HD 800 S, MDR-Z1R or TH 900
Aug 23, 2017 at 2:57 AM Post #31 of 40
THIS! It does irk me slightly when I use my HD800S and I can suddenly hear my PC GPU fan turn on when gaming, or when my mojo starts to whirr from charging. It is this aspect, and it's portability that drives me more towards the Z1R. The HD800S is still one of the best to get, but unless you're parking yourself into an isolation cell with no air moving, that fully open architecture is both it's boon and it's bane.

Read as I'm listening to my MDR-F1 (among the most open headphones ever made) and cursing my air conditioning...

That'd be a solid +1 for the TH-900 (or any other closed headphone) if some degree of isolation is needed to preserve the noise floor.
 
Aug 23, 2017 at 4:23 AM Post #32 of 40
Thanks. Now I'm curious. Except it's not easy to find the TH900mk2 to try out around where I am, unlike the other 2 which are extremely accessible. Will give it a shot. For the sake of my wallet, I hope it's not nice and different enough from the Z1R for my liking.

if you are looking for noise isolation from a closed can then the z1r has the th900 covered in that area
 
Aug 23, 2017 at 6:17 AM Post #33 of 40
if you are looking for noise isolation from a closed can then the z1r has the th900 covered in that area
Lol. It's good that I have it already then. Maybe I'll check out the TH900 just to see if I'm missing anything.
 
Aug 23, 2017 at 6:19 AM Post #34 of 40
Lol. It's good that I have it already then. Maybe I'll check out the TH900 just to see if I'm missing anything.
Theres a TH900MK1 with a detachable cable mod in the classified section.
 
Aug 23, 2017 at 6:22 AM Post #35 of 40
Theres a TH900MK1 with a detachable cable mod in the classified section.
Thanks. I do want to try it first before buying it.
 
Aug 23, 2017 at 10:25 AM Post #36 of 40
Lol. It's good that I have it already then. Maybe I'll check out the TH900 just to see if I'm missing anything.

i knew that. i was just pointing out that the th900 won't give you the level of noise attenuation that your z1r does.
 
Mar 1, 2019 at 3:58 AM Post #37 of 40
My opinion is that you're asking if it's best to get a spoon or a fork.

It depends on the source materials.The Z1R / TH-900 and HD800S are very different.



I'll comment more on the Z1R and 800 S, since I know them well. I'm going to even skip the 800 S and push it towards the HD 800, which I prefer:



- Z1R will give you a lot more body and intimacy. Sound is fuller, bass is punchier, without being wooly and without ruining separation and positioning or a nice lower mids. Treble is nicely detailed, sharp but on the dark side.

- HD800 is considerably more spacious. Sound isolation is zero, so they excel only if the room is totally quiet. Separation, positioning and layering are better than on the Z1R, but sub-bass all the way to lower mids will leave you a feeling of hunger, as if you're being served a really good dish at a high end restaurant, but it's just a bit too small. They're also harder to pair, not because they need power, but because you don't want a bright, grainy sound. You want it warm, thick, with a good bass boost. The Z1R however are pretty plug and play, as long as you avoid a source that's abnormally bassy and warm.

Both are really good, but in very different ways. They complement each other well and are two of my favorite headphones. Picking one over the other... hmm... not really possible.
Except in three areas:
-Build quality
-Comfort
-Packaging/Presentation (think box/accessories here)

In these three areas the Z1R absolutely trash the HD800+HD800S. The 800's box looks like something out of a happy meal. The plastic, the itchy Alcantara pads, the flaky silver (or black in the HD800S paint).. the Z1R just makes it feel lame, with its wooden box, soft leather, beta titanium and award winning function-over form-design.

But we care mostly about sound, and in terms of sound, hmm. You might need both.

If you only want to choose between those three models and want "all-rounder" and for "electronic", then I'd totally forget about the 800/800S. It's between the 900 and the Z1R and only the latter has any chances of success.

One of the most important differences in your listed preferences is not even about sound, is about noise. Z1R vs HD800S vs TH900 can be decided on noise alone. Are you able to listen in a quiet, peaceful area?
Don't underestimate the difference between a totally open design and closed designs. It can totally change the joy you get out of a model; if you can listen in total peace, the HD800S gains some points... if you have to share your space with people, fans, power supplies, etc, well, you want something that isolates.

TL;DR: Electronic, all-rounder > Z1R.
Or save money, get the Andromeda as IEMs and you get the best of all those three in a single package.


hello, sorry to bump an old post. how do u find the Focal Clear to the Z1R and 800S? thanks!
 
Mar 1, 2019 at 5:15 AM Post #38 of 40
Soundwise I will not recommend the Sony.
 

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