[Slim1970]

I have recently purchased the Sony MDR-Z1Rs for the third time. You're probably wondering why I have purchased the same thing over and over again; the answer to that question is that I am indecisive and susceptible to peer pressure.

I love these headphones, I always have. I knew that these were the headphones for me when I got them the first time. However, I allowed other people to convince me that I had bad tastes and simply liked the Z1Rs because I didn't know any better.

Surely, I must be deaf and/or uneducated if I like the Z1Rs. Everyone else with any sense agrees that they're terrible!

This is the narrative that was fed to me over and over again by the other audiophiles that I knew and at the time it did negatively impact my psyche.

As a result, every time a new headphone came out claiming to be the best thing since the advent of digital audio I sold off the Z1Rs and jumped back into the rabbit hole-just to be disappointed again and again.

At this point, I have cycled through nearly every flagship on the market just to conclude that the Z1Rs were what I wanted all along. I lament all of the time and money that I wasted to simply end up back where I started, with the headphones that I knew that I wanted in the first place.

-but I had to see if they were right. I had to see if the Z1Rs were the worst flagships. They aren't, in fact they're still my favorite headphones. I just let other people talk me into doubting my own ears.

I'm not sure how many of you were in the community back when the Z1Rs first launched but it was an awful show. I'm still a bit upset about the entire experience. However, I have tried almost every other flagship currently on the market, including electrostatics, and I still love the Z1Rs. They have a special sound that none of the other flagships can touch. Their visceral bass combined with their pure midrange and their comfortably relaxed, but still sparkly, treble results in a trifecta rarely found in flagship headphones. Not to mention that they have incredibly spacious staging in a closed-back package. Every other flagship headphone seems to be chasing the same imaginary ideal that fatigues my ears and gives me a migraine after 30 minutes of playtime. Sony's objective is different, their priority is to be enjoyable.

With the Z1Rs, I can sink into my chair, close my eyes, and forget that they're even on my head. I can listen to the Z1Rs for hours on end without a hint of fatigue. They can rock my skull like a pair of stereo subwoofers playing EDM or they can whisper string quartets into my ears. Whatever I am in the mood for, they have the versatility to deliver it without ever being painful.

I wish that I could say that I enjoyed all of the time that I spent chasing my own tail with other headphones but the truth is that I didn't. I wish that I had the courage to ignore the haters and not burn through tens of thousands of dollars on audio gear that I didn't enjoy. If I could travel back in time I would just keep my first pair of Z1Rs and ignore all of the flavor of the month headphones that people kept saying were a new step in the history of audio reproduction. They were all disappointing and overhyped. This community has a real problem with telling people that they need to get the new hotness and not be happy with what they already have. Once you find a headphone that checks all of your boxes and have great electronics to drive it that's pretty much all there is to it. There is no mythical nirvana waiting to be discovered on the other side of the rainbow. Audio reproduction is not magic. If you like what you have then please, cherish it. If you don't like what you have then that's when you need to make a change. Don't repeat my mistakes.

I've owned the Z1R's since inception. They sounded good back then and still do now. The closest headphone that has come to unseating them as my favorite closed back is my newly acquired Denon AH-D9200's. I've tried numerous other closed backs and the Z1R's were the ones that endured.

 

[equalspeace]

I have recently purchased the Sony MDR-Z1Rs for the third time. You're probably wondering why I have purchased the same thing over and over again; the answer to that question is that I am indecisive and susceptible to peer pressure.

I love these headphones, I always have. I knew that these were the headphones for me when I got them the first time. However, I allowed other people to convince me that I had bad tastes and simply liked the Z1Rs because I didn't know any better.

Surely, I must be deaf and/or uneducated if I like the Z1Rs. Everyone else with any sense agrees that they're terrible!

This is the narrative that was fed to me over and over again by the other audiophiles that I knew and at the time it did negatively impact my psyche.

As a result, every time a new headphone came out claiming to be the best thing since the advent of digital audio I sold off the Z1Rs and jumped back into the rabbit hole-just to be disappointed again and again.

At this point, I have cycled through nearly every flagship on the market just to conclude that the Z1Rs were what I wanted all along. I lament all of the time and money that I wasted to simply end up back where I started, with the headphones that I knew that I wanted in the first place.

-but I had to see if they were right. I had to see if the Z1Rs were the worst flagships. They aren't, in fact they're still my favorite headphones. I just let other people talk me into doubting my own ears.

I'm not sure how many of you were in the community back when the Z1Rs first launched but it was an awful show. I'm still a bit upset about the entire experience. However, I have tried almost every other flagship currently on the market, including electrostatics, and I still love the Z1Rs. They have a special sound that none of the other flagships can touch. Their visceral bass combined with their pure midrange and their comfortably relaxed, but still sparkly, treble results in a trifecta rarely found in flagship headphones. Not to mention that they have incredibly spacious staging in a closed-back package. Every other flagship headphone seems to be chasing the same imaginary ideal that fatigues my ears and gives me a migraine after 30 minutes of playtime. Sony's objective is different, their priority is to be enjoyable.

