Got some new food for the Z1r today. A new Stanley Clarke Band album, just released. Title The Message. OMG........da bassssssss
All good so far. In October my Z1R will be celebrating two years of [almost daily] use and the pads are looking pretty good. I thought I'd need to revisit the wax more often, but the pads remain quite soft. All the original wrinkles are gone, except a few at the bottom of the left earpad (which you can see in the photo but appears much more exaggerated than it looks live). Might apply a second round soon tho, as this summer time is good to have it dry rather quickly. In any case, you shouldn't bother with it until the pads start getting a bit dry/cracking. Anyway, glad to see the Z7 being revived. There' a lot of good stuff about the Z1R and Sony was wise to use it to give some life to the Z7. If it's good enough to approach the Z1R, the price seems fair. Those IEMs and the DAP tho.... the tag is making my nose bleed. Quality would have to be epic to justify that range...
Thanks very much for the update. Your Z1R's pads look great. Can't find that exact stuff (Delara) on Amazon here in the US, but there are various alternatives. Just sticking to a basic and beeswax-based leather conditioner should do the trick. And as you have done, very sparingly applied.
No problem. And yes, you don't need this specific brand (probably easier to buy in the EU) any similar good beeswax-based leather balm will do, preferably transparent. And it's indeed important not to apply too much and let the wax be absorbed/dry before using the headphones. That can easily take 2-3 days depending on the temperature/humidity in the room. Overall I wouldn't bother with it until your pad start showing a bit of dryness and some fissures that normally happen as any leather ages.
How often do you guys apply the wax to your leather pads? I dont think ive heard anyone doing this before and my Z1R pads are getting up there, maybe they need some care... *edit actually put in the quotes
If I read beowulf's posts correctly (from pg 7 and on this page), he did it once last July and hasn't again yet. Hasn't needed to. I just got the Z1R five weeks ago, so I haven't at all. But I do think it's a good idea - his results bear that out.
Thnaks, Ive had mine for longer, may something that I will have to look into. Ques I could use it on my Audeze leather stuffs too.
Well it’s even more trouble in humid environments. There is no real leather on the Z1R, it’s synthetic protein leather. I keep both my Z7 and Z1R in a dehumidifier case. The case is a giant air-tight pelican case with a moisture absorption device that I plug in and dry out every two or three days. It tops out at 60% humidity. Lol
Ok, studied the headband and thought the pads were the same. My mistake. Though the Z7 has to be synthetic. My headband has a small mark and you could tell it’s not real. Good to know. “Ergonomic sheepskin earpads The ergonomically crafted headphones are designed to comfortably encase your head in sound, preventing any from leaking and effectively delivering powerful lows. The genuine sheepskin ear pads cushion your ears in luxurious softness. “
FWIW, earlier this year when I was researching the Z1R and other cans, I watched a Japanese YT video (Sony Seiwa) from around the time the Z1R launched, and the headband was described as the same sheepskin as the earpads on the inner side, and cowhide on the outer. More importantly, for those intending to treat the leather on their Z1R, or any headphone, with a beeswax-based balm ... go easy with the stuff. Like that old Brylcreem ad said, a little dab 'll do ya. The area of leather you're treating is tiny compared to what this kind of stuff is usually used for (boots, saddles, catcher's mitts, etc).
Z1R is sheepskinned indeed, PU leather with be scandalous in the price band. I have not say I'm not 100% convinced regarding the underside of the headband. There's something different about it, a softness that is very typical of PU. So I'm unsure about that area. It's possible it's natural leather and just abnormally uniform and smooth in my unit. Hope so, as PU ok the underside would reduce longevity. Just noticed this comment by @Hanafuda. That can explain why it feels so different ot me. The outside of the headband is definitely not the same material as the interior. I'm fine with it as long as it's not PU. The experience with the aging of the MDR-CD3000 made me dislike PU for headphones I can see myself keeping for decades. Talking about headbands and wax, by the way, the top of my headband got a bit dry after these 2 years, so I just applied a tiny amount of that same wax to it and it looks/feels much better now. Yup, definitely don't overdo it or you'll end up with a wet-ish sticky mess that might even cause rot. It's best to start with a tiny amount, apply it, let it dry/be absorbed and later add a second layer if needed.
