[Bobdonut123]

The TH900 and its Mk2 revision have distinct v-shaped signatures; its strong bass presentation is matched by an equally prominent, and sparkling, treble section. The lows are powerful, with good texture and attack. With its energetic sound, the Fostex headphone is perfect for dance music. On the other hand, the Z1R has a u-shaped signature, with slightly elevated bass levels. It is, however, not as potent in the lows. I would characterize the Z1R as being silky smooth for most genres of music. It will fit dance music well, but it is not as adept at it as the TH900.

If I had to pick 1 headphone for EDM, I'll gladly take the Fostex, without any hesitation. However, if you listen to other genres of music, such as rock and pop, the Z1R is the better headphone - you'll get a full, lush sound that adds a lot of weight to vocals.

Thank you so much for your reply! Did you ever listen to any other fostex? There are people that say th-900s and x00s, purple hearts and ebonies sound comparable. So far, I've been pretty bummed out by the purple hearts. Regardless, I'll update yall tomorrow on my findings

 

[darmccombs]

Well, after some input from the folks here in this thread, and a few forums members whom I trust, I have a Sony TA-ZH1ES coming in. I'll be using it for the MDR-Z1R, and the IER-Z1R.

For the MDR, I gather that running balanced is the way to go to hear the best dynamics. I've seen some folks say they use low gain, and others use high gain on the TA. I'll just have to test them both I guess.

Does any have any MDR-Z1R setup tips when using the TA?

 

[Malevolent]

Thank you so much for your reply! Did you ever listen to any other fostex? There are people that say th-900s and x00s, purple hearts and ebonies sound comparable. So far, I've been pretty bummed out by the purple hearts. Regardless, I'll update yall tomorrow on my findings

I have heard the TH-610 before, and the TH-X00 (ebony), briefly. Like the TH900, these 2 headphones will pull you in immediately with its bass prowess; the thump and texture in the lower registers are fantastic. This is a hallmark of a Fostex headphone, IMO. With that said, I can't give a proper analysis of the TH-X00, as my audition was sadly, rather brief, but I very much prefer the TH900 over the TH-610. Clarity and staging are noticeable improvements in the bigger brother.

In any case, this is the Z1R thread, so we should try and get back on track.

 

[Lookout57]

Well, after some input from the folks here in this thread, and a few forums members whom I trust, I have a Sony TA-ZH1ES coming in. I'll be using it for the MDR-Z1R, and the IER-Z1R.

For the MDR, I gather that running balanced is the way to go to hear the best dynamics. I've seen some folks say they use low gain, and others use high gain on the TA. I'll just have to test them both I guess.

Does any have any MDR-Z1R setup tips when using the TA?

Replace the stock cable with an all copper cable. I have Kimber AXIOS Cu which was a huge improvement. Others swear by the Sony/Kimber or other 3rd party cables. Just make sure they are use OCC copper.

 

[darmccombs]

Replace the stock cable with an all copper cable. I have Kimber AXIOS Cu which was a huge improvement. Others swear by the Sony/Kimber or other 3rd party cables. Just make sure they are use OCC copper.

Thanks for the info. I already have the Sony Kimber unbalanced cable in 1.2m and 3m lengths. I am getting the Sony Kimber balanced 2m cable, with the TA. I'll A/B the balanced/unbalanced Sony Kimbers, to see if there is any difference.

 

[Bobdonut123]

I was able to snag a pair of these on eBay for 1300 bucks after taxes/shipping. I can't wait to compare these to the th-900s

I know this may seem silly, but while the th-900s sound amazing for everything- I don't feel the bass "slams" or gives me that subwoofer feeling. I have heard some z1r reviewers say that these headphones provide a good mid-bass thump along with all of the other qualities of course. I'm not even a bass-head... I just feel that I need that last little bit of bass thump to satisfy my audio cravings.

 

[phonomat]

I was able to snag a pair of these on eBay for 1300 bucks after taxes/shipping. I can't wait to compare these to the th-900s

I know this may seem silly, but while the th-900s sound amazing for everything- I don't feel the bass "slams" or gives me that subwoofer feeling. I have heard some z1r reviewers say that these headphones provide a good mid-bass thump along with all of the other qualities of course. I'm not even a bass-head... I just feel that I need that last little bit of bass thump to satisfy my audio cravings.

