Final Audio has become the latest company to introduce their entry into the field of wireless earbuds, but these ones happen to have a very special twist.

Right off the bat, it is perhaps easy to spot that the new True Wireless EVA TW is not your typical wireless earbud.

Instead, Final Audio has brought us an exciting collaboration with iconic media franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion. Yes you heard me right! These earbuds are inspired by the classic anime (?) and provide an extremely unique design that is sure to raise eyebrows of fans and general consumers alike. So, let's start off by taking a look at the box.  

What’s in the box?

The different options available for this product are based on different mechs or robots from the show, and their color schemes go accordingly. The Unit 01 version is purple, The unit 02 is red, and the Mark 6 is a navy blue and orange, which is the unit that I will be using. 

The box is a nice  compact size and the themed color scheme looks really nice here, with a good shiny finish on the box and some nice looking accents on the top and bottom. The design on the front features a waveform that is a reference to the synchro rate of each of the corresponding robots from the show, which is yet another that the theme has been folded in here.

On the back of the box you also have your Evangelion Logo, as well as QR code on the back which takes you to my final app,so that you can register your serial number and get other updates and information. 

From there, the box flips open to reveal your charging case which has the earbuds inside. In s separate compartment above, there is a small box that contains your manual, a USB to USBC charging cable, and five extra pairs of ear tips which is pretty handy.

Design and Fit

The area where these earbuds are going lean most into the theme is obviously going to be the design. Both the charging case and the earbuds are designed in the armor style of the mechs from the show which give these some cool patterning and a nice lifted texture. 

The case is slightly bigger than those we usually see with a set of true wireless earbuds, probably to accommodate the rounded shape here that flares out at the bottom, which gives this a little character since it is quite literally based on a character. As for the material of the case, it is a plastic all the way around - including on the hinging, which is pretty thin and doesn’t feel the most durable, so these probably aren’t going to survive a lot of drops and abuse which is just something to note here. 

The earpieces in comparison are actually quite a good small size, and sit on the ear nicely without too much sticking out. They fit in well with a classic place and twist, and the generous amount of ear tips ensures that it will be extremely easy to get a nice fit and a preferred amount of seal. Aesthetically, the earpieces and the case cohere very seamlessly. 

When connecting, these will go into pairing mode automatically as soon as you pop them out of the case and auto connect every time you do so after that.

We would like you to check out our unboxing and video review as well.

Battery and Bluetooth 

In terms of connectivity and compatibility, The EVA TW06 supports Bluetooth 5.0 technology and CODECS used here are SBC, AAC and aptX. 

One of the specs that’s very eye opening here is just how big of a charge these true wireless earbuds can hold. You’ll get 6 hours of playback for aptX, and 9 hours for SBC or AAC. This may seem ho hum, but the secret sauce here is the charging case, which can go all the way up to a maximum of 63 hours on a full charge - which takes only 2 hours to achieve. This is pretty hefty stuff for a wireless earbud and definitely a huge strength and selling point here. 

Driver and Functions

With a lot of focus on the design and look, it’s easy to forget that they are still a Final Audio product, and certainly no slouch when it comes to the nuts and bolts on the inside.

Within each of these earpieces is a small dynamic driver that utilizes an ultra thin film diaphragm suspended by a brass ring that purports to deliver an exceptional amount of precision for this price range. Also included in this system here is a neodymium magnet and special acoustic adjustment filter to achieve balance without the inclusion of a software based equalizer - a common feature in models like this one. The idea behind this omission is that a more natural and less artificial eq will make the sound less fatiguing.  

No discussion of a true wireless earbud is complete without functionality. Most offerings in this category will feature a touch pad control, but Final Audio has opted for a more tactile approach, with one large button in the center of either earpiece. When using these, you’re going to want to make sure you get a good grip on them so you don’t end up shoving them into your ear canal when pressing down.

Each button here is multifunctional.   

One press on either side will play/pause your track, or it can pick up/hang up a call.

Pressing twice on each bud will either raise or decrease the volume, or will reject an incoming call

And pressing twice while the music is paused will summon your voice assistant.

The controls are nicely responsive, and pretty intuitive and straightforward without any needless complications.

The voice guidance is also performed by Nagasawa Miki, an actor from the original series, which adds another nice detail to tie the concept together. There’s also an option for an English voice command that you can toggle to when pairing.

Soundstage

Now onto the sound, starting first with the soundstage. The stage here provides a very respectable amount of width that feels like it stretches out toward the outer extensions of the earpiece, which is about as much as you would normally expect from an earbud like this.

In terms of imaging, this set of earbuds also comes in strong with a good amount of separation between instruments, with good depth and layering between the various parts. It doesn’t feel as massive as an over ear headphone would, but there’s absolutely a sense of spatial awareness, with aspects such as percussion and rhythm elements falling nicely to the back to make room for leads and vocals, which protrude adequately forward.  

Sound Quality

Low end is thick and deep, with enough power to pack a decently sized punch and really get into your headspace. At the time, textures are smooth and the relatively balanced quality ensures that low end never turns into inarticulate booming or blurring.

In a track like Linkin Park’s When They Come For Me, the huge tribal drums have a good amount of power and appropriately large size, but the attacks are clean, and maintain a good hard edge between their transients and the equally beefy synth bassline and expansive vocal harmonies. 

In terms of mid range,there is definitely more of a tilt toward the lower mids here. This can result in the image becoming a little thin in this area depending on the material - especially with more full and thick guitars - but elements here do retain a pretty natural timbre and feel thanks to the use of acoustic filtering over software EQ. Despite the low mid emphasis, these do avoid drifting into warmer sounding territory, as balance was certainly more of a focus here. As noted previously, vocals do have a good amount of clarity and always managed to separate pretty nicely.

Treble here is also suitable, but with a certainly more mixed presentation. Final audio has certainly achieved their goal of a high end that does not feel fatiguing or overbearing, which naturally means that frequencies here are a little more laid back. This results in a little less impact than systems with some more color and sparkle up at the top, but does compliment the more balanced approach. Elements like female vocals and high range instruments still have a pleasant timbre and texture that compliments the rest of the signature well. 

Summary

Overall, the Final Audio EVA TW is one of the more unique pairs of true wireless earbuds to emerge in a quickly crowding field of options.

These will obviously be a top choice for collectors and fans of the brand, but they also provide a high performing sonic experience that elevates them beyond the gimmick they threatened to be.

These will be great for you if

• you like a bassy but still fairly clean signature
• you like the one of a kind design
• you want good comfort and functionality

These may not be for you if

• you want more CODEC compatibility
• want more high end emphasis

 You can order Final Audio EVA 2020 True Wireless Earbuds from our online store or come get it from our NYC brick & mortar store.