[Andrew_WOT]

y impression of the IER-Z1R was very similar o the poster above, it left me and my non audiophile friends dumbfounded. Dark recessed mids, bloaty bass, peaky treble, incoherent, the upper mids had no life, and instrument timbre was severely off (especially with the stock cable)' and just how uncomfortable they were to use

If you read Precog's review, his impression on IER-Z1R loosely matches yours. Another point of importance of cross referencing rankings from reviewers if you do not have ability to audition before purchasing.
Audio perception if very individual and subjective, unless you talk strictly of graphs and technical abilities.

 

[Rocfort]

Really CRIN tried to be absolutely indepent asking money from friend and passionated people on discord and with youtube, So I think he is not paid for his opinion and review. Other for sure, on the contrary, have been paid or receive merchandise in change of an "Honest" review.

 

[Hark01]

Also, while I have watched a lot of Crin videos and reviews, I have no idea what kind of music he listens to which really matters.

https://crinacle.com/2020/05/09/the-tracks-of-an-audio-critic-a-personal-musical-journey/

 

[Iron-Buddha]

https://crinacle.com/2020/05/09/the-tracks-of-an-audio-critic-a-personal-musical-journey/

Fair enough. I have no idea what "instruments" typically Crin listens to...... Not sure if that is any better.

I am not criticizing Crin's work. It is available to all for free and a key reference point for all of us who can't hear everything and try everything out. However, most of his reviews and scores make no reference to genre or instrument or track.

 

[andnej]

I am also a fan and owner of the IER-Z1R.. I am not hyped about their recessed and somewhat thin mids, i.e. vocals.. but overall they are very nice iems that are very enjoyable..

Note: Thin mids compared to the VE8, which are from the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of note weight

I happened to try IER-Z1R yesterday on PAPI 2023, using Astell & Kern SR 25, I feel that the sound is enjoyable, too bad I do not put more time there to analyze how much difference it is with IER-M9. As most of my gears has a little bit bump on low mid, I do not think it would pose any problems if I happen to purchase it for a self Christmas present hehe

 

[PixelSquish]

If you think the Z1R bass is bloated, you simply do not know what good bass is. Whether you like the whole IEM or not is another thing, but you would still be clueless as to what good bass is.

 

[PixelSquish]

If you read Precog's review, his impression on IER-Z1R loosely matches yours. Another point of importance of cross referencing rankings from reviewers if you do not have ability to audition before purchasing.
Audio perception if very individual and subjective, unless you talk strictly of graphs and technical abilities.

that guy called the Z1R's bass bloated.

a direct quote from the actual review you just linked that implies it kinda supports his statement literally says, the bass is essentially devoid of bloat. and that's the best part lol it's not even close to the same.

"And of course, the bass. My thoughts on the IER-Z1R’s bass probably aren’t too surprising; nonetheless, allow me to hammer home the notion: The IER-Z1R is my zenith of bass in portable fidelity. Decay, rumble, and texture, it has them all in spades. Feed it something like Everglow’s “DUN DUN,” and holy moly, the sense of sheer physicality being pushed to the drops is unparalleled; indeed, the IER-Z1R has the elusive transient density I write to no end about other IEMs lacking. But the best part? It’s nearly devoid of bloat too, hammering away at the quick, successive bassline of something like Tiffany’s “I Just Wanna Dance” with decided ease. Now, it’s still not as clean and nuanced as some BA IEMs I’ve heard - much less a planar - but unless you’re really bass-shy, something tells me you’re not going to mind."

 

[Rextilleon]

https://crinacle.com/2020/05/09/the-tracks-of-an-audio-critic-a-personal-musical-journey/

Go to his website-he has an article about his reference music.