soundperfection
100+ Head-Fier
So ive had the ier z1r since release. Havent looked at the iem market since ive got em. Is there any iem out there that is a clear upgrade from these 3 years later.
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I shall bear that in mind, thanks mate.If you haven’t managed to try before and can wait that long I’ll be near Guildford for 2 weeks in September and will have mine with me there
Not to derail the answers as they could prove helpful for me as well, but what do you feel needs to be improved after such a long-term test?So ive had the ier z1r since release. Havent looked at the iem market since ive got em. Is there any iem out there that is a clear upgrade from these 3 years later.
I've been wondering the same thing. There are other IEMs that do some things better, but they usually lose out to Z1R in other areas. I'm yet to see or hear an IEM that is a significant upgrade over Z1R (i.e. same sound but better in all metrics).So ive had the ier z1r since release. Havent looked at the iem market since ive got em. Is there any iem out there that is a clear upgrade from these 3 years later.
Yes, there is nothing quite like it. IE 900 comes close, but still falls short in some areas. As far as I can tell the Z1R is unique in the IEM world, which also explains its appeal to many people. Pair it with a Sony source, and it's even better.Have you compared IEF's frequency response graphs? There do not seem to be many alternative options, hence I want to demo a set as well.
Why did you have to say that?I am yet to find a genuine “upgrade” to the IER-Z1R. I think the Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator and X are the two closest IEM’s I’ve heard to Z1R with superior detail retrieval, but they both lose out to Z1R on bass and treble texturing. I think Z1R has a taller and deeper soundstage than Annihilator, and a wider stage than X.
I think we might need to wait for Sony themselves to create a true upgrade
I'm hardly bothered tbh as not many sets have past the test of time as well as Z1R...there's always a new set that's hyped for this or that and 12-18 months down the line there's a MKII which goes to show the confidence of their tuners or more likely just their marketing skillsSo ive had the ier z1r since release. Havent looked at the iem market since ive got em. Is there any iem out there that is a clear upgrade from these 3 years later.
I am yet to find a genuine “upgrade” to the IER-Z1R. I think the Elysian Acoustic Labs Annihilator and X are the two closest IEM’s I’ve heard to Z1R with superior detail retrieval, but they both lose out to Z1R on bass and treble texturing. I think Z1R has a taller and deeper soundstage than Annihilator, and a wider stage than X.
I think we might need to wait for Sony themselves to create a true upgrade
The discomfort and fit issue does not only concern those with small ears, it has something to do with the stock cable (tends to derail from your ear) and the metal shell (tends to hurt after long listening session) besides the obvisou weight and shape.I’m wondering if there’s anywhere I can audition these in the Boise area. I’ve heard so many great things but I hear the fit is very polarizing especially if you have smaller ears. I have a pair of m9’s coming shortly and the Z1r’s seem right up my alley.
For me, I’m not sure it’s the cable that that affects comfort. Rather it is the insertion depth into my ears. I get the Z1R pretty deep in my ear canals, past the second bend where it locks in pretty tight. If I leave it more in my outer ear it falls out and also sounds thin. This works great for about 60-90 minutes or so, but after that my left ear tends to get a little sore and I’ve got to take a break. Not really a deal-breaker for me, but I do have other IEMs that I can wear for much longer.The discomfort and fit issue does not only concern those with small ears, it has something to do with the stock cable (tends to derail from your ear) and the metal shell (tends to hurt after long listening session) besides the obvisou weight and shape.
For me, I can comfortably wear huge IEMs such as Monarch OG, Mest Mk2, and I have trouble to make Z1R stay in my ears (I eventually make do with a headband under even more challenging scenario: jogging/running, but I can feel the discomfort/hurt to my ears after two-hour's daily jogging). I ordered Dunu Amber cable and will see if the cable can ease the fitting or not.
For a clear upgrade, I can only image a few IEMs beating Z1R in the bass performance, such as EVO, XE6.
I’m only seeing these for TWS or AirPods Pro, are there others for IEMs?Highly recommend SednaEarFit Max, best tip so far, especially for bass performance.