Here are the things to consider when choosing between the Final Audio ZE8000 and Sony WF-1000XM4: Design, comfort, build quality, sound quality, ANC performance and voice call quality.
| Final Audio ZE8000 | Sony WF-1000XM4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price* | ||
| Release year | Jul, 2023 | Jul, 2021 |
| Photo |  |  |
| Bluetooth version | Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Codec | AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, SBC | AAC, LDAC, SBC |
| Battery life | Rated up to 5.00 hours | Rated up to 8.00 hours |
| Weight | 6.80 grams | 7.40 grams |
| Water-resistant | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Driver | ⌀13mm Dynamic Driver | ø6mm Dynamic Driver |
| Noise reduction Tech | Two high-performance mics | 3 microphones (2 for NC and 1 for voice call) |
| Fast charging | 5min = 45 minutes | 5 mins = 1 hour |
| Wireless charging case | No | Yes, Qi Wireless Charging |
| Transparency mode | Yes | Yes |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Multipoint | No | Yes |
| Personalized hearing | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | [node:field_product_a:entity:field_surround_sound] | Sony's 360 Reality Audio |
| HR Tracking | ✖ | ✖ |
| Dynamic head tracking | ✖ | ✖ |
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: The good and The bad
| Final Audio ZE8000 | Sony WF-1000XM4 | |
| Pros | Comfortable fit, Excellent bass performance, Very detailed, warm and bright sounding profile with good amount of bass, Very neutral | Top-notch build quality, Excellent bass performance |
| Cons | Shorter than average battery life | May be a bit big, bulky, Expensive |
| Short review | Equipped with 13mm driver unit, which is unprecedented for TWS earbuds, the Final Audio ZE8000 take advantage of the large driver incorporation to deliver strong bass and treble presentation, making the sound feel more energetic, except that the mids are a bit recessed, that sound signature gives your fairly harsh treble with enhanced clarity. | The XM4 did a great job on how the emphasis distributes over ranges. In order of bass, mid, treble the emphasis becomes less. This makes the sound feel way more richness, less harsh on treble. Balanced with strong bass but won't lose characteristic of treble. |
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Fit and Comfort
It's quite interesting if you remove the eartips of the Final Audio ZE8000, since they don't fit to just nozzle as most earbuds do, instead they fit both nozzle and housings. I think this design give a softer touch to the ear, but since it accomodates large driver units so you may be struggling to fit them right.
The Sony WF-1000XM4 have neither stems nor stability bands. They have almost the same weight as Final Audio ZE8000 (7.40 grams vs 6.80 grams) but they offer better noise isolation, especially with foam tips.
Winner: Final Audio ZE8000 for slimmer, housing, more secure and more comfortable fit.
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: App and Control
The Final Audio ZE8000 features four different modes: ANC, ambient sound, voice through and wind-cut. The Final Audio ZE8000 have touch control panel on the stem, it's quite convenient, where on the left you can tap to toggle back and forth between ambient sound and ANC mode, double tap to decrease the volume, triple tap to go back the previous track. Tap and hold for two seconds to enable wind-cut mode.
On the right, tap to play/pause the music, double tap to increase the volume, triple tap to play the next song, touch and hold to enable voice through mode.
And on both sides you can double tap to answer/end calls, tap and hold to decline incoming calls. Tap five times to trigger voice assistant - it requires patience, indeed.
Sony offers the customization for touch control on their Sony | Headphones Connect like tap, tap and hold, double tap and triple tap. But you can only Play/pause/skip tracks on the left and switch ANC/Ambient Sound on the right.
Winner: Final Audio ZE8000
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Call quality
The Final Audio ZE8000 works quite well for calls in quiet environments, but when increasing the background noise, like it gets a bit more windy, the caller will start to hear a bit more cracking sound, since the mic also pick up that noise.
This also happens to Sony WF-1000XM4, but they seem to be better for picking up less wind noise.
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM4
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Sound quality
In terms of sound quality, the XM4 are equipped with ø6mm driver units that deliver the sound signature - tonally warm with strong bass. They also support LDAC and board the impressive soundstage. They share the same laid-back presentation with Sony WF-1000XM4.
However, the Final Audio ZE8000 (equipped with ø13mm) are slightly more laid-back, making it falls behind the XM4 in terms of richness and while the XM4's highs are well controlled the Final Audio ZE8000's is emphasized, easily pick up details. If their mids wouldn't be a bit laid-back they could give amazing level of clarity from mids to highs.
Winner: Sony
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Battery life
The Final Audio ZE8000 provide up to 5 hours of listening time, while you get 8 hours of listening time for Sony WF-1000XM4. A note that the Sony WF-1000XM4 have a known issue for battery after updating firmware.
Winner: Sony
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Codecs
The Final Audio ZE8000 support AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, SBC while Sony WF-1000XM4 support AAC, LDAC, SBC
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Immersive Sound
The Final Audio ZE8000 don't support 3D surround, such as spatial audio or 360 Audio you name it. While the Sony WF-1000XM4's 3D surround does require compatible content mixed, mastered with Sony's 360 Reality Audio in order to take effect.
Winner: Sony
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Noise Cancelling Performance
After conducting some test in harsh conditions (intense noise background) we can conclude that the Sony's ANC is superior to Final Audio ZE8000. It's tricky to get proper fit for Final Audio ZE8000 in order to get the optimum ANC and sound performance. The Sony WF-1000XM4 are easier to fit into the ear, and with foam tip and ANC on they can significantly reduce the noise.
Winner: Sony
Final Audio ZE8000 vs. Sony WF-1000XM4: Which pair should you buy?
If you already have the $93 Sony WF-1000XM4, I guess its sound will be a match to your liking, and now you want to try out something else - both the look and sound, the $236 Final Audio ZE8000 could be considered for their eye-catching, distinctive design and fine tuning sound that's pleasant to listen to. Though they lack in a few advanced features, their ANC performance is just right, and their battery falls short.