[davescleveland]

Have enjoyed using the R1's over the past couple of days using the blue filters but think I will have to change back to the black ones

On people who received there zenith's do you guys notice harshness on your units?? everything is better than my R1 except its quite fatiguing to listen to, i keep going back to my R1, any suggestions?

Totally harsh highs even with copper filters

 

[sino8r]

Yeah I might do that. Sadly I sent my first pair back, I should have kept them a bit longer.

One thing I'm curious about is the driver flex. I can hear it on the right ear when inserting it, but what does it indicate? I.e. does it imply a fault or does it affect the sound in any way?

I'm not sure really but I've noticed it can affect the sound balance after time goes on. At least, I noticed it on my R1s. Maybe some others can weigh in on this?

 

[sino8r]

Totally harsh highs even with copper filters

That's bizarre. Mine aren't that way at all. I do use an equalizer and triple flange tips though. I seem to be rather treble sensitive at my advanced age of 37 lol. Usually seems to be a younger person thing. The only thing I can suggest is check the phase via wires and try foam tips. Mine take quite a bit of work to get a good seal and thus opted for the triple flanges.

 

[jeffhawke]

On people who received there zenith's do you guys notice harshness on your units?? everything is better than my R1 except its quite fatiguing to listen to, i keep going back to my R1, any suggestions?

I did indeed, but only on the Zenith V1, the replacement has no such harshness any more.

 

[capnjack]

I did indeed, but only on the Zenith V1, the replacement has no such harshness any more.

How long have you burned them in? Mine are on about the 150hr mark with the black/pink filter and wide bore MandarinEs and they’re exceptional imho. I’m torn between tips at the moment, only thing I’m suffering from is slight driver flex while getting a good seal.

 

[monsieurfromag3]

On people who received there zenith's do you guys notice harshness on your units?? everything is better than my R1 except its quite fatiguing to listen to, i keep going back to my R1, any suggestions?

Not a suggestion, sorry, @sino8r makes good ones though; but I notice the same thing you and @davescleveland do, and have sadly sent back my Zenith. The physical slam of the bass on the R1 w/ black filters is something I can't get enough of. Nothing really replicates that on the Zenith as far as I'm concerned; I had settled on the copper filters and found an excellent seal with silicone tips, but the upper-mids are still too forward for my taste and I lose what I most love about the R1. The R1 make doom/death/black metal sound as scary and ominous as they should, and give bass-heavy music the presence and foundation they need. Even with the black filters the Zenith don't produce the same effect.
They are still excellent iems, and certainly better for ambitiously mastered music, ensembles, well-recorded jazz etc., especially with the ports open. But the R1 "get" my music better if you will - and the blue filters amply satisfy my audiophile cravings.

Bob was super nice and understanding about it, as he's been throughout my involvement with IMR. I'm looking forward to the Elan big time

 

[sino8r]

I might as well post my mod. Same as before with the R1. Changed out the 2 pin to mmcx due to my Sony MUC-M2BT1 bluetooth. The method was the same as the R1, rotary tool with engraving bit at 5000 rpm to drill out the 2 pin shaped mold in the housing, solder the mmcx connectors, and lightly fill the gap with epoxy. Takes about an hour or so. I'll attempt the mirror finish as well but the anodizing is really well done on the Zeniths. It might be quite the endeavor lol!

 

[jeffhawke]

How long have you burned them in? Mine are on about the 150hr mark with the black/pink filter and wide bore MandarinEs and they’re exceptional imho. I’m torn between tips at the moment, only thing I’m suffering from is slight driver flex while getting a good seal.

I've used them extensively after approx. 2 days of burn-in, orange filter, spinfits 500. I wanted to experiment different filters and tips, but I'm so satisfied the way they sound as they are that it's making me lazy

 

[Remiam7]

Totally harsh highs even with copper filters

I have found that the sound quality is extremely dependent upon what type of tips, source, music recorded quality, and cable makeup are. More so than any other IEM I have ever used. Presently using my 8 wire Litz cable from Phantom Hunter with Kombi tips. But still not sure if I will stay the course.

 

[weexisttocease]

Which eartips do you recommend? I got the Zenith a week ago but I can't find a perfect fit, specially with my left ear. The best fit I get is with some New Bee eartips I bought months ago to the T2's.

 

[Dobrescu George]

Okay, time for my first impressions of R1 Zenith. Don't rely on this for making a purchase, but keep them as references for what to expect out of them out-of-the-box.

