Final VR2000 Review: Enjoyable Gaming Earbuds With Mic

Read our comprehensive Final VR2000 review to learn all about this affordable gaming headset, including its features, performance, and user experiences. Make an informed decision before purchasing the Final VR2000.

Verdict

The final VR2000 is an in-ear monitor (IEM) that offers exceptional sound quality for the price, a comfortable fit, and a sleek design. It is a great choice for audiophiles and mobile gamers looking for an easy-to-wear IEM that can deliver a more immersive stereo soundtrack than your run-of-the-mill earbuds.

These do not replace a full-sized gaming headset with proper surround sound since directional cues in multiplayer games will not be entirely as defined. However, they do a better job at this than other earbuds and provide a remarkable soundscape for movies, spatial audio, single-player, and racing games.

Introduction

The final VR2000 (£59.99/$69.99/€67.99) is the latest IEM from Final, a Japanese audio company known for comfy headphones with a detailed open sound. I have used their E3000 earphone for a long time, and its sweet midrange and wide soundstage made it the best $40 I’ve ever spent.

Now, with the VR2000 Final has turned its attention to gamers, VR users, and the world of ASMR. Using newly designed ‘f-Core DU’ custom-made dynamic 6mm drivers developed in-house, Final promises its new IEM will extract every detail from your digital surroundings and put you in the middle of the action.

Design/Features

The final VR2000 has a sleek, modern design with olive green polycarbonate housing. The VR2000’s housing is designed to provide a custom-fit feeling by limiting the contact area with the ears to achieve a fit without undue pressure. Because of this, the earpieces are lightweight and comfortable. In addition, they fit snugly in the ears despite being somewhat large.

The VR2000 fit is also aided by Final’s popular “Type E” ear tip design (so good even other manufacturers use them), which uses two types of silicone material for optimal sound and comfort. The ear tips use a softer silicone closer to the ear for a comfortable fit and superior noise isolation. Then, they use a more rigid silicone in the middle for improved sound and stability.

While the cable isn’t detachable, there is good stress relief at both ends, and it feels pretty durable with excellent flexibility to boot. In addition, it’s tangle-resistant, which makes it easier to use and carry in the included pouch.

On the cable is an inline mic/play/volume control, which you can use to play music and take phone calls. The slimline controller was responsive and easy to use with my iPhone, plus the mic worked well, allowing me to hear and be heard with no problem.

When wearing the earphones, you wear the cables over the ears, which can feel a little awkward as they move around. That said, you can utilize the included ear hooks to secure them, and while they are a bit of a pain to put on, they do help with the fit.

Inside the buds is Final’s newly redesigned ‘f-Core DU’ driver, with which Final aims to provide unprecedented sound quality in its price range. To achieve this, they have redesigned the various driver parts, using brass for the front housing to minimize magnetic force impact and improving the diaphragm’s time response by using ultra-fine CCAW voice coils and reducing the weight of moving parts.

Sound Quality

Primarily designed for gaming and VR, the VR2000 earphones offer a spatial listening experience with a vast soundstage and clear separation of sounds. They are tuned to allow fast response times and pinpoint accuracy for swift reactions in gaming. Final promises high-quality audio and the ability to notice sound effects quickly, making them ideal for competitive gamers.

In addition, they say they are great at providing an immersive soundscape for the new Dolby Atmos surround recordings offered on all the major music streaming services and live recordings. Furthermore, they should do all of this without sounding washed out or artificial like similar products.

So, do they live up to the marketing speak? Well, yes. Mostly.

First of all, let me talk about what they do well. When it comes to creating a wide-open soundscape that sounds remarkably natural, the VR2000 is excellent. Since these earphones are marketed as gaming earbuds, I began my evaluation by plugging the earphones into my iPhone via a Zorloo ZuperDAC Max and playing all different types of games.

I played the NBA 2K23 basketball game Asphalt 8 Racing and a first-person shooter game named Modern Combat. As I said earlier, with the sports and racing games, the VR2000 presented a beautiful, expansive, open soundscape, one that was much larger than some of the other similarly priced earphones I had on hand, including Final’s own E3000.

It also did an excellent job of naturally and clearly presenting music/sound effects without harshness, providing good detail and balance. Bombs exploded with a nice rumble without being overdone; footsteps and squeaks on the basketball court were crisp and organic. Soundtracks sounded majestic, with a nice separation of instruments and, again, good detail.

I was playing the racing game and was very impressed at how the rock track that backed the race was presented so wide open and with so much drive and remarkable dynamics.

On the other hand, one area where the VR2000 lacked a bit was the placement and directionality of sounds within the soundstage. These earbuds couldn’t compete with a headset using proper surround sound in this area. When playing the FPS game, I had issues picking up the footsteps of shooters behind me, something a headset with multiple speakers and surround processing would distinctly place in the sound field.

On the other hand, the immersive nature of the soundstage and the detail added to the sound effects are much better than your run-of-the-mill earphones, so the VR2000 gives you a more thrilling experience, especially in single-player games.

I also used the VR2000 to listen to some Dolby Atmos tracks on Apple Music, and again, I love the immersive nature of the presentation and the balanced sound. Listening to “Worth It” by Offset, the sound was spacious, and the separation between instrumental parts was excellent, especially for a sub-$100 pair of earbuds.

It brought the best out of these spatial music recordings, making me feel like the music was all around me. The only thing I was missing was some articulation on the bottom of the audio spectrum, but overall, these earphones were quite entertaining.

Should you buy it?

If you are an audiophile looking for an affordable IEM that can deliver outstanding sound quality with exceptional spatiality, then the final VR2000 is an excellent option. It is also a good choice for anyone who wants to fully experience the latest in spatial music, which is being pushed by streaming services. However, the VR2000 isn’t a replacement for gaming headsets with proper surround sound processing, as it can’t give you the pinpoint placement of objects that you would get from such a setup. That said, if you’re doing mobile gaming and looking for a lightweight, comfortable headset to use on the go, the VR2000 is worth the cash.

Final Thoughts

The final VR2000 is an impressive IEM that offers exceptional spaciousness, a comfortable fit, and a sleek design. The binaural audio is a real game-changer at the price point, making the VR2000 an excellent choice for anyone who wants an immersive listening experience. If you are an audiophile looking for a better gaming experience than what you’re getting from your wired Airpods (or equivalent), the final VR2000 is a great option.

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