[gnahra]

Hello fellow Virginia headfier!

Glad you got to try the z1r out. The sound is obviously not for everyone (what iem is), but I do think it's pretty special. But yea, the fit can be atrocious depending on the person. I have been fighting with it, and finally ended up with custom eartips which seem to have helped. But still kind of crazy that it was necessary.

Hard part is with the nio, it almost feels redundant, but with so much time and effort (and money) put into them I think they will be sticking around for at least a whole, probably alongside the nio.

Sorry as I wasn't clear...when I said "through a retailer here," the "here" was the US as I was replying to @Tristy . I live in Florida!
Sorry for the confusion.
I actually loved what I heard from the Z1R, the fit just didn't work...they weren't painful, I just found myself fiddling with them (and at some points, I had to resort to just holding each in place!). Wasn't workable for me.
I am still waiting for my Nio, so perhaps the Z1R not fitting for me is a blessing in disguise!

 

[mashuto]

Sorry as I wasn't clear...when I said "through a retailer here," the "here" was the US as I was replying to @Tristy . I live in Florida!
Sorry for the confusion.
I actually loved what I heard from the Z1R, the fit just didn't work...they weren't painful, I just found myself fiddling with them (and at some points, I had to resort to just holding each in place!). Wasn't workable for me.
I am still waiting for my Nio, so perhaps the Z1R not fitting for me is a blessing in disguise!

Ahh, well nevermind then!

I will say there are aspects of the z1r that I still think I prefer over the nio. But the nio is definitely a more complete package that really doesn't give anything up against the z1r and definitely tops it in some areas too.

And on looks, the nio is way better looking. Don't know about others, but I think the z1r is kind of ugly.

 

[gnahra]

Ahh, well nevermind then!

I will say there are aspects of the z1r that I still think I prefer over the nio. But the nio is definitely a more complete package that really doesn't give anything up against the z1r and definitely tops it in some areas too.

And on looks, the nio is way better looking. Don't know about others, but I think the z1r is kind of ugly.

Good to know (Nio vs Z1R), thank you.
I didn't mind the look of the Sony, aside from the size...it's huge! But - I am looking forward to having abalone back in my collection, I have to admit.

 

[mashuto]

Good to know (Nio vs Z1R), thank you.
I didn't mind the look of the Sony, aside from the size...it's huge! But - I am looking forward to having abalone back in my collection, I have to admit.

Weirdly I haven't been a huge fan of abalone, but the blue/green color scheme sold it for me. Don't really see such deep blues like that.

And yes, the z1r is huge... And even more so with the custom tips I ended up with.

The z1r I think still has the best bass I've heard in an iem. The nio comes close but just doesn't match it.

Either are excellent choices, and I'm sure if you have seen my posts in the 64 thread you will know my feelings about the nio.

 

[gnahra]

Weirdly I haven't been a huge fan of abalone, but the blue/green color scheme sold it for me. Don't really see such deep blues like that.

And yes, the z1r is huge... And even more so with the custom tips I ended up with.

The z1r I think still has the best bass I've heard in an iem. The nio comes close but just doesn't match it.

Either are excellent choices, and I'm sure if you have seen my posts in the 64 thread you will know my feelings about the nio.

Yep, sure have seen them, thank you (been living vicariously through you and others while I wait for my Nio's to arrive)

 

[Frankie D]

Add another to the list of casualties caused by the Z1R's ergonomics.
Retailers in the US finally started to get it back in stock, and I was lucky enough to grab one from a retailer with a good return policy (which was key for me because of my concerns with fit).
Received it today, and within 2 hours had it packed back up to return....it wasn't painful for me, as others have described, I just couldn't get them to sit in my ears properly and thus get a good, comfortable seal. I tried 6 of the tips that came in the package (3 of each type), as well as a few tips I have that I like and trust.
None worked.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to try them and "scratch the itch"; if Sony is able to figure out a way improve the ergonomics for an upcoming IEM (i.e., as Campfire did with the Solaris 2020), I'm all in given how much folks love the sound sig...but the Z1R just didn't work for me, unfortunately.

I wonder if the Azla Xelastec 2 would work for you. I just got a set in my normal size and have now ordered two smaller sizes to see if they will fit better. They seem to be sticky, so to speak, and hold their place in your ear. They definitely had a tight grip in my ear, which is why I want to try a smaller size so there is less pressure on my ear canal. These may prevent the issue of them falling out for you. You can order a few sizes from Amazon and return what does not fit. Tks.

