[nc8000]

And in the end that is really all that matters, to buy what sounds best to our own ears, not what sounds best to other peoples ears

 

[kiteki]

 
Yes that's true nc8000.
 
We also have to inform the world that their ears are wrong, though, like the Monster Studios.
 
 
nc8000 I saw a lot of portable amps in your profile, will you be trying the Epiphany Acoustics EHP-O2?
 

 

[kiteki]

 
Must see Z1000 review here, compared to the (more expensive) Beats by Dr.Dre Pro's - http://m.insing.com/shopping/feature/head-music/id-85103f00?page=3
 
 

 

[Habib]

My thoughts exactly. Minus the part about ES10. Given my past experience with ATH, I am fairly certain Z1000 run laps around ES10 [speculation].
 
Quote:

Well, they are pretty, though they do scratch easily enough It's not that they are not good cans, they have a high quality fun sound, it's just that the Sony's better them in most respects. I truly am enjoying the Z1000 for now, and I haven't listened to any other cans since I got them.
I have yet to try the Ed. 8, but as far as closed portable cans (or closed cans period) go, this might very well be it for me.

 

 

[Zaroff]

Quote:

My thoughts exactly. Minus the part about ES10. Given my past experience with ATH, I am fairly certain Z1000 run laps around ES10 [speculation].
 


 

Ummm, wasn't that what I was saying?
After comparing the three of them (that is, ESW10jpn, ES10, and the Z1000) my opinion is that the Sony are better, and in some ways, much better. Plus, comfort-wise, they're unbeatable. I'm wearing those things for hours on end everyday and have yet to feel any discomfort with them.
I think the Z1000 don't get the love they deserve on head-fi, as they are truly amazing cans IMO.
 

 

[librarian]

Z1000 are for sure more detailed and neutral - IMO also more natural - sounding than ES10, Where ES10 has the best bass punch. Z1000 is bright in comparison. Or the ES10 is veiled. I'd say Z1000 for grown ups, ES10 for young fun-loving bassheads. Z1000 are polite, ES10 are very forward. Both are good headphones. I used to have ES10, now I have Z1000 (but I'm not bored at all).
 

 

[kiteki]

 
Oh, I guess the ES10 sounds nothing like the A2000X then.
 

 

[astroid]

Yep the Z1000 is overlooked, its a very flexible, great at home and on the move.

Spare pads are very pricey though, £55 uk!

 

[Zaroff]

No question that the ES10 are basshead's cans. I really enjoyed them overall, but they simply don't sustain the comparison with the Z1000. While the Z1000 are indeed less bassy (maybe not, in fact they do lack the in-your-face PRaT the ES10 have, but they do go lower in the bass, and they have better bass texture and definition IMO), they are way better balanced than ES10. I just tried to put the ES10 on again, for comparison's sake, and the first word that came to mind was "congested". The same, to a lesser extent with the ESW10. If you love details, the Z1000 are tough to match as far as closed cans go, or so I feel (for humanly accessible and available cans, that is. I never heard the R10, for instance).
 
I don't have the D5000 anymore (I used to have them for a few years), but if memory serves, the Z1000 also better them overall. That said, I think Z1000 are more suitable for acoustic/orchestral than they are for rock/metal. For such things they do lack just a tad of dynamic and fun that the genres usually require.
 
Just my $0.02 however...

 

[librarian]

Quote:

No question that the ES10 are basshead's cans. I really enjoyed them overall, but they simply don't sustain the comparison with the Z1000. While the Z1000 are indeed less bassy (maybe not, in fact they do lack the in-your-face PRaT the ES10 have, but they do go lower in the bass, and they have better bass texture and definition IMO), they are way better balanced than ES10. I just tried to put the ES10 on again, for comparison's sake, and the first word that came to mind was "congested". The same, to a lesser extent with the ESW10. If you love details, the Z1000 are tough to match as far as closed cans go, or so I feel (for humanly accessible and available cans, that is. I never heard the R10, for instance).
 
I don't have the D5000 anymore (I used to have them for a few years), but if memory serves, the Z1000 also better them overall. That said, I think Z1000 are more suitable for acoustic/orchestral than they are for rock/metal. For such things they do lack just a tad of dynamic and fun that the genres usually require.
 
Just my $0.02 however...

I agree that Z1000 are not lacking bass. And that it is very well balanced. And that it's hard to beat in it's price range for easy-to-drive closed cans. But detail retrieval doesn't match the best. My ER4S, which is a benchmark in this regard, beats them hands down. Compared to beyerdynamic DT770/600 (600 ohm version properly amped, important!) they also fall a little short on detail (+ they fall short of almost everything else in that comparison). The Z1000 are very good at details, and it might be the best in it's category; closed portable circumaural easy-to-drive

 
 
 
 

 

[Amarphael]

Did you try them amped? How good do they scale?
 
Regarding the DT770, I had the 250 premiums in the past with a nice rig (Stello DA100>WA6). I was left quite dissapointed by their performance, They were somewhat lacking in dynamic range and with a peaky, annoying treble response. I'd take the Sony's from a DAP any time.

 

[librarian]

I don't think Z1000 scales very well with amping. But the source is important. It is very unforgiving to a bad source or bad material. I like them best driven by Isabellina HPA, which is a very good dac with a decent headphone amp. Second I like them with HM-602 for portability. They are actually very good with Fostex HP-P1, but that's a different sound from the others and some would propably like the fostex best. All three pieces of equipment are good sources and decent amps. The more powerful amps, I own - like iQube, Lisa III, EF5  - doesn't really make a difference. Most important thing when pairing Z1000 with an amp is IMO, that it doesn't hiss. Z1000 are very sensitive and they don't need much power.
 
DT770 premium...hm. If it's a pro version it's a different beast and can't compare with DT770 Manufaktur/Consumer 600 ohm. Only downside with that headphone is that it needs too much power for most portable setups to sound really good. DT770/600 is a very special headphone. Highly underrated, some say...

 

[Zaroff]

Quote:

It is very unforgiving to a bad source or bad material.

X2. I found myself going "ouch" on tracks I know rather well, that I thought was reasonably well recorded/mastered. Z1000 act like a magnifying glass for any bad/low average material. Which may or may not be a good thing for some.

 

[leeperry]

 

DT770 premium...hm. If it's a pro version it's a different beast and can't compare with DT770 Manufaktur/Consumer 600 ohm. Only downside with that headphone is that it needs too much power for most portable setups to sound really good. DT770/600 is a very special headphone. Highly underrated, some say...

 
Its headstage is ridiculous IME, even though it does improve w/ the thicker Manufaktur genuine leather earpads. And it makes every tiny little defect explode to your ears, it's really a mastering grade phone....hard to enjoy music with, much like the MDR-CD900ST I briefly owned: its 3D SS was very impressive(even more so than the HFI-780) but the deep bass was a dull one note stand(due to the 40mm drivers?) and the mids were really really too thin. It was the NS10M of headphones to my ears: utterly ugly mids to make you hear a worst case scenario of your mix for critical listening. And it was crushing my ears like hell, this thing was designed for kids and ppl w/ very small heads =/
 

X2. I found myself going "ouch" on tracks I know rather well, that I thought was reasonably well recorded/mastered. Z1000 act like a magnifying glass for any bad/low average material. Which may or may not be a good thing for some.

 
Oh, well that's the same problem w/ very high end DAC's....HD audio and great masterings sound great, sub-par material and vinyl rips are literally unlistenable.

 

[Habib]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaroff /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I don't have the D5000 anymore (I used to have them for a few years), but if memory serves, the Z1000 also better them overall.

I wouldn't go as far as Z1000 > D5000. But I definite prefer the Z1000 over D5000.
Z1000 is overall neutral and balanced but slightly warm.
And its unique combination of comfort, light weight, robust, and amp-less, make it a compelling choice for those who can't handle IEM and doesn't want a portable amp.
 
I don't find Z1000 to be particularly amazing at detail retrieval.
Using Z1000 my ear stopped noticing difference at 320 kbps.
Using ED9, I can hear all the way up to 24/96.