[cj3209]

Enjoying my IERs at work via my SP1000KCu connected to my XI Audio Broadway. Actually hard to do work...lol...
Qobuz offline works better now...

 

[shrekito]

The music separation I hear with Z1R/1Z walkman is just truly amazing!

I just want to leave everything, go home, lock the doors and enjoy the music.

All I need now is some kind of adapter to connect it with unbalanced and see if it hilds up the same way.

I’m surprised Sony includes 2 different cables, instead of an adapter to use with single ended connection.

You should never convert a balanced output to single-ended - you may cause a short and possibly damage your amplifier.

 

[nc8000]

You should never convert a balanced output to single-ended - you may cause a short and possibly damage your amplifier.

No but you can convert a balanced headphone to single ended which is what I guess he want

 

[gerelmx1986]

The music separation I hear with Z1R/1Z walkman is just truly amazing!

I just want to leave everything, go home, lock the doors and enjoy the music.

All I need now is some kind of adapter to connect it with unbalanced and see if it hilds up the same way.

I’m surprised Sony includes 2 different cables, instead of an adapter to use with single ended connection.

 

[Currawong]

I should probably qualify that I think that the MDR-Z1R were primarily a failure in being an MDR-R10 successor and worthy of being a true flagship. Mind you, I had hoped that the HD800 might have been "the one" to de-throne the R10, but the tuning was wrong to do that. That's a whole other discussion though.

Something I missed in my review: The bass mellowed considerably after a few hours of use. Since I have switching between headphones and IEMs a lot, I wasn't sure it wasn't a result of that, but when the owner received them back he noticed it. Normally I try and spend quite a bit longer with anything I review so I can catch and check these things more carefully, but I couldn't in this case.

 

[candlejack]

Something I missed in my review: The bass mellowed considerably after a few hours of use.

What does mellow mean exactly?

 

[phonomat]

Both MDR and IER’s have a very different sound to me. IER has more of that intense and clear sound. MDR has more of that relax and clear sound.

I agree on "intense" vs. "relaxed", but don't find the MDR clear, rather a bit veiled, dark/dull and somewhat uninvolving, while I immensely enjoy the IER. They really couldn't be any more different, the so-called "house sound" is just a figment of the imagination. Personal preference will if course play a huge part on how much you will like one over the other. Positively put, they complement each other nicely.

 

[Sp12er3]

I do think some form of a house sound still exist it's just differently implemented between the IEM and
Headphone line.

I know for a fact the Headphone has some sort of guide, i've heard all XB1000, MA900, Z7 and Z1R they are all is not too far of a throw into the same pond (strictly in tuning only) with the MA being the most different (as its open obviously) not being able to reach as low as the other 70mm are.

Sony's hybrid IEM tho, i havent heard the IER, but based on what i do hear from A1, A3 and Z5 it isnt that different either, the Z7 is way more relaxed than the sony IEMs thats for sure, but tuning wise they're on the same ballpark.
Heck even the WF1000xM3 (in stock) is tuned quite similarly to my A3, and they're like 5 years apart.

Sony's more consistent at it than most other manufacturer I even start to think. Because whenever i hear one sony headphone, even on an entry level $30-50 wired/ wireless pair you can find a demo of in many electronic store they always "sounds like a Sony" to me.

 

[Sp12er3]

I should probably qualify that I think that the MDR-Z1R were primarily a failure in being an MDR-R10 successor and worthy of being a true flagship. Mind you, I had hoped that the HD800 might have been "the one" to de-throne the R10, but the tuning was wrong to do that. That's a whole other discussion though.

Something I missed in my review: The bass mellowed considerably after a few hours of use. Since I have switching between headphones and IEMs a lot, I wasn't sure it wasn't a result of that, but when the owner received them back he noticed it. Normally I try and spend quite a bit longer with anything I review so I can catch and check these things more carefully, but I couldn't in this case.

