear. Often with other IEMs, I will need to adjust the fit every ten or so minutes to keep a good seal. This isn’t necessary with the F7200.

The F7200 includes a pair of safe fit rings that prevent the driver units from pushing through the silicon earpieces and damaging the ear. I haven’t found it necessary to use these since the silicon tips grip the driver units so tightly, but if you are concerned about this they are there for you to use.

Unfortunately, the cable is very microphonic and noisy when worn down under the ears. I still prefer wearing them this way when at home since I can barely tell they’re there, but when on the go I wear them over the ear with the included ear hooks. This works well and essentially eliminates the noise from the cable.

The F7200 does a good job isolating outside noise. I have had no issues using it outside and on the go, although for flying I would still opt for a set of headphones with active noise canceling.

Overall, the F7200 are very comfortable. The silicon tips allow a fast and easy seal and prevent the unit from falling out when walking. I didn’t try running with these or anything too extreme, though.

Soundstage – 8.5/10
The F7200 has a very good soundstage with impressive imaging, especially considering its tiny size. Instruments have very good separation. This makes them easier to identify and pick out in more complex and layered tracks. While the soundstage is good, it is unrealistic to expect it to match those of Audeze’s open iSINE and other more conventional open-back headphones.

Highs (Treble) – 8.5/10
The highs are very good. I would describe the treble as airy, spacious and clear, with no sibilance. Piano notes and string instruments have good presence, and sound natural. Well-recorded acoustic tracks really shine. A harsh critic might point out that the highest frequencies are slightly exaggerated, but I like them as they are and think that they help prevent the sound from being boring and bland.

Mids – 9.5/10
I’ve read that Final products are known for their excellent midrange, and the F7200 certainly lives up to this reputation. The mids are accurate, smooth and clear. The midrange is very detailed and it is easy to distinguish the different sounds. I don’t find it to be overwhelming at all. They sound very natural, so much so that on well-recorded tracks I often feel like the artist is in the room with me. I have found that on some tracks female vocals can be a just a bit bright, but I fault the recording and mastering quality for this and not the F7200 as it occurs on a minority of tracks. Lower-frequency guitar and piano notes are clear, and positioned so that they appear to come from behind the vocals. I have found that this presentation makes it easy to relax and get lost in the music. When listening for several hours at a time, I haven’t experienced any fatigue and don’t tire of the sound.

Lows (Bass) – 6/10
If the F7200 falls short in one area, this is it. The bass is lacking, although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it anemic. There isn’t much sub-bass, due to the use of a single balanced armature driver, and the bass isn’t boomy at all. When listening to genres such as EDM, rap, dance or bass-heavy electronic music, it leaves me wanting more and unsatisfied. But on more bass-light genres, such as country, classical, some pop, some rock and vocal recordings, it can keep up and doesn’t diminish the enjoyment I get from the sound. If anything, on these tracks it really allows the mids and highs to shine through. I don’t think that the weak bass ruins the sound, but for me it has limited the genres which I can use the F7200 to listen to. It’s a bit disappointing that this weak spot in the sound exists, but this might be preferable to some and is an inevitable tradeoff of the single balanced armature design. I would also consider myself a basshead, so depending on your preferences these criticisms may not be as applicable.

Value – 6.5/10
With the F7200, I was expecting a large step up in sound compared to the my F4100, and I’m disappointed to say that I didn’t find it. They both sound very similar. That doesn’t mean that the F7200 is bad, as the extra $200 gets you better build quality and a vastly better cable. The F7200 is a much more stylish and luxurious product compared to the barebones F4100. Since the F7200 sounds very similar to its less-expensive sibling, I would have to label the F4100 as a much better value. But if you like the sound signature this IEM provides, and your budget allows it, the F7200 is a better product and will likely last longer due to the better build quality and cable.

