I've heard the small headbands are almost universally the best fit, so that's what I'd be looking for.

Agreed.

.

Rarity does not equal price. Qualia are usually not sold a prices as high as the R10s. Production-wise, Qualia are around 250 in total numbers produced, but they are a divisive pair of headphones whereas the R10s are not as such.

I would be okay with that, even though the R10s are pricier. They've been a dream pair of mine for the longest time. Recently, a set went for $7000~ on the classifieds, but I missed it. Had a bunch of lovely extras too.

From my research, that is not the case. There is actually a series of serial numbers in the lower end, around 300 or so, that are bass heavy as well. A serial number of 0983 should be bass heavy from my understanding.

Hey purk. This is a bass heavy with balanced 4-pin single-ended XLR termination, serial number 0983.

Hey there, I'm looking to trade my Sony MDR-R10s for a pair of Sony Qualia 010s, preferably with the small-sized headband, red ear pads if possible. I'd really love to have the original stand as well. I understand there's only a tiny fraction of 010 owners out there, but I've dreamed of owning...

Thanks, that is actually something I've considered and makes sense. There are a lot of amazing options out there that can compare to the R10s, and so these headphones have fallen into more of a niche these days than ever before. I appreciate your thoughts on the listing, thanks!

I'm sure people view this listing and then just click off the page. I'm curious. Are there any issues here? I'm always willing to consider an IC for a reasonable price range.

Bump! Oh wait, that's not how bumps work.

Up for sale is a pair of balanced (with original cable) Sony MDR-R10 headphones in good condition. Details: These headphones are Serial# 0983 with a mfg. date of 1998 and are the Bass Heavy version. This R10 was professionally recabled by A Pure Sound with a balanced 4-pin XLR connection while...

The Z1Rs are pretty compact and stowable, in my opinion, especially compared to Sony's older phones like the CD3k and SA5k. Just need to find the right little case for it. This has been discussed before though. :P

I actually agree. The stock cable had more to it where the kimber kind of dulls things out. I really like the extra length and the aesthetics, but I'm honestly not sure. I pretty much agree with this assessment though. Stock is more crisp, kimber is a bit warmer.

Can confirm. All of my Sony devices are fakes. They never existed. Sony MDR-R10s are fakes made by some crazy woodworker in the '80s who really liked hi-fi gear. SONY NEVER EXISTED. ITS ALL A LIE!

I'm going to have to consider these cables then! 

I agree almost on all points. Value really is less about hype and how much you spend (or unobtanium level) and more about how good it sounds to you. I do like the TA-ZH1ES aesthetically and functionally, but my limited experience with amps and dacs really doesn't allow me to opine on how it...

I paid $1800 for my first pair, and I still find it to be very much worth every penny. Is it worth the Sony MSRP though? I guess it would really need to be compared to other models in the high end range to determine.

I definitely agree there. I love them for EDM. They work nicely with jazz and jazz fusion too. :D

You could sell Z1Rs with that picture. You're a model for customer satisfaction, haha. So glad you love them that much, man! They're awesome headphones.

Thank you, rgs! It's nice to know someone with such experience can give them a glowing recommendation, even more so than a pair of R10s!  The Sony Qualia has always been my dream pair since signing up on this forum, but I have a feeling it wouldn't be as nice as the Z1R. These Sonys really...

That's pretty much my case. I just had the EMU 0404 USB and I was content with my CD3000s and SA5000s, not really caring to get new DACs or amps at all, since I felt the set up was fine. Concerning the Z1Rs, I just impulse bought them when I felt the price was quite low at $1800 on eBay, knowing...

It's not just patience, dude. I think because you ended up in the second batch of shipments, and not the first like I was, you ended up passing a lower price at some point. 1050 GBP? When did it hit that low? I wonder if Amazon.co.uk would do a rebate for that. Now I wish I had the later...

Damn, Ill. When did the price hit that point? Must've been after mine shipped! Haha.   I have no idea how that # 0001 serial number got out there as return replacement no less. I almost want to say it was some error. How on earth would Sony not keep their # 0001 model for the sake of...

Woowoo :D  Please share your pair's serial number if you don't mind, lol. I'm just curious to see where these are at right now. Feels like ages ago since my second pair came in, but I've only had a Z1R for 3 months, with the other unused pair coming in late January, IIRC.