FINALLY! Got my Z1Rs on the way from Sony UK. They took 7 weeks to get shipped from Japan. I was just keen to get the 1year warranty and not get stung with Spanish import tariffs. So should get them later this week or next here in Spain.
Been listening mostly last months via my Sony wireless mk4s and airpod pros , but finally broke out the MOJO + Sony XBA Z5 (daily TOTL driver since 2015) and it blew me away with the clarity of the sound compared to the two prior (highly convenient yet..) mud machines.
Any thoughts here (of late) on what to expect from Z1Rs vs Z5s once I fire them up with my mojo ?? Just overall improvements across a similar V shaped Sound sig or few things the Z1R does that the Z5 didn't or couldn't??
P.S been a long time since I did a review of anything so def keen to do a Z5 vs Z1R review in next while. Also keen to take notes on the Z1R vs Solaris at my local shop , and try out the KANN ALPHA as that is top of the list for my first dedicated dap since my Cowon iAudio X5 I got in 2006!!! Been on rigs ever since.
Congrats mate! It will be worth the long wait for sure
I had both IEM’s together for quite some time until finally selling the Z5’s earlier this year.
Z1R sounds a lot more prominent and detailed basically from the upper mids all the way through to the upper treble. On the other hand the Z5 has more mid and upper bass which can sound a bit bloated in comparison to Z1R and has a tendency to bleed into the midrange, but it also gives the lower mids more body compared to the Z1R’s relatively thin lower mids.
The Z1R has better detail retrieval and has a taller and deeper soundstage, but the Z5 has more stage width. The Z1R’s presentation is generally more three dimensional compared to Z5’s.
The thing that really puts the Z1R in a different league to the Z5 is just how much more clear and defined it’s overall sound is. The Z5 sounds a bit veiled when you listen to it side by side with Z1R. It’s like going from 1080p to 8K on a TV. The Z5 is still a great sounding iem especially for its price, but the Z1R is in a different class
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts when it arrives!
Also, the Kann alpha sounds fantastic with the Z1R. Definitely a great pair up.
Cheers guys! Appreciate the detailed comparisons with Z5! It is alot of dosh to spend on a set of iems but it all stemmed from a brainwave I had at the same local audio shop - the in the head sound when at this price point really is a great value proposition! The brain wave occurred when comparing LCD2 , MDR Z1R via Felix audio tube amp ... then switching to Solaris OG with Mojo ... and WOW I was like **** yeah that is the level of intensity and intimacy I was looking for! Was kinda a big sigh of relief too as my intention previously was to look into a heavy tube amp with my hd650s. Having the sound I like on the go vs desktop or transportable is a real bonus!
Will def post impressions once I get the Z1Rs Glad to be part of the club finally (nearly)
I wouldn't rule out a tube amp to pair with your HD650s as a future alternative listening set up. I paired them with a Bottlehead Crack and it did wonders for these headphones. I also have high end IEMs and the sound experiences are different and welcome to me based both on use case (i.e portable vs fixed) and sound signature (i.e. grandness and warmth vs detailed and analytical).
I wouldn't rule out a tube amp to pair with your HD650s as a future alternative listening set up. I paired them with a Bottlehead Crack and it did wonders for these headphones. I also have high end IEMs and the sound experiences are different and welcome to me based both on use case (i.e portable vs fixed) and sound signature (i.e. grandness and warmth vs detailed and analytical).
