KZ R1 caught me off guard... this earphone is seriously good. Its sound signature is radically different compared to EDSE and ED8. Here are my findings (Keep in mind, I have not used R1 extensively yet, but been rocking a lot since 2 days):
- Comfort : R1 is most comfortable of the bunch. I can'e imagine any IEM being more comfortable than R1. It slides right into your ear, thanks to its diminutive size. Sleeping with these is very possible as R1 doesn't outside.
- Build Quality : From jack to Y split the cable is pretty good, and is of same width as EDSE's cable. I don't see tangle issue with this cable. Cable from Y split to earpieces is thinner, but doesn't seem too fragile. There are nice strain relief everywhere except the upper end of Y split. If the cable hardens in future then this spot is to be looked at. Earpieces are made of plastic and are moderately sturdy. They would break if someone happens to step on these.
- Lows : R1 has lot of sub bass and plenty mid bass. With narrow bore it becomes just too much and intrudes into mid frequencies. You want to use pretty wide bored tips with these. Sub bass is able to rumble and mid bass hits hard, both collectively slamming your eardrums. I don't see this happening with EDSE or ED8. Last time I had heard such hard hitting lows was when I tried Xiaomi Pistons.
- Mids : Very mildly recessed. Voices sound good, but a get somewhat shadowed by other instruments. No weirdness or spikes in mids though. On equal footing with EDSE.
- Highs : Highs are smooth, I see no sibilence here. Highs are crisp and in enough quantity, a bit less then EDSE.
- Soundstage : Compared to EDSE and ED8, R1 are behind in soundstage. It's narrow, but don't take me wrong, I actually loved this fact. I'll explain this in summary below.
- Misc : R1 are really sensitive and need lowest position of knob on my amp, to reach to my preferred listening levels. They do reveal noise present in Amps, which is usually hidden by earphones with less sensitivity.
One word comes to mind while describing R1 is 'aggressive'. Big, hard hitting bass that slams right on the eardrums is something that I had been missing from my earphone inventory. Heck, even 'Extra Bass' Sony XB90EX with 16mm diaphragm failed to produce this much quantity of lows.
Listening to EDSE puts you in middle row, ED8 sounds like as if you are sitting in a back row, while R1 puts you right in the first row. It leaves impression of listening through Big speakers. Listening to EDM tracks was a wonderful experience with R1. Felt almost like being in a club.
R1 has been the best value for money for me. Bought it for only $4.65m shipping included.
Thanks
@Ira Delphic for recommending R1 to me. I quite like these for their different sound, and I am quite enjoying my EDM collection with these earphones.