No Burn-In was done before this, I think the sound will improve it with some burn-in

- Build Quality is much better than the original R1. The Zenith looks so precisely machined and so beautiful, your eyes will water when gazing upon it
- Really excellent comfort all around.
- TWO CABLES IN THE PACKAGE!!
- So it comes with a balanced cable as well, awesome
- MAN the comfort on this is amazing. I had average to good comfort with the original R1, but with Zenith I'm getting excellent all-around comfort. Some minor driver flex, but minor. Very different from most IEMs I know of, it is like a weird, different kind of driver flex. Not an issue, the driver goes to normal, doesn't flex all the way, regardless whether the chamber is fully open or fully closed, so I won't be saying it is an issue, good ventilation.
- From the driver flex and the overall sound, you can easily tell that the dynamic driver inside is larger than most IEMs, and it is, at 14.2mm being one of the largest drivers in an IEM .
- The black filters thingies are well put on and I find it slightly hard to remove them, so I'll be using them for this short first impressions.
- Very easy to drive, extremely easy. Can be driven from literally anything. Little bit of hiss, but very very low
- Oh Oh Oh. The reproduction of classical instruments is so freaking amazing!
- Okay, so the overall sound is a bit strange with the combo it comes with by default. I can say it sounds very different from most IEMs I tested to date. The combo of the open back and the large driver surely has a unique tuning to it.
- Lush, warm, deep, thick sound. The bass surely reaches lower than most IEMs, but until you hear R1 Zenith, you're not really aware that any IEM can do this, just after hearing it, you kind of see what I mean. Unusual levels of depth to the bass. Kinda like E5000 levels of bass.
- But R1 Zenith is not a one-trick-pony, it actually has a lot going on for its sound. This is weird, but I am finding their sound to be best with my classical collection (or rather Avant Garde, like Tiger lillies).
- I'll probably be comparing R1 Zenith more with E5000 from Final because both have something in common with the bass and the overall thickness, but R1 Zenith is much more versatile and universal, and compared to E5000, R1 Zenith sounds best at low and medium listening levels, E5000 sounded good really loud.
- For metal, the bass quantity is a bit high. Treble is ends too early, upper midrange is too recessed, and textures in the midrange are a touch too smooth.
- Works excellent with Rap
- Vocals are forward, but only the vocals, the mid-mid has an emphasis. Upper midrange is recessed compared to the main midrange body. Same for lower treble, then a bump, and then the high treble seems to recess again. At least using metal and rock. For pop and EDM, the treble seems to fit like a glove to be both exciting, but also not harsh nor fatiguing.
- Bass has a LOT of texture. Lots of details in the midrange, but textures are smooth in the mids. Treble is smooth all-around.
- Wouldn't be my first choice with Metal or Rock. Really not made for those with the default filters. No Metal, No Rock, No Post-Hardcore, no Punk, Really not for those generas. I am not joking, it really isn't made for it.
- EDM and Electronic / Dubstep sounds really awesome with them. Delta Heavy sounds soooo good on R1 Zenith. I'm not sure if I heard many IEMs that do EDM and Dubstep this well in this price range to be honest.
- POP Music sounds lovely actually, the strong bass and lush sound , combined with the good detail in the midrange, large stage, and midrange forwardness makes up for an excellent pop experience, and the smoother top end makes up for a rather fatigue-free experience. Most pop is mastered poorly in the treble and R1 Zenth surely makes most pop sound large, impactful and sweet.
- No weird resonances and no distortions, happy with that
- Really wide soundstage. Good depth as well.
- Compared to my overall experience, they sound similar to floorstander Speakers rather than IEMs or bookshelfs.
- Overall, I think it is an amazing IEM for comfort, price/performance ratio, if you're looking for really good lush, thick, impactful, wide-sounding really thick and lush, smooth and detailed IEM. Very configurable sound though. Excellent with EDM, Dubstep, Electronic, Pop, Classical and Avant-Garde.

 

[drbluenewmexico]

Okay, time for my first impressions of R1 Zenith. Don't rely on this for making a purchase, but keep them as references for what to expect out of them out-of-the-box.

