[Malevolent]

Reading your posts guided me to a Z1r and I'm very greatful. As a bass guitar player I really wanted a headphone that delivered on a high level for bass and mid- bass frequencies and mission accomplished!

I'm glad to hear that!

The texture of the bass on the MDR-Z1R is quite special; it's truly a forte of this headphone. Enjoy your time with them!

 

[Malevolent]

Great thread, guys -- I actually prefer open-back headphones, but about a year and a half ago I started looking for better closed backs because, well, sometimes closed really just makes a lot more sense.

I have ended up with some mid-fi gems I really do enjoy like the Focal Elegia, the Sony MDR-Z7 (first gen, which I know are loved/hated depending on whom you ask lol), the NightOwl, Shure SRH1540, and the Amiron Wireless -- but I am definitely lusting after many of the fine 'phones ya'll have been discussing, 'specially the ZMF Vérité Closed (man, those are gorgeous!) and the Denons and the Z1R, which I definitely want to have my ears in one day.

I'm noting the conspicuous absence of the much-hated HD 820, though, lol. I still want to try them someday, although I doubt I would ever pay what they're asking for them.

All of these headphones that you've mentioned, the Elegia, the MDR-Z7, the SRH1540, the NightOwl Carbon, they are all fine choices! In fact, I recently contacted my local distributor, in the hopes of scoring a NightOwl Carbon (at a discounted price). Sadly, it appears that they are are of production.

Speaking of the HD 820, I didn't enjoy my time with them. Like its open-back brethren, the HD 800 and the HD 800 S, the HD 820 was supremely detailed, with top-tier imaging and micro-detail reproduction capabilities. Sadly, I didn't enjoy its low-end presentation - the bass sounded somewhat disjointed, and it lacked the impact and slam that I generally crave in my headphones. I don't think that they are that bad, it's just not my cup of tea, I suppose.

 

[bythebookiii]

Here we go again...

If this is Z1r's little brother, I'm definitely liking what I'm hearing.

My issues with comfort, oh God... these are the most comfortable HPs I've ever tried... by far.!

V-Shaped with a lot of body, meaty bass, powerful vocals and mids, and even though it doesn't have the brightness and clarity of ATH's sound signature, the highs are there in a pleasant way.

One thing is clear, the D9200 is really a detail monster, however I'm really pleased with how Sony presents the resolution and sound in a balanced way at a $500 price point with these cans.

The Z1r is now definitely a target and I hope they drop their actual price of $1.699. Would this be possible on Black Friday?

@Malevolent or anyone, I really appreciate a comparison between these 2 Sonys.

Comfort is always going to be a game changer for me.

Thanks

 

[noplsestar]

Did you guys know that Romi-Audio also have their own closed back headphone??? I didn't and just saw some nice pics

https://www.romiaudio.com/product-page/romi-audio-headphone-hp-v100

Romi Audio Headphone HP-V100 Stereo overhead headphone 53mm freeflow nano fibre drive Wooden case 6N ofc inter connect cable SMC high frequency connector Including 2M Encryption Series Cable : Odor (OCC copper shielding cable ) Can choose 3.5, 2.5, 4.4 or 6.35 plug.

Information Input impedance : 24ohms Frequency response : 5-55,000 Hz Maximun power input : 1800mW Inspiration : 105dB/mW

Do we already have a dedicated Romi thread @F700?

 

[F700]

Did you guys know that Romi-Audio also have their own closed back headphone??? I didn't and just saw some nice pics

https://www.romiaudio.com/product-page/romi-audio-headphone-hp-v100

Romi Audio Headphone HP-V100 Stereo overhead headphone 53mm freeflow nano fibre drive Wooden case 6N ofc inter connect cable SMC high frequency connector Including 2M Encryption Series Cable : Odor (OCC copper shielding cable ) Can choose 3.5, 2.5, 4.4 or 6.35 plug.

Information Input impedance : 24ohms Frequency response : 5-55,000 Hz Maximun power input : 1800mW Inspiration : 105dB/mW

Do we already have a dedicated Romi thread @F700?

They look nice. The Romi thread will be created tonight or tomorrow night

 

[Nostoi]

They look nice. The Romi thread will be created tonight or tomorrow night

Those headphones look intriguing. Price is reasonable and I'd keen to hear more.

