[candlejack]

IER-Z1r is phenomenal. It scales very well when paired with high-end electronics.

Totally agree, like the ZX300.

Absolutely ! It is very hard to drive, and deserve a good/powerful device.

The only reason your Z1R is hard to drive is because you didn't get the power steering option for it, you cheapskate!

 

[TSAVJason]

IER-Z1r is phenomenal. It scales very well when paired with high-end electronics.

it is good but for some it’s a bit too bulky in size

 

[supervisor]

everyone should listen to this on Z1R:

https://tidal.com/album/125296330

 

[DONTGIVEUP]

Ha ha

IER-Z1R sounds great on all walkmans esp 1A,1Z, ZX300.

Can’t say about ZX500 but in DMP-Z1 it’s overkill.

Absolutely ! It is very hard to drive, and deserve a good/powerful device. Matter of fact, I think it is made for the next Walkman or DMP Z1 LoL

 

[raybies]

Howdy.

Can somebody who owns both the MDR-Z1R and IER-Z1R tell how they differ and how they're similar?
I'm sure it's been covered somewhere in the 403 pages, but searching returns too many irrelevant posts.

Thanks

With a bit of imagination I can describe and illustrate the two for you.

The MDR-Z1R (MDR) is the Rock, Mustang Shelby GT500.
The IER-Z1R (IER) is J Lo, a Lexus LC.

Sound stage: The IER does not do wide airy sound stage, the MDR does.

Bass: The IER goes deep, but doesn't have the same body shaking muscle the MDR brings to the party. The MDR is like an SVS PB16 Ultra, whereas the IER is the SB-3000... they both sound great but you don't know what your missing until you try the 16" ().

Low mids: They're about the same, except the IER sound stage is much smaller.
Mids: Here is where the IER "starts" to shine w/ nice clear detail.
High mids: The IER extends the lead over the MDR, w/ effortless clear detail, whereas the MDR is just trying too hard and not getting the transients quite right.

Highs: They both do highs, but the IER just blends it in much better w/ the Mids.

NOW, you may be thinking I'm trying to say the IER's are bright, and the MDR's are dark... I am NOT. They're both fairly balanced, but they excel in different areas.
The sound stage in the MDR's can be magical like you're floating in an atmospheric space, in the IER there has been no magic.
The MDR's can shake your core, the IER's can't.
The IER's have a very delicate and perfectly accurate high end, the MDR's are an also ran on steroids.

You want accurate, then go w/ IER. You want to be blown away, go w/ the MDR.

If "I" could only keep one, it would the MDR.

 

[jmills8]

With a bit of imagination I can describe and illustrate the two for you.

The MDR-Z1R (MDR) is the Rock, Mustang Shelby GT500.
The IER-Z1R (IER) is J Lo, a Lexus LC.

Sound stage: The IER does not do wide airy sound stage, the MDR does.

Bass: The IER goes deep, but doesn't have the same body shaking muscle the MDR brings to the party. The MDR is like an SVS PB16 Ultra, whereas the IER is the SB-3000... they both sound great but you don't know what your missing until you try the 16" ().

Low mids: They're about the same, except the IER sound stage is much smaller.
Mids: Here is where the IER "starts" to shine w/ nice clear detail.
High mids: The IER extends the lead over the MDR, w/ effortless clear detail, whereas the MDR is just trying too hard and not getting the transients quite right.

Highs: They both do highs, but the IER just blends it in much better w/ the Mids.

NOW, you may be thinking I trying to say the IER's are bright, and the MDR's are dark... I am NOT. They're both fairly balanced, but they excel in different areas.
The sound stage in the MDR's can be magical like you're floating in an atmospheric space, in the IER there has been no magic.
The MDR's can shake your core, the IER's can't.
The IER's have a very delicate and perfectly accurate high end, the MDR's are an also ran on steroids.

You want accurate, then go w/ IER. You want to be blown away, go w/ the MDR.

If "I" could only keep one, it would the MDR.

Wrong.

 

[candlejack]

Wrong.

11,000 of the most useless posts on this forum, no doubt.

 

[phonomat]

With a bit of imagination I can describe and illustrate the two for you.

The MDR-Z1R (MDR) is the Rock, Mustang Shelby GT500.
The IER-Z1R (IER) is J Lo, a Lexus LC.

Sound stage: The IER does not do wide airy sound stage, the MDR does.

Bass: The IER goes deep, but doesn't have the same body shaking muscle the MDR brings to the party. The MDR is like an SVS PB16 Ultra, whereas the IER is the SB-3000... they both sound great but you don't know what your missing until you try the 16" ().

Low mids: They're about the same, except the IER sound stage is much smaller.
Mids: Here is where the IER "starts" to shine w/ nice clear detail.
High mids: The IER extends the lead over the MDR, w/ effortless clear detail, whereas the MDR is just trying too hard and not getting the transients quite right.

Highs: They both do highs, but the IER just blends it in much better w/ the Mids.

NOW, you may be thinking I'm trying to say the IER's are bright, and the MDR's are dark... I am NOT. They're both fairly balanced, but they excel in different areas.
The sound stage in the MDR's can be magical like you're floating in an atmospheric space, in the IER there has been no magic.
The MDR's can shake your core, the IER's can't.
The IER's have a very delicate and perfectly accurate high end, the MDR's are an also ran on steroids.