What does exactly being a "MDR-R10 successor" exactly entails tho? I think each of Sony's flagship over ear has their own target/ line of product to "lead". The R10 was kind of in its lonesome, Sony's name in headphone still in its infancy, tho smack bang in the mids of the golden age of Walkmans, the Q010 was part of the Qualia line of products, while the MDR Z1R came with their own accompaniment of Signature products.

Each with their own place in time and their own (very different) tuning. In a way i think of them like a different Sony, each a product of a brand that change to suit into the time period they were in.
But thats just my opinon of the whole thing.

I do remember you saying the Meze Empyrean to be the proper "R10 successor". What qualities that it have that the Z1R lacks? Is it in its tuning only? Or maybe the reception it gets from the community? Its exclusivity due to limited quantity? Im just asking as i never heard either the R10 nor the Empyrean, so it make me curious, what does they have that even the ubiquitous HD800 cant reach?

 

[nc8000]

What does exactly being a "MDR-R10 successor" exactly entails tho? I think each of Sony's flagship over ear has their own target/ line of product to "lead". The R10 was kind of in its lonesome, Sony's name in headphone still in its infancy, tho smack bang in the mids of the golden age of Walkmans, the Q010 was part of the Qualia line of products, while the MDR Z1R came with their own accompaniment of Signature products.

Each with their own place in time and their own (very different) tuning. In a way i think of them like a different Sony, each a product of a brand that change to suit into the time period they were in.
But thats just my opinon of the whole thing.

I do remember you saying the Meze Empyrean to be the proper "R10 successor". What qualities that it have that the Z1R lacks? Is it in its tuning only? Or maybe the reception it gets from the community? Its exclusivity due to limited quantity? Im just asking as i never heard either the R10 nor the Empyrean, so it make me curious, what does they have that even the ubiquitous HD800 cant reach?

The Q10 could not be considered a R10 successor as it was an open phone. In the day of the R10 there were 2 exclusive closed flagship phones, the R10 and the Audio Technica L3000. I was never impressed with the R10 but loved and owned 2 L3000, one stock single ended and one recabled and terminated to balanced and loved them but sold them as their price on the second hand market went through the roof and I needed the cash. It’s been more than 10 years since I heard the R10 or L3000 so memory is flaky but I would say the MDR-Z1R is probably more of a L3000 successor than a R10 successor

 

[Sp12er3]

The Q10 could not be considered a R10 successor as it was an open phone. In the day of the R10 there were 2 exclusive closed flagship phones, the R10 and the Audio Technica L3000. I was never impressed with the R10 but loved and owned 2 L3000, one stock single ended and one recabled and terminated to balanced and loved them but sold them as their price on the second hand market went through the roof and I needed the cash. It’s been more than 10 years since I heard the R10 or L3000 so memory is flaky but I would say the MDR-Z1R is probably more of a L3000 successor than a R10 successor

Funny, as the reviews i've heard of the new L5000 is quite different from what i've heard of the Z1R. More on the line of the AP2000 and A2000z. Audio Technica likes to bounce around with their tuning too eh?

 

[nc8000]

Funny, as the reviews i've heard of the new L5000 is quite different from what i've heard of the Z1R. More on the line of the AP2000 and A2000z. Audio Technica likes to bounce around with their tuning too eh?

The L3000 was completely different from any other top end headphone Audio Technica released around and after it but I have probably not heard an Audio Technica top end phone for many years so don’t know what they sound like these days as they are not being sold in Denmark as far as I know so hard to get to listen to

 

[Sp12er3]

Ah yes, as they're made to be in limited quantity, those L5000s. Damn expensive and completely clad in light brown leather

On exterior only, definitely an omage to the 3000.

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

[DONTGIVEUP]

Swapping out cables between balanced and unbalanced will probably wear out the connection between the cable and earphone.

As gerelmx1986 has shown in the picture, one of those would serve me good. TY g1986.

You should never convert a balanced output to single-ended - you may cause a short and possibly damage your amplifier.