If you want to spend just over $100 on a pair of noise-canceling headphones, then you’re somewhat spoilt for choice — we’ve already looked at some of the best. These are the Final UX3000, a pair of headphones that slot almost exactly into that price bracket; but should you buy a pair?
Price and availability
You can get a pair of Final UX3000s for $149/£119 — a pretty decent price for the sound quality on offer from these wireless cans. Take your $149 to Amazon to bag a pair. Or if you live in the UK, you can buy some from the Final website.
Obviously, UK purchasers are getting the better deal here, with a much lower price than those in the US. That doesn’t mean they’re not worth buying in the US — they’re still well worth your time, you just might want to think a little more before dropping the hammer.
Build and fit
I love the way these headphones look — the mottled texture makes them feel more premium, and they look lovely and simple. Those soft goods are also nice and cushioned, with great memory foam behind them, which makes them feel great when you’ve got them on your head. Clamping force is tight, but not uncomfortable, and wearing them for long periods is not fatiguing or painful.
Build-wise, they are solid enough, although there are some points that dampen proceedings a little. The hinges that hold the cups to the headband have a little more give than you might like, and the buttons are uncomfortably clicky. Press them when the headset is on and you’ll know about it with a cacophonous clack echoing around your head.
Features
The stand-out feature is that they are mind-bogglingly simple. No app, no EQ adjustment, no extraneous things to clutter them up. Just turn them on, find them on the Bluetooth menu on your iPhone, and get connected. ANC turns on and off with the holding of a button on the headphones themselves — and that’s it. No bells, no whistles, no fluff, just a pair of headphones that play music and block noise. Great!
That noise canceling is fantastic, however, and blocks out a good amount of noise. It blocked out a busy office for me, and I can’t hear the sound of my keyboard even when the quietest of music is playing. Very impressive, especially for the price.
Sound Quality
It’s here that the UX3000 really shines — they sound wicked. If you’re looking for a very balanced, neutral sound with a reasonably wide soundstage, then you’re in the right place. That does make them sound a little vocal forward on some tracks, but they are otherwise a very easy listen. They also manage to not fall into the ‘analytical’ trap that some more neutral headphones can fall into, keeping things well-defined without straying too far into being too bright.
For Country, this works an absolute treat. Tim McGraw’s Just to See You Smile tells its story spectacularly well over the UX3000, McGraw the highlight of the track. His southern lilt doesn’t dominate, however, as the guitars and the rhythm section weave well together throughout. Soundstage and imaging are good here too, each instrument is picked out with great detail and a surprising amount of confidence.
They’re not the bassiest of headphones, so there’s little in the way of a low-end punch, but what is there is controlled, smooth, and dynamic. Bob Vylan’s Wicked & Bad needs a certain amount of ‘kick’, and the UX3000 is more than capable of keeping up. Bob’s rapping is of course front and center here, but the metallic backing track has plenty of dynamism and some great mid-range representation.
Competition
There is a good amount of competition for the UX3000, but nothing that manages to produce a more subdued sound profile. If you’re a bass head look elsewhere — the entirety of this price bracket is made for you. If you’re looking for something a little classier, or a little more engaging, then the UX3000 might just be what the doctor ordered.
Should you buy them?
You should buy them if…
- You want something more restrained
- You want something simple
- You need great noise-canceling
You shouldn’t buy them if…
- You want loads of bass
- You want something impeccably built
Verdict
The Final UX3000 is an excellent pair of headphones, delivered with confidence by a company that knows what it’s doing with sound profiles. They aren’t for everyone — there is a little less bass than some might like but for those of us who are fond of something with some more restraint, they are perfect.
At the price you can pick them up for, there’s not much as solid and simple on offer compared to what the Final UX3000 really gives you.