 

[gnahra]

I wonder if the Azla Xelastec 2 would work for you. I just got a set in my normal size and have now ordered two smaller sizes to see if they will fit better. They seem to be sticky, so to speak, and hold their place in your ear. They definitely had a tight grip in my ear, which is why I want to try a smaller size so there is less pressure on my ear canal. These may prevent the issue of them falling out for you. You can order a few sizes from Amazon and return what does not fit. Tks.

Thanks.
I actually have the xelastic; they are one of the few I have that I tried (also tried the SednaFits, and the Symbio Ws).

 

[tieuly1]

I suggest that you could try 2 size down from the tips as Smal or Ss. It fit so comfortable for me to moving.

 

[KuroKitsu]

@gnahra Sucks to hear, being an earlet is the only reason I don't have the Z1R

 

[gnahra]

I suggest that you could try 2 size down from the tips as Smal or Ss. It fit so comfortable for me to moving.

I actually went 3 sizes down with both sets of included ear tips....none worked quite right.

 

[gnahra]

@gnahra Sucks to hear, being an earlet is the only reason I don't have the Z1R

yeah, but I'm glad I tried...I've been itching to try the Z1Rs for quite some time. If they can fix the ergonomics but retain the sound sig with a new version, I'm in!

 

[KuroKitsu]

yeah, but I'm glad I tried...I've been itching to try the Z1Rs for quite some time. If they can fix the ergonomics but retain the sound sig with a new version, I'm in!

Z2R! Z1R but smaller, plz gib Sony overlords.

 

[Bootup22]

All those years in school that I was mocked for my big ears have been paid in full with the fit of the Z1R. Finally my time to shine.

 

[IEMusic]

Using resin or aluminum would reduce weight. Size-wise, it will be a challenge with that large DD, though possibly they could do it if they were willing to use a custom-shaped universal shell design. Depth would be another issue though, due to the stacked driver layout.

 

[mvvRAZ]

A bit late to the party but let's talk AAW Canary! I recently purchased them from @SLC1966, so I owe him a big shoutout for getting them to me in under two days all the way from the US <3

I looked through some impressions of the Canary and it seems like the feedback is quite mixed, but my initial impressions were quite radically different - I've been absolutely loving them! Those of you that have had the chance to hear the Thummim, I'd say the Canary is basically a mini Thummim, as they both have a similarly W shaped signature, with excellent texture, but a few key differences I'll outline below

The bass is easily the star of the show. Not in the sense that it has super overloaded lows that steal the spotlight, but the isobaric DD achieves such a perfect balance between speed and decay that you simply can't not spend a few minutes gushing over it. It is also extremely well "dispersed" through space - you can tell exactly where the drum hits are, which Imo is the result of some of the best bass control I've heard to date. The one IEM I'd compare them to is the A18s, though the Canary has a slightly slower decay and a bit more quantity. They're both absolutely top notch though

The midrange gets the Raz stamp of approval as it has excellent weight/texture/timbre - that applies to both vocals and instruments, and I'd say they sound slightly exaggerated (not unlike the Thummim), but without sounding "incorrect" - the contrasting example Imo would be IEMs sporting an upper mid peak, which also give the sense of an exaggeration that (to me) doesn't sound as faithful to a theoretical reference. The Canary's midrange also has a really good level of clarity, where the midrange's texture doesn't really make it sound congested or nasal.

The treble... the best way for me to put it is that it has really good highs that don't quite hit my 100% optimal preference - it has a relatively flat extension in the sense that the upper treble doesn't really have a priority over the lower treble. Thankfully the Canary is 100% sibilance free with an only slightly elevated treble response, but I'd personally quite like an upper treble bump to create that overloaded sense of air. I'd say it's a bit similar to the Erl in that respect as they both have really good highs that doesn't quite hit the 10/10 mark for me

Technicalities - on point. Very good detail retrieval - at no point do I feel like I'm missing anything from the recording, with really good depth/height, and an above average width. That's an aspect I'll be able to evaluate better after some more listening time, but even after a day or so it's clear that they sport a very high level of technical ability.

It's only been a day, but the Canary is already looking like it will have a solid spot in the collection and will most likely be pulling some serious listening time!