Final Audio Design Heaven IV Earphones - Violet

The Final Heaven IV exudes politesse. It does not scream, hiss or thump for attention. Its lows aren't the lowest, its highs not the highest. Instead, it excels through refined modesty. When first listening through the Final Heaven, you may suspect that its sound is muffled. But then you hear the subtleties, the refinement, the veracity. It handles difficult timbres without any distortion: Gabrielli's brass sounds like brass; Mahler's 9th symphony sounds nearly the way it did from the fourth seat in the 6th row in the National Concert Hall (a stunning performance under the late Albert Rosen)--'nearly': with its civilised mids, the Final Heaven cannot but compromise somewhat on spectacular lows and fireworks highs. I can imagine that afficionados of rock, pop, hop (etc.) may find these earphones somwehat dull.I have now listened more analytically to the IVs. Yes, they are musical, mellifluous even--but at times they are as mellifluous as mud. They lack detail in the bass: a double bass sounds like a dull hum; dark timpani like dull thuds. The bass is just too muffled.

I bought these on the back of all the 5 star reviews but after a month with them I have to say I'm a bit disappointed.On the plus side, they're well made, the sound is good (but not great), and I like the flat cables that tangle less than most.What I'm not that happy with is the lack of a mic/remote and the amount of noise transmitted by the cable to the headphones.I know not all headphones have a mic/remote, but for the price and what else they offer I feel that I'm not getting my moneys worth. The sound quality isn't enough to make me happy with the lack of these.The other point, the sound transmission to the ears via the cable, it sounds like a minor issue but it certainly isn't. While they're great if you're not moving, even if you're just walking the amount of noise is just far to high to be able to filter out.I travel a lot and have tried a lot of different headphones and I would not recommend these at the price (@£130). There are headphones that offer sound just as good, or better, and have a remote/mic, and still manage to deliver when you're on the move.

Aesthetically appealing product, with wonderful acoustics (the tone for both singing and instrumental music are truly superb), so why only three stars? The answer is that I want to use these with an ipod while on the move, and the noise I get from the cable banging against my chest and then being transmitted through the earbud while I walk or run mars an otherwise wonderful musical experience. So would I recommend these to somebody who wanted them for quiet listening in a sedentary position; unreservedly. Would I do the same for a person with an active life-style - no way. And it also irritates that I have received nothing from their customer service desk 48 hours after calling to ask if there was a solution

I was disappointed with these. The headphones made me feel like I had cotton buds hanging out of my ears and I think it would be impossible to exercise with them. I did not find the foam pieces particularly secure or noise cancelling and the noise from the cable hitting my neck / chest was huge in my ear. Sound quality wise I don't think they match up to similar priced Shure headphones (which I bought after I returned these) and they fall massively short of my old Shure 535's (ok they are twice the price but the difference was staggering). The packaging was nice although overall I thought the product lacked a sense of quality.

Where to start? Right from the suitably posh box to the padded inserts of the stainless steel case these earphones scream class.So far I have only tried a few pieces of reference music I always use on new gear to test.I have found vocals to be so much clearer than any other in-ears I have owned, but then I have not spent this much on in-ears before.Each instrument/voice seems clear and distinct with none over powering the others. Not overly bassy but enough to let you know it's there. High's are not at all shrill but strong, it blends beautifully with a strong mid-range.The units themselves are quite long and hefty but sit very comfortably in the ear. The flat cable is nice and should not get tangled too easy hopefully. A minor preference of mine would be have a clip on the wire to attacht to clothing i'll live.My advice, buy some.. you'll love them!

Excellent build quality. A very refined sound. At this price the bass is a little light, but the treble is balanced and the mid tones are clear. To get the best out of them, you should run them in for a couple days. The cable is flat and therefore stops most tangling. The only real drawback is the lack of an inline controller.

Paying what many would consider a lot of money for a pair of earphones may seem a risk.Having previously enjoyed Final Audio's less expensive Adagio earphones I was hopeful that the extra money for the Heaven IV set would be worthwhile. My confidence in this amazing company was truly well placed and I am absolutely delighted.From deep bass to high treble through a superb mid-range these earphones deliver sheer listening pleasure whether you are listening to gentle classical music or a storming rock band. They do not tire your ears as some earphones do but fully repay your investment in what is a wonderful piece of hi-fi kit. Supplied in a lovely protective metal case you can order these earphones with real confidence.

These IEMs are just incredible. Based on a single BA, they are fantastically optimised on the following respects:1) mids are exceptionally fine tuned2) bass is quick&tight as you would expect by a BA earphone, but full of body as if a DD were involved3) resolution and soundstage are just fantasticAbsolutely recommended for jazz, classical and vocals.