Final Audio UX3000 ANC Headphone

UX3000 - Quality audio from a decent ANC headphone

The Final Audio UX3000 is a budget-friendly ANC Bluetooth headphone where Final Audio’s decided to bring some of their high-end sound quality to a new segment of listeners and for those who look for ‘pragmatically’ price audio that is a fantastic trend that I hope other companies will follow.

Designed with both active noise cancellation (ANC) and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, the UX3000 provides the essentials for enjoying music in various environments while maintaining a clear and punchy sound profile.

The UX3000 has been around for a few years now, but it was an ANC headphone that was still on my radar due to its reputation of having excellent sound quality and when I recently spotted a refurbished model on sale from Hifi Headphones in the UK I thought why not see why it has such a good reputation.

I see it is currently £59.99 which makes it highly competition even against the latest ANC headphones.

Read on to see what I like and dislike about this headphone.

Unboxing Experience and Box Contents

The Final Audio UX3000 comes in straightforward packaging:

The back of the box has the usual specifications:

Opening the box you get a lot of plastic protecting the headphones: ||

Remove the plastic you finally get to see the headphones:

The box has all the essentials included to get you started:

•	Final Audio UX3000 ANC Bluetooth headphones
•	USB-C charging cable
•	3.5mm audio cable
•	Cloth Carry pouch
•	User manual and warranty card

The cloth bag is a bit mean compared to hard back cases you can get with similar priced ANC headphones:

Final Audio keeps things simple here, making sure the essentials are there for quick setup but the competition even the sub $100 ANC headphones probably have a better overall package.

Design and Comfort

The UX3000 has a minimalist aesthetic with a sleek matte finish and a durable plastic build that feels solid in hand.

It’s lightweight, making it easy to wear for shorter sessions, but the ear cup size may limit comfort for those with larger ears.

Users with small-to-medium-sized ears will likely find the fit secure and comfortable, but larger ears may feel slightly cramped due to the compact ear cups, for example, compare to the Tronsmart SoundFi Q20s that I recently reviewed the size of the internal cups is very limited:

Here are the inner dimensions of the ear cup of 55cm by 33cm:

Though while the earcups width especially is too small for my ears, it does have is good extension in the headband which means larger heads should be fine:

One highlight of the UX3000’s design is its separate buttons for ANC and Bluetooth, allowing users to enable ANC independently of Bluetooth, which is a rare feature at this price point and convenient for those who may want to reduce noise without connecting to a device via bluetooth. For example, you can use the wired connection but still benefit from the ANC noise reduction.

Key Features

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

The ANC on the UX3000 is impressive for the price, effectively reducing background noise in environments like cafes, offices, and public transport. The ANC does increase the bass slightly, giving the headphone a bass-rich sound signature when activated, which some users may find enjoyable while others may prefer a more balanced profile.

Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX Support

As an older ANC headphone the UX3000 only supports Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, SBC, and AAC codecs. But this combination does high-quality wireless audio with minimal latency. Bluetooth connectivity is stable, with easy pairing and a consistent connection even in environments with multiple Bluetooth devices. I would love to see Final Audio produce an updated ANC headphone with newer codecs like LDAC or LC3.

Separate ANC and Bluetooth Controls

A nice feature of the UX3000 is the ability to activate ANC independently of Bluetooth. This allows you to use ANC without Bluetooth, which is convenient in situations where you just want peace and quiet without audio playback. This flexibility enhances its functionality, especially for travel or noisy environments.

You can see the separate button dedicated to ANC on the left hand side of this photo:

I also liked the simplicity of the bluetooth controls of the UX3000 - you get the basic button controls, and they work very well.

Driver Technology

Most ANC headphone in this price have “off the shelf” driver technology which mostly sounds the same but Final Audio with the UX3000 have brought some of their Audiophile technology to produce a remarkable driver:

Note: I think it is a pity that Final Audio utilised a custom ‘clip’ to keep the earpads attached to the ear cup. I would have like to use some of my stock collection of third party earpads as this would have greatly helped with some of the comfort issues I had with the UX3000.

Audio Performance

The Final Audio UX3000 delivers an excellent and bass-friendly sound signature that works well across a variety of genres. With ANC turned off, the default sound signature is more balanced, making it enjoyable for everyday listening, while ANC boosts the bass, adding a bit of fun and punch to bass-heavy tracks.

