Hello guys , im a music lover who got in the hobby a couple months ago and i want to step up the game
i mainly listen to film score , big orchestral , female vocal and i love details and wide liek cathedral , i love the idea of being able to listen music on my astell and kern sr25 every where i go with the iem but im not block , i mainly want the best experience basicly between the 2 , thanks alot , here is a song that i listen alot as a reference
Sennheiser HD 800s in the headphones that you need but for sure a better DAP or an external amp will help for the best performance with that headphone and the SR25, also check for some iems like the Dunu S6, Campfire Andromeda, Moondrop S8 or Moondrop Kato ($189) are great for that type of music and definitely a better match for the SR25.
As @Lumithium said, they sound vastly different, the only thing I would say they have in common is that they may have the best sound stage of IEMs and headphones.
IER-Z1R is very much like a DOLBY THX movie theatre system, with rumbling bass and big and deep stage. Detail and vocals are very good but not the best.
HD-800S is a little bass light but has that huge stage and excellent detail, just a little on the bright side overall.
IER-Z1R is a huge IEM and many have issues fitting it. HD-800S is very light and comfortable
Both of them are quite demanding in terms of source quality and driving power.
It would be best if you could listen to them in a store and compare.
Other IEMs you might consider:
64 Audio U12T (supposed to have the best bass for a BA IEM, highly detailed and balanced)
Sony IER-M9 (excellent for classical music, mid/treble focused, very detailed, "full" sounding)
Moondrop Variations (great sub bass rumble, high clarity and separation, excellent female vocals, "thinner" sounding and not that great for male vocals)
Thieaudio Monarch MKII (similar to Moondrop Variations, but a little more balanced = less bass more lower mids)
I have not heard the Monarch and the U12T, but I think you would like the Moondrop Variations. With the track linked above it's really good.
Hello guys , im a music lover who got in the hobby a couple months ago and i want to step up the game
i mainly listen to film score , big orchestral , female vocal and i love details and wide liek cathedral , i love the idea of being able to listen music on my astell and kern sr25 every where i go with the iem but im not block , i mainly want the best experience basicly between the 2 , thanks alot , here is a song that i listen alot as a reference
As per previous posters' feedback, if you intend to hold on to your DAP, then CA Andromeda gets my vote. As for HD800, these would benefit from a desktop audio setup more than your DAP.
listening in public: z1r
more bass: z1r
female vocals: z1r
i have had both...i still have the z1r. the hd800s was amazing for gaming, z1r is not. hd800s has a very wide soundstage and feels like you are actually listening to a live orchestra. z1r comes 2nd in that aspect, but i think it does everything else better, musically speaking.
Just to clarify, you have the original SR25 with the 2.5mm balanced output, not the Mk II with the 4.4mm balanced output? If so then as indicated by others, the answer is neither. The single-ended output (the 3.5mm socket) will not produce enough power and current to adequately drive either the HD800 or the Z1R. Using the balanced output will require a new cable/termination for the balanced cables supplied with the head phone, an unnecessary and expensive cost.
Some of the other suggestions made on this topic are perfectly adequate - I'd be looking at something that costs roughly the same to 1.5 times the cost of your SR25. Three times the price - as is the Z1R - you'd really be looking at a better source. Just my 2c.
That's so very true, these are spectacular cans i.e. for competitive FPS games. Accurate feedback about surroundings was a major advantage in my old BF3 days.
Just to clarify, you have the original SR25 with the 2.5mm balanced output, not the Mk II with the 4.4mm balanced output? If so then as indicated by others, the answer is neither. The single-ended output (the 3.5mm socket) will not produce enough power and current to adequately drive either the HD800 or the Z1R. Using the balanced output will require a new cable/termination for the balanced cables supplied with the head phone, an unnecessary and expensive cost.
Some of the other suggestions made on this topic are perfectly adequate - I'd be looking at something that costs roughly the same to 1.5 times the cost of your SR25. Three times the price - as is the Z1R - you'd really be looking at a better source. Just my 2c.
I have a grounded 2.5 to 4.4 mm balanced adapter for it so not à problem at all for the ier z1r , people run them from à dungle on iphone with no issue at all
I wrote the very first review here at Head-Fi on the IER-Z1R. Still you have chosen two headphones which are by definition complete opposites. Probably 25% have fit issues with the IER. But there have been whole groups who were frightened to try them who later did try them and fell in love.
Still your going to need to spend about 2 days listening to the IER signature before your sure they are right. The issue with the Sennheisers are they are very amp dependent. It’s hit or miss if your going to get them to sound right. But they offer a super (the fastest maybe) transients! With transients come imaging, and that’s world class too. The Sennheisers have a wide-wide soundstage like the IER, but the difference is headphones only put the soundstage out side your head. Where the IER puts the soundstage inside and outside your head.
