[jfiveeight]

Can one of the two people in this thread that have auditioned the headphone clear this up?
 
Sony states it's closed and the noise isolation has been commented on as impressive.  I am still curious if they are called closed but closer to a semi open design due to the paper filter and not a full coverage metal/plastic earcup.  My concern is my ear pressure sometimes screws up from closed headphones due to the seal.

 

[Whazzzup]

  Can one of the two people in this thread that have auditioned the headphone clear this up?
 
Sony states it's closed and the noise isolation has been commented on as impressive.  I am still curious if they are called closed but closer to a semi open design due to the paper filter and not a full coverage metal/plastic earcup.  My concern is my ear pressure sometimes screws up from closed headphones due to the seal.

closed headphones are a thing of the past, in the sense of truly closed at the reference level. there are ways manufacturers leak on purpose for the exact reasons you stated. concerning z1r ill defer to schematics and those with direct observation. 

 

[beowulf]

 
Curious where you saw them for 10 percent off...only saw them for preorder on amazon(US) but no such discount, last I checked. 
 
Congrats on getting the order in...your in for some happy Holidays!

 
PM sent. Let's see if they live up to the expectations. I expect either the new R10 or a flop.

 

[thatonenoob]

The paper material is designed to keep sound out while letting the internal reflections out. It was important to the engineers that the outside noises didn't affect SQ to a reasonable extent. How they really achieved this is quite impressive and a little beyond me.

It is vented as opposed to the fostex ring of air...so perhaps the earpads achieve a fuller seal. When I was auditioning it certainly isolates better than my th900 imo. Also I've been reminded by the Sony engineers that many designs are somewhere in a spectrum from open to closed. This to me is still closer to the closed side of things.

 

[Whazzzup]

The paper material is designed to keep sound out while letting the internal reflections out. It was important to the engineers that the outside noises didn't affect SQ to a reasonable extent. How they really achieved this is quite impressive and a little beyond me.

It is vented as opposed to the fostex ring of air...so perhaps the earpads achieve a fuller seal. When I was auditioning it certainly isolates better than my th900 imo. Also I've been reminded by the Sony engineers that many designs are somewhere in a spectrum from open to closed. This to me is still closer to the closed side of things.

better bass and fun live experience than th900? you have my attention if thats the case.

 

[bmichels]

  Can one of the two people in this thread that have auditioned the headphone clear this up?
 
Sony states it's closed and the noise isolation has been commented on as impressive.  I am still curious if they are called closed but closer to a semi open design due to the paper filter and not a full coverage metal/plastic earcup.  My concern is my ear pressure sometimes screws up from closed headphones due to the seal.

 
Very very interested also to know how well it isolate.  
 
So far I have never found a closed headphone that suited my taste (TH900 is NOT closed, sound leaks via the vents). So I still need to use In-Ears when I need isolation (and I dislike the (lack of) confort of In-ears...)

 

[FastAndClean]

"My experience with the beautiful MDR-Z1R wasn’t really positive. It sounded very bassy and muffled overal and I can’t believe a new flagship would sounds like this. So probably someone did something wrong there."
source - http://www.headfonia.com

 

[thatonenoob]

Pricing USD

WM1Z 3199
WM1A 1199
ZH1ES 2199
Z1R 2199
1000X 399

Struggling a bit against the 4g.

 

[Beagle]

The Z1R has already gone up $100 in price?
http://www.sony.com/electronics/headband-headphones/mdr-z1r

 

[beowulf]

  "My experience with the beautiful MDR-Z1R wasn’t really positive. It sounded very bassy and muffled overal and I can’t believe a new flagship would sounds like this. So probably someone did something wrong there."
source - http://www.headfonia.com

 
Well, that's definitely not what we are looking for.
It's a relief that Amazon handles returns so well. I have faith in this model, but, you never know, the hype train has rammed against huge lemons before

 

[thatonenoob]

The Z1R has already gone up $100 in price?
http://www.sony.com/electronics/headband-headphones/mdr-z1r

I'll check on this ASAP.

 

[tomatoshoe]

 
The Z1R has already gone up $100 in price?
http://www.sony.com/electronics/headband-headphones/mdr-z1r

As far as I know, the MSRP in the states has always been $2,299.99.
 
https://www.sony.com/en_us/SCA/company-news/press-releases/sony-electronics/2016/one-signature-sound-sony-pushes-the-boundaries-wit.html
 
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/9/1/12746704/sony-mdr-z1r-signature-series-audiophile-headphones-price
 
The only place I saw a price of $2,199.99 was Amazon.com

 

[Whazzzup]

got to love the states, not that I'm getting anything but it seems that new pioneer and sony reference products take time to get here, meanwhile senn and focal were/ will be here pretty much at the same time. weird considering the size of the former companies mentioned. 

 

[beowulf]

  got to love the states, not that I'm getting anything but it seems that new pioneer and sony reference products take time to get here, meanwhile senn and focal were/ will be here pretty much at the same time. weird considering the size of the former companies mentioned. 

At least the prices are always better. The price I got for the Z1R is almost the same as those in the US at the moment (Which is impressive considering the VAT in Europe, adding 20-23% more) but that won't last. Pretty soon US prices will be considerable lower, as always.

 

[grizzlybeast]

  "My experience with the beautiful MDR-Z1R wasn’t really positive. It sounded very bassy and muffled overal and I can’t believe a new flagship would sounds like this. So probably someone did something wrong there."
source - http://www.headfonia.com

Above that it could have been the DAP setting. 
 
I wrote of my Code-X on its first day because I accidentally left the EQ on from another headphone. After 3 hours I was pissed until I set it back to flat. The same thing happened at a meet with another headphone and sonaworks. We will see. Lets scout some more impressions.