[mvvRAZ]

And I'm sitting here thinking do I really need a coffee this afternoon....
Bruh.

I think after audio coffee might just be my #2 expenditure so yes - have that coffee and 4 more after it!

@Rockwell75 I do agree that bass slam plays a huge role in the excitement an IEM delivers, but I’ve found for myself that I can’t really consistently be entertained by something that doesn’t have forward treble - I seem to enjoy recessed mids as long as the quality is up there

Also does anyone know if the BA does the midrange or if it’s the DD as I read in a review? To me they sound much more like DD mids, while the lower treble has more of a BA character

 

[ayang02]

I got the Spiral Dots++ through Amazon Japan for about $20usd plus shipping. Expensive for tips but quite a bit cheaper than ebay. I've always liked spiral dots and an improved version.. well... The only problem is that the nozzle on the U12t is a bit small for them so they sometimes stay in my ear. I'm going to try the stock foams tonight though just to see.

Same thing happened to me when I tried the Spiral Dot++ with Tia Trio: sometimes the tips get stuck in my ears upon removal. I've been using the Acoustune AET07 tips for the Trio and my old U12 Adel, works beautifully and these tips are very comfortable to wear.

 

[Rockwell75]

I think after audio coffee might just be my #2 expenditure so yes - have that coffee and 4 more after it!

@Rockwell75 I do agree that bass slam plays a huge role in the excitement an IEM delivers, but I’ve found for myself that I can’t really consistently be entertained by something that doesn’t have forward treble - I seem to enjoy recessed mids as long as the quality is up there

Also does anyone know if the BA does the midrange or if it’s the DD as I read in a review? To me they sound much more like DD mids, while the lower treble has more of a BA character

And here I am learning that I can get by perfectly fine with darker IEMs...YMMV and all that.

Do you mean the Z1R? Yes the lower DD covers bass and mid, the BA covers upper mids and treble, and the upper DD covers upper treble, super highs. That was actually the main deal breaker for me with that particular IEM-- my brain couldn't reconcile the upper and lower frequencies and after I picked up on it it felt like I had two different IEMs in my ears at the same time, which I found very fatiguing.

 

[mvvRAZ]

And here I am learning that I can get by perfectly fine with darker IEMs...YMMV and all that.

Do you mean the Z1R? Yes the lower DD covers bass and mid, the BA covers upper mids and treble, and the upper DD covers upper treble, super highs. That was actually the main deal breaker for me with that particular IEM-- my brain couldn't reconcile the upper and lower frequencies and after I picked up on it it felt like I had two different IEMs in my ears at the same time, which I found very fatiguing.

They're definitely very tiring until you start getting used to the treble quantity, and I would've preferred that they executed the whole thing as a double DD. I'm personally not the biggest fan of BA upper mids/treble as the vocal presentation almost always sounds off to me - the Z1R is no exception to that

Add: it's really quite interesting how you learn about your taste over time - a few weeks ago you were the one saying "I need more treble in the LX", while I was there like, I don't need treble for fun

Look at us now

 

[SBranson]

Same thing happened to me when I tried the Spiral Dot++ with Tia Trio: sometimes the tips get stuck in my ears upon removal. I've been using the Acoustune AET07 tips for the Trio and my old U12 Adel, works beautifully and these tips are very comfortable to wear.

Thanks.. I'll give them a try..

 

[491326]

I think the u/A12t actually has a curious problem where they don’t sound as amazing out of a meh source. They lack the staging characteristics of a “high end” iem played out of

They're definitely very tiring until you start getting used to the treble quantity, and I would've preferred that they executed the whole thing as a double DD. I'm personally not the biggest fan of BA upper mids/treble as the vocal presentation almost always sounds off to me - the Z1R is no exception to that

Add: it's really quite interesting how you learn about your taste over time - a few weeks ago you were the one saying "I need more treble in the LX", while I was there like, I don't need treble for fun

Look at us now

Here I am with my BA bass preference. I don't know many people who prefer BA over dynamics for bass, but I like my bass as fast as possible

 

[Jackpot77]

Following the recommendation of a friend I decided to give the Sony Z1R a second chance, so I bought one and boy am I glad to have listened - here are some preliminary impressions after 9ish listening hours

- As of late I’ve become a bit of a DD fan, as BAs just don’t get the texture to the level that I need it to. There are of course plenty of exceptions, like the VE8, but for the most part, that remains the case. I am happy to report the Z1R has that typical DD - you can feel it in your brains - texture

- Pronounced U shape - the bass is boosted, but I’d say the real boost is in the treble area, giving the Z1R excellent resolution. I can see why many think the treble is quite harsh, and not little either

- Insanely technical - genuinely mind blowing just how much detail these are able to retrieve, as well as the instrumental separation and imaging.

