[TimeLord]

hiholto First off, welcome to the SE846! I agree with you that the bass in the 846 is quite remarkable. They're coming up on 4 years since their release and in the bass department they're stilling besting most IEMs (like Campfire, Westone, etc.) near their price point. Could they improve in the treble region? Absolutely. That's their weakness.

I also agree with you that the bass in the 846 is better composed than a lot of full-sized cans. As for the Z1R, I went and demoed it with the hopes of using it on the road as a complement to the 846 since I don't always want to listen to IEMs on the road. I use an Audeze EL-8 Titanium right now for that function.

I tried the Z1R with Sony's representatives and used a Sony PHA-3 to drive it using the balanced 3.5mm output. It was quite the disappointment. I took notes of my listening session for future reference and I found the detail retrieval to be lacking when there were a lot elements present. Sibilance was present throughout female vocals. Treble was way over emphasized. And I noted that the bass didn't plunge as deep as it should. In other words, it didn't have extension.

All that said, I have been talking to a few Z1R aficionados and they suggested hearing it on better upstream gear (desktop setup). Which I'm going to give it another try, but that also means it is no longer in the running for on-the-road usage. Very disappointing for a closed-back can.

As it stands today, I'll take the SE846 over the Z1R all day and twice on Sundays.

 

[Imperfectionist]

The bass of the Shure SE846 with the black filter on the Chord Mojo was great in comparison Z1R. The biggest difference was the treble extension and bigger soundstage when both are on the Chord Mojo. On the other hand the Shure SE846 has more neutral mids as the Z1R has a dip in the mid region.

On the Chord Dave the Z1R pulls away though but my only interest was for portable use which is why I was comparing them on the Mojo.

I myself paired the z1r and 846 with the idsd bl and found the 846 bass to be muddy and sub bass to be lacking. The bass level on the 846 is muddy and doesnt extends as deep as the z1r.

The forward mids also kills it for me on the 846.

hiholto First off, welcome to the SE846! I agree with you that the bass in the 846 is quite remarkable. They're coming up on 4 years since their release and in the bass department they're stilling besting most IEMs (like Campfire, Westone, etc.) near their price point. Could they improve in the treble region? Absolutely. That's their weakness.

I also agree with you that the bass in the 846 is better composed than a lot of full-sized cans. As for the Z1R, I went and demoed it with the hopes of using it on the road as a complement to the 846 since I don't always want to listen to IEMs on the road. I use an Audeze EL-8 Titanium right now for that function.

I tried the Z1R with Sony's representatives and used a Sony PHA-3 to drive it using the balanced 3.5mm output. It was quite the disappointment. I took notes of my listening session for future reference and I found the detail retrieval to be lacking when there were a lot elements present. Sibilance was present throughout female vocals. Treble was way over emphasized. And I noted that the bass didn't plunge as deep as it should. In other words, it didn't have extension.

All that said, I have been talking to a few Z1R aficionados and they suggested hearing it on better upstream gear (desktop setup). Which I'm going to give it another try, but that also means it is no longer in the running for on-the-road usage. Very disappointing for a closed-back can.

As it stands today, I'll take the SE846 over the Z1R all day and twice on Sundays.

I am not sure if you auditioned the z1r under noisy environment, because that is certainly not what i have been experiencing (and many others) since day 1.

The sub bass certainly could be heard and felt certainly be it music or videos. i used ghost in the shell Arise track by Cornelius and Dr Chesky head phone test for bass and found the bass satisfying.
For movies, especially sci fi type with space, the sub bass adds to the atmosphere.
Also, no one in their right mind would be parading their z1r on the road least that it gets damaged or stolen or robbed at gun point. Not to mention that its also quite similar to princess leia hairstyle, unless one is trying to make some sort of a statement.

 

[Roen]

I myself paired the z1r and 846 with the idsd bl and found the 846 bass to be muddy and sub bass to be lacking. The bass level on the 846 is muddy and doesnt extends as deep as the z1r.

