It took a huge leap of faith (apologies to evangelicals
) for me to order the Zeus XR. Of course the price is very significant. I wasn't able to listen to it before ordering, not to mention the recent EE policy against refits. I've had the Zeus for about a month (not including the month it took for a fit adjustment). That's around the time it takes for me to develop a solid judgement about equipment. I still have the same reaction I had the very first time I put them in my ears: I'm gobsmacked!
My initial concern was the bass level, based on posts in this thread. Guess it's time for me to hand in my basshead membership card. I use the "R" mode for pretty much everything. The only exceptions are poorly mastered recordings. For my tastes, the Zeus R is a perfect balance of lows, mids & highs. The sound stage is immense for a ciem.
My first ciem was the Angie (which I still have). I also felt it has a good resolution, but I hungered for more. In terms of detail, the Angie is a piker compared to the Zeus R. The Angie, with its adjustable bass, is much more of a fun monitor. Fun to listen to but not the most accurate. There's a fair amount of top-end missing in the Angie.
@mwhals, I mean no disrespect!! Your tastes are invariably different from mine (see my sig). Just because I'm stating my personal preference, it shouldn't deter you from your choices.