Bass

The bass is full and rich, providing a solid foundation for tracks. With ANC on, the bass becomes more pronounced, adding depth to electronic and hip-hop music, though it can sometimes overshadow the mids. In tracks like “Billie Eilish - bad guy”, the bass adds a satisfying thump without becoming too boomy when ANC is off.

Midrange

The midrange is clear and well-balanced. Vocals and instruments sound natural, with a slight warmth that complements various music styles. In “Adele - Someone Like You”, vocals are intimate and expressive, maintaining clarity even with complex instrumentation in the background.

Treble

The treble is smooth, avoiding harshness, though it lacks the sparkle found in higher-end headphones. It remains non-fatiguing, making the UX3000 suitable for long listening sessions. High frequencies are present but understated, offering a relaxed sound that suits laid-back listening.

Soundstage and Imaging

For a closed-back, ANC headphone, the soundstage is modest, providing a sense of depth but limited width. Imaging is precise enough for pop and acoustic music but may not satisfy those looking for an expansive, open sound. The soundstage is focused, placing elements like vocals and central instruments close to the listener, which adds intimacy to the listening experience.

Specifications and Measurements

• Driver Type: 40mm dynamic driver
• Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
• Impedance: 32Ω
• Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
• Bluetooth Codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC
• Battery Life:
  • Up to 35 hours (with ANC)
  • 50 hours (without ANC)
• Charging Time: Approx. 2.5 hours
• Weight: 260g

The UX3000’s battery life is excellent especially for an ‘older’ headphone, providing up to 35 hours with ANC on and extending to 50 hours with ANC off. The 2.5-hour charge time is reasonable, considering the playback time offered, making the UX3000 reliable for extended use without frequent recharges.

Frequency Response

The frequency response of the UX3000 is slightly more bass-rich with ANC on, providing a slight V-shape, while the default sound signature remains more balanced with a little mid-bass boost:

With ANC the channel matching was pretty good, I believe the roll off in the sub-bass on one channel was related to ‘seating’ on my ‘measurement head’ when I measured it rather than an actual driver difference:

Comparing to some of the other ANC headphones, that I have reviewed recently and measured. The UX3000 is pretty ’neutral’ or more Harman compliant to almost all other ANC headphones: Note: As you can see most headphones go for a huge bass boost where Final Audio have gone for a more subtle bass boost.

But picking out some of the better ANC headphones with the “best” tweaked settings (typically using their companion application) compared to the default sound signature provided by the UX3000 we get to see more clearly how well the UX3000 compares “by default”:

For this reason I would give the UX3000 a very strong recommendation for those who don’t want to mess with tweaking the sound via a companion application, you get a very good ‘out of the box’ sound signature especially for an ANC headphone.

Distortion

The total harmonic distortion (THD) is low, indicating clean audio reproduction with minimal distortion even when playing music extremely very loud - in this case nearly 100dBSPL:

And shown as a percentage there is no problem areas with the performance of the UX3000:

Rating

While the sound quality and ANC are excellent, the ear cup size may not be ideal for everyone, as it may feel tight for those with larger ears like myself. This design choice, while adding to its compactness, may affect long-term comfort.

The Final Audio UX3000 therefore earns a 4-star pragmatic rating for me. But if your ears are on the smaller size,
the solid sound quality, effective ANC, and useful controls at an affordable price would probably make it an easy recommendation. For me the main drawback is the limited ear cup size, though because it is a few years old the lack of a companion mobile App (for tweaking the sound profile) and the limited bluetooth codecs will also be an issue for some.

I would be very interested is seeing (and hearing) what Final Audio do with their next ANC headphone.

Conclusion

The Final Audio UX3000 ANC Bluetooth Headphone offers a robust combination of sound quality, ANC performance, and Bluetooth functionality that’s impressive for the price. With its flexible controls and engaging sound, it’s ideal for listeners seeking a budget-friendly ANC headphone that doesn’t sacrifice quality. Although it may be less comfortable for those with larger ears, it remains an excellent choice for anyone wanting effective noise cancellation and wireless convenience in a compact package.