Final Audio released the ZE8000 earlier this year. The launch was pretty successful, as the pair of true wireless earbuds offered great sonic performance. But it seems like the audio specialist wasn’t too happy about it, as it has just launched the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2.
As an upgraded model, the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 comes with a list of tweaks and improvements. All these changes aim to make the pair of wireless earbuds allow the users to “experience the evolution of 8K sound.” Moreover, the new version brings better noise cancellation, sound isolation, and a higher sound threshold.
But Before Anything Else, What Exactly Is 8K Audio?
The terminology “8K” is something that we usually see on screens. That is, it refers to the resolution of the screen. In the audio world, we understand sound quality with bit-depth and sampling frequency. For example, if a pair of earbuds can offer Hi-Res audio, it means you can enjoy audio playback at 16-bt/44.1kHz or higher. So, what’s the 8K audio for Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 for?
Well, it seems like Final Audio is using a bit of fresh terminology for Hi-Res playback. And this audio accessory brand isn’t the only one. For instance, Amazon Music terms their top-tier streaming quality as HD. Again, HD is something that we see in displays, not for audio quality. Even Tidal utilizes different terminology for its high-tier subscription, which is called “Max.”
Improvements and Main Highlights of the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2
Now that the topic revolving around 8K audio is out of the way, let’s get back to the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2. So, Final has made a broad number of improvements to deliver a better listening experience. Here’s a rundown of the changes:
Better Design for Improved Fit and Comfort
One of the things that holds back most of the earbuds from performing well is the design. But the good news is that Final Audio knows how important design is. As a matter of fact, when you get better comfort and fit, the earbuds automatically offer an enhanced audio experience.
As for the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2, it comes with newly designed “shield fin” ear tips. These come in different sizes to ensure the best possible fit. As a result, the earbuds excel in terms of delivering better passive isolation. This improvement in terms of isolation reduces the ambient noise, bringing a much more immersive audio experience.
Also, you get better comfort, allowing you to listen for a long time without any issues. For those wondering, the shield fin tips of the ZE8000 MK2 are available in five sizes. They are super SS, S, M, LL, and LL, which go from the smallest to the largest.
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Audio Performance of the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2
The Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 offers a lot of improvements under the hood. As Final says, to bring the “8K Sound” feature, the earbuds bring an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This improvement makes the audio configuration capable of extracting more details from the playback.
Moreover, Final Audio promises to deliver more musical nuance from the recordings. And yes, the improved SNR makes the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 offer the perception of 8K Sound.
Besides, the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) hardware of the earbuds has seen an upgrade. Final Audio has refined the algorithm to make it more efficient in canceling out external noise. Also, the earbuds take advantage of the new shield fin ear tips. With it, the ZE8000 MK2 can offer better isolation from the outside world.
To be precise, compared to the predecessor, the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 provides 32% improvement in terms of sound isolation. Also, the audio specialist has refined the digital signal processing. This refinement makes the earbuds extract even more fine details from the playback.
Other Features and Updated Companion App
Final Audio listens to its users. After closely reviewing the suggestions from the ZE8000 users, it decided to add an option to disable the ANC. The Bluetooth earbuds also enable the users to deactivate all the other noise control settings. This adjustment will give you a completely unfiltered listening experience.
The ZE8000 MK2 also brings an improvement in the maximum volume setting. It saw a 5 dB increase. The Volume Step Optimization has gone through a redesign. With it, the Final Connect app offers finer volume adjustment abilities.
Users can also check the volume levels of the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 individually. The companion app brings professional EQ adjustment settings as well. It’s called Pro Equalizer.
As for the battery life, the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 can deliver up to 15 hours of runtime after a full charging session. And it has rapid charging tech, which makes it offer 45 minutes of playback with just a 5-minute charge.
Other highlights of the Final Audio ZE8000 MK2 include aptX and aptX Adaptive codec support. It also comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, which brings Bluetooth Multipoint. And there’s an IPX4 rating, making the earbuds capable of handling tough weather conditions.