Final D8000 Pro Edition: over ear headphones

The Japanese headphone company Final is launching a further upgraded version of its top model onto the high-end stage with the Final D8000 Pro Edition: the open magnetostatic at a price of roughly 4,000 dollars is designed to scare the international elite.

For decades, Japan has stood for inventive and greatest hi-fi sound culture: well-sounding names like Accuphase, Luxman, Yamaha, and Stax shine over from Japan. And finally. Final? Indeed, the manufactory has been in the service of good sound since 1974 but has not left much of an echo in our ears throughout the years.

Kanemori Takai, the late firm founder, was impressed with his initial product, an eight-shaped air coil, and a one-carat diamond as a needle and carrier construction, free of glue and iron core. This is how the company's history goes. In the years afterward, Final has established itself as a "provider of ideas and parts" to the hi-fi industry.

The special features of the Final D8000 Pro Edition

Final has released a number of varieties of headphones over the years, including in-ear and over-ear models. Around four years ago, the D8000 entered the high-end stage, with its magnetostatic heart beating to the pulse of the in-house Air Film Damping System (AFDS): Because of AFDS, the planar converter system's bass range should be more natural (…open-looking basses…) and allow the use of breathable ear pads, which are known to have a significant impact on sound quality.

Ralf Engel, the local Final distribution (ATR - Audio Trade) headphone specialist, explains AFDS as follows: "In the original planar-magnetic models, the vibration amplitude is increasingly modest and the membrane comes into contact with the magnet." The solution: "Final has developed a type of braking technology for the membrane with the use of calculations based on the finite element approach and many simulations using laser Doppler devices."

As a result, AFDS should prevent contact between the membrane and the magnet, resulting in low distortion in the bass, which is otherwise only possible with very good, dynamic models.

One of the differences between the D8000 Pro and the "regular" D8000 Pro may also be found here: The finalists allegedly tweaked their Air Film Damping System (AFDS) differently again at the request of some sound professionals who use the "standard" Final D8000 Pro, such that the bottom line "a new driver structure" is designed to shred distortion at greater volumes.

When it comes to wires, there are also distinctions: The 3-meter cable with a 6.3mm jack of the "Pro" was coated to a silver coating by the developers, which was created by the Japanese expert Junkosha. As a reminder, Junkosha is well-known for its high-speed data transfer cables, which are utilized in supercomputers.

The 8000s' cabinets are built of an aluminum-magnesium alloy with a low-resonance finish. Final works directly with raw material manufacturers and processors. This provides for the most precise quality control.

The Final D8000 Pro Edition appears to be heavier than it actually is: Despite its 523-gram weight, the handset rapidly imparted a sense of well-being, as if it belonged on the head: In other words, based on the pound weight, the wearing comfort is excellent thanks to a soft, low-pressure, and wobble-free fit.

The D8000 Pro's low impedance (59 ohms) and excellent efficiency (1.5 mW for 94 dB) would theoretically allow it to be used on smartphones. However, being an open over-ear headphone with such heft and a strong wire, the D8000 Pro Edition is definitely a home or studio instrument.

Conclusion

One of the greatest solo headphones is the D8000 Pro Edition. This is really the maximum level for a stand-alone headphone that enters the stage without a custom-fit power supply à la Stax - it is nevertheless recommended to use it with a headphone amp to fully demonstrate its incredible powers. What else can we say? Despite the fact that a hefty 4,000 $ is required. However, such high levels of performance are rare.