Final Audio A8000 Review – Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee

Comparisons –

Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 ($1499): The Solarisis CFA’s current hybrid flagship and implements all of their technological developments. The Solaris is, to my ears, slightly more balance overall, a little less bright and slightly fuller in the bass so its midrange doesn’t stand out as much. The Solaris has a bit more bass with similar sub-bass emphasis but more mid-bass. Besides the Solaris being a bit fuller with a thicker note structure, the A8000 generally has a technical advantage. It has more sub-bass focus but is quicker, tighter and harder-hitting with higher definition. The Solaris is no slouch but isn’t quite as dynamic or resolving. The midrange is high-definition and tone neutral yet naturally voiced on both. The A8000 sounds a bit more linear, the Solaris more coloured and both are vocal-forward to some degree. The Solaris sounds fuller and meatier with more power and smoothness. The A8000 is more revealing with better extension and slightly higher clarity, though at the cost of being more intense and upper-mid forward.

The Solaris has larger vocal size despite not being as vocal-focused, it sounds more filled-in and coherent while the A8000 is more transparent. Treble is similar, being a bit more aggressive in the foreground on the A8000 but thinner and more upper-harmonic focused on the Solaris. The A8000 has slightly better fine detail retrieval and a slightly more natural instrument portrayal alongside a cleaner background. On the flipside, the Solaris has more sparkle and energy and similarly strong extension giving it slightly stronger micro-detail retrieval. In terms of staging, the Solaris is more evidently expansive, sounding bigger most of the time though the A8000 is capable of similar size, its presentation is more upfront but also more focused. Both have holographic imaging, the A8000 is a bit more layered and has slightly sharper localisation. The A8000 has better separation which contributes to this impression.     

MMR Homunculus ($1699): The Homunculus is a balanced Tribrid from the experimental MMR founded by former-Jomo engineers. It has a smoother and more coherent sound but is also slightly mid-forward. The Homunculus has a more typical DD bass and a slightly more even voicing with a small mid-bass bump. Both extend well but the A8000 is clearly much faster and higher energy with a tighter, harder-hitting sub-bass. The Homunculus meanwhile is smoother and more textured, it has longer decay and subjectify, sounds a bit more natural and less aggressive. The midrange is also forward on the Homunculus and upper-mid biased, however, it also has more lower-mid presence and bass warmth. In turn, it comes across as smoother and noticeably more coherent. The Homunculus has more body and a light warm tone but also a bit of male-vocal dryness. The A8000 has higher clarity and much higher definition. It isn’t more-forward but is thinner and less forgiving, albeit, more extended and far more revealing. The treble is crisper and more aggressive on the A8000 while the Homunculus, is impressively linear and natural. The Homunuclus is more laid-back but has more accurate body and timbre here. It has similarly strong fine detail retrieval with its EST tweeters but this isn’t immediately apparent as the A8000 is crisper and has better separation. The A8000 has a bit more headroom and sparkle while the Homunculus has a cleaner background. The Homunculus sounds slightly more spacious with more depth, and more separated layers but is less holographic and organised than the A8000. The A8000 also has a big advantage in separation.

Lime Ears Pneuma (1800 EUR): The Pneuma is Lime Ear’s current flagship with intriguing DD + BA woofer design and balanced, slightly vibrant sound signature in the same ballpark as the A8000. The bass tuning is basically identical on both (Pneuma bass-boost off) with just a little more mid-bass on the Pneuma. The Pneuma comes across as slightly bassier as it has a few dB less upper-midrange presence. The A8000 is tighter and harder-hitting in the sub-bass while the Pneuma has a touch more power and body here. The Pneuma, with its BA mid-bass drivers, keeps pace with the A8000 well, it is just almost as defined and agile despite having a bit more body. However, this is at the cost of sounding less coherent between its sub and mid-bass, the A8000 sounding more integrated and consistent throughout. The midrange is slightly more revealing on the A8000 and slightly more coherent on the Pneuma but both are fairly similar in voicing overall.