There is this myth that the TH-900 is great for electronic music, but I never understood how that came about. Just like you, I always found it severely lacking in the 'slam" department. Sub-bass was decent AFAIC, but the mid-bass kick was just never there for me, and I'm not a basshead either. These two headphones are hardly comparable, as the MDR-Z1R is warmer by several multitudes of order, but the Sony's mid-bass is indeed more satisfying IMO.

 

[Bobdonut123]

There is this myth that the TH-900 is great for electronic music, but I never understood how that came about. Just like you, I always found it severely lacking in the 'slam" department. Sub-bass was decent AFAIC, but the mid-bass kick was just never there for me, and I'm not a basshead either. These two headphones are hardly comparable, as the MDR-Z1R is warmer by several multitudes of order, but the Sony's mid-bass is indeed more satisfying IMO.

Your post gives me some comfort that my ears aren't crazy! I am still fairly new at this hobby, and It's hard for me to compare and contrast certain qualities in headphones- the biggest thing for me is how the music makes me feel- in addition to gaming (I usually do both at the same time). With that said, from my journey I started off with the dt 990s, then the 1990s which I used for 2 years, then finally the th-900s. I will probably keep of the headphones for the foreseeable future until I can decide 100% which I like better.

As someone who has used both, do you feel the thx 789 and a topping e30 dac are enough to power them? I don't want to invest another thousand dollars to make a 2000 dollar headphone sound better =) thank you so much!

 

[Gamerlingual]

Your post gives me some comfort that my ears aren't crazy! I am still fairly new at this hobby, and It's hard for me to compare and contrast certain qualities in headphones- the biggest thing for me is how the music makes me feel- in addition to gaming (I usually do both at the same time). With that said, from my journey I started off with the dt 990s, then the 1990s which I used for 2 years, then finally the th-900s. I will probably keep of the headphones for the foreseeable future until I can decide 100% which I like better.

As someone who has used both, do you feel the thx 789 and a topping e30 dac are enough to power them? I don't want to invest another thousand dollars to make a 2000 dollar headphone sound better =) thank you so much!

I chose the MDR-Z7M2 instead of the Z1R because it's more balanced on the mids and treble while still having a solid bass signature. I didn't find the bass heart pounding, but solid enough where the presence is felt and due to its relaxed nature and how it sounded wonderful with the TA-ZH1ES, I decided to buy those cans.

Granted, I think the MDR-Z1R really does have a great sound signature for offering something different that people enjoy and my ears liked them, but the Z7M2 was more to my taste. The Sennheisser HD820 sounded like tinny garbage especially in the mids and the Audio Technica ATH-AP2000Ti needed more bass as the mids and highs were stronger where you could just feel a faint amount of bass. However, for those who don't like bass (Don't consider myself a bass head, as Beats could solve that or even Skull Candy. No thanks), the AP2000Ti are amazing in their sound signature as well. Had it had just a solid amount of bass, less than the Z1R and Z7M2 even, I would have bought those on the spot. But the MDR-Z7M2 won out. And true, you don't need to spend the most to get the best sound you want, but for IEM's, I bought the IER-Z1R as it had the best sound for musical enjoyment. Wow, those IEM's are out of this world as I consider them the treasure of my audio collection.

 

[Bobdonut123]

I chose the MDR-Z7M2 instead of the Z1R because it's more balanced on the mids and treble while still having a solid bass signature. I didn't find the bass heart pounding, but solid enough where the presence is felt and due to its relaxed nature and how it sounded wonderful with the TA-ZH1ES, I decided to buy those cans.

Granted, I think the MDR-Z1R really does have a great sound signature for offering something different that people enjoy and my ears liked them, but the Z7M2 was more to my taste. The Sennheisser HD820 sounded like tinny garbage especially in the mids and the Audio Technica ATH-AP2000Ti needed more bass as the mids and highs were stronger where you could just feel a faint amount of bass. However, for those who don't like bass (Don't consider myself a bass head, as Beats could solve that or even Skull Candy. No thanks), the AP2000Ti are amazing in their sound signature as well. Had it had just a solid amount of bass, less than the Z1R and Z7M2 even, I would have bought those on the spot. But the MDR-Z7M2 won out. And true, you don't need to spend the most to get the best sound you want, but for IEM's, I bought the IER-Z1R as it had the best sound for musical enjoyment. Wow, those IEM's are out of this world as I consider them the treasure of my audio collection.