No Burn-In was done before this, I think the sound will improve it with some burn-in

- Build Quality is much better than the original R1. The Zenith looks so precisely machined and so beautiful, your eyes will water when gazing upon it
- Really excellent comfort all around.
- TWO CABLES IN THE PACKAGE!!
- So it comes with a balanced cable as well, awesome
- MAN the comfort on this is amazing. I had average to good comfort with the original R1, but with Zenith I'm getting excellent all-around comfort. Some minor driver flex, but minor. Very different from most IEMs I know of, it is like a weird, different kind of driver flex. Not an issue, the driver goes to normal, doesn't flex all the way, regardless whether the chamber is fully open or fully closed, so I won't be saying it is an issue, good ventilation.
- From the driver flex and the overall sound, you can easily tell that the dynamic driver inside is larger than most IEMs, and it is, at 14.2mm being one of the largest drivers in an IEM .
- The black filters thingies are well put on and I find it slightly hard to remove them, so I'll be using them for this short first impressions.
- Very easy to drive, extremely easy. Can be driven from literally anything. Little bit of hiss, but very very low
- Oh Oh Oh. The reproduction of classical instruments is so freaking amazing!
- Okay, so the overall sound is a bit strange with the combo it comes with by default. I can say it sounds very different from most IEMs I tested to date. The combo of the open back and the large driver surely has a unique tuning to it.
- Lush, warm, deep, thick sound. The bass surely reaches lower than most IEMs, but until you hear R1 Zenith, you're not really aware that any IEM can do this, just after hearing it, you kind of see what I mean. Unusual levels of depth to the bass. Kinda like E5000 levels of bass.
- But R1 Zenith is not a one-trick-pony, it actually has a lot going on for its sound. This is weird, but I am finding their sound to be best with my classical collection (or rather Avant Garde, like Tiger lillies).
- I'll probably be comparing R1 Zenith more with E5000 from Final because both have something in common with the bass and the overall thickness, but R1 Zenith is much more versatile and universal, and compared to E5000, R1 Zenith sounds best at low and medium listening levels, E5000 sounded good really loud.
- For metal, the bass is quick enough, but the bass quantity is a bit high. Treble is good, but ends a tad early.
- Works excellent with Rap
- Vocals are forward, but only the vocals, the mid-mid has an emphasis. Upper midrange is recessed compared to the main midrange body. Same for lower treble, then a bump, and then the high treble seems to recess again. At least using .
- Bass has a LOT of texture. Lots of details in the midrange, but textures are smooth in the mids. Treble is smooth all-around.
- Wouldn't be my first choice with Metal or Rock. Really not made for those with the default filters. No Metal, No Rock, No Post-Hardcore, no Punk, Really not for those generas. I am not joking, it really isn't made for it.
- EDM and Electronic / Dubstep sounds really awesome with them. Delta Heavy sounds soooo good on R1 Zenith. I'm not sure if I heard many IEMs that do EDM and Dubstep this well in this price range to be honest.
- POP Music sounds lovely actually, the strong bass and lush sound , combined with the good detail in the midrange, large stage, and midrange forwardness makes up for an excellent pop experience, and the smoother top end makes up for a rather fatigue-free experience. Most pop is mastered poorly in the treble and R1 Zenth surely makes most pop sound large, impactful and sweet.
- No weird resonances and no distortions, happy with that
- Really wide soundstage. Good depth as well.
- Compared to my overall experience, they sound similar to floorstander Speakers rather than IEMs or bookshelfs.
- Overall, I think it is an amazing IEM for comfort, price/performance ratio, if you're looking for really good lush, thick, impactful, wide-sounding really thick and lush, smooth and detailed IEM. Very configurable sound though. Excellent with EDM, Dubstep, Electronic, Pop, Classical and Avant-Garde.

George-- wait till you here the Z after at least 100 hours of burn in. its even more WOW> and upgrade your cable to an Effect Audio Ares II or similar and it hits the sound out of the park! not only TOTL but a new reference in the SQ of iems..
not that i dont have some issues with them, but they scale up well with better DAPs and balanced out. they love more power also...amping them helps relialize their full potential, but should be clean class A amp.
My only rival for these is the Oriolus MK2 which i find a bit more analogue sounding and hypnotizing, but are 3x the price....keep posting please as you burn em in...as good as they sound out of the box they are a MONSTER after burn in..

 

[Dobrescu George]

George-- wait till you here the Z after at least 100 hours of burn in. its even more WOW> and upgrade your cable to an Effect Audio Ares II or similar and it hits the sound out of the park! not only TOTL but a new reference in the SQ of iems..
not that i dont have some issues with them, but they scale up well with better DAPs and balanced out. they love more power also...amping them helps relialize their full potential, but should be clean class A amp.
My only rival for these is the Oriolus MK2 which i find a bit more analogue sounding and hypnotizing, but are 3x the price....keep posting please as you burn em in...as good as they sound out of the box they are a MONSTER after burn in..

