The final audio brand has made its mark over time with several firsts, and it somehow took an anime collaboration at the end of 2020 to get its first products of the true wireless kind out. There are two sets of products borne out of this collaboration with the Evangelion brand, with the other being a set of gaming earphones. What the EVA2020 x final is targeting is quite obvious, with the Netflix re-release of the original 1996 anime bringing new eyes on the franchise. There was a new Evangelion movie that came out recently as well, so it would be easy to dismiss the EVA2020 x final as a marketing gimmick, especially given its limited release in some regions and pricing being all over the place for the original three, let alone the newly launched limited edition in the fourth entry to the lineup.

I will readily admit that I have little interest in the Evangelion brand and barely know of it from anime references on the Internet. I have no plans to watch it either, so my take on these earphones is admittedly based more on the audio than the collaboration. It does not take a fan to note that the design is quite unique, beginning with the product box and moving on to the charging case and the individual ear buds themselves. It goes a step further with the original voice artists having recorded several lines in Japanese and English to provide feedback on the status of the earphones at various stages. All this will no doubt interest fans of the franchise.

So this meant that I was more objective on the audio features as well, and I am quite happy to note that underneath the design and collaboration lies a really good set of true wireless earphones. final has got the basics spot on and then some in its first foray with TWS earphones, beginning with a solid chipset, well-tuned driver system, good set of stock ear tips, and excellent battery life. I have to say that I think the brand is actually underrating the extra charge cycles with the case purely based on math, which would be a first for me. There is a lot of clarity and energy across the board, and if you like a warm signature, you will appreciate this further. The letdown for me is in the treble region, where things get muddy, and perhaps it is because of the filtering used by final to cut down the hissing if the wireless connection is too aggressive. Getting an ideal fit is important here, with the use of the SpinFit CP100 proving quite a bargain for me. I would definitely buy the SpinFits again, but recommend the EVA2020 x final more for fans of the Evangelion brand since you are paying extra for the theme. If any of the designs appeal to you, great, but given the ambiguity over consistent pricing, make sure you get a good deal on these.