We all experience music differently, as we all bring our own unique experiences and frames of reference. But did you know that everyone’s hearing differs slightly too due to subtle differences in our anatomy? So we don’t only experience music differently emotionally, but physically as well.
The Final TONALITE is the world’s first earphone to truly recognise this. Thanks to its unique system of advanced 3D head- and ear-scanning, it serves up music with a completely personalised timbre – that’s the unique tonal colour and texture of sound. Just as everyone hears differently, every wearer of the Final TONALITE will have a uniquely personalised experience that’s been fine tuned exactly to their specific hearing.
A uniquely personalised listening experience
The technology is very advanced, but using it couldn’t be simpler.
The head and ear scan is performed by your phone’s camera. The whole process is guided step-by-step within the TONALITE app and only takes a few minutes. This is followed by an ear canal measurement in order to refine your individual acoustic model.
These two data sets are then processed securely in the cloud, using auditory modelling to simulate how sound waves travel around your head and ear canals before reaching your eardrums. This recreates how you naturally perceive timbre.
Once you’ve done this, you’re presented with your Personalised Timbre Profile – this is a custom sound map designed specifically for the anatomy of your head and ears – which is then downloaded directly to your TONALITE earphones via the app.
Hit Play, and TONALITE’s processing corrects colouration, balances the frequency response and restores the natural tone in line with your personalised listening profile. The headphones’ output is adjusted to exactly how your ears are meant to hear it.
The result? Music as the artist intended.
Dual listening modes
Japanese brand Final has a storied history of high-end audio innovations, of which TONALITE is the latest. If you choose, you can opt to use Final’s own flagship IEM the A10000-inspired reference tuning instead of your Personalised Timbre Profile – handy if you want to show a friend what the headphones can do without going through the head and ear scan.
TONALITE also offers world class noise cancellation with an ambient mode for staying aware of your surroundings. And with eight hours of playback (or 24 hours using the charging case), all-day battery life comes as standard.
The Final countdown
Final has over 50 years of high-end audio research and innovation under its belt. It’s known for combining art and science to bring out music’s most emotional properties, and seeks to push the boundaries of how we experience music.
You can back TONALITE on Kickstarter until 12th December. They cost $329 (around £250 / AU$500), but the first 500 backers will get a 25 per cent discount.
Shipments will begin immediately after the campaign concludes, with general availability following in mid-December 2025, once all Kickstarter orders have been fulfilled.
