Umwelt
100+ Head-Fier
Yes, please do, thanks.
Got the Technics TZ700 today, after a couple of hours of listening I have very preliminary impressions only, but so far I feel that the TZ700 could be more a replacement for the Z1R rather than the FW10k. A Japanese reviewer called the TZ7000 an FW10k with bass, but I disagree. The bass is definitely jumps out more, like how it does on the Z1R, but otherwise FW10k and TZ700 feel very different to my ears, but the latter is more similar to the Z1R.
Bass on TZ700 jumps up and expands forward toward you, like on the Z1R, except it does not envelope you as much as it does on the Z1R, whereas bass on the FW10k jumps out and forms a background on which the higher sounds rest (which feels like a more natural role for bass).
Also, FW10k is intimate and full-bodied, as the soundstage feels closer and fuller, and vocals/mids are even closer, as if you're sitting first row and center of the stage, whereas both TZ700 and Z1R are overall more recessed, allowing individual sounds to be more distinct (though potentially less cohesive than on FW10k). At the same time, mids are less recessed on TZ700 than on Z1R (sitting on the middle of the orchestra/dance floor/etc., but still closer to the stage than with the Z1R).
All of them are very technically advanced and detailed, with perhaps Z1R sounding slightly more detailed at times. TZ700 sometimes feels less engaging than FW10k, but at times it makes me move more than any other, similar to the MDR-Z1R. Overall FW10k may still be my personal favorite, but I'm very tempted to keep the TZ700 along with it for the time being.
At some point I want to do a more extensive comparison of all the Japanese TOTL IEMs (including A8000), but I want to get enough to listen to all for a long time for a more cool-headed comparison.
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