The forward mids also kills it for me on the 846.
I am not sure if you auditioned the z1r under noisy environment, because that is certainly not what i have been experiencing (and many others) since day 1.

The sub bass certainly could be heard and felt certainly be it music or videos. i used ghost in the shell Arise track by Cornelius and Dr Chesky head phone test for bass and found the bass satisfying.
For movies, especially sci fi type with space, the sub bass adds to the atmosphere.
Also, no one in their right mind would be parading their z1r on the road least that it gets damaged or stolen or robbed at gun point. Not to mention that its also quite similar to princess leia hairstyle, unless one is trying to make some sort of a statement.

What if said person has money to burn and doesn't mind the risk of using a Z1R on the road?

We don't all have the same budget constraints.

 

[twice tzuyu]

I am considering getting a pair of UE Reference Remastered and will see how they compare with my 846s especially in the soundstage and high frequencies. Upon hearing the universal demos of the UERR I immediately knew what the 846 was lacking. 

 

[Imperfectionist]

What if said person has money to burn and doesn't mind the risk of using a Z1R on the road?

We don't all have the same budget constraints.

As i have put it above, someone has a serious statement​ to make then, fashion or money wise.
Searching for a good pair of headphones with the sound signature that one likes, isn't really easy and if one likes the sound signature, they would take care of it, some even used leather care products on them.

 

[beowulf]

I myself paired the z1r and 846 with the idsd bl and found the 846 bass to be muddy and sub bass to be lacking. The bass level on the 846 is muddy and doesnt extends as deep as the z1r.
The forward mids also kills it for me on the 846.
 

 
This describes the 846 bass for me. It's something I would be able to live with, however, but adding the treble veil and the comically stiff ear guides they became impossible to keep.
Somehow I liked the 846 tho, despite that bass/treble/ergonomic details they can still be fun and I have to admit I find the clear shell showing the drivers to be pretty cool. Very decent accessories tho.
 
Tried real hard to convince myself to keep them (I guess that's why I still keep an eye on this thread) but ultimately couldn't justify being just partially pleased and paying that much. Would love to see Shure come out with a successor, a BA-only that can match the Andromeda (which lacks the 846s weaknesses without bringing any new ones except perhaps being more picky with noisy (and high output impedance) sources.

 

[Bastianpp]

I really dont want a more extend bass than my shure se846.
But for me the bass on shure is perfect, i like so much the bass on the shure b.a

 

[TimeLord]

As i have put it above, someone has a serious statement​ to make then, fashion or money wise.
Searching for a good pair of headphones with the sound signature that one likes, isn't really easy and if one likes the sound signature, they would take care of it, some even used leather care products on them.

One needs not try to make a statement just because they might take a high priced product out of the house. I wouldn't hesitate to take a Z1R on the road. On the road usage isn't limited to parading down the street looking like a galactic princess.

I fly a lot. Most of my "road" listening occurs on planes. I always fly with my road kit which is an SE846 with custom cables, Chord Mojo for DAC, and Sony PHA-3 as an amp. When the mood strikes me, add an Audeze EL-8 Titanium or if I'm going on an extended trip, an LCD-X.

By the way, if you want to talk about great bass with depth and quantity, the LCD-X or the LCD-4 is where you want to look.

 

[Imperfectionist]

This describes the 846 bass for me. It's something I would be able to live with, however, but adding the treble veil and the comically stiff ear guides they became impossible to keep.
Somehow I liked the 846 tho, despite that bass/treble/ergonomic details they can still be fun and I have to admit I find the clear shell showing the drivers to be pretty cool. Very decent accessories tho.

Tried real hard to convince myself to keep them (I guess that's why I still keep an eye on this thread) but ultimately couldn't justify being just partially pleased and paying that much. Would love to see Shure come out with a successor, a BA-only that can match the Andromeda (which lacks the 846s weaknesses without bringing any new ones except perhaps being more picky with noisy (and high output impedance) sources.

