Final TONALITE Earphones Review

The Final TONALITE earphones take a different direction when it comes to personalising audio for each user. Through its Digital Twin Audio Simulation (DTAS) feature, Final’s new earphones will attempt to optimize tone for each user by generating an “Acoustic Avatar” with the aim of producing a natural sound. It all sounds very impressive, but does the TONALITE deliver? Here is my review. 

Are they actually good earphones?

While the DTAS personalization is the headline feature, the TONALITE earphones first need to be good on a hardware level, to provide a solid foundation that DTAS can build upon. 

I’m happy to report that, as you might expect from Final, these earphones sound great in their stock mode. They provide a very smooth listening experience, with bass present but not overpowering, clear mids, and treble that avoids any offensive sharpness. While bass heads may be left wanting more — which is where EQ can come in to help — the general appreciator of high-quality sound should be happy with the TONALITE. 

All the features!

Looking beyond the raw listening experience, I’m pleased to say that the TONALITE features a wide range of modern must-have features. Highlights include Bluetooth 6.0, LDAC, ANC, low latency for gaming, and wireless charging. It also comes with a selection of ear tips to help users get the optimal and most comfortable fit. I really can’t complain about the overall comfort, even after long periods of use. 

The companion app offers EQ tuning and other options including a guided DTAS setup process. As this is one of the main selling points of the TONALITE, users will want to go through the scanning process to get their own personalized tuning. 

The DTAS way

I’ll admit that I was very skeptical about DTAS, as I’ve tried many other apps that claim to build the perfect sound profile for me. However, upon listening with the DTAS Personalized profile and comparing it to stock, I must admit that the sound is overall better. The change is very nuanced for me, with the clearest changes being in the clarity of certain instruments and a slight forwardness of vocals, but not in any overt, artificial way.

Is it worth the time?

The downside of Final’s TONALITE comes with its main feature. DTAS takes a bit of extra time to set up and, for some users, the difference might be too subtle to appreciate. For me, the change was quite nuanced, and not what I’d call truly “game-changing,” though I would describe it as an improvement, if only minor.

Disclosure: Review sample provided by Final.