Final UX2000

Verdict

A decent enough pair of budget ANC over-ears but decent isn’t good enough for the Final UX2000 to make their mark against tough competition.

Introduction

The Final UX2000 are the most affordable model in the UX series for the more budget conscious amongst us.

Headphones such as the Sonos Ace and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones aren’t for everyone, and although there’s no doubt we’d like to have them, most people would settle for less expensive efforts that can do a job.

Step forward the UX2000, a pair of noise-cancellers that aim to do more than just a job by offering long battery life, a low latency mode for gaming, and Final’s approach to offering class-leading audio at whichever price it’s competing at. Should these cheap cans head straight for the top of your shortlist?

Design

• Black or cream finish
• Physical buttons
• Collapsible design

The main differences between the UX2000 and the UX3000 include the lack of Shibo coating for a plainer, matte finish on the earcups. The shape of the earcups is styled a little differently, again the UX2000 have a less sophisticated look about them, and the ANC button has been shifted from the left earcup to the right.

Aside from those minor changes, there’s little else that’s changed in terms of the fit and build quality. The UX2000 continue to be a simple pair of headphones to operate with the aforementioned ANC alongside power and volume controls – like with the previous headphones the controls have a slightly cheap feeling clicky sound to them but they get the job in terms of their responsiveness to presses, and are easy enough to locate through gliding your hand past the earcup’s underside. It’d feel churlish to complain about them given the asking price.

The power button also acts as a multi-function button as it covers playback too.

The UX2000 also feel as if they’ve inherited the UX3000’s frame, the clamping force is similar – hugs tight but comfortable – the padding of the earcups and headband act as a nice cushion against the side of the face.

They’re collapsible too for portable carry, though in the same fashion as the Sony WH-CH720N they omit a carry case. All you get in terms of accessories is a USB-C charging cable and analogue cable for wired use. Colours come in the choice of black or cream for those who want a pair that stands out from the crowd more.

Features

• Bluetooth 5.3
• SBC and AAC streaming
• Hybrid Active Noise-Cancellation

Like the Final x Dragon Ball Z true wireless the feature set for the UX2000 covers the basics – but no more.

Again, as the cheaper option to the UX3000, a few features have been dropped; most notably the aptX support with the UX2000 sticking with SBC and AAC streaming. Bluetooth support has been upped to the 5.3 standard but the headphones don’t appear to benefit from multi-point support to connect to two devices at once.

The wireless performance has been excellent. No hiccups, no blips, just smooth sailing through crowds of people and busy transportation areas. These cans put more expensive headphones to shame with their seamless wireless performance.

Battery life has seen a boost, up from the UX3000’s 25 to 45 hours, which on paper would put it ahead of Soundcore’s Space One and the WH-CH720N. Putting that figure to the test and a four hour drain saw the Final drop to 90%, so 40-45 hours seems reasonable based on that.

The Final UX2000 also boasts hybrid active noise-cancellation though there’s no ability to customise it – you’re simply served noise-cancelling on or off. Having used the headphones on a plane they’re fine enough but the focus is more on cribbing ambient sounds, dialling down the intensity of what’s around you.

It’s with louder noises that they struggle a bit. On the tube there was some distortion coming through the microphones while in loud open spaces there was almost too much ambient noise for the UX2000 to get a grip on.

It was the same on a train, the UX2000 could clear away the air conditioning in the carriage and reduce the loudness of a few voices around me but the Sony WH-CH720N, Earfun Wave Pro, and Monoprice BT-800ANC all offer a stronger ANC performance.

There’s no transparency mode, unless you count turning the ANC off as providing that function. While it’s admirable that Final has kept things simple and uncomplicated for users, the competition offers many more features, including in most cases the presence of an app to help customise and personalise the performance.

Call quality is serviceable. Voice pick-up is fine but the headphones let in plenty of ambient noise, which means the person on the other end can hear what people around you are saying. It becomes a fight to hear what’s said on both ends when it gets loud.

Sound Quality

• Recessed midrange
• Lacks clarity and detail

The UX3000 delivered a rich, warm sound and the UX2000’s performance is similar if not as effective. In fact the sound it offers is something of a disappointment considering Final’s reputation.

Listening to Esperanza Spalding’s I Know You Know and comparing it to its more expensive sibling it’s immediately clear that the UX2000 sounds less detailed, less clear and overall are a less expressive listen. Everything seems to be at a remove – where the UX3000 played music up front and with tempo, the UX2000 takes a step back and plays music with reserve.

Vocals are positioned further back in the soundstage, effectively recessed, the soundstage taken as a whole is distant which creates less engagement with the music. Instruments are described with reduced levels of clarity or detail, the highs aren’t as bright, the lows have less depth and richness. It all sounds a little dusty and, dare I say it, a little boring.

There’s not much thrust, energy or rhythmic flow unless the volume gets turned up and even at higher volumes it rather exposes the Final’s lack of detail and clarity compared to other pairs at this price.

There isn’t the same level of clarity as the Sony WH-CH720N across the frequency range, the Sony headphones offer more punch to bass, a better sense of clarity at both the top end and the midrange, its sense of rhythm allows music to flow while the Final comes across as quiet and reserved.

And even with another contender in the Monoprice BT-600ANC, which won’t offer as much fidelity as the Sony does, but a listen to GoGo Penguin’s Erased by Sunlight shows they have a sharper presence at the top end and a bigger presence with bass making them a more engaging listen than the Final.

Switching between noise-cancelling on and off and there’s little to no difference in how they sound. That means they’re at least consistent, but the UX2000 are a pair of budget headphones that are shorn of expression and vibrancy.

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