Well, I was wondering why there were so many ZR1 units up for sale lately, and now I know why. I can envision the smooth 10KHz units going for $15K soon...

I reckon I do.   Funny story, when I auditioned the Elear and Utopia, they didn't really fit me because I had a toque on, though my head was almost completely shaved. The very bottom of the earpads on both were still clipping my earlobes a bit.   The medium sized Qualia were actually quite...

A poll:   I wear my TH900 at the maximum length adjustment, and the cups just clear the bottom of my earlobes, and I have fairly small ears.   Anyone else?

That's the smarter move. I'm leaning towards selling my 7000 to make room for an HE6 or HE1000, but I don't know if I can get myself to move those Denons.

I believe that those Headroom measurements are accurate. Innerfidelity also shows the same upper treble drop. Tyll even did a measurement of a modified open-back D2000, which also had the same drop, so it's just a characteristic of the previous gen Fostex drivers. The D7000 can't be accused of...

I'm debating this right now. There is an argument for owning both because they are different enough, but if you want one can that does something that the other can't, then owning an entirely different headphone like an HE6 or an HD800 makes a lot more sense.

The D7000 is more balanced and more neutral, except for its massive drop in the 14-18KHz region, which causes it to lose a lot of air and space compared to the TH900. I think that a good number of people will prefer the signature of the 7000 over the 900 (I do), despite its technical...

My PC is optimized for silence, so I'd prefer not to have an external fan beside it. I'll try socket extenders instead. They look better anyway.

  Compared to Patek, AP, and others, that's really quite reasonable. It's all relative.

Does anyone know if HIGH gain is automatically biased to class A/B? With my TH900, it sounds noticeably more strident and sibilant than LOW gain with the stock tubes. LOW gain is much smoother and more refined.

The Elear and Utopia are also brand new designs that cost a lot to R&D, whereas these monitors are just trickle down technologies that they're been employing for decades.   Also, those MDF cabinets are dirt cheap to make, likely much cheaper than the yolk/ headband/ cup assembly of the Utopia...

I've been using my 900 exclusively for movies, shows, and games (Fallout 4) and cannot take them off. Love the bass slam, dynamics, and sharp, 3D imaging. While not quite as comfortable as the D7000, it's still one of the most comfortable cans that I've had, and I have a very large head. I wear...

Think of this as a positive: indie earpad makers will make a killing on aftermarket Utopia and Z1R earpad replacements.

  I don't think that it's a coincidence that the Elear and the Utopia have similar sound signatures despite using different drivers. The Elear is warmer, but their FR is similar. I believe that the Utopia's slightly brighter presentation can be attributed to its greater transparency overall...

The Utopia also has an enormous -15db drop between 5-6KHz (and 11-13KHz). You just don't notice as much because it's quite a bit more resolving and transparent than the Elear.   http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/FocalUtopia.pdf

When it's HOT, you know that it's working but I've never had a tube amp/ preamp whose volume knob gets so hot too. Even my 1/4" jack gets very warm. I had to put a plate in between the Lyr and my DAC.  

  They should be exactly the same, unless one is damaged, or a driver is poorly matched.

  And for us head-bangers, we want aggressive and dynamic attack! We don't want all upper frequencies to be "smooth" and "liquid" like most cans are described. I've never heard of a hard cymbal clash that was "smooth" in real life.   Still dying to hear the Z1R to assess its overall detail...

  Only two issues? LOL. That list is a travesty.

If it's not a jumper, how can it be changed? This poster says that it can be changed easily: http://www.head-fi.org/t/824139/sheer-audio-ha-006-special-edition-dynalo-11x-gain#post_13106744

Congrats! The TH900 is extremely revealing and can be unforgiving, especially of 6-8KHz distortion. Unlike many cans, it won't mask and smooth over detail and distortion in this region.   I recommend pairing it with a smoother source like a properly implemented R2R DAC or vinyl, particularly...

Hello, folks.   How does one change the gain setting? What's the internal jumper look like?

  Technically, yes, by a significant margin. The TH900 images much better and has a noticeably wider and more importantly, deeper soundstage. It's difficult to hear depth with the 7000, but it's immediately perceptible on the TH900. Transparency and resolution are also a class above on he...

  Oh the humanity! Digitally eq-ing a $5,000 CDN masterpiece.

  IMO and for my musical tastes, the TH900 is a bit superior in most areas to the Elear, except for tonal balance. If you're going for a more neutral presentation, then Elear is a better choice, but for musicality, detail, imaging/ staging (especially since the Fostex is closed!), dynamics...