Final ZE8000 MK2 review: wireless earbuds that actually make me believe in 8K sound

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I’ve given Final something of a dressing down over the term ‘8K sound’, but I’m ready to eat some humble pie. If ever the term ‘8K Sound+’ (an upscaler option in Final’s dedicated ZE8000 MK2 and ZE8000 app) could apply to something you detect with your eardrums rather than pixels perceived as light hitting your retinas, that is what you’ll hear with these earbuds. The term still doesn’t sit well with me, but oh, the sound from the ZE8000 MK2 certainly does.

For sound quality alone, these are some of the very best noise-cancelling earbuds in the business. Rarely have I heard the cymbal taps and heavy bassline in D’Angelo’s Untitled (How Does It Feel) with such snap, clout and clarity through the leading edges of notes, thus giving the silky stylings of the one they also call D Mike extra yardage to soar above it all. 

So let’s give them a real challenge. Pink Floyd’s Money is deftly handled as the chink of coins in cash registers slip right behind my left earlobe, then pounce over to my right and back in a zealous, expansive, and honestly joyous soundstage. The bassline slinks in centrally but never at the expense of saxophones, key progressions and David Gilmour’s inimitable vocals, all presented in a beautifully layered and balanced mix. I could go on, so maybe I will: each musical passage is given ample due diligence; dynamics are spot on; sonic articles come through with pinpoint accuracy and a three-dimensional quality scarcely heard at any level. In Eagles’ Hotel California, you get the whistling wind through the second half of the intro, a detail lesser hearing gear can only dream of. 

So why shave half a star off the rating? Because these excellent earbuds are held back by a slightly disappointing battery life (which is five hours tops or 15 including the case, but closer to four when you deploy 8K Sound+) and an app that only supplies the basics – and sometimes fails to fire up at all, during my testing. 

The Final Connect app offers four noise cancellation modes, a volume step optimizer (which essentially gives you better precision to tweak the volume levels around your chosen listening level and is a welcome feature), that 8K+ sound toggle, a four-band EQ tab, the option to deploy multipoint (why would you not? Although for me, this didn’t seem to work convincingly) and firmware updates. 

When you consider that cheaper options offer hearing tests and fit tests (Denon PerL Pro and Nothing Ear 2), sound zones (Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless), the option to tweak what the on-ear controls do, auto-off wearer detection, sidetone to help you hear your voice in calls (Technics EAH-AZ80), 360 Reality Audio (Sony WF-C700N), and proprietary immersive options that work in tandem with ANC (Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds), Final’s offering does feel a little bare-bones. 

More than the app’s features, though, is the fact that when using my iPhone 12 Pro and MacBook Pro to deploy multipoint connectivity, switching from music on my phone to a call on my laptop often makes the iOS app disconnect from the ZE8000 MK2 it is paired to. While I can come back to the earbuds and stream music from my phone, the app (running the latest firmware update) no longer recognizes the product it is specifically designed to optimize, so I lose those in-app features.

In Final’s defense, app software can be updated and refined but the class AB amplification (known for its superior sound quality over the power-efficient Class-D amplifier used by many TWS systems) and huge 13mm driver cannot – not in this iteration at least. Yes, it’s a double-edged sword (better sound quality, poorer battery life), but top audio quality often involves taking a hit on stamina and balance. I know what I want most.

It is a testament to the excellent sound quality Final has achieved that these second-generation buds still get the rating they do. Final told us upon unveiling them that it had achieved a 32% increase in isolation with ANC active, and I can tell you that having heard it, the claim rings true. While the February 2023 inaugural ZE8000 received mixed reviews, this surprisingly early update is both justified and a different kettle of fish entirely, particularly where noise nixing is concerned. Simply put, it really works now. The near-bubble of silence provides a top backdrop for that delicious Qualcomm aptX and aptX Adaptive sound quality – that is when the app also works (you can scroll between ANC and ambient with a single tap of the left earbud, but in my tests, Noise Control has to be ‘On’ in the app first). 

In terms of design, you now get ‘Shield Fin’ eartips (there are little flaps on the big circular part covering the driver housing before the neck and nozzle) which really help with isolation and fit. I downsized to the smallest ‘SS’ pair and found them both secure and comfortable, even though these stem design earbuds are on the large size, as is the charging case. 

Again, a quick glance at the rating above reveals that I’m prepared to forgive almost all the Final ZE8000 MK2’s software and battery life shortcomings, even at this premium level. Why? Read the analysis of the sound quality above. If you need any more on that, you’ll simply have to listen to them… 

Final ZE8000 MK2 review: Price & release date

• Officially priced $399 / £289 (around AU$609)
• Launched December 8, 2023

However you look at it, this is premium territory. Final’s pricing is not too far from the recently-reviewed bijou and beautiful Montblanc MTB 03 (at $395 / £345 / AU$640) and those I also noted as a little hot and heavy, given the feature set. 

Let’s compare that $399 asking price by way of a quick rundown of top-tier options from the big names in audio. Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds will set you back $299 / £299 / AU$449. Sony’s 2023 flagship WF-1000XM5 sit around $299.99 / £259 / AU$499. The Technics EAH-AZ80, which boast triple-device connectivity and some of the best call quality on the market, also come in at $299 / £259 / AU$499). 

So yes, they’re a little too expensive to be truly competitive given today’s market. Then again, the Final ZE8000 MK2’s sound quality trounces their rivals. Yet as always, that’s not the whole story. 

Final ZE8000 MK2 review: Specs

Should you buy the Final ZE8000 MK2?

Buy them if…