I think they have a totally unique magic indeed! Especially if you like an analogue, warm and lush sound

I was using Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ for those impressions, very neutral source with good dynamics and lots of power

 

[drbluenewmexico]

Thats certainly a great DAC for them to shine! and Yes, analogue warm and lush sound is where they are headed. the Beryllium gives them a slight metallic edge
but that burns off eventually. i get lost in the music with them listening to AJJA or Master Margherita or Buddy Guy, etc and start dreaming.....im running mine
out of a Calyx M which has a super powerful and clean output and even runs well with my main system of Maglapanars through Microzotl Z as preamp and Krell ampq
Enjoy!!

 

[Remiam7]

Okay, time for my first impressions of R1 Zenith. Don't rely on this for making a purchase, but keep them as references for what to expect out of them out-of-the-box.

No Burn-In was done before this, I think the sound will improve it with some burn-in

- Build Quality is much better than the original R1. The Zenith looks so precisely machined and so beautiful, your eyes will water when gazing upon it
- Really excellent comfort all around.
- TWO CABLES IN THE PACKAGE!!
- So it comes with a balanced cable as well, awesome
- MAN the comfort on this is amazing. I had average to good comfort with the original R1, but with Zenith I'm getting excellent all-around comfort. Some minor driver flex, but minor. Very different from most IEMs I know of, it is like a weird, different kind of driver flex. Not an issue, the driver goes to normal, doesn't flex all the way, regardless whether the chamber is fully open or fully closed, so I won't be saying it is an issue, good ventilation.
- From the driver flex and the overall sound, you can easily tell that the dynamic driver inside is larger than most IEMs, and it is, at 14.2mm being one of the largest drivers in an IEM .
- The black filters thingies are well put on and I find it slightly hard to remove them, so I'll be using them for this short first impressions.
- Very easy to drive, extremely easy. Can be driven from literally anything. Little bit of hiss, but very very low
- Oh Oh Oh. The reproduction of classical instruments is so freaking amazing!
- Okay, so the overall sound is a bit strange with the combo it comes with by default. I can say it sounds very different from most IEMs I tested to date. The combo of the open back and the large driver surely has a unique tuning to it.
- Lush, warm, deep, thick sound. The bass surely reaches lower than most IEMs, but until you hear R1 Zenith, you're not really aware that any IEM can do this, just after hearing it, you kind of see what I mean. Unusual levels of depth to the bass. Kinda like E5000 levels of bass.
- But R1 Zenith is not a one-trick-pony, it actually has a lot going on for its sound. This is weird, but I am finding their sound to be best with my classical collection (or rather Avant Garde, like Tiger lillies).
- I'll probably be comparing R1 Zenith more with E5000 from Final because both have something in common with the bass and the overall thickness, but R1 Zenith is much more versatile and universal, and compared to E5000, R1 Zenith sounds best at low and medium listening levels, E5000 sounded good really loud.
- For metal, the bass quantity is a bit high. Treble is ends too early, upper midrange is too recessed, and textures in the midrange are a touch too smooth.
- Works excellent with Rap
- Vocals are forward, but only the vocals, the mid-mid has an emphasis. Upper midrange is recessed compared to the main midrange body. Same for lower treble, then a bump, and then the high treble seems to recess again. At least using metal and rock. For pop and EDM, the treble seems to fit like a glove to be both exciting, but also not harsh nor fatiguing.
- Bass has a LOT of texture. Lots of details in the midrange, but textures are smooth in the mids. Treble is smooth all-around.
- Wouldn't be my first choice with Metal or Rock. Really not made for those with the default filters. No Metal, No Rock, No Post-Hardcore, no Punk, Really not for those generas. I am not joking, it really isn't made for it.
- EDM and Electronic / Dubstep sounds really awesome with them. Delta Heavy sounds soooo good on R1 Zenith. I'm not sure if I heard many IEMs that do EDM and Dubstep this well in this price range to be honest.
- POP Music sounds lovely actually, the strong bass and lush sound , combined with the good detail in the midrange, large stage, and midrange forwardness makes up for an excellent pop experience, and the smoother top end makes up for a rather fatigue-free experience. Most pop is mastered poorly in the treble and R1 Zenth surely makes most pop sound large, impactful and sweet.
- No weird resonances and no distortions, happy with that
- Really wide soundstage. Good depth as well.
- Compared to my overall experience, they sound similar to floorstander Speakers rather than IEMs or bookshelfs.
- Overall, I think it is an amazing IEM for comfort, price/performance ratio, if you're looking for really good lush, thick, impactful, wide-sounding really thick and lush, smooth and detailed IEM. Very configurable sound though. Excellent with EDM, Dubstep, Electronic, Pop, Classical and Avant-Garde.

