Final Audio UX2000 Review

Budget-conscious audiophiles tend to gravitate toward Final Audio’s more affordable headphones and IEMs because they still retain fundamental performance standards of their famous higher tier models. In fact, in my experience, rarely do they make a bad product, and even their $25 earbuds sound pretty great. So, what can we expect from the the budget-friendly UX2000, which curiously sells for only $30 less than the price of Final’s flagship, the UX3000? What kind of chops does it have? And will the tuning suit your taste?

What’s in the Box?

• UX2000 Headphones
• USB-C Charging Cable
• Analogue Audio Cable with 3.5mm Plug

Look and Feel

Right away, the UX2000 appears more refined and solid than Final Audio’s first wireless UX model, which was a little bare bones in terms of aesthetics. This time, the overall headphone design has a more rounded finish, while the headband and ear pads feel more plush. The matte finish not only gives the UX2000 a distinct vibe but adds a practical touch, resisting smudges and maintaining a clean appearance. Additionally, the foldable design makes the UX2000 a versatile and functional choice for all your shenanigans. (And FYI, foldable headphones are becoming less common; now, most just fold flat.)

I had no problems with comfort; although the circumference of the ear pads isn’t that large (big ears be warned), the headphones sat snugly around my ears with a somewhat firm but still comfortable clamping force.

Design

Controls and Functionality

Very simple setup here. Instead of going with more modern (but sometimes frustrating) touch controls on the ear cups, Final has employed simple buttons. The straightforward functions including, volume control, track navigation, ANC mode and call navigation.

ANC (Active Noise Cancellation)

Like the more expensive UX3000, the UX2000 features Final’s new “hybrid” active noise cancellation, which employs a stress-resistant driver to avoid the common sonic pitfalls of traditional ANC designs. And I have to say, if memory serves me correctly,  the ANC has improved since Final Audio released its first UX3000. However the change in sound profile is still audible when switching between ANC and ANC off-mode, with the ANC providing a more robust sounding bass and more colored sound.

Battery

You can expect about 45 hours of playback from the UX2000, which is about average for a wireless headphone in this price range, but sufficient for most users. (Except for the charging averse).

Extra Features

Final will soon be offering an accompanying app in English that will hopefully have some added features, and maybe even an equalizer. But we’ll have to wait and see.

Sound Impressions

Soundstage

The soundstage is probably my favorite aspect of this headphone. Even though the stage feels somewhat contained in its scale, there’s lots of depth, both, behind and in front of the ear, injecting a super colorful and holographic flavor into the space. It feels intimate and trippy at the same time.

In addition to the fun and impressively accurate imaging, the tight level of separation and precision creates an added sense of distance and spaciousness between sound elements. So, while the stage doesn’t sound incredibly open, you still feel like you’re being cradled in a bubble of sound.

Lows

If you like your bass to be a little meaty, be sure to have the ANC switched on. Without it, the sound signature becomes more neutral and the bass is tamed. (For the purpose of this review, I left the ANC on.)

So, with ANC on, the bass is dark, punchy and a little thick, with enough forwardness to do justice to pop songs and other modern tracks that require a driving bass. The UX2000 may not present the most disciplined bass I’ve heard, but it still feels reasonably fast and surprisingly energetic. Furthermore, I was super impressed when I played strings in this range: a very natural, yet deep timbre with a fantastic amount of textural detail. And for sure, the low-end of the UX2000 presents a surprisingly transparent and nuanced profile that becomes especially apparent when listening to acoustic instruments.

Mids

While one could call this a full bodied profile, most of the legs for the midrange actually seem to come from the low-end frequencies, which, at times, veil lower-mids and create a slightly cloudy feel. But as we climb up the frequency range, things start to sound a lot neater and more detailed. Guitars and other percussion in this range sound clean and well-defined. At the same time, there’s an intricacy or gentleness to the resolve that fells especially tender when listening to acoustic genres, like folk or singer-songwriter. The upper mids are also easy non the ears, avoiding any vocal harshness or grating lower-treble frequencies. Is it this the most energetic midrange I’ve ever heard? No, there’s a pretty relaxed vibe in the mids that never smacks you in the face with edge or overwhelming power. Rather, it’s steady and natural.

Highs

There’s some fun and snappy crispness in the highs that reaches a refreshing sparkle at points. And a lot of the sound signature's energy can be found in this range. At the same time, the profile stops short of becoming sharp or uncomfortable. Vocals are a pleasure to listen to in this range, revealing a graceful airiness that smoothly floats through note progressions. Finally, the presentation is again very clean in the treble, lending a lean and tight feel to instruments like strings and adding to the pristine layering in the high frequencies. 

Summary

Considering the budget-friendly price, this headphone is a lot better than I thought it was going to be. The soundstage is entertainingly 3D, the bass delivers great oomph and detail, and the high frequencies provide a crisp and radiant topping to the heavier low frequencies. In short, it’s a fun, skilled and pretty forgiving sound that doesn’t skimp on resolution, despite it being 120 bucks.  Add to that some decent ANC and enough battery life to get you through your weekly commutes, and you’ve got a solid set of cans that are more than worthy of their price tag.

You can buy the Final Audio UX2000 at Audio 46.