[Mediahound]

  I'm a big believer in cables but the stock cable is no joke. It really sounds excellent. In fact I'd be wary changing what I'm hearing and breaking what isn't broken.

Unlike the Z7, the Z1R stock cable is really pretty good. It was pretty bad on the Z7 however. 

 

[thatonenoob]

  Thanks for the input guys on 800/t1/th900 etc
 
many on here are not hardcore into headphones and maybe into car audio/home audio more
 
and really after some mid fi settle on one flagship and move on
 
so its vital they make the right choice
 
some people have headphones as their main hobby and can "collect" summit fi
 
most of the population dont
 
so this info is great
 
and its nice that some people defend that th900 b/c to me its one of the most soulful cans, and though probably not an R10, its not thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat far off
 
I bet if it was a limited run of 300 as well, it would be considered "LEGENDARY" league
 
don't deny it

 
i'm half joking, lets not go mental here haha
 
 

I actually laughed at that one.  Cheers man and all the best! 

 

[rgs9200m]

The Sony Kimber cable is on ebay for about $200 + $14 shipping (or $24 for faster shipping). Search for Sony Kimber on ebay. Model # MUC-B30UM1 . 1/4 inch plug.
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-headphone-cable-Replacement-MUC-B30UM1-Japan-new/132059037236?_trksid=p2054502.c100227.m3827&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908103841%26meid%3D991835e19e8e4a59ae4dcb2927ff9d45%26pid%3D100227%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D14%26sd%3D132059037236

 

[Naim.F.C]

   
I'll stand by the definition, having said that I will be ordering a pair of these. 300 pages would indicate extreme and or fanatical support and belief. It may be due or it may not be due based on further subjective assessment. It will be well deserved once greater availability and broader listening opportunities are available. I am however skeptical about the relative merits given that they seem to compare to T1's and the Elear both significantly less expensive than the Z1R. I hope they broadly outperform both but well see over time.
 
Hey I am just as guilty as the next member given my support of the HD 800 and several JH products in the past. 
adjective
 

• 1. 
  having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of or belief in something.
  "the show's small but rabid fan base"
  

  synonyms:

  extreme, fanatical, overzealous, extremist, maniacal, passionate, fervent, overkeen, diehard, uncompromising, illiberal; More

  
  
  
  
  

 
The mistake you're making is assuming more expensive automatically means better sounding. If the T1's are being praised, or used for comparison, that's a good sign, and indicative of a more mature discussion taking place. The T1's are incredible world class headphones that hang with the best of them. The price should not be a barrier to that. Eg if they're cheaper, you should not automatically assume they're less capable. In that sense, even the Z1R's are not necessarily better than the T1's, just different. Do I prefer the Z1R's? Overall, yes, depending on the genre of music I'm listening to, but that doesn't mean everyone else will.
 
If I wasn't allowed to resell, but was stuck on a desert island with electricity and music, I'd still take the T1.1 over the HD800, LCD3, PS1000, K812 etc. The Z1R's are the first cans I've felt are good enough to warrant me keeping them, in a while now, but even then I don't think they're going to be ideal for all people, or all types of music.
 
I personally regard myself as someone who's not really easily caught up in hype. 
 
I've preferred amp/dac's like the O2+ODAC to amps and dacs orders of magnitude more expensive.
I've used $500-$1000 cables that in blind testing I found sounded exactly the same as affordable or stock one's.
I've actually preferred the sound of EQ'd IEM's like the Westone 4's, to their more expensive (often prohibitively so) and newer counterparts like the W40, W50 and W60.
I bought the T1.2's on release and still preferred the T1.1's, posting my comparison with reasons why. 
I've been critical of otherwise super popular headphones at the actual time of their release/hype, eg the HD800 which people as a larger consensus only in recent years have been quicker to admit sounds a bit peaky and thin.
Or the LCD2's which people only more commonly criticised for being too laid back and rolled off once the LCD3's, XC's, 4's etc started dropping. I mean it's funny when you look back at those old threads, with some people passionately defending the LCD2's as not actually lacking in any detail, sparkle or highs, and here we are several releases later where it seems one of Audeze's focuses with each new release, has ironically been adding in extra detail, sparkle and up top emphasis lol. 
 
