[PeteSTRADAMUS]

Kid's I'm back. Okay I am going cheap to power the Z1R for the time being. Here is my choices of what I'm on the fence with. Idsd-black, Sony PHA-2A, Chord Mojo. Sound quality and power to spare. Because you know I'm halfdef

 

[beowulf]

Kid's I'm back. Okay I am going cheap to power the Z1R for the time being. Here is my choices of what I'm on the fence with. Idsd-black, Sony PHA-2A, Chord Mojo. Sound quality and power to spare. Because you know I'm halfdef

 
Mojo is way overrated IMHO. Features/Sound/Cost. It sounds nice, but I don't see what's so amazing about it overall.
IDSD Black Label is great and very versatile. Worth the $ a lot more, IMHO, but considerably bigger.
 
The PHA-2A I can't comment because I haven't listened to it. Not sure for example if it would hiss with an Andromeda and have juice for something like an LCD-4, both can be managed by the BL.

 

[PeteSTRADAMUS]

Mojo is way overrated IMHO. Features/Sound/Cost. It sounds nice, but I don't see what's so amazing about it overall.
IDSD Black Label is great and very versatile. Worth the $ a lot more, IMHO, but considerably bigger.

The PHA-2A I can't comment because I haven't listened to it. Not sure for example if it would hiss with an Andromeda and have juice for something like an LCD-4, both can be managed by the BL.

Yeah ascetics aren't an issue. Thanks for the info mate.

 

[canali]

I have both the mojo and ifi idsd micro (original silver)...Both very similar imo. but imo the mojo is  a bit warmer smoother and just a bit more enjoyable (listening to Tom Sawyer on both devices)..Idsd has cool options to drive diff cans/iems..Xbass, 3D..etc
Can't lose w either...

I'm the opposite of beowolf towards the Mojo..In the beginning I was meh-ish towards it, mostly from being lazy and just listening to the lighter dragonfly red (which I still use) to being lighter....But I'm appreciating the mojo the more I listen to it as my portable device on the road...The ifi micro idsd is doing desk duty as the DAC for my cans and nearfield Focal Alpha 50 monitors.

Best to go have a listen if u can. Lastly I'm no golden ears critic, either.

 

[koroshiya8]

Z1R has joined the clan

 
nice collection there.. would be great if you can share your impressions and comparison based on the 3.

 

[up late]

  Nice group of headphones there! Congratulations. Hopefully the Z1R gives you a quality, unique sound signature you really enjoy. There is something to be said for the effect that a larger driver can have and the well implemented 70mm Z1R driver gives you that while still having an ease about it. While it isn't for everybody, the large driver effect of the Z1R at this point is very positive for me and as much as I would love a Utopia, I just would not pay $4000US for a tiny 40mm driver regardless of implementation as I know I respond/prefer the characteristic of large airmass movement. The Z1R isn't perfect of course, but it doesn't have to be and luckily it is very good so I'm content. Hope to hear how your experience with the Z1R goes.

 
the utopia's 40mm driver is extraordinary for a headphone because it is designed to perform like a loudspeaker driver with a long excursion. consequently, it moves a lot of air for its size, giving it a dynamic presentation. size might not matter as much as you think it does in this case.

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
the utopia's 40mm driver is extraordinary for a headphone because it is designed to perform like a loudspeaker driver with a long excursion. consequently, it moves a lot of air for its size, giving it a dynamic presentation. size might not matter as much as you think it does in this case.

Fair enough, and of course until I can actually try a Utopia on my own I will keep an open mind about it.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I have both the mojo and ifi idsd micro (original silver)...Both very similar imo.but mojo a bit warmer smoother...Idsd has cool options to drive diff cans/iems..Xbass, 3D..etc
Can't lose w either...

I'm the opposite of beowolf...In the beginning I was mehish towards it, mostly listening to the lighter dragonfly red (which I still use)....But I'm appreciating the mojo the more I listen to it as my portable device on the road...The ifi micro idsd is doing desk duty as the DAC for my cans and nearfield Focal Alpha 50 monitors.

Best to go have a listen if u can. Lastly I'm no golden ears critic, either.

I also owned an iDSD Micro (silver and really respected that device). Like you I am pretty impressed with the Mojo. I remain surprised by the sound quality and the ease with which it seems to handle the Z1R. I would happily own either pieces of gear and feel both were giving me full value.

