I have to say I’m mightily confused by the numbering strategy of Final. The Japanese manufacturer previously launched the VR3000 earpieces around the same time that Meta’s Quest 2 appeared, and now, with the arrival of the Meta Quest 3 we have a brand-new set of VR-focused earbuds called… the VR2000? Perhaps it’s part of a strategy to launch the VR Zero alongside the Quest 5?
Confusing numbering aside, Final are an authority on audio, and the VR2000 benefits from many years of the company’s expertise in research and development. Paired with a VR headset, the VR2000 offers an unparalleled window (for your ears) into an alternate dimension, but it might not be what everyone is looking for.
The VR2000 is a wired earbuds, so anyone that needs a 3.5mm socket filling will be in luck. In the box you get the VR2000 itself, a selection of eartips, a choice of rubber ear hooks and a little felt bag for keeping everything in. The body of each earbud on the VR2000 is fairly bulbous, sitting beneath the earbud tip, and they might prove to be too heavy for some ears were it not for the wire being designed to run up and around the user’s ear.
Being honest, I’m not always sold on over-ear cabling, but Final have included a set of soft rubber canals to run the wire through, making the entire proposition much more comfortable and appealing. Fitting these to the cables is easy enough, but getting them to sit in the right place will probably require some trial and error based on how far from the earbud itself they need to be. Once completed, you have to become accustomed to twisting the VR2000 into place so that the earbud fits snuggly within your ear.
This all makes it sound as though the first experiences of the VR2000 are somewhat finicky, but in reality we’re talking about fifteen minutes to prepare and adapt to the way that the earphones work. It’s worth it. Once in place, they’re comfortable and easy to forget once you’re in the thick of whatever virtual world you’re exploring.
Tip choice is always important, no matter what earbuds you’re using, as the seal between the headphone and your ear is key to getting the best audio throughput. The VR2000 is naturally tight and detailed, accenting the top-end sounds and highlights to provide the user with an incredible sense of accuracy. Listening to tracks like Grace by IDLES let me tease out the crisp details of the hi-hat while Joe Talbot’s vocals punched their way through the otherwise enveloping mix.
Moving to gaming, and it’s all about the soundstage with the VR2000, with virtual surround sound – both Dolby Atmos and Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio – making the most of the reworked 6mm drivers that Final have squirrelled into the VR2000’s diminutive body. Hopping into the alien world of Pandora in Ubisoft’s latest Avatar: Fontiers of Pandora the VR2000 enhanced the incredible soundscape, with the cheeps and twirps of exotic creatures marrying to the epic vocal chants of the orchestral soundtrack.
Directional audio works astoundingly well, and across a variety of FPS titles, I found I could easily identify almost exactly which direction enemies were approaching from.
The VR2000 are smart, sleek and very modern looking, with an angular external surface that feels and looks futuristic, and one of the most enjoyable aspects of them is just how straightforward they are. Once you’ve got them set up, you can plug and play, and when combined with the Meta Quest 3 you can get straight into the action. They’re also a huge step up over the included PSVR2 buds, so whichever VR system you’ve bought into they’re a clear winner.
There is an in-line controller on the cable, with its three buttons letting you change the volume and play and pause your media. Unlike most in-line controls, these are smooth and surprisingly premium-feeling, with the only downside being that they feel quite high up on the right earbud’s cable. The advantage to that is that they should be just below your jaw, improving the in-line mic’s pickup, making calls and game chat clear and easily heard and lack fuzzy jumped sounds.
At £59.99 the Final VR2000 are almost unassailable, especially when the majority of gaming-focused earbuds in this price range are thoroughly disappointing. The original ROG Cetra performs a similar function, though the ear fit becomes exceptionally important to get the best out of them, and when you compare the VR2000 to the frankly stupifying price of the Audeze Euclid I think I’d be sending my money in Final’s direction.