Okay, time for my first impressions of R1 Zenith. Don't rely on this for making a purchase, but keep them as references for what to expect out of them out-of-the-box.

No Burn-In was done before this, I think the sound will improve it with some burn-in

- Build Quality is much better than the original R1. The Zenith looks so precisely machined and so beautiful, your eyes will water when gazing upon it
- Really excellent comfort all around.
- TWO CABLES IN THE PACKAGE!!
- So it comes with a balanced cable as well, awesome
- MAN the comfort on this is amazing. I had average to good comfort with the original R1, but with Zenith I'm getting excellent all-around comfort. Some minor driver flex, but minor. Very different from most IEMs I know of, it is like a weird, different kind of driver flex. Not an issue, the driver goes to normal, doesn't flex all the way, regardless whether the chamber is fully open or fully closed, so I won't be saying it is an issue, good ventilation.
- From the driver flex and the overall sound, you can easily tell that the dynamic driver inside is larger than most IEMs, and it is, at 14.2mm being one of the largest drivers in an IEM .
- The black filters thingies are well put on and I find it slightly hard to remove them, so I'll be using them for this short first impressions.
- Very easy to drive, extremely easy. Can be driven from literally anything. Little bit of hiss, but very very low
- Oh Oh Oh. The reproduction of classical instruments is so freaking amazing!
- Okay, so the overall sound is a bit strange with the combo it comes with by default. I can say it sounds very different from most IEMs I tested to date. The combo of the open back and the large driver surely has a unique tuning to it.
- Lush, warm, deep, thick sound. The bass surely reaches lower than most IEMs, but until you hear R1 Zenith, you're not really aware that any IEM can do this, just after hearing it, you kind of see what I mean. Unusual levels of depth to the bass. Kinda like E5000 levels of bass.
- But R1 Zenith is not a one-trick-pony, it actually has a lot going on for its sound. This is weird, but I am finding their sound to be best with my classical collection (or rather Avant Garde, like Tiger lillies).
- I'll probably be comparing R1 Zenith more with E5000 from Final because both have something in common with the bass and the overall thickness, but R1 Zenith is much more versatile and universal, and compared to E5000, R1 Zenith sounds best at low and medium listening levels, E5000 sounded good really loud.
- For metal, the bass quantity is a bit high. Treble is ends too early, upper midrange is too recessed, and textures in the midrange are a touch too smooth.
- Works excellent with Rap
- Vocals are forward, but only the vocals, the mid-mid has an emphasis. Upper midrange is recessed compared to the main midrange body. Same for lower treble, then a bump, and then the high treble seems to recess again. At least using metal and rock. For pop and EDM, the treble seems to fit like a glove to be both exciting, but also not harsh nor fatiguing.
- Bass has a LOT of texture. Lots of details in the midrange, but textures are smooth in the mids. Treble is smooth all-around.
- Wouldn't be my first choice with Metal or Rock. Really not made for those with the default filters. No Metal, No Rock, No Post-Hardcore, no Punk, Really not for those generas. I am not joking, it really isn't made for it.
- EDM and Electronic / Dubstep sounds really awesome with them. Delta Heavy sounds soooo good on R1 Zenith. I'm not sure if I heard many IEMs that do EDM and Dubstep this well in this price range to be honest.
- POP Music sounds lovely actually, the strong bass and lush sound , combined with the good detail in the midrange, large stage, and midrange forwardness makes up for an excellent pop experience, and the smoother top end makes up for a rather fatigue-free experience. Most pop is mastered poorly in the treble and R1 Zenth surely makes most pop sound large, impactful and sweet.
- No weird resonances and no distortions, happy with that
- Really wide soundstage. Good depth as well.
- Compared to my overall experience, they sound similar to floorstander Speakers rather than IEMs or bookshelfs.
- Overall, I think it is an amazing IEM for comfort, price/performance ratio, if you're looking for really good lush, thick, impactful, wide-sounding really thick and lush, smooth and detailed IEM. Very configurable sound though. Excellent with EDM, Dubstep, Electronic, Pop, Classical and Avant-Garde.

Interesting and informative initial review. Look forward to what filter you prefer for Rock and Metal. Presently using Blue in balanced mode with Pono Player.