Hey ... ha why I love this hobby. Can't lie ..one reason I've been using the inferior SQ wireless sony's is I do like that over the head sound ... and I brought my Hd650s to the audio shop too ... however the solaris OG just wowed me so much more than any other config and just right out of my mojo. I am buying the sonys blind for fit and SQ but consider it a managable risk considering the Z5s basically drove me to just listen to music for 5 years and hardly ever visit headfi! :O ....endgame extremus! However hybrid tech has really come a huge distance in the last 5 years.,,,going by the solaris that is. They shat all over the Z5s so really excited as consensus on headfi (I think) swings more to the Z1Rs
Hey ... ha why I love this hobby. Can't lie ..one reason I've been using the inferior SQ wireless sony's is I do like that over the head sound ... and I brought my Hd650s to the audio shop too ... however the solaris OG just wowed me so much more than any other config and just right out of my mojo. I am buying the sonys blind for fit and SQ but consider it a managable risk considering the Z5s basically drove me to just listen to music for 5 years and hardly ever visit headfi! :O ....endgame extremus! However hybrid tech has really come a huge distance in the last 5 years.,,,going by the solaris that is. They shat all over the Z5s so really excited as consensus on headfi (I think) swings more to the Z1Rs
Hey ... ha why I love this hobby. Can't lie ..one reason I've been using the inferior SQ wireless sony's is I do like that over the head sound ... and I brought my Hd650s to the audio shop too ... however the solaris OG just wowed me so much more than any other config and just right out of my mojo. I am buying the sonys blind for fit and SQ but consider it a managable risk considering the Z5s basically drove me to just listen to music for 5 years and hardly ever visit headfi! :O ....endgame extremus! However hybrid tech has really come a huge distance in the last 5 years.,,,going by the solaris that is. They shat all over the Z5s so really excited as consensus on headfi (I think) swings more to the Z1Rs
I own the Z1R and have "owned" the OG Solaris for a few weeks. They are somewhat comparable, in the sense that I feel they're both aiming for the same thing; the execution on the Z1R is much better however, to my ears, and I quite like the Solaris.
First off though, the fit on both is garbage, but the Z1R really excels in bad ergonomics, and a deep fit with these is of paramount importance because they sound bloomy and sibilant otherwise. I managed to get them to agree with my ears after a while but it was a painful process. Maybe they'll suit your ears perfectly though.
Both are coherent and spacious sounding. But the Z1R is more refined and impactful to my ears. The music is presented with a beautiful liveliensss and the famous low end on these really does deserve its reputation. If you were blown away by the Solaris, these just might be your endgame mon ami
FINALLY! Got my Z1Rs on the way from Sony UK. They took 7 weeks to get shipped from Japan. I was just keen to get the 1year warranty and not get stung with Spanish import tariffs. So should get them later this week or next here in Spain.
Been listening mostly last months via my Sony wireless mk4s and airpod pros , but finally broke out the MOJO + Sony XBA Z5 (daily TOTL driver since 2015) and it blew me away with the clarity of the sound compared to the two prior (highly convenient yet..) mud machines.
Any thoughts here (of late) on what to expect from Z1Rs vs Z5s once I fire them up with my mojo ?? Just overall improvements across a similar V shaped Sound sig or few things the Z1R does that the Z5 didn't or couldn't??
P.S been a long time since I did a review of anything so def keen to do a Z5 vs Z1R review in next while. Also keen to take notes on the Z1R vs Solaris at my local shop , and try out the KANN ALPHA as that is top of the list for my first dedicated dap since my Cowon iAudio X5 I got in 2006!!! Been on rigs ever since.
Was enjoying the XBA-Z5 before the IER-Z1R also. I ended just doing a blind IER-Z1R purchase? Though after about 100 hours they really started to change. They will have the same sound for awhile then start to open up near 100-200 hours......IMO? To me.....burn-in resulted in bass smoothness? They also maybe seemed to get a slightly bigger soundstage after burn in. On first listen was my IPod Touch in 3.5mm single ended, but later a whole new level was achieved using the Walkmans. Basically the Z5 is kind of being at the door of the room as far as the sound. Even though the Z5 is fabulous for what it is, it seems like Sony really followed their dreams with the IER-Z1R. Such a step forward as far as 3D staging and detail. While the Z5 had great bass texture, I was always wanting just a little more midrange and treble detail which the IER supplies effortlessly. Though my favorite thing about the IER is this highly involving world they seem to create? Just so much more interesting due to imaging and separation. The treble too, is clearer and has maybe a new character for an IEM, that I have not heard before? As mentioned, less bass, better clarity and speed bass wise, maybe even better balance? They end simply much more exciting that the Z5 could ever be?