Selected Comparisons
Final F4100 ($279) – I have found it hard to distinguish the difference between these two. If I had to put it into words, I would say the F4100 is a tiny bit warmer and has highs that are just a tad brighter than the F7200. But as they use the same driver, the sound signature is extremely similar. If I had to quantify it, I’d say there’s less than a 5% difference. Unfortunately, the F4100 has worse (although still acceptable) build quality and a much worse (but still microphonic) cable that is thinner and isn’t braided.

RHA T20i ($249) – I use the bronze treble filters on my T20s. The biggest difference between these two is the level of bass. The T20 has boomy, while still accurate bass, which the F7200 lacks. This makes it much better for bass-heavy genres such as EDM, dance and rap. However, the bass on the T20 slightly muddies the other frequencies, so the vocals are much clearer on the F7200. The highs are also a little overwhelming on the T20 when compared to the F7200. The F7200 is more comfortable for long listening sessions, while the T20 is better for on-the-go listening and features an iOS remote with volume control. I’d describe the T20 as an excellent value, since it’s so flexible, but it’s a very different product than the F7200.

Bose QuietComfort 20 ($249) – These are active-noise canceling earbuds, and don’t go fully in the ear. This makes them as comfortable as the F7200. The QC20s have a slight hiss from the noise cancellation when no music is playing. They sound nice in active mode, due to built-in digital signal processing, but I think that the F7200 has clearer vocals and a better soundstage. The QC20s have highs that sound a little veiled, but better, although slightly muddy, bass.

Conclusion – 8.29/10
Due to its weak bass, the F7200 is not suitable for bassheads or as an all-rounder IEM. But if you’d like to add an IEM to your collection that makes acoustic, live and classical recordings sound wonderful, the F7200 should definitely be on your list of models to audition. If the price is too high for you, save $200 and grab the F4100, resting assured that you are sacrificing little in terms of sound quality. In the arms race to see who can shove the most drivers into a cookie-cutter IEM enclosure, it’s refreshing to see a company take a step back and release an IEM that embraces a simpler design.

Averaging out the scores for all seven categories results in a score of 8.285/10. This is slightly higher than four stars, which is the rating that will be shown on this review. However, you can change the weighting of the various categories to better reflect your own preferences.

I am a big fan of the Final FI-BA-SS, so when I was chosen by Final to audition the F7200, I was excited to test out one of its newest designs, a design process that took 3 years before coming to market. Final provided me a sample free of charge, and this review is my attempt to honestly convey my observations.

The F7200 comes in a simple double box and includes a plastic case, 5 pair of different sized silicone tips, 3 pair of different sized cylindrical foam tips, attachable ear hooks in the event one wants to reduce microphonics by placing the left and right cables over the ears, clear plastic spacers for use with the silicone tips (more on this later), and tiny dust filters that attach to the front of the F7200 in order to protect it from earwax. The cable is a silver plated copper design which uses a total of 4 main conductors that are tightly twisted together. There is cable noise, so for those who are going to use the F7200 outside or on public transport, the ear hooks and over the ear use is recommended.

The F7200 casing is made from stainless steel, and in my view, it looks very elegant. Coupled with the silver cable, the F7200 is perhaps the prettiest IEM I've ever used—I love the minimalist design. It is advertised by Final as the smallest IEM currently available for purchase. By using a single Balanced Armature driver for each channel, the casing is long and slim. Unique for a product of its size, Final was able to design the F7200 with detachable cables that use MMCX fittings, however, due to the right angle connection, using other cables may be a problem since they will stick out straight from one's ears.

Because of its tiny design, I found the F7200 quite comfortable. After experimenting between the silicone and foam tips, I opted for the largest sized silicone tips (these tips, incidentally, are the newer E series that Final gave out at CanJam Los Angeles). The foam tips seemed too scratchy for my inner ears even though the seal was a bit better. Others may not find this to be a problem. When one chooses the silicone tips, Final advises to use the included spacers that slide on the casing. This recommendation is due to the potential that when fitting the silicone tip in one's ear, it may slide back on the casing thus pushing the nozzle end of the F7200 dangerously close to the eardrum; I didn't adhere to this advise since the Final tips fit so tightly around the casing, there was no worry on my part I would have any troubles ... plus, I thought the plastic spacers, although clear, took away from the overall elegant design of this IEM.

