Final's new flagship headphones are incredible, and incredibly expensive

(Image credit: Final)

Final's flagship D8000 headphones have been dramatically re-engineered
Two models: one for laid-back listening and one for listening loud
From £3,999 / $4,299 / around AU$7,959

Let's get this out of the way first: the new Final D8000 DC and DC Pro headphones cost four grand at least in the currency of your choice. So if you're looking for the best budget headphones, you might want to skip the rest of this bulletin.

However, if you have the funds to drop between $4,299 and $4,799 on a set of headphones without blinking – and if you are, are you single and looking? Did anyone ever tell you how clever and funny and hot you are? – then these audiophile over-ears promise to deliver astonishing audio.

Final D8000 DC and DC Pro headphones: key features and pricing

Final D8000 DC headphones — (Image credit: Final)

The two models of D8000 headphones are very similar, but they're tuned differently. The D8000 DC "has tuning that is intended to be enjoyed" for relaxed music listening, while the DC Pro model is aimed more at audio professionals and those of us who like to listen loud. That means it has been tuned to deliver more prominent bass as the listening volume increases.

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The original D8000 planar-magnetic headphones were launched seven years ago, and the DC and DC Pro are the latest evolution of that winning formula. The DC, Final says, stands for "Da Capo – symbolizing a return to the beginning, a complete reconstruction of Final's flagship headphones with a fresh, innovative approach."

There's a new version of Final's proprietary Air Film Damping System, which was developed to regulate the movement of the diaphragm and deliver richer, distortion-free bass. Final says it overcomes the magnetic constraints of other planar headphones for superior accuracy and a "deep, balanced soundstage".

In the new DC models the AFDS has been re-engineered: every bit of the metal mesh around the diaphragm has been redesigned. The diaphragm they surround is ultra-light etched aluminum which reduces the weight of the vibration system by roughly one-third, delivering faster response and improved high frequency clarity.

Both models are available from selected UK retailers now; US customers can pre-order for mid-December shipping. The prices are $4,299 / €4,299 / £3,999 for the DC model and $4,799 / €4,799 / £4,499 for the DC Pro.

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Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.