Had the IER Z1R for about a week now... new convert, bit bullet after all the raving reviews on internet and this thread. Had to tip roll for a bit, ended up with tips from my Campfire Polaris v2s which really seem to nail the fit. Put as much listening in as work/ obligations at home allow.
These change radically once you get the fit right - and never felt 'wrong' in my ears in terms of size. Folks who commented on these looking great by the way... this is the very first time audio gear caught my wife's attention. Anyways. Couple of initial impressions:
1) Very unforgiving - to my ears - with lower quality recordings. Fed them some AAC and it felt weak. I doubt it was the mastering / production (2020s US mainstream hip hop). The Polaris feels like a very cheap date in comparison.
2) Very demanding in terms of raw power compared to other gear I have - almost as demanding as my Senn 58x. Out of my iPhone they felt weak and underpowered. Same went for desktop, although that improved with tip rolling.
3) SO CLEAN. Feed them the right quality of audio and they shine. I listened to Weezer's Blue Album and sure enough noticed sounds and guitar playing I never had before - and I've listened to the Blue Album like a thousand times. Utopia 2 OST - same results - I could identify a lots of little sounds and tricks Cristobal Tapia De Veer had thrown into the music that I had never noticed before.
4) MAJESTIC BASS.
All this running out of the front 3.5 jack of my x570 mobo. Saving up already for a decent amp/dac, looking at some great recommendations in this thread.
Another thing - FANTASTIC DETAIL for classical music. Effortless presentation of every little thing happening at the same time. Staying up late already re-listening Prokofiev favourites.
I got my Z1Rs yesterday and basically ended up listening to them for several hours non stop WAY too loud ha. They are so clear and sound great loud ... however I am using the mojo and need to go up to green to get good drive and ended up with tracks up in the blue ... so I hammered my ears but it was so fun! Today I am back to sensible orange/red level luckily.
Overall first impression is they are so dang Hi-FI ! not overly technical to point where you're hearing details the mix master engineers didn't intend you to ... which for a single totl iem owner makes the most sense in my aim to not buy anything until likely the next sony totl iem in few years and just enjoy the music!
Looking forward to demoing the kann alpha via 4.4 with these as mojo isn't sufficient imo
Comfort is pretty good too. perfect in left ear but I need to faff a bit with the right ear as its shape is a little less deep so I need to angle the back of the Z1R up more so it doesn't dig into the back on my ear. I tried SM tip in right ear which is more comfortable but he seal and bass is not as good so ultimately is a no go for me
I will def be writing a full review with Z5 vs Z1R comparison as well as to airpods pro and Sony wireless
UPDATE - I've since moved to LM tips which have better seal AND hold the Z1Rs more firmly in the canal and therefore less chance of rear of body to dig into ear
Was at the audio store yesterday and I accidentally started using the hugo2 with the z1rs at max volume! *** that was awful shock to the ears...but hopefully not to the z1rs ... I didn't notice any issues after and continued to listen for 90minutes or more. The guy in the shop said something like the hugo2 doesn't have enough power to blow an iem ... what do you guys think? I bet this happens all the time as the colour coding on the hugo etc vs a std potentiometer.
Was at the audio store yesterday and I accidentally started using the hugo2 with the z1rs at max volume! *** that was awful shock to the ears...but hopefully not to the z1rs ... I didn't notice any issues after and continued to listen for 90minutes or more. The guy in the shop said something like the hugo2 doesn't have enough power to blow an iem ... what do you guys think? I bet this happens all the time as the colour coding on the hugo etc vs a std potentiometer.
Nuetral Hugo 2 is a favorite for the ier-z1r. So definitely didn't blow them, did you guys turn it on in Line-out mode? (which puts it at full volume instantly)
Nuetral Hugo 2 is a favorite for the ier-z1r. So definitely didn't blow them, did you guys turn it on in Line-out mode? (which puts it at full volume instantly)
Hey ... not sure.. I believe someone just had it left at max volume ... yeah as I said I bet this stuff happens all the time. it was just a 2-3 second blast...I'd imagine something this well designed and engineered factors human error in for short periods .. maybe playing at max from hugo would have effect if you left it for 5-10min ... not sure ...
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