And I agree, dedicated Romi thread would be good. Of which, just uploaded some cursory impressions of BX2 Plus here.

 

[arielext]

Did you guys know that Romi-Audio also have their own closed back headphone??? I didn't and just saw some nice pics

https://www.romiaudio.com/product-page/romi-audio-headphone-hp-v100

Romi Audio Headphone HP-V100 Stereo overhead headphone 53mm freeflow nano fibre drive Wooden case 6N ofc inter connect cable SMC high frequency connector Including 2M Encryption Series Cable : Odor (OCC copper shielding cable ) Can choose 3.5, 2.5, 4.4 or 6.35 plug.

Information Input impedance : 24ohms Frequency response : 5-55,000 Hz Maximun power input : 1800mW Inspiration : 105dB/mW

Do we already have a dedicated Romi thread @F700?

Mental note: I do not need any more headphones!
My gosh what a beauty it is!
Denon meets Ollo (by looking at the hinges); industrial ánd beauty in one.
I've invested heavily in my non-closed can setup last few months but I'll bookmark this one for future reference.

 

[Adnen Ayed]

I listen to my music with the mdr-R10 whenever I find the time to lay back and let my self immerse in music.
I found nothing like it to get hi just listening to guitar drifts, Guilmour or Clapton solos, piano, rock, jazz, classical, anything...
Since I don't like heavy bass, the R10 was the thing for me.
Recently, I started listening to wireless phones, hoping to make the music immersing moments more frequent.

 

[Nostoi]

Mental note: I do not need any more headphones!
My gosh what a beauty it is!
Denon meets Ollo (by looking at the hinges); industrial ánd beauty in one.
I've invested heavily in my non-closed can setup last few months but I'll bookmark this one for future reference.

Edit.

 

[Roderick]

Call me a negative Nancy but seems to me they just bought some stuff from Alibaba put it together and decided it's worth allmost 800usd. And that screw on cable? Why would anyone do that in 2020.

€ 66,30 35%OFF | 101mm Over Ear Headphone DIY Wooden HiFi Headphone Housing Bluetooth Headphone Shell Case DIY 40MM 50MM 53MM
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrckwu5

€ 56,11 35%OFF | 53MM 24 ohm Nano-fiber Diaphragm Headphone Speaker Unit HiFi DIY for AH-D9200 Headphone Driver Loudspeakers 105dB/W
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mP8bmrx

 

[Nostoi]

Call me a negative Nancy but seems to me they just bought some stuff from Alibaba put it together and decided it's worth allmost 800usd. And that screw on cable? Why would anyone do that in 2020.

€ 66,30 35%OFF | 101mm Over Ear Headphone DIY Wooden HiFi Headphone Housing Bluetooth Headphone Shell Case DIY 40MM 50MM 53MM
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrckwu5

€ 56,11 35%OFF | 53MM 24 ohm Nano-fiber Diaphragm Headphone Speaker Unit HiFi DIY for AH-D9200 Headphone Driver Loudspeakers 105dB/W
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mP8bmrx

Hm, well spotted. Possibly worth asking Romi if the parts are indeed the same. Hard to say without knowing more details on the headphones.

 

[MakubexGB]

Did you guys know that Romi-Audio also have their own closed back headphone??? I didn't and just saw some nice pics

https://www.romiaudio.com/product-page/romi-audio-headphone-hp-v100

Romi Audio Headphone HP-V100 Stereo overhead headphone 53mm freeflow nano fibre drive Wooden case 6N ofc inter connect cable SMC high frequency connector Including 2M Encryption Series Cable : Odor (OCC copper shielding cable ) Can choose 3.5, 2.5, 4.4 or 6.35 plug.

Information Input impedance : 24ohms Frequency response : 5-55,000 Hz Maximun power input : 1800mW Inspiration : 105dB/mW

Do we already have a dedicated Romi thread @F700?

Interesting. They give me a bit of a Denon vibe.

 

[obsidyen]

Call me a negative Nancy but seems to me they just bought some stuff from Alibaba put it together and decided it's worth allmost 800usd. And that screw on cable? Why would anyone do that in 2020.

I agree... I would rather spend that much money for renowned companies like Denon, Focal, Beyer, Fostex etc...