You want accurate, then go w/ IER. You want to be blown away, go w/ the MDR.

If "I" could only keep one, it would the MDR.

I also have both, and while I generally agree with your points about bass/mids/highs, when it comes to soundstage it's the exact opposite for me. My MDR sounds very closed in and decidedly unmagical. The IER is where the fun is. For me, the soundstage is very holographical with things going on near and far in all directions. All in all, I find the IER very exciting, involving and immersive, and the MDR kind of ... boring? Surely a matter of taste, but I really prefer the in-ear on all accounts.

 

[fullbass]

Listening Kennerton Thekk and if we compare with MDR Z1R for about the same price, and draw an analogy with cars, then

Spoiler

Hint: MDR with Chinese numbers

 

[cfc7]

Wrong.

I remember you didn't like the IER-Z1R some time ago, what happened in the meantime?

 

[Redcarmoose]

I also have both, and while I generally agree with your points about bass/mids/highs, when it comes to soundstage it's the exact opposite for me. My MDR sounds very closed in and decidedly unmagical. The IER is where the fun is. For me, the soundstage is very holographical with things going on near and far in all directions. All in all, I find the IER very exciting, involving and immersive, and the MDR kind of ... boring? Surely a matter of taste, but I really prefer the in-ear on all accounts.

I have both, though for me the IER bass has more physicality to it. It’s dense and powerful. Where the MDR is more clear and transparent. For some reason, the IER seems to have a bigger soundstage? But there are places where the MDR also has extensions (like lower midrange) which seem to jet out and hold extra detail that is in a specific place the IER can’t touch.

Truly though it’s amazingly confusing. I’m not sure I can even compare?

 

[jmills8]

I remember you didn't like the IER-Z1R some time ago, what happened in the meantime?

I still like the JVC 10000 better , but on the go I do like the Sony iem as a back up for my headphones.

 

[raybies]

I also have both, and while I generally agree with your points about bass/mids/highs, when it comes to soundstage it's the exact opposite for me. My MDR sounds very closed in and decidedly unmagical. The IER is where the fun is. For me, the soundstage is very holographical with things going on near and far in all directions. All in all, I find the IER very exciting, involving and immersive, and the MDR kind of ... boring? Surely a matter of taste, but I really prefer the in-ear on all accounts.

I found my zx-300 and I played some Hans Zimmer soundtracks (Bladerunner 2049, Inception, Interstellar) as Hans is a master at showing how crap your audio gear really is... and my MDR has a much more expansive sound stage. The IER is more revealing, detailed and ear drum thumping, but the MDR transmits more energy in the lows to your skull,a factor of design, 70mm vs 12mm, has a much wider sound stage and requires ~15% more power to achieve similar volume. I also note that the MDR surfaces much more static than the IER w/ the zx-300, the IER sounds cleaner and clearer but this could be due to an increase of distortion from the increase in power requirement for the MDR.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I found my zx-300 and I played some Hans Zimmer soundtracks (Bladerunner 2049, Inception, Interstellar) as Hans is a master at showing how crap your audio gear really is... and my MDR has a much more expansive sound stage. The IER is more revealing, detailed and ear drum thumping, but the MDR transmits more energy in the lows to your skull,a factor of design, 70mm vs 12mm, has a much wider sound stage and requires ~15% more power to achieve similar volume. I also note that the MDR surfaces much more static than the IER w/ the zx-300, the IER sounds cleaner and clearer but this could be due to an increase of distortion from the increase in power requirement.

In my own personal experience the 1Z,1A....(and I’m guessing as only trying then ZX300) really would not provide the damping factor to get the MDR out of the woods. Meaning due to low power ability from the DAP the MDR would show itself to have a rather distorted and foggy lower midrange. With a more powerful amp, that clears up in my experience. Even though Sony has shown the MDR in photographs with DAPs on a table, the engineers have said that was a marketing slant. So myself, it would be difficult to fully be certain of the MDR quality with such a source? Literally the lower midrange will produce a foggy distorted result of simply being underpowered in the end. While the IER is going to be immune to such issues, or have them be minimal with the ZX300.

 

[raybies]

In my own personal experience the 1Z,1A....(and I’m guessing as only trying then ZX300) really would not provide the damping factor to get the MDR out of the woods. Meaning due to low power ability from the DAP the MDR would show itself to have a rather distorted and foggy lower midrange. With a more powerful amp, that clears up in my experience. Even though Sony has shown the MDR in photographs with DAPs on a table, the engineers have said that was a marketing slant. So myself, it would be difficult to fully be certain of the MDR quality with such a source? Literally the lower midrange will produce a foggy distorted result of simply being underpowered in the end. While the IER is going to be immune to such issues, or have them be minimal with the ZX300.

I know, but this was just my most recent test. Previously I was using a class A tube amp which can make the MDR sound magical and some Elektron synths all w/ plenty of power. I tested the MDR and IER w/ the ZX300 just to try and rationalize the divergent views on each.