[Lookout57]

Would a cable designed for a Hifiman headphone (with the 3mm headphone cup attachments) fit and work on the MDR Z1R? Thank you.

Probably.

 

[nc8000]

Would a cable designed for a Hifiman headphone (with the 3mm headphone cup attachments) fit and work on the MDR Z1R? Thank you.

No, the Sony use a 3,5mm cable. 3,5mm cables designed for other phones may or may not work with the Z1R depending on how they are wired and if they use trs or ts plugs

 

[Hinomotocho]

Would a cable designed for a Hifiman headphone (with the 3mm headphone cup attachments) fit and work on the MDR Z1R? Thank you.

Depending on the model there are some that are listed as compatible, but from my research for cables for the Z1R you'll be best to thoroughly check as there can be slight different measurements of the connectors, or factors like recessed inputs.
I purchased this cable as I was frustrated with the handling/weight /length for the Sony Kimber when watching tv/movies. It lists some Hifiman and works perfectly for my Z1R. I'm not suggesting the cable, just showing what they list as compatible and a picture of the connectors themselves.

 

[SolarCetacean]

My wife, who isn't an audiophile but sometimes uses my headphones, likes the Z1R. I had brought it into the living room to listen while working from my couch, but left it connected to the DAC/amp that serves the TV. Normally, the Aeon 2 Noire is connected there, which my wife uses for her games. I thought my wife would just disconnect the Z1R and put the Aeon back when playing on her PS5, but she tried out the Z1R instead.

I didn't even need to ask her about the headphones; while I was bringing her tea, she said "I like these headphones." She thought they had a much better sense of space compared to the Aeons. She's currently playing Infinite Wealth: Like A Dragon, and she mentioned how the positioning of sounds, both character and ambient city sounds, was clearer on the Z1R. Some dialogue and sound details were also easier to pick up.

 

[gerelmx1986]

Would a cable designed for a Hifiman headphone (with the 3mm headphone cup attachments) fit and work on the MDR Z1R? Thank you.

I highly doubt it as sony is wired differently than other brabds using 3.5mm

 

[gerelmx1986]

https://www.head-fi.org/classifieds/lavricables-grand-for-sony-mdr-z1r-mdr-z7-m2.63564/

I'm selling my mk1 Lavricables Grand pure silver

 

[rgs9200m]

OK thanks for the info on this. For the record I like the Sony Kimber and I also have a Forza which is nice.
I find the stock cables to be sort of opaque, especially in the bass. I really think people who just hear it with the stock cables don't understand what they are missing.

(I have 2 Z1Rs, one from its original introduction and a spare pair because I like it so much. I suspect that if it gets discontinued as is rumored it could become a cult favorite sort of like the R10...)

I'd be really sad without mine.

Has anyone tried the Moon Black or Silver Dragons for the Z1R?

 

[kefs]

Norne Audio cables are outstanding

 

[Lookout57]

OK thanks for the info on this. For the record I like the Sony Kimber and I also have a Forza which is nice.
I find the stock cables to be sort of opaque, especially in the bass. I really think people who just hear it with the stock cables don't understand what they are missing.

(I have 2 Z1Rs, one from its original introduction and a spare pair because I like it so much. I suspect that if it gets discontinued as is rumored it could become a cult favorite sort of like the R10...)

I'd be really sad without mine.

Has anyone tried the Moon Black or Silver Dragons for the Z1R?

I have the Black Dragon for the LCD-X and replaced it with the DHC Complement C. The Complement C works great on the Z1R and is better than the AXIOS Cu,

 

[gerelmx1986]

Lavricables Grand cryo silver

 

[gerelmx1986]

@The1Signature did you resolve the issue with your prion4? I think is not all peter's fault, but more on the head-fi'er who posted the classified for not stating for which headphone the cable was made for... i clearly stated on my Lavricables classified that it was for sony HPs

 

[rgs9200m]

Are the any instructions or videos for replacing the pads on the Z1R? I have a new set of the original genuine Sony pads but I only see instructions for replacing them with Zekoni pads, and I don't want to have any problems.
Thanks.

