[pietcux]

Well everybody can have its own appreciation there, not sure it's fair to compare a 200$ headphone to a 1500$ flagship IEM. To me the natural heir to the EX1000 is the JVC and I can vouch that the FW10000 has top notch build up to par with the best and the tuning is close to the EX1000 and more refined IMHO.

The IER-Z1R is built like a tank for sure but seems to have a *very* different tuning from the EX1000 so there is that...

The EX1000 is not a 1500€ IEM, I got it used for 250 if I remeber correctly. It was made back i ´n time when 400€ was a big deal for any headphone or IEM. And it is built like an elegant tank in my honest opinon.

 

[syke]

Why is the EX1000 even mentioned here.It WAS good in the past, at that price bracket. But it's such an average sounding iem in today's context.

I am glad the Z1R isn't the successor to the EX1000.

 

[NickL33]

Why is the EX1000 even mentioned here.It WAS good in the past, at that price bracket. But it's such an average sounding iem in today's context.

I am glad the Z1R isn't the successor to the EX1000.

I was really hoping it tune to EX1000 before I listen to it.

All I can say I am HOOK with this new approch of tuning by Sony......

Can see that IER-Z1R is already on list of legedary audio equipment by Sony

 

[echineko]

Spoiler

Well everybody can have its own appreciation there, not sure it's fair to compare a 200$ headphone to a 1500$ flagship IEM. To me the natural heir to the EX1000 is the JVC and I can vouch that the FW10000 has top notch build up to par with the best and the tuning is close to the EX1000 and more refined IMHO.

The IER-Z1R is built like a tank for sure but seems to have a *very* different tuning from the EX1000 so there is that...

Have you heard the IER Z1R yet? Wonder how you find it.

 

[Jalo]

ok OK, I will order the Z1r now. I thought of bypassing it and ordered the FW10000, I auditioned the Z1r five times now, it is not my LAB II but it is something worth keeping I guess.

 

[jeffreyw311]

I don’t see the EX1000 being remotely related to the JVC FW10000. They’re not really similar at all except for the fact that they’re dynamic driver earphones and they’re both former flagships from Japanese companies.

The main draw of the EX1000 is its complete linearity from 20hz to 1khz. The FW10000 not only lacks the 6khz spike that gives the EX1000 is infamous treble/tonality/air but has an obvious bass lift that doesn’t exist with the EX1000.

 

[OverlordRush]

Serial # 124 checking in. Listened to two pair out of a 1Z. One pair fresh and one pair with 200 hours. True that burn-in would have to be big deal here!

Used 3.5mm single ended with 200 hour pair and 4.4 mm 5 pole Pentaconn with the fresh pair. Settings on the DAP Firmware 2.0 and direct. I use Sony Hybrid tips in “L” for basically everything and use them here. The two included cables were used.

Purchased my pair blind without a demo of any kind. I simply somehow knew I’d like them. Paid $1758.00 OTD.

They ARE hard to drive to be their best, but still do amazingly fine from a phone.

Fit was totally perfect, they are way smaller than in the pictures. Air-tight fit was easy. Nice natural soundstage with a soft and laid back texture that still provided any dynamics the music went to. They were not quite as midcentric with guitars on my metal recordings where a upfront mix makes things a little more entertaining. With that said they actually complement the Noble Encore in that regard. I played a range of music and found they were easy to listen to with everything.

They come off as one of, or even THE VERY BEST IEMs I’ve ever heard and even better after 200 hours.Your gas mileage may be different. Lol

They really do all genres amazingly well. Just a polite and carefully painted response, refined and accurate. EDM was a little warm and slighly smoothed out, which I like. Still everything was in it’s place like listening to really nice speakers in a room with nothing amiss. Probably get more review for them later with the TA desktop?

I have no comparisons sorry. Bigger and more robust sounding than the Z5. For what it’s worth, the IER-Z1R comes off a worthy successor to their IEM flagships. They are moving down the road with the new Sony house sound adding maturity and improvements. IMO Still the house sound is there in a slightly refined and expanded soundstage way?

Had the Noble Khan right in front of me but didn’t give it a try, never heard the Solaris. No strange high treble or alien buzzing here in this part of town?

In ending burn-in is huge! If you don’t believe......I don’t know, you may find out?

I’m pretty happy I waited and waited and didn’t buy anything else. My genres of choice are classic rock, electro, OSTs and metal.

Where did you get your z1r for such a low serial number? I thought all the z1r from the 1st batch were sold already.

 

[DonChuy]

@Redcarmoose Serial # 123 checking in as well. I have been listening directly from my iPhone for 20 min now. I always like to start simple, then will add an amp. Just like you, enjoying my Honeymoon. Listening to Alice In Chains Unppluged. So far very happy with my purchase

This is the type of iem that makes you want to listen to your entire music collection again!

 

[CoryGillmore]

@Redcarmoose Serial # 123 checking in as well. I have been listening directly from my iPhone for 20 min now. I always like to start simple, then will add an amp. Just like you, enjoying my Honeymoon. Listening to Alice In Chains Unppluged. So far very happy with my purchase

This is the type of iem that makes you want to listen to your entire music collection again!

So gorgeous! Yeah my M9 purchase made me want to re-listen to my entire collection again as well, and listening I have been! And in a way it was like hearing my collection of the first time. For me, going from a $400 DD IEM made in 2010 to a $1500 5BA IEM made in 2018 was sorta like hearing music again for the first time.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Where did you get your z1r for such a low serial number? I thought all the z1r from the 1st batch were sold already.

I was just looking at two more on the shelf at Stereo Singapore.

Just figured I listen to the Kahn too now while I was there. Very different sound, more light and airy, less dense than the IER-Z1R. It maybe the thickness that makes the IER Z1R so special to me?

@Redcarmoose Serial # 123 checking in as well. I have been listening directly from my iPhone for 20 min now. I always like to start simple, then will add an amp. Just like you, enjoying my Honeymoon. Listening to Alice In Chains Unppluged. So far very happy with my purchase



This is the type of iem that makes you want to listen to your entire music collection again!

Hilarious our IEMs are next to each other in number.

 

[gerelmx1986]

@Redcarmoose how it compares to the XBA-Z5

 

[ProF3T1]

A question for the owners: how is the cable connected to the ear phone? Can it be locked by a screw mechanism like in the case of the MDR-EX1000 or is the cable just snapped in like in IER-M9 (the connection on some units tends to wiggle). Thanks in advance.

 

[Redcarmoose]

@Redcarmoose how it compares to the XBA-Z5

It is a successor and shows lineage being an expansion of the sound. It would be a grand improvement in the best of ways.

A question for the owners: how is the cable connected to the ear phone? Can it be locked by a screw mechanism like in the case of the MDR-EX1000 or is the cable just snapped in like in IER-M9 (the connection on some units tends to wiggle). Thanks in advance.

There is a high flange which only lets the MMCX drop in the most direct of ways. No lock.

 

[gerelmx1986]

It is a successor and shows lineage being an expansion of the sound. It would be a grand improvement in the best of ways.



There is a high flange which only lets the MMCX drop in the most direct of ways. No lock.

and what about the sound compares to the MDR Z1R?

 

[audionewbi]

Why is the EX1000 even mentioned here.It WAS good in the past, at that price bracket. But it's such an average sounding iem in today's context.

I am glad the Z1R isn't the successor to the EX1000.

Without wanting to sound snobbish , after trying all the flagship iem exluding that crazy 10K iem which it's name I can't recall, to me ex1000 sound is still very relevant now days. To me there is nothing average about its sound. It scales up remarkably.