The cable is lightweight and highly flexible, but not to the point where cable tangle was ever an issue for me. It has a sparkly look to it which I like a lot. The one issue with the cable is the channel identifier: there is a tiny nub on the left channel cable strain relief that could have been made a bit larger for easier identification, especially in the dark. The only other thing I didn't like about the whole F7200 package was the included plastic case. Although I appreciate innovation when designing a mundane item like an IEM case, the manner in which this one works is a bit fiddly. It does, however, have a very nice feel to it, a softness that appeals to my sensibilities, especially since we're talking about the protector for a $480 IEM.





Performance

As is my usual practice when I get a new IEM, I left the F7200 playing for 4 days straight before I did any serious listening. Out of the box, I found the high frequencies splashy sounding, but after the burn-in period, this character disappeared. I understand that BA designs are purported to not need burn-in time—unlike Dynamic Driver designs—but I have found that higher performance cables do change in sound quality with some play time, so I attribute my observation to the fact that Final chose a quality SPC design for its cable.

The source I used for my audition was primarily my A&K AK240SS, but I also tried out my iPhone 5s just to notice whether the F7200 suffered too much with a lesser quality source (not too bad). I experimented a little with EQ, but I ended up doing most of my listening without since I felt the overall sound was cleaner to my ears. I used lossless TIDAL HiFi songs as my source material.

First off, the F7200 has a genteel sound, it doesn't have any dissonant oddities in its frequency response that draws attention. It is very clean in the midrange, and vocals come across without any stridency whatsoever. There is no sibilance in the upper midrange/lower trebles, however, the refined character I observed in the midrange is not duplicated in the highs—there appears to be just a tad amount of grain, especially with highly dynamic music. Mostly, this is not a problem for me since the transition from the mids to the highs is seamless. In my view, the F7200 is not a bright sounding IEM, certainly not warm sounding, pretty neutral, in fact. I compared it to my reference AKR02 (A&K's version of the Final FI-BA-SS), and a noted difference besides the bass response was the level of micro detail retrieval; strings were reproduced vibrantly by the AKR02 with tons of decay and openness.

The bass performance of the F7200 is lightweight sounding, I don't perceive much sub bass at all. I would say the bass begins somewhere above 60Hz and remains flat through to the lower midrange. For fans of classical, ambient, jazz, and popular music, my view is the F7200 hits its stride. Not to say rock or EDM won't sound good, but the lack of bottom end support leaves this type of music somewhat wanting. The AKR02, in comparison, has satisfying bass for all genres. By the way, I reached out to Final about the BA design of the F7200, and it is very different to the one in the FI-BA-SS. Additionally, the F7200 is tuned differently, so no mini FI-BA-SS here.

The soundstage performance of the F7200 has great lateral separation, extending out beyond one's ears. The depth, however, is fairly shallow. There is a flatness that lovers of 3D spatial cues will find unsatisfactory. I should add that one's DAP and source material will have a great effect here; using a cell phone and playing lossy files wouldn't likely provide these spatial cues either, so those who might be troubled by the absence of such cues would likely be using higher performance gear as well as lossless files.

For me, the biggest weakness in the F7200's sound are its dynamics, especially macro dynamics. Frankly, this is to be expected, I believe, because of the tiny BA driver and housing. I love EDM and I found myself wanting to turn up the volume to achieve a greater sense of liveliness and involvement, but the F7200 just flattened out when I did so. My AK240SS has plenty of power to drive them, so its not a lack of wattage. For example, my Sennheiser IE 800 driven by my AK240SS excels in this area. As I noted earlier about its genteel presentation, this is just the sonic nature of the F7200, a design compromise that allows for what it does magnificently, a beautiful sounding midrange in a tiny package.