 

[kefs]

It's just a simple twist

 

[gerelmx1986]

Are the any instructions or videos for replacing the pads on the Z1R? I have a new set of the original genuine Sony pads but I only see instructions for replacing them with Zekoni pads, and I don't want to have any problems.
Thanks.

Even simler than replaving an Utopia pad. Like @kefs said only twist them to attach and detach

 

[sp33ls]

I have recently purchased the Sony MDR-Z1Rs for the third time. You're probably wondering why I have purchased the same thing over and over again; the answer to that question is that I am indecisive and susceptible to peer pressure.

I love these headphones, I always have. I knew that these were the headphones for me when I got them the first time. However, I allowed other people to convince me that I had bad tastes and simply liked the Z1Rs because I didn't know any better.

Surely, I must be deaf and/or uneducated if I like the Z1Rs. Everyone else with any sense agrees that they're terrible!

This is the narrative that was fed to me over and over again by the other audiophiles that I knew and at the time it did negatively impact my psyche.

As a result, every time a new headphone came out claiming to be the best thing since the advent of digital audio I sold off the Z1Rs and jumped back into the rabbit hole-just to be disappointed again and again.

At this point, I have cycled through nearly every flagship on the market just to conclude that the Z1Rs were what I wanted all along. I lament all of the time and money that I wasted to simply end up back where I started, with the headphones that I knew that I wanted in the first place.

-but I had to see if they were right. I had to see if the Z1Rs were the worst flagships. They aren't, in fact they're still my favorite headphones. I just let other people talk me into doubting my own ears.

I'm not sure how many of you were in the community back when the Z1Rs first launched but it was an awful show. I'm still a bit upset about the entire experience. However, I have tried almost every other flagship currently on the market, including electrostatics, and I still love the Z1Rs. They have a special sound that none of the other flagships can touch. Their visceral bass combined with their pure midrange and their comfortably relaxed, but still sparkly, treble results in a trifecta rarely found in flagship headphones. Not to mention that they have incredibly spacious staging in a closed-back package. Every other flagship headphone seems to be chasing the same imaginary ideal that fatigues my ears and gives me a migraine after 30 minutes of playtime. Sony's objective is different, their priority is to be enjoyable.

With the Z1Rs, I can sink into my chair, close my eyes, and forget that they're even on my head. I can listen to the Z1Rs for hours on end without a hint of fatigue. They can rock my skull like a pair of stereo subwoofers playing EDM or they can whisper string quartets into my ears. Whatever I am in the mood for, they have the versatility to deliver it without ever being painful.

I wish that I could say that I enjoyed all of the time that I spent chasing my own tail with other headphones but the truth is that I didn't. I wish that I had the courage to ignore the haters and not burn through tens of thousands of dollars on audio gear that I didn't enjoy. If I could travel back in time I would just keep my first pair of Z1Rs and ignore all of the flavor of the month headphones that people kept saying were a new step in the history of audio reproduction. They were all disappointing and overhyped. This community has a real problem with telling people that they need to get the new hotness and not be happy with what they already have. Once you find a headphone that checks all of your boxes and have great electronics to drive it that's pretty much all there is to it. There is no mythical nirvana waiting to be discovered on the other side of the rainbow. Audio reproduction is not magic. If you like what you have then please, cherish it. If you don't like what you have then that's when you need to make a change. Don't repeat my mistakes.

Funny how I just came across this post after purchasing the Z1R for a second time this weekend. Not sure whether @6PANDEMONIUM6 still has a pair, but the post is on point.

I, too, have FOMO’d onto hype trains, only to be left disappointed. I’ve sold great gear in pursuit of the mythical “best,” and have taken a spin on the Summit-fi Merry-Go-Round.

I’ve since “matured” in my tastes, and have repurchased the Verite Open and Z1R — both of which were considered “wonky” and not competitive in their price brackets by a few reviewers. Now, I find both to be instruments in providing the most musical pleasure I’ve experienced in head-fi.

While my ZMF VC & AC surpass the Z1R in several categories and also prioritize musicality, the Z1R as a complete package is very unique, and I think it’s unlikely to ever be reproduced. I suspect Sony’s successor to the Z1R will not be a “better Z1R,” but instead a different take on music reproduction altogether.

All this to say, the Z1R will inevitably go down as one of the greats, and I don’t intend to make the same mistake twice.