[latestyle]

 
​Isn't there dual 3.5mm Kimber cables for the Z7 that would fit the Z1R? If so might be a great option. The Codex must be a fantastic device.

On the Codex thread, a head-fi'er kindly gave me the link to Amazon Japan site for dual 3.5mm Kimber. So Z7 and Z1R connectors are the same? https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d/B00NW35HYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487623708&sr=8-2-fkmr1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Sony+balanced+cable+z7

 

[Sonic Defender]

  On the Codex thread, a head-fi'er kindly gave me the link to Amazon Japan site for dual 3.5mm Kimber. So Z7 and Z1R connectors are the same? https://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/aw/d/B00NW35HYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1487623708&sr=8-2-fkmr1&pi=SL75_QL70&keywords=Sony+balanced+cable+z7

They fit, but you don't get the locking on the headphone end. I use an aftermarket cable with the Z1R sometimes that doesn't have a locking 3.5 for the headphone end but it clicks securely and is fine, even looks fine so I wouldn't worry about that personally. Yes that is the cable I meant.

 

[pietcux]

  They fit, but you don't get the locking on the headphone end. I use an aftermarket cable with the Z1R sometimes that doesn't have a locking 3.5 for the headphone end but it clicks securely and is fine, even looks fine so I wouldn't worry about that personally. Yes that is the cable I meant.

Every Sony Kimber cable has the Sony locking mechanism on the headphone side.

 

[Sonic Defender]

 
Every Sony Kimber cable has the Sony locking mechanism on the headphone side.

It does? Awesome, I didn't realize that.

 

[buzzlulu]

Posted this on the WM1A/Z thread however I do not know how much traction it will get there:
 
 
Has anyone had the opportunity to compare the WM1A or Z to the newly released Sony PHA-2A headphone amp/dac which appears to have been designed specifically with the Z1R in mind? 
I would be curious to know how an iPhone 7/PHA-2A would compare to a WM1A (or Z)  The advantage of this combination would be the ability to use Tidal and still have the Sony synergy and ability to go balanced.
 
AND
 
What about a comparison between a Z1R out of the WM1A/Z vs. out of the TA-ZH1ES  desktop Amplifier ?

 

[Sarnia]

  I don't know how people will take this, but the Z1R is very likely to crack the top 10 head-fi ExtremeBassHead headphone list, which is big news for bassheads. I can feel eyes rolling. Anyhow, for those who missed it, you can see DonChuy videos there. If this cracks top 5, its very big news!
 
Sony somehow seems to want to bridge tensions between the audiophile crowd and bass lovers. They really got the magic dust it seems.
 
 

 
There sure is some magic in the Z1Rs. While the bass is most definitely a feature, the pure detail they pick up is amazing.
 
I'm comparing them to the Hifiman HE1000 v2 (despite my ears still feeling a bit odd). On some tracks the Z1Rs bring out details that I can't even hear on the HEKs. For example at the very start of George Ezra's Blame it on Me someone whispers something. On the Z1Rs I can hear the whisper as being pretty loud, although I can't quite make out what's said. On the HEKs I can't hear it at all unless I turn the volume much higher, and even then it's almost imperceptible.
 
I'm not for one second bashing the HEKs. They sound amazing, I enjoy them far more than I do the HD800S. They're also straight out of the box, and reportedly need 200 hours of burn-in to perform at their best. However what seems apparent to me is that the Z1Rs can hold their own at the highest level.
 
Another interesting thing is that someone recently said that to them they sounded flat with no emotion. To me, out of the headphones I've tried in the last three months they transmit by far the most emotion of all of them. That includes the HD600, HD650, Fidelio X2, HD800S and the HEKv2. Of course everybody has different hearing and taste, but I also wonder if there is some sample variation. Sony's cameras and lenses have some pretty bad sample variation at times, and seeing the earlier posts about different pad thicknesses rang alarm bells.
 
Edit, corrected the song

 

[SHAMuuu]

   
There sure is some magic in the Z1Rs. While the bass is most definitely a feature, the pure detail they pick up is amazing.
 
I'm comparing them to the Hifiman HE1000 v2 (despite my ears still feeling a bit odd). On some tracks the Z1Rs bring out details that I can't even hear on the HEKs. For example at the very start of George Ezra's Blame it on Me someone whispers something. On the Z1Rs I can hear the whisper as being pretty loud, although I can't quite make out what's said. On the HEKs I can't hear it at all unless I turn the volume much higher, and even then it's almost imperceptible.
 
I'm not for one second bashing the HEKs. They sound amazing, I enjoy them far more than I do the HD800S. They're also straight out of the box, and reportedly need 200 hours of burn-in to perform at their best. However what seems apparent to me is that the Z1Rs can hold their own at the highest level.
 
Another interesting thing is that someone recently said that to them they sounded flat with no emotion. To me, out of the headphones I've tried in the last three months they transmit by far the most emotion of all of them. That includes the HD600, HD650, Fidelio X2, HD800S and the HEKv2. Of course everybody has different hearing and taste, but I also wonder if there is some sample variation. Sony's cameras and lenses have some pretty bad sample variation at times, and seeing the earlier posts about different pad thicknesses rang alarm bells.
 
Edit, corrected the song

 
I looked up the initial song you put
 
and almost went crazy looking for it
 
then i don't know if i imaged something but @ 20 seconds i thought i heard a whisper in the background but that could be a beat, and now i need to look up the edited song
 
what a weird video man!
 

