[Soundizer]

The coloration of the Z1R is mainly the 3k and 7k spike and the 10+ db drop between them. The spikes make the vocal harsh and the drop makes it dry. In measurements by tyll they are terrible while jude provided a better result. However, most likely they do exist despite some people 'never heard' them.

But the interesting thing is now it's 3 years since its release why there aren't any DIY mods to the Sony flagship like there have been to the HD800?

The word coloration or colorisation as I understand is deliberate and hence not a fault of the designers/engineers.

 

[ervin192]

The word coloration or colorisation as I understand is deliberate and hence not a fault of the designers/engineers.

It could be deliberate as I posted earlier that Sony's stock cable use hybrid conductors to emphasize the spikes. Meanwhile they supply the market the Sony/kimber MUCs which by their words, "feel a different sound signature".

 

[svinaik]

I may sound like a broken record stating this but the MDR-Z1R sound is the end result of everything before it.

Get it a bad source or amp or both and it shows it. At times stuff just doesn’t go together well. We read the word synergy, but it’s another word for stuff getting along.......going together well.

Also the Z7 cables are exactly like MDR-Z1R cables, as far as how they work.

If it sounds like I’m defending the Z1R.....I am. They of course are not going to please everyone, but the whole system must be taken into account. IMO

Second that. I have loved Z1R from the day I bought (back in Nov 2017) and love it everyday. When I listen to music, I am not listening to any particular frequency but the total sound.

I truly count my ignorance of super technicalities as a blessing as I am able to enjoy the good things in life without getting hung up in lots of subjective and some objective details which do not matter in scheme of things.

Just to show how individual we all can be, yesterday I listened to Focal Clear (demo unit) and disliked it from the word go. Sound was there but I did not find the music that I was hoping for and I am sure there are lots of folks who will be exactly opposite camp.

Each to their own....

 

[Soundizer]

Second that. I have loved Z1R from the day I bought (back in Nov 2017) and love it everyday. When I listen to music, I am not listening to any particular frequency but the total sound.

I truly count my ignorance of super technicalities as a blessing as I am able to enjoy the good things in life without getting hung up in lots of subjective and some objective details which do not matter in scheme of things.

Just to show how individual we all can be, yesterday I listened to Focal Clear (demo unit) and disliked it from the word go. Sound was there but I did not find the music that I was hoping for and I am sure there are lots of folks who will be exactly opposite camp.

Each to their own....

I love my Focal Clear, however when i switch to it straight after listening to Z1R it sounds flat, less dynamic and even boring.

 

[Slim1970]

I love my Focal Clear, however when i switch to it straight after listening to Z1R it sounds flat, less dynamic and even boring.

Just picked up a pair of Focal Clears and can attest to this statement. The Z1R’s just sound so much more fuller and bigger with switching back and forth. The Clears do have more attack with sharper transients and they sound cleaner throughout the frequency spectrum. You have to let your ears readjust to the sound of the Clears in order to appreciate them after listening to the Z1R’s. They have a completely different sound signature.

 

[Soundizer]

Just picked up a pair of Focal Clears and can attest to this statement. The Z1R’s just sound so much more fuller and bigger with switching back and forth. The Clears do have more attack with sharper transients and they sound cleaner throughout the frequency spectrum. You have to let your ears readjust to the sound of the Clears in order to appreciate them after listening to the Z1R’s. They have a completely different sound signature.

agree, although if you just got Focal Clear they might improve allot after about 25hours. My Focal Clear sounded rubbish when i first trued them out of the box. Only after about 30-50hours did they start to sound like the demo version at the Dealers.

i got the Z1R for TV audio after 9pm. Hence looking for a good 4meter cable ideally as i am 7feet from the wallmounted tv.

 

[Slim1970]

agree, although if you just got Focal Clear they might improve allot after about 25hours. My Focal Clear sounded rubbish when i first trued them out of the box. Only after about 30-50hours did they start to sound like the demo version at the Dealers.

i got the Z1R for TV audio after 9pm. Hence looking for a good 4meter cable ideally as i am 7feet from the wallmounted tv.

The Z1R’s are outstanding for movies and TV. The subwoofer like bass on them is ideal for that!

 

[Soundizer]

The Z1R’s are outstanding for movies and TV. The subwoofer like bass on them is ideal for that!

