Final - B1

Final makes use of high precision Japanese engineering with focus on finesse and accuracy. Adopting cutting edge technology with high attention to detail and the highest quality of audio design, Final has carved a name for itself amongst audiophiles winning multiple awards over the years.

The team at Final strongly believes in creating earphones and headphones that are highly revered by people. Final earphones, like Swiss wristwatches and German Cars must be built to last forever and used as valuable antiques. The result of such careful consideration is a long-lasting, rational & emotionally valuable asset with the best sound quality and best design.

At the Final factory, the team of audio designers are dedicated to innovating audio products through research. Unlike other OEM manufacturers, they believe in designing their products in-house. This facilitates internal feedback between various teams and departments, encouraging the process for developing a long lasting product.

Final has a state-of-the-art company-owned “Final Store” located in Tokyo, Japan. This is open to all music lovers and audio enthusiasts to come in and experience Final’s range of headphones & earphones. The store proudly showcases their Japanese heritage and cultural artefacts in the form of Samurai suits. This represents Final's deep respect for the audio purist.

The team at Final spared no effort in terms of engineering and designing the B1. This in-ear monitor features a new and redesigned hybrid driver setup that delivers high-quality, precise sound. The B1 features a combination of 1 dynamic driver and 1 balanced armature driver to deliver natural sound that’s crisp and clear and also there is no parsing of frequencies by a network. The implementation of this hybrid driver setup enabled a particular emphasis on proximity of sound and sense of reality. With this hybrid driver setup, you experience clarity of vocals and each musical instrument is separated with profuse presence and feeling of liveliness as if standing in front of a live stage.

The B1 from Final is designed with modular elements which allow disassembly and easy repairs. This design has been implemented keeping in mind the factor of being able to use the IEM’s for a long time and if any issue arises, can solve it with ease. The B1 features a design where the front and rear pieces of the housing shell are detachable making it easy to open and inspect the earphone for any issue. This design allows for repairs and extends the lifetime of the earphones. The housing components can be disassembled with screws ensuring that the product can be used for many years after purchase. With this future proof design and the technology embedded in the Final B1, they have been awarded at the VGP 2019 SUMMER awards in Japan.

The design for the chassis of the Final B1 has been completely reimagined and re-engineered to offer utmost comfort. Unlike most IEMs on the market, which are designed with an ergonomic shape that rests heavily on the ear and silicone ear tips to keep them in place, the B1 limits the area that comes in contact with the ear, aiming to achieve a sense of fit with no feeling of oppression. The featured chassis is designed with 2 holding positions and 1 assisting position to offer a secure fit. In simpler words, it limits the amount of contact between the housing and the ear. This makes it comfortable and ensures a stable fit for a variety of people.

The Final B1 is made with premium quality materials and the utmost attention to detail for preferable results. The housing of the B1 is made of Metal Injection Moulding stainless steel with a mirror-finish instead of traditional aluminium. MIM is a process by which powdered metal is mixed with a binder to form a resin in the desired shape and applying high-temperature sintering to achieve the form. There is a high degree of freedom in moulding the resin into the same shape as the cast, making it possible to achieve a complex internal design even with metal. This decision was implemented as stainless steel is highly resistant to magnetism and has a high specific gravity, favourable for making the IEMs. These design decisions and selected materials are contributing elements enhancing the sound quality of the earphones.

Final B1 comes with high-purity OFC silver coated cables that provide a wide soundstage. These cables are developed in partnership with Junkosha corporation to be used with the supercomputer “Kei” for their fast signal transmission. The insulator film is made from PFA which was also developed by Junkosha corporation, who used their extensive knowledge to create the ultimate in low-permittivity material. The outer tube is made from PVC for maximum flexibility. You will experience surprising flexibility that both makes the cable extremely easy to use as well as reducing the likelihood of microphonics. In addition, the MMCX plug and the 3.5 mm mini-plug have far exceeded the regular QA pass criteria of a 5,000-time bend test by changing the connection design to one that can withstand more than 50,000 bends, making it truly durable. This durable cable and connector make connecting to a source device easy and seamless.

The ear tips for the Final B1 have been designed from soft silicone for superior comfort and noise isolation. These come in 5 sizes and the right and left earbuds have different coloured markings for easy recognisability and the different sizes also ensure that the sound is transmitted directly to the eardrum. Two types of silicon differing in rigidity are employed for the sound conduit and for the earbud that comes into contact with the user’s ear. The silicon used for the sound conduit is more rigid than that used for the earbud, and having groove processing applied to it, combines both strength and flexibility. These earphones also come bundled with a silicone carry case. With this silicon carry case, the cables can be rolled up and stored easily. The earphones themselves are gently secured using thin dome-shaped silicon covers making them perfect to carry along with you.

The Final B1 comes bundled with premium quality ear hooks that are carefully designed to fit everyone. The team at Final, considered the key aspects to designing an ear hook that is comfortable to wear and discovered a form that was smaller than most existing ear hooks and that didn't utilise metal or resin wires. This decision allowed for a simmer ear hook and one that feels premium to the touch, allowing the user to wear the earphones for extended periods and enjoy their music. This design drastically suppresses touch noise when the connecting cable touches the body.

The Final B1 comes embedded with driver units with a diaphragm attached to a voice coil and adhesive agent. With audio signals flowing, the diaphragm moves in minute increments along with the voice coil allowing the sound to be produced. Over time, the diaphragm moves efficiently and the sound changes or ‘ages’. The B1 has a small aperture, and so an extended period is necessary for changes through ageing to become noticeable. When used for over 150-200 hours, it should feel as though the sound has become stable. Favourable outcomes can be obtained through the ageing of the product, by listening to the music you normally listen to at a volume you usually listen to.