 
Check at 20 sec
@Sarnia
 
do you hear it?
 
I'll check out the George Erza now!
 
Where is the whisper? I got 440s on (beyers not shure) so i doubt i'll hear it hehe
 

 
I hear a "Go" at the start 1st second

 

[Sarnia]

 
What about a comparison between a Z1R out of the WM1A/Z vs. out of the TA-ZH1ES  desktop Amplifier ?

 
The Z1Rs sound excellent out of the WM1A, but out of the TA-ZH1ES is another level to me. More dynamic, the instruments are better defined, better feeling of space etc.
 
I'm still very new to this game so it's hard for me to describe accurately, but the TA-ZH1ES is the one piece of gear that I haven't thought once about returning to see if I can find something better. 

 

[Sarnia]

   
I looked up the initial song you put
 
and almost went crazy looking for it
 
then i don't know if i imaged something but @ 20 seconds i thought i heard a whisper in the background but that could be a beat, and now i need to look up the edited song
 
what a weird video man!
 

 
Check at 20 sec
@Sarnia
 
do you hear it?
 
I'll check out the George Erza now!
 
Where is the whisper? I got 440s on (beyers not shure) so i doubt i'll hear it hehe
 

 
I hear a "Go" at the start 1st second

Hehe sorry man, I hoped I'd changed it before anyone read it.
 
I do hear it at 20s on Newton Faulkner. It's not a whisper though. Not sure how to describe it, but it's a synthetic tone.
 
The start of the George Ezra song's been cut off on that version. He say's "cool", but right before that on the version i'm listening to there's a whisper. I'm listening on Qobuz.

 

[SHAMuuu]

  Hehe sorry man, I hoped I'd changed it before anyone read it.
 
I do hear it at 20s on Newton Faulkner. It's not a whisper though. Not sure how to describe it, but it's a synthetic tone.
 
The start of the George Ezra song's been cut off on that version. He say's "cool", but right before that on the version i'm listening to there's a whisper. I'm listening on Qobuz.

Power of suggestion I guess because you said to look for the whisper
Funny how the brain works huh
 
Yeah I did think it was some sort of synthetic beat after hearing the break in his voice.
 
Anyway yeah I'm glad i caught the song, its a tad weird/ but catchy. What would be great is if it became my favorite, and one day someone asks where i heard it first and i'll say, gather around, i shall tell you a tale.
 
Its all about the music after all.... i think

 

[Sarnia]

 
Power of suggestion I guess because you said to look for the whisper
Funny how the brain works huh
 
Yeah I did think it was some sort of synthetic beat after hearing the break in his voice.
 
Anyway yeah I'm glad i caught the song, its a tad weird/ but catchy.
 
Its all about the music after all.... i think

The Google Play version of Blame it on Me also has the whisper at the start. It's the album version from Wanted on Voyage, so any streaming service should have it.
 
I tried the X2s and EX1000s too and they also hardly pick it up. Just the Z1Rs. There's lots of other things like that I've noticed in A/B ing tonight. The Z1Rs resolve details that the others don't.

 

[up late]

There sure is some magic in the Z1Rs. While the bass is most definitely a feature, the pure detail they pick up is amazing.

I'm comparing them to the Hifiman HE1000 v2 (despite my ears still feeling a bit odd). On some tracks the Z1Rs bring out details that I can't even hear on the HEKs. For example at the very start of George Ezra's Blame it on Me someone whispers something. On the Z1Rs I can hear the whisper as being pretty loud, although I can't quite make out what's said. On the HEKs I can't hear it at all unless I turn the volume much higher, and even then it's almost imperceptible.

I'm not for one second bashing the HEKs. They sound amazing, I enjoy them far more than I do the HD800S. They're also straight out of the box, and reportedly need 200 hours of burn-in to perform at their best. However what seems apparent to me is that the Z1Rs can hold their own at the highest level.

Another interesting thing is that someone recently said that to them they sounded flat with no emotion. To me, out of the headphones I've tried in the last three months they transmit by far the most emotion of all of them. That includes the HD600, HD650, Fidelio X2, HD800S and the HEKv2. Of course everybody has different hearing and taste, but I also wonder if there is some sample variation. Sony's cameras and lenses have some pretty bad sample variation at times, and seeing the earlier posts about different pad thicknesses rang alarm bells.

Edit, corrected the song

the advantage of a closed-back design over an open-backed one is that it will provide more isolation from outside noise making subtle sounds seem more prominent

 

[LaCuffia]

I was about to say same thing....you really have to be in a very quiet room to appreciate or assess the detail retrieval capability of an open headphone.

 

[Sarnia]

the advantage of a closed-back design over an open-backed one is that it will provide more isolation from outside noise making subtle sounds seem more prominent

 

I was about to say same thing....you really have to be in a very quiet room to appreciate or assess the detail retrieval capability of an open headphone.

That's a very good point, thanks both. I've got my own office at home with the door closed (Mr. Sociable!). However my PC does have some fan noise that I can hear through very open backed headphones at lower volumes. 
 
I'll shut it down and run my amp off of my laptop or iPad to see if it makes much difference to the examples I've noticed.

 

[rgs9200m]

You need to get a nice quiet PC like a Serenity from Puget Custom Computer or one of the Endpcnoise PCs.