beowulf
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2001
- Posts
- 1,807
- Likes
- 495
I said performance, distortion, lack of clarity, small soundstage, wooly bass. Performance being non frequency balance related or build. In the US the difference is 1699 vs 2299. Ill give you 500 bonus dollars for the build. Then you still have much worse performance for the price. Maybe a more enjoyable sound signature but a worse performance nonetheless.
Can't agree on "distortion and lack of clarity". My initial impression with the Z1R was of a certain lack of resolution, call it clarity, probably due to the darker signature, a bit of a veil. With time I noticed that they are extremely revealing, lacking nothing in clarity. Often I noticed tiny details with the 800S and 800 (which are very, very resolving) and amazingly, they were still there with the Z1R. Even better, they're there even at low volumes. So my ears don't agree on that one, although in an immediate switch A:B with Z1R:800, the sense of extra grain/sharpness/detail is immediate, but mostly a perception caused by the extra brightness of the 800.
Soundstage, yes, of course the Z1R can't compare. But while we can compare the previous aspects, there's no point in comparing air. In Z1R's defense, I think it is brilliant in this aspect, for a closed can, but yeah, total loss here compared to good open models. Despite the smaller soundstage, the Z1R have excellent separation and positioning tho.
Regarding the bass, that's a trickier area. I won't even dare getting into that, so I'll agree. Finally, your view of the bonus for build seems reasonable, I'd say. It does add value, but of course, if one does not enjoy the sound (as you do not) there is no amount of quality build and comfort that will make up for it.
Just as a brief aside (not trying to steer the topic off course), I wanted to address the perception that homemade = lower quality. I have a decent amount of woodworking experience and I assure you that the quality of Zach's work is extremely high. You must keep in mind that the driver housing itself is also made out of wood, not just the cup, unlike something like the Fostex woodies which are molded housings with a wood cup on the back. Wood is not an easy material to work with and building headphones out of the stuff is very challenging. However, I think the 100% wood construction contributes to the unique sound of the Atticus / Eikon. Zach has basically made miniature wood speaker cabinets for the ears. The design is quite impressive actually and the quality of the head band and aluminum gimbals is also extremely high. Zach basically tuned these by ear, trying out different cup dimensions, porting and dampening materials / placement until he achieved the desired sound, much like speaker designers. When you look at the amount of handwork that goes into each headphone, the ZMF's actually seem very reasonably priced, especially since Zach gives you the option to customize by choosing different woods, finishes and metal colors. If anything, the Z1R should cost less than the ZMF's because they are made in a fully automated factory with little to no handwork. .
Two small notes on this one: I didn't mention ZMF in particular, but still retain my opinion about some of the "garage-assembled" offerings in the market, when compared to models like the Z1R in Utopia, considering purely materials and build. That said, I have a lot of respect for Zach's products and builds, he's definitely doing a good job, but there will be room for improvement, which is normal in the progress of the company. I find the prices a bit on the high side, but that is understandable due to the [lack of] economies of scale.
And finally, regarding the comment in bold on the Sony, I believe you're thinking of other Sony models. The Z1R is hand-assembled and QC'ed in Tokyo, by what you'd call trained artisans. It's not a "fully automated factory" and there isn't such a huge difference, except of course in the machinery they can use to craft them. Not the same as an assembly line pumping out Beats in China. This might - by the way - one of the reasons why the Z1R is a bit pricier than other models with a higher sales volume/more automation on the assembly line (and cheaper labour markets)
There are many articles/videos about this Z1R assembly and QA process.
I'll edit and post the detailed ones if I find them, for now:
Everyone keeps trying to be "right". The Z1R is awesome. Oops, I may have just offended someone. I'm quietly going back to What are you listening to right now.
Just enjoy it
Last edited: