Hi all, 
 
I picked up a ZX1 on eBay last week, not a planned purchase, but at $300 I couldn't pass it up. It should arrive tomorrow (I'm very excited). Any recommendations on an IEM that will pair well with no amp in the $100-200 price range? I'd prefer something on the warm side. I use the HD 598 for my full-size and I just parted ways with a pair on IM70s (loved the sound but not the fit), so something along those lines in terms of signature would be great. Thoughts? I was thinking AD01s, but that's just a thought.

hiphopscribe said:

  Hi all, 
 
I picked up a ZX1 on eBay last week, not a planned purchase, but at $300 I couldn't pass it up. It should arrive tomorrow (I'm very excited). Any recommendations on an IEM that will pair well with no amp in the $100-200 price range? I'd prefer something on the warm side. I use the HD 598 for my full-size and I just parted ways with a pair on IM70s (loved the sound but not the fit), so something along those lines in terms of signature would be great. Thoughts?

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I picked the ZX100, had two times trouble with accessoryJack WorldPay (werid as i have used world pay with preticlassical.co.uk and qobuz for flac purchases withot problems) and gave up and used paypal instead but I dont see my pñaced order in My orders page, I only see hte two cancelled ones

hiphopscribe said:

  Hi all, 
 
I picked up a ZX1 on eBay last week, not a planned purchase, but at $300 I couldn't pass it up. It should arrive tomorrow (I'm very excited). Any recommendations on an IEM that will pair well with no amp in the $100-200 price range? I'd prefer something on the warm side. I use the HD 598 for my full-size and I just parted ways with a pair on IM70s (loved the sound but not the fit), so something along those lines in terms of signature would be great. Thoughts? I was thinking AD01s, but that's just a thought.

Click to expand...

In the $100 price range, warmer iems I have owned would be Shure SE215 and the Hifiman RE400.  Good to think about that, because the ZX1 isn't a particularly warm sounding DAP.

If you want a warm headphone you need to have Grado on your shortlist. I like their over-ear headphones and am considering some of their £90 ear-phones.

greenbow said:

  If you want a warm headphone you need to have Grado on your shortlist. I like their over-ear headphones and am considering some of their £90 ear-phones.

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Interesting.  Warm is not a description I have heard about Grados  I thought they were treble-centric. No?

fiascogarcia said:

 
In the $100 price range, warmer iems I have owned would be Shure SE215 and the Hifiman RE400.  Good to think about that, because the ZX1 isn't a particularly warm sounding DAP.

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Thanks for the suggestions, the SE215s and RE400s are on my short-list now. I had heard the ZX1 wasn't very warm, which is why I wanna make a good match.  

greenbow said:

  If you want a warm headphone you need to have Grado on your shortlist. I like their over-ear headphones and am considering some of their £90 ear-phones.

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Really? I have the SR60s, good headphones, but I wouldn't consider them warm. They're fairly bright to me. 
 
 
Does anyone have experience with the RHA MA750s? That's another one I've been looking at

@HipHopScribe, the older series, before i-series may be considered a little bright. However the 60 was gorgeous and I wouldn't call it bright. The SR80 was a little bright. The 325, 325i, 325is were meant to be the brightest headphones of the SR - Prestige Series.
 
However the new e-series is clearer, weightier, and many say refined in brightness. I owned the SR125i, and I loved with a passion. Even when it temporarily went a bit weird and had to go back. I had to fight with myself to return it. I have the 225e now.
 
The brand new SR80e which was originally a touch bright in original form years ago should be auditioned. Apparently now it is an unequivocal choice.
 
More importantly though I don't want to get drawn into an argument or discussion about Grado being possibly bright. I don't mean that offensively and I apologise sincerely if it's taken the wrong way. The reason is because it's a matter of personal taste. Either you like Grado or not.
 
What I suggest is that you take you ZX1 to a Grado dealer. Listen to at least the SR60e will they will for sure have on display. Find out that the Grado has at least fifty hours run-in time on it, because the bass fills a bit in during that time.
 
@fiascogarcia as well,
 
What stands out from this though is that you're both mistaking a little treble as impossible to have warmth. Grado have a rich warm tone, and a few small treble peaks in their frequency response (FR). They roll off under about 50Hz so lack sub-bass which the big Sennheisers have. However this is not end of game. They have the same low end FR as many top quality £500 speakers, so don't be fooled.
 
 
Check out the What Hi-Fi review of the SR325e. http://www.whathifi.com/grado/sr325e/review
 
It states quite openly, that the 325e never becomes bright or hard edged. What Hi-Fi also say the 325e £280, is the best headphone before you reach the Shure SRH1540 at £430. (Which is their next 'best in class review'.) Most reviews of the 325e headphone are stunning.
 
If you want to see FR graphs of headphones go to http://www.headphone.com/pages/build-a-graph

greenbow said:

  @HipHopScribe, the older series, before i-series may be considered a little bright. However the 60 was gorgeous and I wouldn't call it bright. The SR80 was a little bright. The 325, 325i, 325is were meant to be the brightest headphones of the SR - Prestige Series.
 
However the new e-series is clearer, weightier, and many say refined in brightness. I owned the SR125i, and I loved with a passion. Even when it temporarily went a bit weird and had to go back. I had to fight with myself to return it. I have the 225e now.
 
The brand new SR80e which was originally a touch bright in original form years ago should be auditioned. Apparently now it is an unequivocal choice.
 
More importantly though I don't want to get drawn into an argument or discussion about Grado being possibly bright. I don't mean that offensively and I apologise sincerely if it's taken the wrong way. The reason is because it's a matter of personal taste. Either you like Grado or not.
 
What I suggest is that you take you ZX1 to a Grado dealer. Listen to at least the SR60e will they will for sure have on display. Find out that is has at least fifty hours run-in time on it, because the bass fills a bit in during that time.
 
@fiascogarcia as well,
 
What stands out from this though is that you're both mistaking a little treble as impossible to have warmth. Grado have a rich warm tone, and a few small treble peaks in their frequency response (FR). They roll off under about 50Hz so lack sub-bass which the big Sennheisers have. However this is not end of game. They have the same low end FR as many top quality £500 speakers, so don't be fooled.

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Fair enough, I definitely respect your opinion. Please don't think that I'm critcizing Grado's headphones, the SR60 was my first high-quality set of headphones. I think it's probably been almost 15 years that I've owned them. They're been mostly supplanted by other headphones in my day-to-day listening, but they're still great headphones. 

hiphopscribe said:

   
Fair enough, I definitely respect your opinion. Please don't think that I'm critcizing Grado's headphones, the SR60 was my first high-quality set of headphones. I think it's probably been almost 15 years that I've owned them. They're been mostly supplanted by other headphones in my day-to-day listening, but they're still great headphones. 

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Great.
 
I edited the end of my last post, and I think there's info there you should for sure check out. The SR325e review for sure.
 
I have long been suspecting the ZX1 would go well with Grado. I think I would upgrade just one step to the 325e if I bought a ZX1.
 
I always felt the 225(e) was (only) slightly the less appealing in the range. Thought many adore it. I still like lots. 
 
P.S. I owned the SR60 and I loved it.  

...

I read somewhere that it is possible to turn the volume cap off completely. Not just in sound enhancements, but technically turn it off. If you google for it you should find it.

..

nikonguy said:

  I had a good look around the web and found nothing on this, can anyone direct me to a link?
 
Cheers

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If I remember correctly, someone was showing explaining how to do it. It was about three months ago I saw it. I am sure it was being done using info from the service manual on the ZX1. I am trying to find it again, so am in the same place as you. However I don't have the ZX1 so I would not have tried it or had a chance to memorise it.
 
EDIT: this apparently is the way to enter the 'service mode' for other Sonys. It might be a place to start looking. http://thewalkmanblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/service-menu-access.html
 
EDIT 2: Bit more for another model here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEXOzts_GDA

nikonguy said:

  I had a good look around the web and found nothing on this, can anyone direct me to a link?
 
Cheers

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Not sure if this trick works with the EU model, but this was posted earlier in this thread:
 

whitigir said:

That is an automatic preset EQ from Sony ... Good that you like it...I dont. I have ZX2 though. I also learn a few tricks too, and there is one trick to work with ZX1...it originated here though, and works with ZX2 as well

Increase the volume output. 3x louder...turn your volumes....wayssss down before proceed ?

1/ setting
2/ apps
3/ swipe left to "all" tab
4/ scroll 75% downward
5/ click Sound Adjustemtn
6/ disable

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hiphopscribe said:

Not sure if this trick works with the EU model, but this was posted earlier in this thread:

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Sorry, on the EU model it does nothing but disable the sound adjustments. Only on top of that it seems to increase the battery life. But definitely no additional volume.