 

[Toolman]

... as much as I would love a Utopia, I just would not pay $4000US for a tiny 40mm driver regardless of implementation as I know I respond/prefer the characteristic of large airmass movement

Quality > Quantity is the name of the game here my friend


[/quote]

 

[Sonic Defender]

Quality > Quantity is the name of the game here my friend

[/quote]

Not always (but yes in general I agree). Sometimes I am willing to shed a little quality for quantity, but within reason of course. If a headphone is bass shy I couldn't give a rats ass how good the quality of the bass is, I might in that case opt for a little less quality to get some additional bass quantity. I'm glad that the Z1R is good enough I don't feel I'm in that situation so it is an intellectual exercise at best currently.

 

[purk]

  Depends what you mean by better where the HD800 is concerned. I drive my headphones with a very, very nicely designed and implemented NAD M3 right from the speaker terminals with the M51 which is also a nice DAC. I think that qualifies as well driven and I would not say the 800S that I owned right before the Z1R was better at all, it was fantastic, extremely enjoyable, but better, can't say I felt that way at all. This is all so subjective that language of better and best really isn't in my mind extremely useful beyond describing our individual preferences.

Well driven is not the same as optimally driven here.  If you ever want to stop by at my place, I can show you how the HD800 can sound vastly different from wide range of different setups and while the Z1R is more of less more linear regardless of setup.  I'm not trying to rain on the Z1R thread, because I do like it a lot myself.  I merely just stating my experience of how far the HD800 can go with the right amps (I have tried several actually).  The Z1R is more efficient and easier to live with as it can be driven very well out of lesser source/amp.  It produce very pleasing sound with an impressive sense of soundstage...but after all said and done the HD800 is capable of scaling considerably higher.  The Utopia is very similar to the Z1R as it is very efficient, but it has a cleaner sound with even greater sense of resolution and overall transparency too.  The Utopia's bass is more controlled but yet somehow capable of creating better sense of impact and it also considerably less boomy to boot.  Image wise, the Utopia and  Z1R are considerably even par, but the Z1R is able to portray better depth while the Utopia has more upfront and more intimate presentation.  Price wise, it is really depending on one's wallet.  If you have a chance to try the Utopia side by side or listen to a properly amped HD800 against the Z1R, I'm pretty confident that you will mostly likely will agree with my findings.  

 

[Limu Shirin]

So I got mine a couple of days ago from Amazon UK.
The build quality nad comfort are top notch, except the pads that get sweaty after some time.
The sound is warm and meaty, the mids are good, the treble really shines without getting shouty and sharp, but the vocals often do get sibilant.
The bass region is really hard to judge; while not being boomy, they're a bit much looser compared to what I'm used to (planars).
Imaging is not as good as planars, but soundstage is very wide for a closed can.
The only problem I've got with these, are the lower mids. In some orchestral tracks, you can feel the bass leaking into mids and making the overall music
sound closed and suffocated. With a litte bit of EQ, it is solvable, but for a headphone with this price it's not acceptable.
Overall a very fun sounding headphone. I really wanna try other headphones before judging further.

 

[nanaholic]

  The only problem I've got with these, are the lower mids. In some orchestral tracks, you can feel the bass leaking into mids and making the overall music
sound closed and suffocated. With a litte bit of EQ, it is solvable, but for a headphone with this price it's not acceptable.

 
The HD800 which is also a phone that is "at that price" when it was released and for the longest time was one of the few flagship phones that has a near ruler-flat FR that is held up as THE reference phone, yet people had and did mod/EQ the phone to get rid of a treble spike, the lesson is that no phones is going to be perfect, it's the same for the Z1R. 

 

[makan]

nice collection there.. would be great if you can share your impressions and comparison based on the 3.

Well, I want to see if it will unseat the XC as my primary closed. First impressions is probably not. The HD800 is still overall more enjoyable when I don't need a closed hp. Let's see what happens.

 

[willywill]

Kid's I'm back. Okay I am going cheap to power the Z1R for the time being. Here is my choices of what I'm on the fence with. Idsd-black, Sony PHA-2A, Chord Mojo. Sound quality and power to spare. Because you know I'm halfdef

Go to my profile and check my post history, there a link that will get you the Ifi Micro BL for $400. With that link the Black Lable will be cheapest and most versatile out the bunch. You must do it from the link if not the price will be $550