Review of TWS headphones final ZE8000 MK2

When it comes to premium TWS headphones, brands such as Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, or even Apple come to mind – the mainstream ones. But, of course, this category is much broader. Our editorial team got hold of headphones from the Japanese manufacturer final. The model with the not-so-convenient name ZE8000 MK2 promises an unusual design, active noise cancellation system, and unsurpassed sound. And in this review we will see whether this model is worthy of attention, especially taking into account the rather high price.

Specifications of the final ZE8000 MK2

The editorial staff would like to thank Soundmag.ua for providing headphones final ZE8000 MK2 for review

Package contents

The usual set of accessories with such headphones is a case for storage and charging, a small cable for charging the case itself, and several options for ear cushions. All this is present here as well. But the manufacturer also took care of replaceable dust filters and a small tube for fixing them. This is unlikely to surprise audiophiles, but for buyers of, say, AirPods Pro, it will definitely be something unexpected.

What it doesn’t have is a small pair of tweezers for changing filters. However, it will not be a problem to find one. The manufacturer has also provided a short installation guide, which is pretty self-explanatory.

Still, it’s really nice to find such a thing in the kit. One of the most popular reasons for contacting service centers with TWS headphones is the contamination of these filters. And having a set of replaceable options, and in such a quantity, you can definitely do without specialists throughout the entire life cycle of the headphones.

Design and usability

As the name implies, ZE8000 MK2 is not the first edition of such headphones, and the previous version was very similar. You can recognize the new product by two small stripes on both the headphones and the case. But the general idea hasn’t changed. While most competitors are trying to make the smallest version possible, the designers of final went the other way.

Yes, the earpiece seems to be placed on an additional external panel. This helped to leave space for all the necessary components, adds space for touch controls, microphones, etc. At the same time, the headphones themselves with small clamps on the ear cushions are really comfortable in the ears, and spending several hours with them without further pain is absolutely not a problem, at least in my case. However, I would like to remind you that it is always better to try on headphones before purchasing them.

However, this shape has a drawback. Fans of hoodies with large hoods will cling to them with headphones and turn their heads to the side. The same will be true for jackets, and in winter, not every hat will allow you to comfortably listen to music on the way to work. Yes, this will not really be relevant for all potential users, but a certain part will definitely face such moments. Headphones of a different shape will be more comfortable in such cases. 

And speaking of the appearance of this model, it’s hard not to mention its finish. The plastic seems to be covered with small droplets, which creates a corresponding texture. The solution has an interesting look and feels pleasant to the touch. This accent not only adds originality to the design, but also hides small scratches on the case, if any appear over time. At the same time, plastic makes the cases lightweight – one earbud weighs seven grams.

The case is also light – 50 grams. This gives the impression that the device is cheaper than it actually is. But this is definitely not the main thing for headphones. The size of the case is approximately 78×60×30 mm. It will get in the way in your pocket, but it won’t take up much space in your backpack. The case also has a small reset button, magnetic fasteners, and four orange charge indicators and a charging port on the outside.

Thus, the headphones from a rather exotic manufacturer have a corresponding design. They are also more comfortable to use than they seem at first glance, and they have IPx4 moisture protection. ZE8000 MK2 are not equipped with additional clamps for use during sports, but the bundled ear cushions hold the headphones in place well enough even under conditions of sudden head movements.

Management

Although there’s still plenty of space on the rather large body, the final version decided to go more modern and implemented only touch controls. It will take some getting used to, and not all commands are easy to use. The control scheme provides options for several alternate taps, which will make you count touches. And personally, it’s hard to say that a few taps on the earpiece, up to five, is a convenient way to execute commands.

The scheme itself looks like this:

On the other hand, if the same thing is done with a mechanical key, the user will also hear it through the case. However, all of these actions can be performed on a smartphone, and it depends more on personal habits. However, the physical component of the control could level out the sometimes incorrect sensor triggering. But this can also be called nitpicking, because during the testing of the headphones, I hardly ever needed double or even triple taps.

Connectivity and functionality

Since these are TWS headphones, you can connect them to a smartphone, computer or other gadget exclusively wirelessly. ZE8000 MK2 use Bluetooth 5.2 and support SBC, AAC, and Qualcomm aptX codecs (and its derivative version aptX Adaptive). As usual, iPhone users are left with the first two options, while the aptX option is only supported by Android smartphones, and not with all models.

