[nc8000]

And the IER-Z1R is in the bottom left corner

Yep

 

[roofus]

My bed side rig after our move

when you said "Bedside rig" I was expecting something entirely different!

 

[The1Signature]

when you said "Bedside rig" I was expecting something entirely different!

Cables are multifunctional

 

[Alu]

i have bought this here MUC-B20BL1, its balanced but with two 3.5 jack connectors. Your Tazzy has 4.4 and 2x3.5 balanced output

Just wanted to say that I got this exact cable, because I was very curious about the balanced 3.5 jack connectors, and it's fantastic.
I have another cable made by Forza for the MDR-Z1R (XLR4), which is also banging, but this one feels a bit more convenient to use.

It's slightly stiffer (which I really like) and much lighter - it basically has a shape that fits my setup perfectly.
I understand most people hate stiffer cables, but for me in my use case for this specific headphone it's vastly superior.
Please note that it's not super hard, but it's slightly more robust than a lot of floppy cables out there.

It's completely 100% silent in regard to microphonics (or whatever the proper term is when the cable rubs against your clothes and transfers it to the headphones).

It's locked in TIGHTLY in the headphone due to the screw mechanism.
I actually experienced some clicking/cracking noises likely related to that when I turned my head with every other cable - this is gone.

And it sounds great, but all cables sound good to me.

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Foyzy]

The TA-ZH1ES sounds faster which, imho, is favourable for the MDR-Z1R because they are, even though they have an warmer sound, extremely fast. Not just can the MDR-Z1R utilize that, it also helps them as warmer sounding headphones loose texture very fast when they are getting sluggish. That is not an issue with the MDR-Z1R, but an faster source makes more obvious, that this is not the case with the MDR-Z1R.

But the TA-ZH1ES is officialy dead. For the rather high price of this amp i would think twice if getting one is really worth it.

Of course there is never consent in the audiophile world and especially not on head-fi, but Sony says the best source for the MDR-Z1R is their current Walkman lineup (they say that this is generally the best they have right now). As someone who owns both, i would not say they are better, but i would say they are as good.

So my personal advice as an owner of both would be, to get an current WM1 M2 Walkman for your MDR-Z1R and either wait for an successor of the current TA-ZH1ES or skip it completely. I think that is currently the best device you can use to drive those cans which, by the way, won the VGP Gold Award in 2023. Its hard to believe that they are from 2016

Thanks for this - super helpful. How would the sound compare between the WM1M2 and the ZH1ES? For ultimate sound quality, would you say I was better off trying to find a used TAZH1ES, or is the sound comparable (or even better) with the walkman?

 

[ResidentAlien]

Anybody been lucky enough to compare the teac ud-505-X to the sony ta-zh1es?

 

[JerryHead]

It is the 2 stands from a monitor stand flipped over with a piece of 7mm perepex. I have shelves above with a plant on it so want to have peace of mind it will have some protection.

Any chance you could reply with a link for the monitor stand? I was looking for a cover exactly like this for the TA, but I wasn't sure how to put it together. This seems ideal, exactly what I was looking for.

 

[JerryHead]

What are ways people have found to have Roon coming through the TA? For optimal SQ? And relatively low cost? And without having a computer connected to the TA? Something like under $300USD.. Thanks.

 

[Hinomotocho]

Any chance you could reply with a link for the monitor stand? I was looking for a cover exactly like this for the TA, but I wasn't sure how to put it together. This seems ideal, exactly what I was looking for.

This is just a low-cost one sold through K-Mart in my country. Originally it had a black MDF laminated top but I replaced it with a bit of acrylic from a local supplier (cheap, cut to size). I think with these Chinese-made generic products if you search for monitor stands there's a good chance it'll be sold in your country. Otherwise, just look for a monitor stand with the feet dimensions with the width that the TA will fit. It seems a lot of them have a standard height of 12cm which I feel is adequate room for air to flow.

 

[Sp12er3]

I actually saw one on eBay a couple of weeks ago for around 800 GBP, which was an insane bargain for this thing - I wanted to post it here, but I'm not sure what the rules are regarding the posting of eBay links.
I got mine for around 1050 - I would highly recommend it around that price point, but it seems to really depend on the mood of the sellers whether we're getting offers of around 1k or 2k.

Yeah, I was lucky and got mine for 900 usd, the box come with the brown, factory outer box, now sitting alongside my Z1R's, but the foam inside is missing some and the manual got spilled on by some brown liquid, prob tea.

The Tazzy itself is in good condition with no scratch with working remote plus a robust looking power cable, both Z1R and Tazzy won't be falling in price for a while until they got clear successor I guess.

 

[Sp12er3]

Just wanted to say that I got this exact cable, because I was very curious about the balanced 3.5 jack connectors, and it's fantastic.
I have another cable made by Forza for the MDR-Z1R (XLR4), which is also banging, but this one feels a bit more convenient to use.

It's slightly stiffer (which I really like) and much lighter - it basically has a shape that fits my setup perfectly.
I understand most people hate stiffer cables, but for me in my use case for this specific headphone it's vastly superior.
Please note that it's not super hard, but it's slightly more robust than a lot of floppy cables out there.

It's completely 100% silent in regard to microphonics (or whatever the proper term is when the cable rubs against your clothes and transfers it to the headphones).

It's locked in TIGHTLY in the headphone due to the screw mechanism.
I actually experienced some clicking/cracking noises likely related to that when I turned my head with every other cable - this is gone.

And it sounds great, but all cables sound good to me.

Thanks for the recommendation!

Being able to Use the 3.5 dual mono balanced is nice, I still got the cable of my old Z7 and are using it with Z1R regularly, the cable is also a tad longer than the stock 4.4 reaching just enough to my lazy chair.
Having all the on the front plugged in, swapping headphones left and right with a push of a button is a nice perk of this amp when I'm in the mood for some comparing.

 

[JerryHead]

Anyone see or hear of a hint anywhere of a successor to the TA?

 

[davidmthekidd]

Anyone see or hear of a hint anywhere of a successor to the TA?

Nothing yet, all I want is Roon integration with out the need for a separate streamer.

 

[Hinomotocho]

Any chance you could reply with a link for the monitor stand? I was looking for a cover exactly like this for the TA, but I wasn't sure how to put it together. This seems ideal, exactly what I was looking for.

I forgot to attach the link to see the product:

https://www.kmart.co.nz/product/monitor-stand-black-42757009/

This was a quick idea for protection as there are items on a shelf above, but I want to design a more simple one using just acrylic, perhaps one piece with the sides curved down with cut outs for air flow.

 

[JerryHead]

I forgot to attach the link to see the product:

https://www.kmart.co.nz/product/monitor-stand-black-42757009/


This was a quick idea for protection as there are items on a shelf above, but I want to design a more simple one using just acrylic, perhaps one piece with the sides curved down with cut outs for air flow.

The link was much appreciated. The cutouts would need to be pretty large as you would want adequate ventilation to prevent overheating.