[SONYES]

Finally ended up selling all my other cans with the exception of my Beyerdynamic T1.1s (not worth enough to lose such a classic can, they're still my second fave) and my AKG K545 (wife uses them for portability), since for months now all I ever end up going back to is my MDR-Z1R's.

At first I thought I'd switch to my HD800S, HD800, LCD-3 etc dependant on genre of music, eg HD800S/HD800 for orchestral or classical, and LCD-3 for RnB, Hip Hop etc, but I'm just using the Z1R's for everything since they're so damn emotive, balanced, tonally accurate, non fatiguing and musical, including for gaming, hence not seeing the point of holding on to the others.

The main reason I kept the others was for curiosity and comparisons sake, but ultimately I think the Z1R is my final end game, it just works for pretty much everything. For me at least, based on everything I've listened to over the years, the Z1R's are the best headphones I've ever heard.

Whilst I listen to cans like the HD800, HD800S, T1 etc thinking they all could do with a bit more bass impact and/or warmth, and I listen to cans like the LCD-2, LCD-3 etc thinking they could do with more definition, air and a wider soundstage, I listen to the Z1Rs and don't feel I'm missing or wanting any particular thing or aspect of the sonic signature. If you asked my how I'd tweak their sound signature to improve them, I honestly couldn't tell you. I don't have any EQ profiles for them on any of my devices, apps or players, because they simply don't need one. They're slightly on the warmer side, sure, but only enough to be less fatiguing and more atmospheric, not enough to be slightly dark, cloudy or less wide sounding like certain high end warm cans, nor as shrill or harsh sounding as other V shaped high end cans.

In many ways the Z1R's sort of sound like a HD800S with more warmth, smoothness and a fairly notable amount of added bass impact (especially sub bass), which for me is pretty much ideal.

It's surprising and refreshing to have a warm, relatively bassy can like the Z1R that still manages to retain such a wide soundstage, coupled with a potent level of air, articulation, detail and imaging, whilst still being non fatiguing and/or inoffensive. Best of all, they're closed so you get minimal noise bleed and interference. I'm listening to mine as I type this right now and my wife is asleep right next to me!

Kudos to Sony for finding that magic balance.

I feel just like you
Indeed ZIR
With excellent amplification and BAL mode
Surpassing all 3 HD800 pairs that I had + their compatible amplifier P-1U/BCL

THANK YOU FOR THE POST

 

[Sp12er3]

How could that be?
Magnesium or dome
Exploding
???
I saw the picture very strange
I'm starting to be afraid of mine
Soon I'm out of Sony's responsibility

What happens then?

there can be many reasons and unknown circumstances that may befall that unfortunate Z1R, unbeknownst to the owner. Many Sony headphone uses the same driver diameter, 70 mm, tarting from XB1000, to MA900 then Z7, finally Z1R here, it's the first time i hear one of them to break without an obvious reason.
There should not be any design flaws like the R10 here (Sony does learn), so no worries for anyone else that own these.

 

[pietcux]

How could that be?
Magnesium or dome
Exploding
???
I saw the picture very strange
I'm starting to be afraid of mine
Soon I'm out of Sony's responsibility

What happens then?

To me it looks like some fluid that found its way into the driver space. Maybe the owner maintained the leather and this leaked on the driver.

 

[Fifty five]

it's look like something poke into driver...

 

[rgs9200m]

Well, I will still vote for the Sony/Kimber cable. In my 2 systems, it sounds extremely captivating but not overwhelming, boomy, or oversaturated or syrupy. It's just right. It adds some fullness to the stock cable and makes the highs, especially the upper highs, more liquid.

 

[musicmaker]

How can a closed headphone sound so open and spacious ? How ? I'm loving the Z1R. Its got the qualities I value - great bass that doesn't bleed into the midrange, great imaging, non fatiguing treble and just the right amount of overall seductive warmth. Going to build a dac and amp setup around the Z1R. My other headphones will go up for sale.

 

[pietcux]

How can a closed headphone sound so open and spacious ? How ? I'm loving the Z1R. Its got the qualities I value - great bass that doesn't bleed into the midrange, great imaging, non fatiguing treble and just the right amount of overall seductive warmth. Going to build a dac and amp setup around the Z1R. My other headphones will go up for sale.

The SONY engineers put a lot of effort in the cup design. The paper kinda deletes the sound that is made by the backside of the driver. In normal closed headphones, the sound is reflected and creates a more closed and uneven sound. Sennheiser also did something similar with their new HD820. They use Helmholz resonator to eliminate the reflected sound from the backside of the driver. It is also to make the closed HD820 sound open.

