[up late]

Interesting. For the lazy

then be grateful that i could be bothered posting about it

 

[musicday]

I loved how they said the ears get warm after a while using them,but isn't that common with every single pair of closed back headphones?

 

[up late]

it's a hi-fi review site that covers all manner of electronics gear, including headphones. some readers of that review might not even own a headphone, so that observation about the z1r could be useful for them to know.

 

[dxanex]

   
(have to say I don't really agree with them regarding pairing difficulties. Compared to an HD800 and so on, they're as plug-and-play as it gets).

 
Do you reckon my humble FiiO E18 would do the trick while I'm on the road, or should I expect to shell out for a Chord Mojo?

 

[beowulf]

then be grateful that i could be bothered posting about it

 
Guess you misunderstood me, I was not calling you lazy, merely helping people [like me] who sometimes like to read the conclusion and don't go to the site. Definitely grateful
 

I loved how they said the ears get warm after a while using them,but isn't that common with every single pair of closed back headphones?

 
Pretty much, I would say. But the ones with velour pads (and PU leather, in my opinion) sometimes warm-up less if the room is hot.
 

  Do you reckon my humble FiiO E18 would do the trick while I'm on the road, or should I expect to shell out for a Chord Mojo?

 
You definitely don't need a Mojo, the E18 should pull it off decently.
With some... patience, last gen cellphones can drive the Z1R to an enjoyable level, but it's not something you want to be doing unless necessary. They do scale well with juicier amplification - my point was just that it is not absolutely essential (unlike for example an HD800, which loses a lot more if driven unamped).

 

[buzzlulu]

I just read the Hi-fi plus eview. I remain confused by what they say.

They state the source for their testing was a Naim NDS/555PS with amplification duty provided by the Chord Hugo. I am a Naim user - the Naim NDS is a Streamer/Dac. As such it is outputting a signal which has already been converted to an Analogue signal i.e. DAC duties have been already done. . They are using the Hugo strictly as an amplifier - I assume there is a way to bypass the DAC functionality on the Hugo? Why use a Hugo for amplification? Aren't there better amplifiers than the Hugo – I thought the key to the Hugo lie primarily in its DAC capabilities?

 

[up late]

Guess you misunderstood me, I was not calling you lazy, merely helping people [like me] who sometimes like to read the conclusion and don't go to the site. Definitely grateful

well it was phrased in such a way that left it open to misinterpretation but thanks for clarifying

 

[up late]

I just read the Hi-fi plus eview. I remain confused by what they say.

They state the source for their testing was a Naim NDS/555PS with amplification duty provided by the Chord Hugo. I am a Naim user - the Naim NDS is a Streamer/Dac. As such it is outputting a signal which has already been converted to an Analogue signal i.e. DAC duties have been already done. . They are using the Hugo strictly as an amplifier - I assume there is a way to bypass the DAC functionality on the Hugo? Why use a Hugo for amplification? Aren't there better amplifiers than the Hugo – I thought the key to the Hugo lie primarily in its DAC capabilities?

it was the what hi fi? review actually. i was under the impression that they used a variety of sources with the z1r, comprising the naim streamer, clearaudio turntable, chord hugo and sony ta-zh1es. note that the ta-zh1es dac/amp was used to drive the z1r in balanced mode. i think that the hugo is single-ended only. i suspect that the reference to the hugo as the (sole) amplifier is probably a mistake.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

We use a head in the store as well. Not sure why we haven't named him yet....

How about Charlie... Everybody know's a Charlie haha.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

  I recently cancelled my order of the Z1R in favour of the Aeon, which I haven't heard. I had the Z1R at a crazy price too, £1,085 brand new. 
 
I had another Z1R for a while, which was slightly damaged, so was returned. I loved the sound with the exception of the bass, which I found a bit too much at times. I also found them a bit uncomfortable, especially in comparison to my HD800S. They do have a fantastic depth and warmth which sounded very true to life to me. 
 
I need an open pair much more than closed, so it made sense given my issues with the Z1R to go for the Aeon, but a bit of a risk not having heard them and being unable to return them. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

You do know the Aeon are closed right ? ... I did however listen to them at the show in NYC last week. And the Aeon sounded fantastic to my ears. But i wouldn't choose them over the Z1R. And the Aeon are comfortable. I think you might be pretty happy with that choice. 

 

[Sarnia]

You do know the Aeon are closed right ? ... I did however listen to them at the show in NYC last week. And the Aeon sounded fantastic to my ears. But i wouldn't choose them over the Z1R. And the Aeon are comfortable. I think you might be pretty happy with that choice. 

I do, I just worded my post poorly. I meant that it made sense to have less expensive closed headphones and spend more on open.

Thanks for the feedback, just need to wait to try them now.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

   
Heh, really?
 
Ok, meet the Sony sisters.

 
Then, the latest one from France in burn-in.

 
Good times.

Nice !!!!!!

 

[Jozurr]

Theres no doubt that the Z1R are the best closed headphones Ive heard too.

 

[Kamil21]

Interesting. For the lazy:


 
Rating: 5/5 With the right source, these are the best closed-back headphones
Our Verdict
These Sonys are the finest closed-back headphones we’ve heard. Feed them with quality electronics and they’ll shine

 
For 

Excellent detail resolution
Even tonal balance
Powerful bass
Plenty of scale
Superb build and finish
Comfortable
 


Against 

Demand quality electronics
 
 
(have to say I don't really agree with them regarding pairing difficulties. Compared to an HD800 and so on, they're as plug-and-play as it gets).

Demand quality electronics???!

I've just sent my Chord Dave back to my living room and now streaming through my iPod. It's not wanting at all in terms of enjoyment.

I guess they just wanted to fill in the blank . If anything, it's not cheap.

 

[Naim.F.C]

Theres no doubt that the Z1R are the best closed headphones Ive heard too.

 
They're my fave headphones full stop lol. I find that they're the best for the majority of music I personally I listen to. Though don't get me wrong, other headphones I own do still perform better with certain tracks or genres.

Ultimately, if I was forced to live on a secluded island for a period of time, and was told I could only take one pair of headphones with me to use, the Z1R's would be those headphones. Other headphones might be able to offer me more transparency or more precision, others still a wider soundstage, some that offered more neutrality, others more bass impact etc, but as a whole?, I find that the balance the Z1R's strike is overall the most engaging, atmospheric and more'ish I've ever heard. 

Whilst this might be a little controversial, I also sort of feel like the Z1R's are the best Audeze headphone, that Audeze never actually produced. Audeze with the LCD line sort of always had that bass emphasised, non-fatiguing, fairly warm or slightly pseudo dark house sound, that in recent years they tweaked or balanced, by bringing more clarity, transparency and a wider sound to the mix, perhaps overcooking it just a touch at times. The Z1R's in a way go for a similar sort of sound and appeal, only I find they strike a more realistic and appealing balance, and ultimately do so whilst being considerably lighter, more comfortable, better ergonomically engineered, and closed to boot.

I still think the Z1R's are overpriced at £1700 though, at least from a production and value proposition standpoint. But I appreciate subjective audio enjoyment is something many struggle to put a price on, evidently including me, hence why I purchased them lol.