Most electronic brands aim to keep the same SKU number, same physical product, but they do differentiate regions by special stroke numbers added at the end of the SKU number for an example.
At the end of the day, Brands do indeed have a need to differentiate them for different regions, while keeping the physical product the same.
That explains why you are most likely to find CE & UL marks prominently on most products meant for the US, EU, or anywhere else in the world. as they are likely to be catered for the 2 biggest consumer markets and it is also common sense to have that same product meet all relevant compliance bodies.
In less significant regions, they would just stick on a local specific mark on the physical product to indicate compliance to that local region.
So I went to check the Z1R at the various headphone stores in Tokyo and found out that, to my initial surprise, that they do not have the CE and Sony Japan mark on them! Then it dawned on me that this is very common practice for Sony products where they are usually clearly divided into Japan domestic models and International models. This was the case with the WM1 series where the International versions has the FC and CE certification sticker on the side of the units but are not present on the JDM models (plus different accessories as well as system language selection and volume cap etc), or the A series where the back plates of the JDM are also perfectly clean without the printed international certifications. I guess this means it is justifiable for Sony to make and create a separate domestic SKU, while the rest of the world gets the unified international SKU.
So @pietcux is partially correct - there do exists versions of Z1R that do not have certifications on them, but those would be the JDMs that were not supposed to be sold to non-Japanese resellers and distributors in the first place. If you purchased a Z1R not in Japan then I think you would almost certainly see the same CE certification + Sony Japan address printed on the inside of the headband, unless you somehow purchased a JDM grey import.
i don't own the z1r but i gave both it and the empyrean a listen last week. bearing in mind that one is a closed-back headphone and the other is open-back, and that one is a dynamic and the other is a planar magnetic, both have warm presentations. the z1r has more bass emphasis tho the empyrean has ample bass. the empyrean's mid-range is clearer. the z1r's treble seemed more extended and had sparkle. the empyrean's seemed more rounded or rolled-off. The empyrean had a very smooth presentation and was more balanced across the fr than the z1r to my ears. that said, these are very different sounding headphones imo.
So I went to check the Z1R at the various headphone stores in Tokyo and found out that, to my initial surprise, that they do not have the CE and Sony Japan mark on them! Then it dawned on me that this is very common practice for Sony products where they are usually clearly divided into Japan domestic models and International models. This was the case with the WM1 series where the International versions has the FC and CE certification sticker on the side of the units but are not present on the JDM models (plus different accessories as well as system language selection and volume cap etc), or the A series where the back plates of the JDM are also perfectly clean without the printed international certifications. I guess this means it is justifiable for Sony to make and create a separate domestic SKU, while the rest of the world gets the unified international SKU.
So @pietcux is partially correct - there do exists versions of Z1R that do not have certifications on them, but those would be the JDMs that were not supposed to be sold to non-Japanese resellers and distributors in the first place. If you purchased a Z1R not in Japan then I think you would almost certainly see the same CE certification + Sony Japan address printed on the inside of the headband, unless you somehow purchased a JDM grey import.
i don't own the z1r but i gave both it and the empyrean a listen last week. bearing in mind that one is a closed-back headphone and the other is open-back, and that one is a dynamic and the other is a planar magnetic, both have warm presentations. the z1r has more bass emphasis tho the empyrean has ample bass. the empyrean's mid-range is clearer. the z1r's treble seemed more extended and had sparkle. the empyrean's seemed more rounded or rolled-off. The empyrean had a very smooth presentation and was more balanced across the fr than the z1r to my ears. that said, these are very different sounding headphones imo.
I’ve owned the MDR-Z1R for 4 months now and love them. I just got an RME ADI-2 DAC this week and I’m going to experiment with its 5-band parametric EQ. Anyone else pairing the Z1R with the ADI-2 (Pro or DAC models)? If so, do you have settings for the 5-band PEQ that you like with the Z1R?
I’ve owned the MDR-Z1R for 4 months now and love them. I just got an RME ADI-2 DAC this week and I’m going to experiment with its 5-band parametric EQ. Anyone else pairing the Z1R with the ADI-2 (Pro or DAC models)? If so, do you have settings for the 5-band PEQ that you like with the Z1R?
You may need to check with the site administrators about placing an advertisement on this page.
- being totally unrelated to the Z1R other than typing the representative alphanumeric symbols...
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
