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
- It seems like we are barely talking about the Mason/Mentor V3+ and UM are already moving on to something completely new, a quad hybrid. It is the first time I have seen a bone conducting driver in an IEM. It is actually the first try at a serious implementation of it I have seen, as I have so far only seen it as a gimmick. Very curious and I don't really know what to think about it. Don't even know if it you would perceive anything from that driver beyond sound, but I would not be surprised if it gave a whole new dimension to getting a good fit with the universal.