Man iems, that's another rabbit hole that I'm not quite ready for. I do have my fiio FA 7, which I am content with for now - but I barely get a chance to use them since covid, and not having to commute. Hopefully the iem variant of the z1r will go down in price eventually, as I've heard amazing reviews. Also, Do you feel the Z7M2s have more bass than the Z1Rs? I am mainly looking for that mid bass thump, and don't care as much for excessive subbass.

 

[Gamerlingual]

Man iems, that's another rabbit hole that I'm not quite ready for. I do have my fiio FA 7, which I am content with for now - but I barely get a chance to use them since covid, and not having to commute. Hopefully the iem variant of the z1r will go down in price eventually, as I've heard amazing reviews. Also, Do you feel the Z7M2s have more bass than the Z1Rs? I am mainly looking for that mid bass thump, and don't care as much for excessive subbass.

It has a little bit of less lower bass but the mid bass thump is more clear in the Z7M2. Doesn’t sound muddy or overpowering but can easily be heard with a satisfying hit without drowning out the other sounds

 

[Slim1970]

I chose the MDR-Z7M2 instead of the Z1R because it's more balanced on the mids and treble while still having a solid bass signature. I didn't find the bass heart pounding, but solid enough where the presence is felt and due to its relaxed nature and how it sounded wonderful with the TA-ZH1ES, I decided to buy those cans.

Granted, I think the MDR-Z1R really does have a great sound signature for offering something different that people enjoy and my ears liked them, but the Z7M2 was more to my taste. The Sennheisser HD820 sounded like tinny garbage especially in the mids and the Audio Technica ATH-AP2000Ti needed more bass as the mids and highs were stronger where you could just feel a faint amount of bass. However, for those who don't like bass (Don't consider myself a bass head, as Beats could solve that or even Skull Candy. No thanks), the AP2000Ti are amazing in their sound signature as well. Had it had just a solid amount of bass, less than the Z1R and Z7M2 even, I would have bought those on the spot. But the MDR-Z7M2 won out. And true, you don't need to spend the most to get the best sound you want, but for IEM's, I bought the IER-Z1R as it had the best sound for musical enjoyment. Wow, those IEM's are out of this world as I consider them the treasure of my audio collection.

I agree with you about the AP2000Ti's sound signature. When I had them I would boost up the bass and they were dang near perfect. They had this open air tonality about them that was so different sounding than my Z1R's. I also preferred to them to HD820's I had at the time. I sold my AP2000Ti's to get the ATH-AWKT's and never looked back. The Z1R's kills the AWKT's in the bass department. From the midrange up I prefer the tonality of the AWKT's. When I EQ in bass to AWKT's they are tough to beat for a closed headphone.

 

[Gamerlingual]

I agree with you about the AP2000Ti's sound signature. When I had them I would boost up the bass and they were dang near perfect. They had this open air tonality about them that was so different sounding than my Z1R's. I also preferred to them to HD820's I had at the time. I sold my AP2000Ti's to get the ATH-AWKT's and never looked back. The Z1R's kills the AWKT's in the bass department. From the midrange up I prefer the tonality of the AWKT's. When I EQ in bass to AWKT's they are tough to beat for a closed headphone.

I’ll get the MDR-Z1R if it ever goes below $1,000, which is probably still some 5 years or more away or if it’s on closeout special. I like them, but not for the current market price. The Z7M2 is better than its price suggests. It’s cool how perspective varies for so many people and value. Enjoy!

 

[MacedonianHero]

I’ll get the MDR-Z1R if it ever goes below $1,000, which is probably still some 5 years or more away or if it’s on closeout special. I like them, but not for the current market price. The Z7M2 is better than its price suggests. It’s cool how perspective varies for so many people and value. Enjoy!

By then, they'll be a classic and prices are likely to go up.

 

[Gamerlingual]

By then, they'll be a classic and prices are likely to go up.

I’ll be happy with my Z7M2. Everyone wins