Conclusion

I've been an audiophile for 40 years. I grew up listening to my father's records as a main source of entertainment, so I was exposed to a wide variety of genres, all of which I love. Music is my great passion in life, and listening to music is my primary form of pleasure. When music is reproduced in a manner where I become lost in the listening experience, where I connect to the emotional message the artist is trying to convey, I'm in audio nirvana. The F7200 doesn't take me all the way to my goal, but it certainly has me knocking on its door. Highly recommended.

 

 

 

 
This is my review of the F7200 from Final, which I picked up from them at CanJam 2017. The Sonorous VI are just about my favorite headphone ever, and I love listening to familiar music with them. When I heard that Final had some of their famous balanced armatures in a new package with a bunch of adjustability, I was instantly intrigued. I find that there is always a bit of time that it will take to adjust to a new set of headphones, but with these headphones, I was pleasantly surprised to find that familiar and comforting sound from the F7200 that I have learned to cherish in the Sonorous VI. In the Sonorous VI, a dynamic driver handles the mids and lows, while a balanced armature handles from 5-6khz up. There is a bit of smear because of this transition, but the cans are really perfect for me. 
 
The first thing that struck me was the super nice presentation of the headphones. I would definitely consider these headphones as a gift to someone special... it is definitely an amazing box that feels great in the hand. The carrying case is great, but not really intuitive. That's okay, since the whole package looks phenomenal, and the case is definitely better than a zip up case, for example, while it is also impervious to the dings and scratches of the FAD piano forte headphone case.
 
The headphones come with a bunch of tips and options for mounting in the ear canal. I tried a bunch of different combinations, and settled on the foam comply tips for my personal tastes. The isolation was great, and the bass cleaned up a bit. I really enjoyed the listening and tip-choosing process, and as I spend more time with them, I'm sure I'll refine my taste tip-wise. I did find that mounting farther into the ear gave the headphones a better sense of control, and added a bit of mid-range intimacy.
 
I love prog rock and metal. These are honestly not great headphones for that kind of music. Hard and Fast music doesn't play to the F7200's strengths, but that's perfectly fine by me. I decided to turn back the clock to some personal recordings of mine playing piano. I recorded a few of Liszt's Etudes on Paganini's themes, and I know those recordings inside and out. The depth and quality of the sound was truly awe-inspiring. I loved it. I listened maybe 5 or 10 times to the sixth etude, with its 10 variations. I was blown away by the presence of the 3rd variation detail and smooth bass lines, while still maintaining dynamics for the 10th variation without blowing out. I listened to White Moth Black Butterfly's Rising Sun in 24 bit MQS, and it was just perfect. The sensation of the music was as if it came right out of the center of my back and forward through the center of the chest. Sound stage was ethereal, just like electrostatics. 
 
In contrast, the guitar on Dream Theater's Nightmare to Remember feels shallow and hollow, but at the same time way too developed from 3-4 khz. I tried lowering the volume, and it really cleaned up. It occurred to me that they might need breaking in, so I gave it 24 hours. That made a huge difference. The piano recordings warmed up greatly, and strings became much more intimate. Unfortunately the guitars and snares in heavier music, like TesseracT's Polaris album, never achieved a full body. At lower volumes, these have to be the most relaxing headphones I have ever listened with... think about the music you enjoy listening to quietly, and I recommend that sort of music for these headphones. Bigger and faster music just doesn't sound convincing with these headphones. Try Karl Verkade's "dreams made of rain" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l8Tq06xuOk) and just bask in the sound. Compared to my HD800S cans, the F7200 is like gazing at a painting before and after cleaning the smudges off my glasses, or the difference between a 3D movie and 2D movie. The textures move backwards and forwards and side to side with the pads and guitar, but never get lost or over complicated.
 
Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy percussive music at all with the F7200, even music that was "dry" or simple. Animals As Leaders' "Brain Dance" has an incredible progression that develops with the soundscape and calls back to simpler themes as the music complicates itself backwards like a snake in a basket. With my Focal/D'Agostino floorstanding speaker rig, the development was always welcoming, and drew me in. With the F7200, I felt that with every musical layer added, I lost a bit of clarity, and I wished it had stayed put for just a bit longer. My HD800S, in comparison, get more and more engaging as the song progresses. There are some exceptions to this rule, but generally I found the F7200 to lack midbass presence, or when it was there (ear tip selection, postioning etc), it was never compelling or resolute the way a Focal Utopia is.
 
F7200 vs Sonorous VI
    F7200 is for a relaxed, "vinyl" feel, while the Sonorous VI are like party cans. More bass in the F7200, but it is boxier and less airy sounding. Sound stage and extension is very similar. F7200 much better at micro detail and coherency. I would buy the Sonorous VI if I could only buy one, but that is because I am a sucker for atmospheric metal music. A perfect example is Tesseracts saxaphone solo at the end of the scala album, where the F7200 offers an amazing mix of waterfall like rhythms underpinning an intimate sax solo, but the Sonorous VI takes you for a wild ride at a blistering pace down the side of a mountain, with a wailing sax solo oscillating between serenity and mania. For piano music I find that the balanced armature in the F7200 brings an unbelievable realism that the Sonouros VI cannot, simply because the F7200 is so much more coherent and collected between the mids and highs, where the Sonorous VI suffers from a crossover.
 
F7200 vs HD800S
    The F7200 brings much more detail to the table. At high volumes, the HD800S can deliver so much more dynamic range and impact, but never with the finesse that the F7200 can at lower volumes. The HD800S has a narrower soundstage than the F7200. I consider the F7200 soundstage more equivalent to the original HD800. The bass in the HD800S is far rounder and quicker, while the F7200 tends more to a sort of faint thunder sort of bass. For me, I choose the F7200 over the HD800S, since it does every thing I would use the HD800S for, but better. The amount of realism and detail afforded by a good recording is astounding. There is nothing undiscerning about either headphone, but the F7200 has "longer arms" for lack of a better phrase.Of course the HD800S can manage progressive metal better, but I wouldn't use it for Prog Metal anyways.
 
F7200 vs Utopia
    The F7200 is on par with the Utopias for anything above 2kHz, but the Utopias have the versatility of midbass structure that the F7200 simply can't deliver. I'd pick the Utopia over the F7200 for most applications, but the F7200 can offer the experience of classical music with the same depth and detail, but on the go as well, with great sound isolation to boot. However, the Utopias really can do almost anything musically, and I'd overall choose the Utopia cans as long as I didn't need sound isolation. The big idea is that the F7200 really can compete with the Utopias though with simpler classical content.
 
You may notice that I took a picture of the F7200 with my mojo... that was taken the day I got the headphones in JFK airport. I'd like to just go on the record saying that these made the Mojo sound HORRIBLE. In fact, I can't really enjoy the mojo anymore... the F7200 revealed distortion in the bass and smear in the highs that I just can't overlook anymore with normal cans.
 
With my ak120, it was a different story. Less bass, but an overall more inviting sound, oddly enough. The AK240 was a bit too bright for my tastes with the F7200, and I really just enjoyed my Zhang Audio 56K DAC for an honest, simple, portrayal of the music. The Zhang audio always felt boring and stark with my HD800S and Piano Forte VIII, but it gave a wonderfully black backdrop for the F7200 to jump out of.
 
TLR F7200 has an unreal soundstage, immersive and moody handling, and ethereal nuance, on pair with the absolute best. Truly a horrendous set of headphones for rap,edm,rock. Addictive and seductive portrayal of simpler recordings (high quality is a must). Not forgiving, not "fun", but definitely delicate and precise, up there with the absolute best. Driven well, you will be lost like never before in your favorite "chill" music.