T3 - UK (2022-06)

72 T 3 JUNE 2022

Tested

Final Audio UX 3000

£119

snext-final.com

inal Audio has turned out everything

from wildly expensiveheadphonesto

humble entry-level stuff that costs

the same as a round of drinks. e

UX3000 were worththe wait, though– the

companyhas certainly takenits time to challenge

the best noise-cancelling headphones,but it’s

done so while playing its own game.

Not much is new in the world of over-ear

headphones, certainlynot where design is

concerned. So it’s nice to find even a tinypoint of

difference here – Final Audio has deployed what

it calls a‘shibo’finishoverthe fairly hard plastics

that comprise most of the frame of the UX3000.

An old Japanese word describing the wrinkles on

the surface of paper or leather, ‘shibo’here

basically means an interestingly mottled finish

that (in some lights)makes your headphones

look likethey need a bit of a wipe.

Wherethey’renot made of plastic, the

UX3000 are builtfrom nicely pliant, memory

foam-filled pleather at the contact points. Both

the earpads and the headband are comfortable,

and stay that way for hours at a time.

Anynumber of price-comparable rivals to

the UX3000 hit you with overconfident low

frequencies and a sortof sonic relentlessness

that’s easily (but only briefly) confused with

‘excitement’.Safeto say the UX3000 don’t

indulge in such cheap nonsense. ey’reabout

fidelity and realism.

Given content of a half-decent standard to

deal with,the Final Audio are an accomplished

F

Affordable wireless headphones

for grown-ups that deliver hugely

detailed and accurate music in an

aggressively priced package

Final Audio

UX 3000

THE FINALWORD

WE’RE IMPRESSED Deftly

accomplished sound;good

specification; compact and

comfortable.

WE’D IMPROVE Active noise

cancelling canbe bettered; don’t

look or feel anything special.

THE LAST WORD These aren’t

made for the ‘big bass at all costs’

brigade, but the rest of us can

revel in serious, properly realised

performance at a very agreeable

price indeed.

VERDICT

Find great deals on the UX30 00

at: bit.ly/t3fnaux3k

listen. ey deliver a tightlyintegratedand

properly consistent tonality from the top ofthe

frequency rangeto the bottom, with punchy

and controlled bassunderpinning things.

roughout the frequency range, detail levels

are high and control – of the attack and decay

of individual sounds,as well as of overall

integration – is absolute.

ey don’t create the biggest soundstage

around, it’strue, but nevertheless the UX30 00

can lay out a recording coherently and drawa

convincing audio image.Specific instruments or

performers haveautonomy intheirownlittle

area of the soundstage,and there’s no blurring

or muddling of positionson it.

As far asnoisecancellation goes, it’smostly

successful. e UX3000 aren’t able to remove

everyhint of external sound, it’s true– you’ll

need to at least double your budget – but they’re

not bad at all. Andthey don’t shift their sonic

character while they’recancellingnoise.

Anyone with realistic expectations of what

kind of wireless over-ear activenoise-cancelling

headphonesthis sortof money canbuy will be

verypleasantly surprisedby the Final Audio

UX3000.ey’rea mature,quitesophisticated

and nicely balanced listen, they’reproperly made

and comfortable, and they’renot at all badat

cancelling noise either.

Yes, you canspend similar money on more

upfront sound, or on a more high-profile brand

logo – but it won’tbuy you any more musicality

than is available right here.