The Pneuma is a bit more balanced and less forward, trading off some definition for a bit more body and linearity. In turn, the Pneuma has a slightly more accurate timbre and is more forgiving. The A8000 is one notch more revealing and higher definition. It has a bit less body and sounds a bit clearer, more forward and more intense. The Pneuma has a 5k treble peak rather than the A8000’s 6k peak. In turn, the A8000 sounds more aggressive and crisper, with a little less body and slightly better clarity and fine detail retrieval. The Pneuma gets close in terms of detail retrieval but has a smoother voicing. Both have good extension, the A8000 is slightly better extension, the Pneuma a bit more emphasis on sparkle to compensate. The soundstage is larger on the A8000 and its imaging is also more holographic. The Pneuma has slightly better separation due to its more balanced sound and is a bit more coherent.

Hidition NT-8 (2399 SGD): Hidition’s 8-BA follow up flagship to the hit NT6 that precedes the new 11-driver Violet. It offers a slightly mid-focused sound. Bass is typical BA affair; it is balanced and linear and slightly more laid-back than the A8000. It has good extension but clearly less sub-bass depth and slam than the A8000. The attack and decay is a bit faster than the A8000, it is slightly more defined and separated but takes a noticeable hit in depth, dynamics and power relative to the Final. The midrange is more upfront on the NT-8 but tuned to uphold a highly accurate timbre. With a bump in the lower-mids, it has accurate body and retains a neutral tone alongside a natural voicing. It has similar extension to the A8000 but sounds less forward and intense and also less thin.

The A8000 has higher clarity and definition, it is more articulate but also more intense. The NT-8 manages a more accurate timbre despite being just as mid-forward. The treble is slightly crisper and more aggressive on the A8000 but also crisp on the NT-8. The NT-8 has a bit more focus in the middle-treble granting it more air and a slightly thinner instrument representation. The A8000 has slightly more foreground detail retrieval while the NT-8 has more atmosphere and brings background details more to the fore. The NT-8 has similar upper-end extension. The A8000 has a bit more sparkle here. The A8000 has a more rounded stage while the NT-8 has a bit more width bias. The A8000 has more holographic imaging but the NT-8 is also very sharp. The A8000 has better range and slightly better separation overall.  

Verdict –

There’s no doubt that the A8000 is a statement piece for Final Audio. In turn, I feel it is apt not to harbour ill-feelings towards the company for their chosen pricing as they have provided buyers with a wealth of more price-effective models that punch above their weight. The A8000 doesn’t seek to provide such universal appeal, rather, it delivers a one-of-a-kind experience. Indeed, I found this earphone to be a technical marvel even amongst its distinguished peers, specialising in speed, immersion and dynamics. Undoubtedly, this is a fine example of quality engineering inside and out making for an investment that buyers can feel proud to make. From the considerate accessory set and gorgeous cable and shells to the meticulous acoustic design, the end result is superlative in every way. That does not mean the A8000 is perfect nor fit for all as personal preference remains key, especially when investing in such an expensive product. The tuning is revealing and not at all forgiving, with a forward upper-midrange that does require an adjustment period. If you can stomach Final’s sound colouration alongside the substantial price tag, the A8000 provides extraordinary range and an effortless portrayal of music with agility that belies belief.   

The A8000 is available from hifiheadphones (International) for £1,999.00 at the time of writing. Please see our affiliate link for the most updated pricing, availability and configurations.

Track List –

Beck – Mellow Gold

Bob Segar – Night Moves

Brb. – Sorry That I Love You

Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit

Crush – NAPPA

Diamond Pistols – Time Machine

Dire Straits – Communique

Dirty Loops – Next To You

Eagles – Hell Freezes Over

Elton John – Honky Chateau

Eric Clapton – Unplugged

Joji – Sanctuary

John Mayer – New Light

LEE SUHYUN – ALIEN

MAMAMOO – TRAVEL

Nirvana – Nevermind

Pixies – Doolittle

Post Malone – beerbongs & bentleys

Radiohead – OK Computer

Rich Brain – The Sailor

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride