[kadinh]

Orphy probably kicks things up a notch…

actually, i was thinking about selling a kidney to get one and selling all of my audio gear so i can listen to the CRA with the Orpheus cable using my Panasonic MP3 player i kept from the early 2000s. Pure bliss

 

[gLer]

I'm looking for something that is musical and a good compliment to the Z1R, might be my new EDC

IE 900. Great complement to Z1R, some say matches it in SQ (not quite but close to my ears), and you can wear them all day as an EDC without knowing they're there.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

IE 900. Great complement to Z1R, some say matches it in SQ (not quite but close to my ears), and you can wear them all day as an EDC without knowing they're there.

IE900 and Z1R are too much alike to be complementary monitors. Also, the IE900 shells are very small. If you have big ears, they are not comfortable at all. It's like wearing loose pants without a belt.

 

[gLer]

IE900 and Z1R are too much alike to be complementary monitors. Also, the IE900 shells are very small. If you have big ears, they are not comfortable at all. It's like wearing loose pants without a belt.

For me complementary means they don't stray too far away from my preferred sound signature for my preferred music, yet are different enough to offer a slight variation on the same theme.

I get my variety from the music, and I want my IEMs to play my music consistently well, not differently. I know you and others enjoy wider variety in both music and sound signature, and that's cool, but just not for me.

As for size, I haven't been blessed with cavernous ears, and both IE 900 and Z1R fit like gloves (IE 900 more like mittens though!).

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

For me complementary means they don't stray too far away from my preferred sound signature for my preferred music, yet are different enough to offer a slight variation on the same theme.

I get my variety from the music, and I want my IEMs to play my music consistently well, not differently. I know you and others enjoy wider variety in both music and sound signature, and that's cool, but just not for me.

As for size, I haven't been blessed with cavernous ears, and both IE 900 and Z1R fit like gloves (IE 900 more like mittens though!).

I think most professional reviewers would classify the IE900 and Z1R as having similar, rather than complementary sound signatures. So, when you claim that they are complementary to you, that could be very misleading to most people.

 

[gLer]

I think most professional reviewers would classify the IE900 and Z1R as having similar, rather than complementary sound signatures. So, when you claim that they are complementary to you, that could be very misleading to most people.

Hmm, I wonder what qualifies someone to be a professional IEM reviewer? Is there a college degree for it? Is it based on compensation?

I'm being fecitious of course. But only a bit. It's all opinions, one way or another. Some people like ketchup with their chips, others like syrup. Not even the guys that make IEMs will give you a definitive answer to what's complementary to you.

 

[tgx78]

I would say complimentary just going by Z1R to stretch my concha cavum and ear canals then use the IE900 to restore them.

 

[tgx78]

So I got them in today. Here are some thoughts...

Sound is rather nice. I could do with a bit of attenuation in either the upper mids or lower treble though. Not sibilant or anything just a bit hotter than I would like. That's a personal preference thing and it may be worth looking into modding them with some foam or acoustic dampeners or something. Seems like the shell will be quite comfortable. And the cable... It's ok. But the earhooks are too tightly wound and pull the iem out of my ear with smaller tips. Also stupid qdc 2 pin connector. Going to make normal 2 pins stick out quite a lot. And it would feel real weird using a cable that costs 10x the amount of the iem...

For 15 bucks I have absolutely no complaints though.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...age-all-welcome.957426/page-635#post-16750189

EQ and some burn-in. I don't believe much in latter but it did smooth out after 30-50 hours.

Cable cost me 30x more than CRA but I love this combo. Unfortunate about the QDC connector thought.

 

[ponson]

I would say complimentary just going by Z1R to stretch my concha cavum and ear canals then use the IE900 to restore them.

Only the pure sound. Which one is better?

 

[tgx78]

Only the pure sound. Which one is better?

CCA CRA lol

 

[ponson]

CCA CRA lol

is?

 

[gLer]

I would say complimentary just going by Z1R to stretch my concha cavum and ear canals then use the IE900 to restore them.

Lol, sound profile is also not the only factor when talking complementary IEMs. Use case is another. When someone asks me what's a complementary IEM they can use as an EDC along with the Z1R, which they use less often, IE 900 is ideal for that role (especially if you enjoy their similar but not identical sound profile). To me that makes them very complementary indeed.

 

[Damz87]

FWIW, I don't consider IE900 and Z1R to be that similar. Their midranges are quite different with IE900 having a warmer tonality and more lower mid presence, and Z1R having more upper mids and clarity with less note weight thickness. The bass on IE900 is more linear between mid and sub bass, and the stage presentation is quite different too. IE900 has better cohesion and Z1R has more grandness in its imaging and separation.

But I'm no professional, so what do I know

 

[MatW]

I found the IE900 quite bright and sharp.. Go figure..

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

Hmm, I wonder what qualifies someone to be a professional IEM reviewer? Is there a college degree for it? Is it based on compensation?

I'm being fecitious of course. But only a bit. It's all opinions, one way or another. Some people like ketchup with their chips, others like syrup. Not even the guys that make IEMs will give you a definitive answer to what's complementary to you.

If you get paid for it, you are professional.