With the Z1Rs, I can sink into my chair, close my eyes, and forget that they're even on my head. I can listen to the Z1Rs for hours on end without a hint of fatigue. They can rock my skull like a pair of stereo subwoofers playing EDM or they can whisper string quartets into my ears. Whatever I am in the mood for, they have the versatility to deliver it without ever being painful.

I wish that I could say that I enjoyed all of the time that I spent chasing my own tail with other headphones but the truth is that I didn't. I wish that I had the courage to ignore the haters and not burn through tens of thousands of dollars on audio gear that I didn't enjoy. If I could travel back in time I would just keep my first pair of Z1Rs and ignore all of the flavor of the month headphones that people kept saying were a new step in the history of audio reproduction. They were all disappointing and overhyped. This community has a real problem with telling people that they need to get the new hotness and not be happy with what they already have. Once you find a headphone that checks all of your boxes and have great electronics to drive it that's pretty much all there is to it. There is no mythical nirvana waiting to be discovered on the other side of the rainbow. Audio reproduction is not magic. If you like what you have then please, cherish it. If you don't like what you have then that's when you need to make a change. Don't repeat my mistakes.

I almost felt sad reading this. Trust your ears my guy. If you like something that's a special thing as it's hard not to nitpick in this hobby.

 

[gerelmx1986]

I own Z1R since September 2018 second hand pwner after @purk

 

[Samatar10]

I have recently purchased the Sony MDR-Z1Rs for the third time. You're probably wondering why I have purchased the same thing over and over again; the answer to that question is that I am indecisive and susceptible to peer pressure.

I love these headphones, I always have. I knew that these were the headphones for me when I got them the first time. However, I allowed other people to convince me that I had bad tastes and simply liked the Z1Rs because I didn't know any better.

Surely, I must be deaf and/or uneducated if I like the Z1Rs. Everyone else with any sense agrees that they're terrible!

This is the narrative that was fed to me over and over again by the other audiophiles that I knew and at the time it did negatively impact my psyche.

As a result, every time a new headphone came out claiming to be the best thing since the advent of digital audio I sold off the Z1Rs and jumped back into the rabbit hole-just to be disappointed again and again.

At this point, I have cycled through nearly every flagship on the market just to conclude that the Z1Rs were what I wanted all along. I lament all of the time and money that I wasted to simply end up back where I started, with the headphones that I knew that I wanted in the first place.

-but I had to see if they were right. I had to see if the Z1Rs were the worst flagships. They aren't, in fact they're still my favorite headphones. I just let other people talk me into doubting my own ears.

I'm not sure how many of you were in the community back when the Z1Rs first launched but it was an awful show. I'm still a bit upset about the entire experience. However, I have tried almost every other flagship currently on the market, including electrostatics, and I still love the Z1Rs. They have a special sound that none of the other flagships can touch. Their visceral bass combined with their pure midrange and their comfortably relaxed, but still sparkly, treble results in a trifecta rarely found in flagship headphones. Not to mention that they have incredibly spacious staging in a closed-back package. Every other flagship headphone seems to be chasing the same imaginary ideal that fatigues my ears and gives me a migraine after 30 minutes of playtime. Sony's objective is different, their priority is to be enjoyable.

With the Z1Rs, I can sink into my chair, close my eyes, and forget that they're even on my head. I can listen to the Z1Rs for hours on end without a hint of fatigue. They can rock my skull like a pair of stereo subwoofers playing EDM or they can whisper string quartets into my ears. Whatever I am in the mood for, they have the versatility to deliver it without ever being painful.

I wish that I could say that I enjoyed all of the time that I spent chasing my own tail with other headphones but the truth is that I didn't. I wish that I had the courage to ignore the haters and not burn through tens of thousands of dollars on audio gear that I didn't enjoy. If I could travel back in time I would just keep my first pair of Z1Rs and ignore all of the flavor of the month headphones that people kept saying were a new step in the history of audio reproduction. They were all disappointing and overhyped. This community has a real problem with telling people that they need to get the new hotness and not be happy with what they already have. Once you find a headphone that checks all of your boxes and have great electronics to drive it that's pretty much all there is to it. There is no mythical nirvana waiting to be discovered on the other side of the rainbow. Audio reproduction is not magic. If you like what you have then please, cherish it. If you don't like what you have then that's when you need to make a change. Don't repeat my mistakes.

We are the same. I sold mine and I am thinking of buying it third time

 

[gLer]

 

[Mayth]

Hi,

In case any one is interested I put mine (in excellent condition) up for sale in EU.

 

[Vamp898]

I have recently purchased the Sony MDR-Z1Rs for the third time. You're probably wondering why I have purchased the same thing over and over again; the answer to that question is that I am indecisive and susceptible to peer pressure.

I love these headphones, I always have. I knew that these were the headphones for me when I got them the first time. However, I allowed other people to convince me that I had bad tastes and simply liked the Z1Rs because I didn't know any better.

Surely, I must be deaf and/or uneducated if I like the Z1Rs. Everyone else with any sense agrees that they're terrible!

This is the narrative that was fed to me over and over again by the other audiophiles that I knew and at the time it did negatively impact my psyche.