Same sentiments. 846 does look nice in the clear version. But its now kept in its own hardcase and neglected for mine. The bass with forward mids combo really makes me hard to listen to them long enough.

One needs not try to make a statement just because they might take a high priced product out of the house. I wouldn't hesitate to take a Z1R on the road. On the road usage isn't limited to parading down the street looking like a galactic princess.

I fly a lot. Most of my "road" listening occurs on planes. I always fly with my road kit which is an SE846 with custom cables, Chord Mojo for DAC, and Sony PHA-3 as an amp. When the mood strikes me, add an Audeze EL-8 Titanium or if I'm going on an extended trip, an LCD-X.

By the way, if you want to talk about great bass with depth and quantity, the LCD-X or the LCD-4 is where you want to look.

With your suggestion, i might just audition them. But i am looking for more than just sound... I'm looking for workmanship also, which i am really happy with my 2707 set and its aesthetically pleasing to my eyes. Perhaps, z1r is my golden ratio. So to speak.

 

[Mr-Nice]

Greetings
 
I noticed I have channel imbalance with stock cable, does anyone else notice this with their 846? The imbalance with stock cable is really bad on my 846.
 
I changed to another 3rd party cable and channel imbalance is gone, but this cable its connector sometimes cuts out on the left side. If I use the cable marked as left to be used on the right earpiece and right side of the cable put on the left ear piece of the 846 there is no cut outs. Does it matter sound wise if I switch the cable like this so left become right and vice versa
 
I really need a solid alternative cable for my 846, please suggest one that is known to work great with 846 something that does not cause sound cut outs and improves 846 .
 
I apprciate your help on the above points
 
Cheers

 

[cellarbro]

Just wanted to see if anyone else experiences this. When putting the 846 in your ear, do you hear a noise being made by the IEM. I feel like its the nozzle being pushed against the housing of some kind like a small creaking sound. I inspected it and it doesn't seem to be any kind of damage but both sides do this when pushing on metal nozzles inward and when inserting into the ear. Maybe it is some kind of mechanism to alleviate the tension of pushing on the nozzle?
 
Anyone else get this? It happens for both sides of my SE846. Just wondering if this is normal.

 

[ubs28]

I myself paired the z1r and 846 with the idsd bl and found the 846 bass to be muddy and sub bass to be lacking. The bass level on the 846 is muddy and doesnt extends as deep as the z1r.

The forward mids also kills it for me on the 846.
I am not sure if you auditioned the z1r under noisy environment, because that is certainly not what i have been experiencing (and many others) since day 1.

The sub bass certainly could be heard and felt certainly be it music or videos. i used ghost in the shell Arise track by Cornelius and Dr Chesky head phone test for bass and found the bass satisfying.
For movies, especially sci fi type with space, the sub bass adds to the atmosphere.
Also, no one in their right mind would be parading their z1r on the road least that it gets damaged or stolen or robbed at gun point. Not to mention that its also quite similar to princess leia hairstyle, unless one is trying to make some sort of a statement.

You can even look at the measurements that the Shure SE846 has got excellent sub bass extension. You probably have a poor seal if you think the Shure SE846 lacks sub bass extension.
 
The Shure SE846 might sound like it has forward mids because the Z1R has recessed mids. The Z1R is a V-shaped headphone.

 

[Lakers1]

Tried these once they were so heavy

 

[Quadfather]

Love Shure's house sound.

 

[joshnor713]

Just wanted to see if anyone else experiences this. When putting the 846 in your ear, do you hear a noise being made by the IEM. I feel like its the nozzle being pushed against the housing of some kind like a small creaking sound. I inspected it and it doesn't seem to be any kind of damage but both sides do this when pushing on metal nozzles inward and when inserting into the ear. Maybe it is some kind of mechanism to alleviate the tension of pushing on the nozzle?

Anyone else get this? It happens for both sides of my SE846. Just wondering if this is normal.

I've always heard this (have had the se846 for about 2 years). Never had anything break, so I guess it's fine.