Disclaimer: This unit was sent to me by @Szymon to be graphed and for a quick spin. No incentives of any kind were given and the review you are about to read are my own thoughts and opinions. Thanks once again to @Szymon for the opportunity and support.
Product Information
Driver Setup: 1DD
Price: Around $150
Comfort, fit and isolation: Good comfort and fit, average isolation.
Source used: Topping E30 + L30 stack
Tips used: Spinfit CP145
Test playlist with some of the songs used: Tidal
Sound
Oh Final Audio, we meet again. I’ve been blessed once again that their infamous QC has yet to strike me, so guess that makes me a lucky snowflake… or cursed because I get to hear another one?
Typical Final Audio house tuning means spiciness in the treble region and that probably already comes written on the bible itself. To be clear, it is way better than I expected it to be with all that sauce in the treble because it’s compensated by a bass shelf glide that corrects itself at 1k hz – just lower the volume and pray for the headaches not to come.
Speaking of bass, despite its elevation, it clearly lacks microdynamics. When listening to Trentemoller – Chameleon the rumble was soft, out of texture and the mid-bass only sounded leading the slam instead of me actually feeling it.
Into the actual mid-range, the piano on Yiruma – River Flows In You the lower notes had way more weight than the upper ones in the fundamentals given all the compensation turned into note-weight… but not everywhere.
Hania Rani – Glass confirmed my suspicion – despite replaying the stroke sounds and details well enough, – when the lower notes of her piano felt too thick and the rest felt too thin.
To make triple sure, Agnes Obel – Curse sealed the deal: Her vocals and cello sound too thick, while the viola and her piano upper notes sound a bit faded to the background.
As for treble, cymbal strikes are way out of their place and way too energetic, and for that I just couldn’t stand it for long without the fear of incoming headaches. Fleetwood Mac – Dreams intro cymbal was way too grainy and elevated, while Iggy Pop – Lust For Life confirmed its overall tuning imbalance and harshness.
As for technicalities, the imaging chops are actually good for the price point and the perceived detail level is also average due to its treble elevation, although I feel it’s just because of that. Macro dynamics, timbre and layering are a pass.
Verdict
I don’t like the A4000 but I understand why trebleheads might, but the overall lack of balance throws me off. If I had to guess in a blind run, I’d say it was a hybrid IEM and not a single DD, due to how off bass and lower mid-range sound compared to the upper mid-range and treble.
In a year where budget options make some more expensive sets obsolete, it’s tough to be different and especially in this price range, where offers like the Olina, Etymotic, Hana 2021, Kato etc exist – and don’t get me started versus planars.
I cannot recommend the Final Audio A4000.
Value ranking: 2/5. Personal rank: C-.
Thanks for reading!
nymz reviews 
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