Z7M2 does not require a lot of power. You can run them off of literally anything with a headphone jack. Both of your devices will drive them to literally deafening volumes. I have used mine with my laptop, NW-A45, WM1A, Fiio BTR3 and Schitt Fulla. There is no difference in sound with increased...

I don't hear the peak, and I have very good hearing. I think this may vary by personal anatomy. Otherwise I agree with this evaluation.

I have the Aron Closed X, and they are very good, but the Z1R is better in basically every way. I would be surprised if you disliked them. Congrats!

I have seen claims online that Sony quietly changed the Z1R in response to Tyll Herstens' early "10K Peak" review. Does anyone have an actual source on this? I have never heard such a peak, myself. My serial number is in the 101XX range.

Biased in that they sell the headphones compared?

Inflation seems to have hit Drop, and $429 is the sale price these days.

The famed 10k peak is horse$#@!. I've never heard it in any recording, any genre. no matter the source or the cable. My Z1R is in the 10100 serial number range.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-nw-wm1z-wm1a.815841/post-15858926 This is an extensive guide on fakes. Personally, I think they do nothing at all to the sound of the headphone. The stock cable sounds identical. In my opinion someone's money is better spent elsewhere, such as on music.

This is my current EQ for the Z1R. I use it for all songs, all genres - just to brighten things up a tad and thin out any midbass bleed. I love it, and when I got to "direct" I notice the difference immediately.

Z7M2 is the obvious choice, it's definitely a "baby Z1R." If you're looking for a backup Z1R, there's really no other choice. With that said, the other closed backs in this price range are the Aeon Closed X (which I own and think is wonderful), the Focal Elegia, the two Hifiman models (R10 and...

I was actually just coming to amend my review upward - more listening without comparison to other cans reveals the Z7M2 to be pretty kickass across multiple genres (today I was listening to Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Dvorak orchestral works, and some jazz). :wink: It's a really good headphone...

I have a pair. They're fine, but for me it takes away some of the special bassy character that the Z1R has with stock or Dekoni leathers. I prefer to just EQ a light boost in the 1-4khz region, and to thin out the midbass just a wee bit around 250hz. No matter how you slice it though, one of...