I am using Focal Clear cable with Z1R. Have not tried stock cable. Let us know what you think with Stock vs Focal cable please.

 

[pietcux]

I am using Focal Clear cable with Z1R. Have not tried stock cable. Let us know what you think with Stock vs Focal cable please.

Why do you think Focal can make a proper cable and Sony cannot? I bet not even the lead engineer of Focal would worry about the quality of the Sony Z1R stock cable. That assessment of your's is simply rediculous.

 

[Slim1970]

I am using Focal Clear cable with Z1R. Have not tried stock cable. Let us know what you think with Stock vs Focal cable please.

The Sony stock cable is not bad. I was okay with it until I heard the Z1R’s with the Sony/Kimber cable. It was then that I discovered that the stock Sony cable attenuated the high frequencies much more than I liked it too. I believe it has a lot to due with the silver plating on it. The Sony/Kimber cable smoothed out the highs while tightening up the low end and added some midrange body to my ears. The Z1R’s don’t need any high frequencies help as I find them quite extended with a lot of clarity. The stock cable made them borderline strident to my ears.

The Focal stock cable is thicker and not as flexible as the Sony stock cable. I believe it’s an all copper design. I can’t say that it’s better than the stock Sony cable but it works well with the sound of the Focal Clears. Focal doesn’t advertise an upgrade cable either like Sony did with the Z1R’s with the Sony/Kimber collaboration cable. With that said, the Sony stock cable is fine. But my Z1R’s were made even better with the Sony/Kimber cable.

 

[Redcarmoose]

The Sony/Kimber is such a nice improvement I think?

 

[fullranger]

I am using Focal Clear cable with Z1R. Have not tried stock cable. Let us know what you think with Stock vs Focal cable please.

Maybe you can make that assessment yourself so others don’t have to think for you. You spent the money, therefore, you are entitled to contribute your opinion. Nobody knows what will work for them unless they believe in themself.
Perhaps if they were Bluetooth cans you could ask advice about which version might be better, but don’t mix apples with unicorn farts.

 

[ervin192]

For the spikes and drop problem the Sony/Kimber reduces it, because it's pure copper, not hybrid. But the company is also true about the S/K is "another sound signature". The S/K has tens maybe even a hundred times more conductors than the stock so its sound is significantly thicker, less laid-back and with more impact. The Kimber wires have their own coloration added to the treble range - more liquid, less airy. So personally I won't prefer the S/K to the stock, though I'm dissatisfied with the stock either.

 

[Slim1970]

For the spikes and drop problem the Sony/Kimber reduces it, because it's pure copper, not hybrid. But the company is also true about the S/K is "another sound signature". The S/K has tens maybe even a hundred times more conductors than the stock so its sound is significantly thicker, less laid-back and with more impact. The Kimber wires have their own coloration added to the treble range - more liquid, less airy. So personally I won't prefer the S/K to the stock, though I'm dissatisfied with the stock either.

"Upgrade" or alternate cables do alter the original sound signature. Sometimes in a good way, other times they are not preferable. A good cable should get out of the way and let the headphone perform. Unfortunately, not all cables are made in this manner. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a market for them. For me, cables are the last tweet to sound I make. You get greater sound improvements by upgrading your gear. In this hobby, we are all chasing the ultimate sound that suits our ears and our tastes. Cables are one way in which we can tailor the sound to help us get there. There is no wrong or right cable. It's all about what sounds good to us.

 

[ervin192]

"Upgrade" or alternate cables do alter the original sound signature. Sometimes in a good way, other times they are not preferable. A good cable should get out of the way and let the headphone perform. Unfortunately, not all cables are made in this manner. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a market for them. For me, cables are the last tweet to sound I make. You get greater sound improvements by upgrading your gear. In this hobby, we are all chasing the ultimate sound that suits our ears and our tastes. Cables are one way in which we can tailor the sound to help us get there. There is no wrong or right cable. It's all about what sounds good to us.

I used to have no complaints about the stock cables of my phones (MDR-CD3000, MDR-EX1000, HD800, SE-Master1 and so on) until I met the MDR-Z1R. It's plausible the relations between the headphone manufacturers and the aftermarket cable sales have entered a new era.

To add that, Audio-technica may have also participated in this game. The single-ended stock cables of their new flagships sound quite different from their 'upgrade' balanced aftermarkets, though not as much as the Sony stock and the Sony/Kimber.