For the record, I'm not suggesting that opinions that differ from mine are worse, just that we should all strive to be more consistent in our opinions. If one minute you claim the LCD2's are not laid back or rolled off in any way, just smoother to an ideal level. And the next minute you claim the Revision 2 improved them up top, and then the same again with the LCD3, and again with the LCD4, that means your initial impression of the original LCD2 was off the mark.

With that being said, whilst I respect your scepticism (very healthy to have in this hobby especially), I don't think it's necessarily fair to imply the popularity of this thread or the positivity within it, is a product borne predominantly of hype. I think when you're on this forum long enough, you start to tell apart the BS artists from those who are a bit more honest or realistic.

There are unfortunately some who do indeed basically nearly always defend the latest, greatest, or most expensive. Where if you have a bad impression of something where the consensus is different, or that they've been praising, it's not the headphone, nor are your impressions accurate, instead it's the fault of your set up. You just haven't spent enough thousands to get the most out of your cans, with absurdly priced amps, dacs, cables and other nonsense like that. These are often some of the very same people discussed earlier who often fallback on previous impressions and points they've made once the latest and greatest comes out. Over time you do sort of get a somewhat better idea of who they are lol.

Thankfully this thread has seen it's fair share of impressions from fairly candid and realistic posters like ThatOneNoob which should inspire some confidence that the discussions taking place are at least somewhat more credible.
 
/rant

 

[nanaholic]

  He sort of blew them off at RMAF (Sony video)..but recently stated at 2017 CES ..he's going to give them a listen.  Everyone's taste is different...I find that if he likes something....I probably won't.  Doesn't make him wrong.  
 
Bern

 
I'm in the same boat - I rarely like phones which Tyll likes. I appreciate his measurements and his objective interpretation of those data, but his subjective preference for a certain sound signature cannot be more further apart than my subjective taste, as evident in how I own both the T1 and the K812 which he had panned pretty vocally. I'll never own a HD800, I simply don't like the ultra-wide sound stage presentation that it does to the song I listen to, or the LCDs because they are way too dark for my taste, and these are phones which Tyll do like.
 
I've listened to the Z1R a few times now out of my Walkman at different occasions and I quite like them, perhaps once the price drops a bit more I might pick up a pair.  I hope the usual online reviewers keep panning them because that's how prices drop really quick for these TOTL phones. 

 

[raypin]

Mm..stock cable is quite good. But it is way too long. I'm thinking of having it shorthened and reterminated with 4-pin XLR.

 

[thatonenoob]

   
 
/rant

This is not a rant.  This is a great perspective.  Cheers! 

 

[likwacheng]

IS Z1r confirmed to have the better bass over th900. Is this agreed across the board now?

And is Z1R technically better than t1hd/800? And is this agreed across the board?

And seems it is the most musical?


Is it safe to assume Z1R > T1> TH900

I only need one dream can, and cross out all others.

Can only save up for one! And hopefully still in stock when i do save up

Well that depends on how you define "technical".
Technically, HD800 is almost unbeatable. I own both 800s and Z1r. I use them for different genres. For classical and instrumental music, 800s is surely for the win. The airiness and live experience is just incredible. Also the clarity and separation is awesome on the 800s which Z1r cannot achieve. But don't get it wrong, z1r is definitely capable of presenting classical music. Actually the soundstage of Z1r is really similar to 800s which is very impressive, but 800s has the openness and high extension that Z1r lack of. This makes 800s a better classical performer. But for any other genres, Z1r is definitely better. Z1r is superior for pop, rock, or any genres that needs vocals or bass. So Z1r and HD800S is the best supplement combo for me at the moment.

 

[227qed]

So...I'm a little behind here. Does the subbass extension, quantity, impact, etc rival the th900?