- Source requirement - when I first tried them they were really disappointing, but I was running them on an AK SR15 back then, so the DD tweeter really wasn’t singing as it is when I tried it out of powerful sources. Needs quite a lot of juice to get just about anywhere

- The midrange - I cant call it a classic thin, metallic midrange, like say the Penta. It feels very detailed and textured, but with relatively little quantity, as compared to the bass and treble at least. Not 100% sure how I feel about it but it’s certainly an interesting change of pace

- Vocals - this is no IEM for vocal lovers that’s for sure. They don’t have much weight or warmth to them. Can get the job done sure, but it feels like the focus is more on the rest of the performance. Reminds me a bit of the A18t, but taken a level further where the vocalists are on the same plane as the instruments, if not slightly behind

- New favourite thing? I mean, this and the elysium complement each other rather well, and the Z1R is very different from everything else I own. Listening time will tell what kind of place it finds in my day to day

-Why change my mind? Well, the way I see it, it’s a natural thing to change your opinion on a product as your preferences evolve and experience within the industry grows. I’d rather admit I was wrong about a product than preach something I no longer believe

Ihave changed my approach to audio somewhat, seeking out gear that sounds right as opposed to different, and with that, the collection has taken some cuts as well as additions

How close does the 1695ti get to the Z1R in terms of overall performance, in your opinion? Definitely interested in the Acoustune house sound - dug out my 1650s fit s listen yesterday and had forgotten how wide and enveloping the staging is (and how tactile the bass sounds).

 

[mvvRAZ]

I think the u/A12t actually has a curious problem where they don’t sound as amazing out of a meh source. They lack the staging characteristics of a “high end” iem played out of

Here I am with my BA bass preference. I don't know many people who prefer BA over dynamics for bass, but I like my bass as fast as possible

I can deal with BA bass but I really need the DD midrange. My A18t has pretty satisfactory BA bass, but I'd take the mids of the Z1R or 1695TI over the A18t any day

How close does the 1695ti get to the Z1R in terms of overall performance, in your opinion? Definitely interested in the Acoustune house sound - dug out my 1650s fit s listen yesterday and had forgotten how wide and enveloping the staging is (and how tactile the bass sounds).

They're quite different. The 1695TI has a bit less bass, but it's top notch quality in terms of slam and decay - I love it personally.

I'd say the Z1R wins on raw technicalities as well as treble, while the 1695 has a warmer midrange making vocals sound way better. The Z1R feels quite a bit more clinical in comparison...

A bit like a bass boosted clinical and technical IEM

The other thing is, the Acoustune can be driven by most stuff I've tried - it's not as source picky. The Z1R so far I've had success with the Hugo2 and WM1Z but everything else struggles in all honesty

 

[Rockwell75]

Add: it's really quite interesting how you learn about your taste over time - a few weeks ago you were the one saying "I need more treble in the LX", while I was there like, I don't need treble for fun

Look at us now

I'm not sure if it was more treble or a bit less bass, but on its own terms the LX is amazing...I still don't know if I could handle it as my only IEM...after a few hours with it I find myself craving air...which is where the Solaris comes in...they're a great pair.

 

[mvvRAZ]

I'm not sure if it was more treble or a bit less bass, but on its own terms the LX is amazing...I still don't know if I could handle it as my only IEM...after a few hours with it I find myself craving air...which is where the Solaris comes in...they're a great pair.

I generally need my IEMs to be able to hand themselves as an "only" pair - I usually pick an IEM and listen to that for pretty much a whole week or at least a few days, so stuff that's more genre specific usually ends up being an issue for me

I did love the LX though, it didn't quite make sense for me to own though

 

[Wyville]

I generally need my IEMs to be able to hand themselves as an "only" pair - I usually pick an IEM and listen to that for pretty much a whole week or at least a few days, so stuff that's more genre specific usually ends up being an issue for me

I did love the LX though, it didn't quite make sense for me to own though

Big mistake there... What you really need is IEMs that are as genre specific as possible so they can perform far beyond the level of any "ordinary" $3k pair of IEMs.
...
..
.
Now just think about the amount of gear you will be able to justify buying if you accept that line of reasoning.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Big mistake there... What you really need is IEMs that are as genre specific as possible so they can perform far beyond the level of any "ordinary" $3k pair of IEMs.
...
..
.
Now just think about the amount of gear you will be able to justify buying if you accept that line of reasoning.

Sell everything start over

kidding aside though, the non-genre specific is my only way of not owning 25 different TOTLs so please don’t take it away from me

 

[papa_mia]

Sell everything start over

kidding aside though, the non-genre specific is my only way of not owning 25 different TOTLs so please don’t take it away from me

I assume you've watched Inception, so you know the idea is now in your head.
It's a matter of time bruh, just a matter of time...

 

[Wyville]

Sell everything start over

kidding aside though, the non-genre specific is my only way of not owning 25 different TOTLs so please don’t take it away from me

I remember discussing with Nic one of those motorised tie-racks where you could hang all those TOTLs and browse at your leisure to make your early morning selection for the day.

 

[davidcotton]

the non-genre specific is my only way of not owning 25 different TOTLs so please don’t take it away from me

That's easy for me as it's my wallet that stops me owning totl stuff. I operate firmly in the midrange. Better than budget stuff, not as good as the high end stuff. Anything higher and I get a nose bleed. The furthest I've ever thought of going is either the equinox or solstice from CA, and that's mainly because of the artist fit option.