@Tristy Got a little time to compare the Z1R and the Trio... these two are much harder to compare than the trio and the andromeda gold because I think they are definitely playing at the same level technically where there was a fairly clear (even if small) difference between the trio and andro.
I guess Ill start with treble. Though I think my personal experiences with the Z1R do not quite match some the conventional wisdom surrounding them. Most people say the treble runs a bit hot and that a deeper insertion is necessary to tame it. That has never been my experience. Treble has always been super smooth for me on the Z1R and never hot. I bring that up because it definitely presents as smoother to me than the trio. There is no loss of detail there, just smooth and detailed. The trio by comparison feels like it has the edge on clarity, but again no real difference in detail if that makes sense.
Mids feel relatively similar here, with again maybe a feeling of a bit more clarity on the trio, while the z1r feels slightly recessed and maybe not as clear. Not a dig at the quality on the z1r, just kind of a different way to present things. Again more of a smooth feeling on the z1r.
Bass again feels to me kind of like the trio again aims for definition, while the z1r is again all about that smoothness. Bass is quicker on the trio, while its definitely slower and kind of lingers on the z1r making it sound more full and rich, even though I am not sure theres a huge difference between bass quantity between them. I do have to say that the bass on the z1r is possibly the best bass I have heard on an IEM. Its not for everyone since its not quick or super defined, but its just presented in such a natural way that makes songs sound really rich and full without beating you over the head with the bass.
So yea, kind of hard to compare between the two for me. They are both excellent, really really good. I think if I had to sum it up, I would say that the z1r is smooth, while the trio is a bit sharper and more defined. Both are very very detailed and not lacking in resolution, just a different way to present things. The z1r would almost be more like an analog interpretation while the trio is slightly more digital.
Some other things. Soundstage is excellent on both. Hard to compare there for me. As I said in my andromeda comparison, they are obviously still IEMs so most of the sound is still inside the head. But theres a nice sense of space and separation on them, and both are relatively 3d, at least as much as you can get with an IEM (well, based on my listening experiences so far).
The trio is more sensitive than the z1r, on my N6II with E01 on medium gain, I needed maybe 8 or so more on the volume count with the z1r to get somewhat similar listening volume. Both are dead quiet and have no hiss.
Comfort though for me is no contest, not even a little. The Z1R is big, bulky, and quite heavy. I have had to resort to numerous tricks in my time with it to get it from being painful and uncomfortable to a place where its acceptable, though still not particularly comfortable. The trio is just about perfect for my ears. No pressure points that I can tell, and just really comfortable. Only issue with the trio for me is the cable. Memory wire isnt my favorite and its stiff and kind of microphonic. The cable on the Z1R is much nicer, but the earhooks are rather hefty, which causes its own additional discomfort for me. Of course cables are swappable, so that may or may not matter to others.
I think if I was choosing purely on sound, it would be tough to call as they are both quite good. I might still give the edge to the Z1R as its timbre is really smooth and natural and its just a nice relaxing yet fun listen. But on the whole, I likely would choose the trio, as they are both pretty close to my preferences in frequency response. Neither also really stands out as "better" as they are just kind of two different flavors of great (in my mind). But the comfort on the trio I think gives it a bit of an edge in deciding which I would reach for more often. But I shall have to see which I end up reaching for more once the new toy syndrome of the trio wears off.
I had a few people who are first time 64 Audio buyers pinging me being confused while reading polar opposite impressions here, trying to figure out how iem will sound after reading reviews, impressions, videos, and graphs, all contradicting each other. I mean, eartips selection alone with make a big difference with Fourte/Noir lower treble if you go between stock silicone vs stock foamies. So, maybe a good idea to mention which eartips you guys are using.