 

[noplsestar]

Call me a negative Nancy but seems to me they just bought some stuff from Alibaba put it together and decided it's worth allmost 800usd. And that screw on cable? Why would anyone do that in 2020.

€ 66,30 35%OFF | 101mm Over Ear Headphone DIY Wooden HiFi Headphone Housing Bluetooth Headphone Shell Case DIY 40MM 50MM 53MM
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mrckwu5

€ 56,11 35%OFF | 53MM 24 ohm Nano-fiber Diaphragm Headphone Speaker Unit HiFi DIY for AH-D9200 Headphone Driver Loudspeakers 105dB/W
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mP8bmrx

Hm, well spotted. Possibly worth asking Romi if the parts are indeed the same. Hard to say without knowing more details on the headphones.

It‘s highl probably they did it that way. BUT don’t forget that everything they sell is of high quality when it comes to sound. Who knows how they put together their great sounding portable amps?
They are modders and not the guys who build something thats entirely new. As I see it they take something that is already there, assemble it in another way, and pull it to a higher level by doing so.
What I like about them is the fact that they are not boldly talking here how great they are and how great their products are (so kind of the opposite of the ifi-promo guys around here), but they only do their work quietly with success.

 

[MakubexGB]

The Stellia are in.



The battle against the VC begins


Only one will survive. The other one will go on the classifieds forum.

Alright, to follow up on my previous post. These are my impressions. I'm no reviewer, so I'm just going to describe what I hear as best I can.

First, I know I could stand to let the Stellia burn in more. I have left the headphones playing music even when I'm away since I got them but I understand it might not be enough. However, I don't think the main difference that I find separates these two headphones is going to change much even after burning in. I've looked at descriptions of these headphones from others and it seems to fall in line.

Both headphones are very detailed. I'm not going to dwell much in detail retrieval because I find both to be very resolving. The Stellia is brighter with more slam. It has excellent clarity, especially in the highs. It's also more dynamic but at the same time, that quality can make it a little fatiguing. The highs can be a bit harsh sometimes. Because of how dynamic it can be, it can cause you to brace for parts in the song where you know a louder high note is coming. Not too bad, though. The base is tighter and punchier. The headphone is also lighter but not actually more comfortable at stock (I say at stock because there are easy ways too fix this). The headband, like in other Focal headphones, is not cushioned enough.

The Verite Closed has better soundstage and imaging. Imagine is excellent. The sound stage is wider than the Stellia's which surprised me. It's warmer/darker in sound. Enough that when compared with brighter headphones, like the Stellia, it can give the impression that it sounds less clear. However, it also has excellent detail retrieval. The base is more pronounced (although with less slam) but it can be a bit bloomy sometimes. That is, it decays more slowly and it can muddle the sound a bit in some songs (just a tad). The good thing is this can be tamed a bit by switching pads. I found this bloominess to be a little less with the Suede pads, maybe because there's less reverb. The VC are certainly less fatiguing for long listening sessions but sometimes it's a bit too inoffensive. The same quality that makes it non-offensive can sometimes leave you wanting for that extra oomph in the highs. It's very comfy but heavier so you might feel the weight after a few hours. Not too heavy, though.

All in all, I wish these two would stop fooling around and just had a baby already! I'd love to keep the clarity, slam and tightness of the Stellia and combine it with the soundstage and imaging of the VC.

If I were to only use one of these to exclusively for music, I'd keep the Stellia. The features that can make it a little bit fatiguing also make it more fun! Where as with the VC, as great as they sound, they are so laid back that your attention might start roaming away from the music. The Stellia will bring you back into focus. Especially when drums come in. That slam... so good.

All that said, because I'm not going to use the pair I keep just for music, but also for everything else I do on my PC, including the occasional gaming, I think I'm going to have to let the Stellia go. To me, the amount the VC is better at soundstage and imaging is greater than the amount the Stellia is better at slam and clarity. I wish I could keep them both. I shall miss you Stellia.

Look for the Stellia in the For Sale section soon if you're interested. In my pursuit to find a VC+Stellia child, I'm looking to try the Audio Technica ATH-AWKT next.

Edit: All my listening was done on PC > Schiit Modius > Topping A90 balanced. Sometimes I ran them both at the same time (XLR and 4.4mm) and sometimes I switched between them both on the XLR output. I found no difference between the outputs or between having them playing at the same time or individually.