But the Sennheisers will be lower bass and speedy! Where the IERs almost have a slower bass due to the personality. Still if you love bass they have the most fantastic cool deep yet textured bass response available.
I wrote the very first review here at Head-Fi on the IER-Z1R. Still you have chosen two headphones which are by definition complete opposites. Probably 25% have fit issues with the IER. But there have been whole groups who were frightened to try them who later did try them and fell in love.
Still your going to need to spend about 2 days listening to the IER signature before your sure they are right. The issue with the Sennheisers are they are very amp dependent. It’s hit or miss if your going to get them to sound right. But they offer a super (the fastest maybe) transients! With transients come imaging, and that’s world class too. The Sennheisers have a wide-wide soundstage like the IER, but the difference is headphones only put the soundstage out side your head. Where the IER puts the soundstage inside and outside your head.
But the Sennheisers will be lower bass and speedy! Where the IERs almost have a slower bass due to the personality. Still if you love bass they have the most fantastic cool deep yet textured bass response available.
How exciting. It’s crazy as they came out a while ago but still offer a specific sound that nothing else seems to offer..........yet? They are also known to be actually a value for their price, where that TOTL world seems to be populated with many far more expensive IEMs, which may not be as special as the IER? Much of this game is simply finding your sound signature and letting the experience of listening be the confirmation.
You really really need to get them a balanced signal as the damping factor offered by balanced takes the IER to a better place. Also it really does take a day or so of listening to adjust to the tonal balance. Especially if your not used to the Sony sound, the midrange will seem a little scooped, where male vocals will appear having placement slightly back in the stage. Somehow that area is the area which mentality you can somehow come to terms with. Literally your perception will all of a sudden become more balanced and you will not notice the vocals as even having an issue......in time.
This may be due to Sony offering a uniquely tuned sound signature which simply demands getting used to? The same style of familiarity occurs with the MDR-Z1R.
The use of tips is another question you may have. The IER only fits me one way. They never have any way to move forward or back in ear positioning. But I’ve read of a few members being able to change one tip smaller and get a unique closer to the ear drum fit. So that supposedly gets you better treble? But experiment with tip sizes and find out for yourself if there is truly a way to change their fit?
Also don’t try and change the MMCX cable out too many times. Just get a balanced cable in place and leave it. The reason being is the MMCX can eventually start to wear out after multiple change outs. I have about 4 or 5 changes in total.
Getting juice to the IER will tighten up the bass and seem to add a kind of lower midrange soundstage. That’s what damping does. The overall authority will be boosted along with better overall soundstage and realism. I just tried my IER-Z1R upon first getting them from an IPod Touch, finally getting home and learning what balanced power can do!
How exciting. It’s crazy as they came out a while ago but still offer a specific sound that nothing else seems to offer..........yet? They are also known to be actually a value for their price, where that TOTL world seems to be populated with many far more expensive IEMs, which may not be as special as the IER? Much of this game is simply finding your sound signature and letting the experience of listening be the confirmation.
You really really need to get them a balanced signal as the damping factor offered by balanced takes the IER to a better place. Also it really does take a day or so of listening to adjust to the tonal balance. Especially if your not used to the Sony sound, the midrange will seem a little scooped, where male vocals will appear having placement slightly back in the stage. Somehow that area is the area which mentality you can somehow come to terms with. Literally your perception will all of a sudden become more balanced and you will not notice the vocals as even having an issue......in time.
This may be due to Sony offering a uniquely tuned sound signature which simply demands getting used to? The same style of familiarity occurs with the MDR-Z1R.
The use of tips is another question you may have. The IER only fits me one way. They never have any way to move forward or back in ear positioning. But I’ve read of a few members being able to change one tip smaller and get a unique closer to the ear drum fit. So that supposedly gets you better treble? But experiment with tip sizes and find out for yourself if there is truly a way to change their fit?
Also don’t try and change the MMCX cable out too many times. Just get a balanced cable in place and leave it. The reason being is the MMCX can eventually start to wear out after multiple change outs. I have about 4 or 5 changes in total.
Getting juice to the IER will tighten up the bass and seem to add a kind of lower midrange soundstage. That’s what damping does. The overall authority will be boosted along with better overall soundstage and realism. I just tried my IER-Z1R upon first getting them from an IPod Touch, finally getting home and learning what balanced power can do!
Yes, the included 4.4mm is hard to beat. I purchased the IER the first week it came out. And because the Sony Kimber was so moving with the MDR-Z1R, I purchased the Kimber for the IER too.
After burn in both physically and mentally I found the included 4.4mm cable to be better than the expensive Kimber? Since that time many have found experiences which paralleled mine! The included cable is just that good. There are reports of people liking way more expensive cables with it, beyond even the price of the IER.
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