 

[LaCuffia]

Well that depends on how you define "technical".
Technically, HD800 is almost unbeatable. I own both 800s and Z1r. I use them for different genres. For classical and instrumental music, 800s is surely for the win. The airiness and live experience is just incredible. Also the clarity and separation is awesome on the 800s which Z1r cannot achieve. But don't get it wrong, z1r is definitely capable of presenting classical music. Actually the soundstage of Z1r is really similar to 800s which is very impressive, but 800s has the openness and high extension that Z1r lack of. This makes 800s a better classical performer. But for any other genres, Z1r is definitely better. Z1r is superior for pop, rock, or any genres that needs vocals or bass. So Z1r and HD800S is the best supplement combo for me at the moment.

That's what I was thinking - it seems that they would each provide different qualities and be nice one-two punch. What amp do you use with the 800s? I guess it's a very finicky headphone to get the perfect tuning.

 

[Sonic Defender]

So...I'm a little behind here. Does the subbass extension, quantity, impact, etc rival the th900?

If I read things correctly most seem to think the Z1R is the better of the two in all aspects of bass performance.

 

[likwacheng]

So...I'm a little behind here. Does the subbass extension, quantity, impact, etc rival the th900?

I'm a little confused also about the earlier "need more subbass " statement. IMO Z1r has almost the best subbass extension. If the statement said Z1r need more mid bass, that would make better sense. But I actually find the bass pretty perfect, absolutely better than th900

 

[thatonenoob]

I'm a little confused also about the earlier "need more subbass " statement. IMO Z1r has almost the best subbass extension. If the statement said Z1r need more mid bass, that would make better sense. But I actually find the bass pretty perfect, absolutely better than th900

The Z1R needs more midbass?  I feel that anymore and you may have a Z7 or something potentially worse.
 
Here's what I heard - TH900 has less midbass than the Z1R. Subbass performance comparable.  Charts show the Z1R has slightly more of it. 
 
The real difference between the TH900 and Z1R bass sections is the midbass.  The midbass adds that intimacy and involvement that you see many describe the Z1R as having.  It also reduces the perceived "airiness" of the sound.  TH900 has less midbass as far as I could tell, hence the subbass.  I've found no problem with it - but I've seen it described as "droning".
 
FR wise, you see that the TH900 takes a linear slope from its midbass through the lower mids until it hits a recessed upper midrange.  The Z1R takes a large dip in the lower mids, but is fairly flat from there on out.  Z1R experiences a treble peak in 3K region, whereas TH900 does its thing in the 7K+ (i.e. spicy treble).  

Z1R is definitely better all around.  TH900 is still a great complement if you have an existing headphone depending on your tastes!

 

[SHAMuuu]

Not to sound corny but does this have enough musical prowess to make soul weep on those emotional songs or it's a get em dancing type can or both?

I'm an underground hip hop head but bass cans best for that.

Flagship I would get for favorite vocalist Jewel. Is Z1r BEST FOR JEWEL. help with this by testing by someone if they have few flagship would be awesome

I always figured the top dog cans make the singer present that's why they're so highly regarded. Comments opinions welcome

If someone has t1 th900 z1r and compare for songs

DOwn under by men at work
Electric bird sia
You were meant for me by Jewel

I know longshot but would help lol.

 

[likwacheng]

The Z1R needs more midbass?  I feel that anymore and you may have a Z7 or something potentially worse.

Here's what I heard - TH900 has less midbass than the Z1R. Subbass performance comparable.  Charts show the Z1R has slightly more of it. 

The real difference between the TH900 and Z1R bass sections is the midbass.  The midbass adds that intimacy and involvement that you see many describe the Z1R as having.  It also reduces the perceived "airiness" of the sound.  TH900 has less midbass as far as I could tell, hence the subbass.  I've found no problem with it - but I've seen it described as "droning".

FR wise, you see that the TH900 takes a linear slope from its midbass through the lower mids until it hits a recessed upper midrange.  The Z1R takes a large dip in the lower mids, but is fairly flat from there on out.  Z1R experiences a treble peak in 3K region, whereas TH900 does its thing in the 7K+ (i.e. spicy treble).  


Z1R is definitely better all around.  TH900 is still a great complement if you have an existing headphone depending on your tastes!

I don't think Z1r needs anymore bass. I've state that I think the bass is pretty perfect.