 

[ervin192]

Well, I will still vote for the Sony/Kimber cable. In my 2 systems, it sounds extremely captivating but not overwhelming, boomy, or oversaturated or syrupy. It's just right. It adds some fullness to the stock cable and makes the highs, especially the upper highs, more liquid.

I actually prefer the airy highs of the stock cable (I'm still using it), and think it's really a great pity that the stock one is so poorly constructed. Sony's men claimed they tuned this headphone with the stock cable; it's very hard to understand their choice.

 

[vr1]

How can a closed headphone sound so open and spacious ? How ? I'm loving the Z1R. Its got the qualities I value - great bass that doesn't bleed into the midrange, great imaging, non fatiguing treble and just the right amount of overall seductive warmth. Going to build a dac and amp setup around the Z1R. My other headphones will go up for sale.

Hi musicmaker,
What dac and amp do you have in mind ? I am kind of hesitating on getting the TA-ZH1ES or others ?

 

[music_man]

I maintain it is indeed worthy of being a flagship headphone regardless of price. I think many of you concur. I would easily compare it to utopia, lcd 4, sr009 and especially r10 and 010. I do think they made it better than previous efforts. considering the price of the r10 or 010 now it becomes a clear winner. to me at least. my feeling is add a very good cable and you have some very serious stuff right here. depends on your amp and dac too. I do not plug headphones into any dac. the headamp is almost always an afterthought just to please everyone. unfortunately it has been years since you could get the amp I am using and I wish people could hear this. it blows away everything balanced in the house and is se. I have not heard the new es dac/amp but I doubt it approaches my Cullen amp and ayre qx-5 twenty I am using. I always have preferred solid state with sony's. ymmv of course. I know other headphones are getting all the attention but to me this is my favorite out now period. feed them nicely and they are incredible headphones. so glad I got these and did not replace the ps2ke. I prefer the original ps1k anyways. not to these though. you can listen to these for hours. competent but very polite. everything just sounds good. even bad recordings. they are nothing like the hd800s for instance. I would have completely overlooked these and so glad I didn't. I love these. not even listening to loudspeakers right now.

 

[Witcher]

My Z1R is the only pair of headphones that's constantly nagging at me to stop looking at other headphones. I still do, of course, but somehow even after trying/buying some other headphones, the Sony is still my comfort zone. Some how, even for days when I have a headache, or something's stopping me from enjoying my HD800S or ADX5000, these still feel very comfortable to listen to.

 

[macdane]

I've been away for a long, long time and don't own any cutting-edge gear as a reference (Beyer 880 and AKG K501 driven by a Meier Corda Prehead) but saw this thread and wanted to poke my head up for a minute.

I had a chance to listen to the MDR-Z1R/TA-ZH1ES for an hour or so over the holidays and happened to have a USB drive full of my own hi-res music to play. In terms of a natural, relaxed presentation, and fidelity to very familiar source material, I was floored. Soundstaging was extremely credible in spite of the lack of crossfeed (I'm accustomed to a bit of it but couldn't find the option on the Sony amp). Utter lack of fatigue both sonically and physically, this coming from a guy who wears glasses and likes a "light touch" when it comes to fit.

Perhaps the best compliment I can give is that it never occurred to me that this was a closed-back headphone. Color me impressed. This is the first product in 10 years that has me thinking about headphones again instead of just enjoying mine.

Dane

 

[musicmaker]

Hi musicmaker,
What dac and amp do you have in mind ? I am kind of hesitating on getting the TA-ZH1ES or others ?

I'm planning on getting the Holo Spring Level 3 Kitsune tuned dac + violectric v280

I'm currently using the Z1R with my portable setup (iPod/Algorythm Solo -db dac/Vorzamp Pure II+) and it sounds great. The Pure II+ and Z1R are a match made in heaven.

I think a good cable will take the headhones to a new level. I'm going to diy a jena labs recable just like I did with my Fostex TH900 mk2. Or perhaps silver which may complement the Z1Rs better.

 

[musicmaker]

I see some folks are using silver cables on their Z1R. Does anyone have a recommendation for a flexible silver cable that doesn't break the bank ?

 

[pietcux]

I see some folks are using silver cables on their Z1R. Does anyone have a recommendation for a flexible silver cable that doesn't break the bank ?

@Whitigir did a lot of modding on the Z7 and on diy cables for the Z1r. There are a lot of post from him in the old locked Z1r thread regarding this.