The ZE8000 MK2 also offers 8K Sound+. The manufacturer’s lengthy description with comparisons to the image does not reveal exactly how it works. It is noted that certain proprietary algorithms improve the sound. In fact, not every user will be able to feel a significant difference in sound depending on whether the function is turned on or off. Again, it’s very subjective, and there are people who can tell the difference between, say, the cables that connect wired headphones to the power supply. Unfortunately, I do not belong to this category of users. Therefore, I can only believe the manufacturer that it will be better and leave the function on just in case.

The equalizer will also help to add the desired “mood” to the sound. It’s a bit confusing for undemanding users, but it won’t be difficult to figure out. The manufacturer even offers a separate instruction with examples. There are no predefined presets for different genres or types of content, and you can save your own settings in only one version.

There is also a noise reduction system. It has four modes: Noise Canceling, Wind-Cut, Ambient Sound, and Voice Through. We will return to the features of their work in more detail in the next section about the sound itself. A short spoiler: only the last mode is really useful. 

In the app, you can also find volume optimization, software updates, and Multipoint connections. The headphones support simultaneous connection to two devices. In this case, they almost do not conflict with each other, but when music is playing from a smartphone, you can’t start a video or music player on, say, a laptop, you need to stop playback on the smartphone. No other features were noticed. There were no problems with the connection quality.

The app itself is minimalistic and straightforward. In the advanced settings, you can select only English or Japanese, change the volume of voice prompts and system notifications, disable touch controls and LED indicators, and set the time for the headphones to turn off automatically.

If you’re happy with the touch controls, you won’t need to use the app very often. And when you do need to change something through it, there will be a slight delay only at startup (which is not uncommon for wireless headphones in general).

Sound

TWS headphones, of course, have certain features. For example, most of the noise canceling is done by the ear cushions, since the headphones are in-ear. Noise Canceling doesn’t do any serious work here: most “everyday” noises literally disappear when the music volume level crosses the one-third mark. For example, I can no longer hear the laptop keyboard under such conditions. Moreover, if the volume is higher, you won’t be able to hear the doorbell ring. The same goes for the wind absorption function, which does not interfere with such ear cushions even with the ANC system turned off.

The “transparency” mode is much more useful. However, again, as soon as you raise the volume level, the surrounding sounds are “lost” in the music. Therefore, it is not possible to attribute ANC to the strengths of ZE8000 MK2. In turn, in Voice Through mode you can still talk without taking off the headphones. In this case, the music playback level is automatically lowered to the minimum, and you can hear the interlocutor’s voice without much effort.

But the sound is still a really strong point of this model. Even despite the lack of aptX support (I tested the headphones with an iPhone and MacBook Pro), I was completely satisfied with the music playback. The volume of the speakers is quite enough. However, this is subjective, and fans of really loud sound may want more (but this would definitely not be good for your hearing in the long run).

The headphones’ stereo and detail did not disappoint either. The model is able to provide a wide scene with really fine details. Therefore, it is very pleasant to listen to compositions saturated with small accents. At that, even with the equalizer turned up, the drivers will not significantly overload certain frequencies. There is no significant distortion in the bass, but the bass is not lost, although it is not emphasized as it happens with brands like Beats.

In general, these headphones are quite suitable for most genres. Just keep in mind that they are more oriented to connoisseurs of “smooth” sound, so fans of “oversaturated effects” may find them a bit boring. And this is not a drawback at all, but simply a difference in the target audience. Perhaps the impressions would be different if you had a smartphone with Qualcomm aptX support at hand, but even under simpler conditions, I liked the sound of ZE8000 MK2.

In turn, the built-in microphones will also allow you to answer the call. The quality of the user’s voice is quite good. However, there may be issues with isolating external noise. Therefore, it is better to have conversations in a quiet room.

Battery life

Each of the ZE8000 MK2 headphones contains a 54 mAh battery, and the case contains another 420 mAh. The manufacturer claims up to 5 hours of operation of the headphones with the ANC system enabled, or 15 hours if you take into account the case’s reserves. And it’s true: with noise canceling and 8K SOUND+ mode activated (which warns of increased power consumption), the headphones work for more than 4 hours at maximum volume. However, mainstream competitors can offer more.

You can replenish the charge using USB-C (and the manufacturer recommends using the bundled cable). The headphones themselves in the case are fully charged in an hour and a half, while the case battery takes two hours to restore. At the same time, the headphones have support for fast charging, which in five minutes in the case should add up to 45 minutes of operation, which is also true to form.