Thank you, that's very helpful.

I can't keep the Aonic 50s. I've tried to be OK with them but at £365 I need to be happier with their sound. I see the B&W are currently £269, and if they're going to give me a more enjoyable sound perhaps that's the better route. You describe them as not being as resolving as the Shures - is...

I haven't yet listened to these wired; they're wireless headphones, even if they support wired as a fallback. The price bracket is an interesting argument, since (like many of us) I've owned £800 cans, £1600 cans, £2200 cans etc., all are different, makes me not really sure it's that - it's more...

Received these yesterday. They're alright. The sound is generally decent, but A/Bing them with the SRH1540 is disappointing - I don't think of the 1540 as a bass heavy headphone, but the Aonic 50 is really lean on the low end. The 1540 just has a bigger, deeper sound and being so comfortable...

Not typical Head-Fi advice, but I find the SRH-1540 to sound absolutely fine plugged directly into my PC. They're incredibly comfortable and I like their sound. I've owned a number of headphones up to the £2K range, and I'm not going to compare one way or the other, but I'm happy to stick with...

Quite right. I'll have been enjoying the Z2R for a few months by the time this silliness has settled down over the Z1R. In other news: I've always been pretty adamant for a while that "break in" is absolute twaddle, but I swear my Z1Rs are sounding more pleasant than when I first got them...

I really enjoyed the MDR-Z7. I'd say the Z1R is only an upgrade if you prefer the sound - they are different sounding headphones with some similar characteristics. The Z1R adds clarity and soundstage, and is a bit more aggressive than the Z7, which is a really mellow headphone. Both are relaxing...

My humble opinion: I think ~£2K isn't enough money to get quite as pretentious about headphones as seems to happen with some reviewers. They're still just semi-disposable tech, nothing to get one's knickers in a twist over. I think that's more healthy thinking, and leaves room to just enjoy the...

Out of curiosity - did you ever own the MDR-Z7? I owned that headphone prior to this purchase, so I wasn't really surprised what I was getting into when purchasing the MDR-Z1R. To me, it's a better and more refined MDR-Z7. I'd say the MDR-Z1R is not the best classical music headphone, but for...

I was trying to convey that any headphones can be shot down -- there are always points that some people find to be a weak spot. Doesn't make the reviews intentionally misleading as was suggested. I have opinions about the HD800S but that's not what this thread is about. Really, the amount of...

I honestly believe this is nonsense. It's the typical "gear acquisition syndrome" behaviour. One has a mythical idea or sound in one's head, spends a lot of money, the product doesn't live up to some impossible idea of being able to fill an unmet need, and the cycle continues. From my...

"These Sonys are the finest closed-back headphones we’ve heard." -- What Hi-Fi? "To put it simply, the MDR-Z1R is a spectacular headphone. It matches or exceeds the performance standards of the upper-echelon planar magnetic headphones I’ve heard, and I’ve heard them all. Bravo!" -- Sound &...

If 100 posts in here hasn't solved it for you, maybe you should move on from the MDR-Z1R? I still think it's a lovely sounding headphone.

The thing is, when you're talking about cables, the math is pretty straightforward - that's why I hesitate to say better or worse; it's more a basic tuning choice. Now, I'll completely agree that if I demo as you suggest, I will absolutely find some to sound much better, to my ears! :)

Headphones can be quantifiably better due to many, many variables. Agreed. I'm pretty skeptical about cables being quantifiably "better" past a certain point - they're not a complex enough component to be called more than "different"... :) Some will seem brighter, some will seem darker. Just...

When you're trying different cable materials, it's more or less similar to adjusting a low pass filter, right? Do you also adjust cable length accordingly? For what it's worth, I don't feel the need to change out the stock Z1R cable. Works fine.

I'm sure this is a very true statement. I'm not trying to push the MDR-Z1R as the be all and end all; it's just a very comfortable headphone that I feel covers a lot more genres (rather well) than the HD800S. I liked the MDR-Z7, too. I thought that one was great for electronic music, just not...

I can't advise on that topic at all -- sorry! The MDR-Z1R is incredibly easy to drive, by design. I plug direct into my MacBook Pro and they sound great.

I've not tried the TH900. Between the MDR-Z1R and HD800S for electronic music, it's not even close. The MDR-Z1R is a great all-rounder, and the HD800S absolutely is not. I don't know how anyone could recommend the HD800S for anything where the low end is at all relevant.

Edited.

Surely percentage of total cost can't be a very important factor (within reason)? My MacBook cost quite a bit more than my headphones, and I'm listening to V0 MP3. I imagine most of Head-Fi would consider that an inferior source despite the cost. The ridiculous thing about this whole discussion...

Nice list! You're right, though, it's all personal preference, of course. I'm currently enjoying the Z1Rs glaring tuning issues!

I like Grados. I tried some models for a while, including the GS2000e. They sound great with certain pieces of music. For that sort of money though, I can get something built (subjectively) much better, that's more comfortable, and that covers more sonic ground. Grados would probably suit me...

I don't use a separate amp at all. MacBook Pro direct to headphones. This is perfectly reasonable with these headphones; they're easily driven. In other news: The price on Amazon UK just dropped by £117.

The HD800S have big flat hard pads that rest on the side of your head. No give at all. They're light headphones so they're not shockingly uncomfortable, but they're more like sitting on a chair rather than sinking into a couch. A handshake rather than a hug. :)