As a result, every time a new headphone came out claiming to be the best thing since the advent of digital audio I sold off the Z1Rs and jumped back into the rabbit hole-just to be disappointed again and again.

At this point, I have cycled through nearly every flagship on the market just to conclude that the Z1Rs were what I wanted all along. I lament all of the time and money that I wasted to simply end up back where I started, with the headphones that I knew that I wanted in the first place.

-but I had to see if they were right. I had to see if the Z1Rs were the worst flagships. They aren't, in fact they're still my favorite headphones. I just let other people talk me into doubting my own ears.

I'm not sure how many of you were in the community back when the Z1Rs first launched but it was an awful show. I'm still a bit upset about the entire experience. However, I have tried almost every other flagship currently on the market, including electrostatics, and I still love the Z1Rs. They have a special sound that none of the other flagships can touch. Their visceral bass combined with their pure midrange and their comfortably relaxed, but still sparkly, treble results in a trifecta rarely found in flagship headphones. Not to mention that they have incredibly spacious staging in a closed-back package. Every other flagship headphone seems to be chasing the same imaginary ideal that fatigues my ears and gives me a migraine after 30 minutes of playtime. Sony's objective is different, their priority is to be enjoyable.

With the Z1Rs, I can sink into my chair, close my eyes, and forget that they're even on my head. I can listen to the Z1Rs for hours on end without a hint of fatigue. They can rock my skull like a pair of stereo subwoofers playing EDM or they can whisper string quartets into my ears. Whatever I am in the mood for, they have the versatility to deliver it without ever being painful.

I wish that I could say that I enjoyed all of the time that I spent chasing my own tail with other headphones but the truth is that I didn't. I wish that I had the courage to ignore the haters and not burn through tens of thousands of dollars on audio gear that I didn't enjoy. If I could travel back in time I would just keep my first pair of Z1Rs and ignore all of the flavor of the month headphones that people kept saying were a new step in the history of audio reproduction. They were all disappointing and overhyped. This community has a real problem with telling people that they need to get the new hotness and not be happy with what they already have. Once you find a headphone that checks all of your boxes and have great electronics to drive it that's pretty much all there is to it. There is no mythical nirvana waiting to be discovered on the other side of the rainbow. Audio reproduction is not magic. If you like what you have then please, cherish it. If you don't like what you have then that's when you need to make a change. Don't repeat my mistakes.

Well... this is exactly the business model of head-fi in the end. If you buy once and then just use it and be happy... how are people supposed to make money from you?

 

[roofus]

Initial early conclusion: if you're listening w the stock cable you are doing it wrong.

Even a modest Blue Dragon cable is a notable improvement.

Early general impression: I like this headphone, a lot.

I went to Moon Audio to check out the Blue Dragon headphone cables for the MDR-Z!R phones that you recommended. In addition they offer the Silver Dragon Version. Have you tried the Silver Version Any advantage? Ant thoughts?

Thanks!

Don

 

[equalspeace]

I went to Moon Audio to check out the Blue Dragon headphone cables for the MDR-Z!R phones that you recommended. In addition they offer the Silver Dragon Version. Have you tried the Silver Version Any advantage? Ant thoughts?

Thanks!

Don

I didn't try it with the Z1R, but i have compared the two when i had the HD600. The silver dragon is a nice step up. That one and the black dragon are awesome cables.

 

[Lookout57]

I have the Blue Dragon for my HIFIMAN HE400i and Black Dragon for my LCD-X. I found the Cardis Light was a much better cable than the Black on the LCD-X.

 

[roofus]

I didn't try it with the Z1R, but i have compared the two when i had the HD600. The silver dragon is a nice step up. That one and the black dragon are awesome cables.

Thanks!

 

[flvtch]

Hey - I’m thinking of picking up a pair of Z1Rs but would prefer to not have to chance my source (mojo2poly), does anyone have any anecdotal experience that the Z1Rs pair favourably with the mojo 2? Specs suggest no issue driving the Z1Rs from mojo 2 but would prefer to hear it from the horses mouth (no offence). Thanks

 

[Slim1970]

Hey - I’m thinking of picking up a pair of Z1Rs but would prefer to not have to chance my source (mojo2poly), does anyone have any anecdotal experience that the Z1Rs pair favourably with the mojo 2? Specs suggest no issue driving the Z1Rs from mojo 2 but would prefer to hear it from the horses mouth (no offence). Thanks

The Z1R's pairs incredibly well with the Mojo 2/Poly. The laid back nature of the Z1R's benefit greatly from what the Mojo 2 does best. I enjoy the pairing a lot.

 

[flvtch]

The Z1R's pairs incredibly well with the Mojo 2/Poly. The laid back nature of the Z1R's benefit greatly from what the Mojo 2 does best. I enjoy the pairing a lot.

Wicked, thank you for taking the time to respond. I’ve just pulled the trigger on a Z1R!

 

[LORDROOTMAN]

I just bought this guy to drive my future MDR hopefully I will not disappointed
Though I don’t have MDR yet lol but hopefully I will find a deal very soon