[deep2285]

Funny you should mention that!

Does this player have streaming?

 

[bigbeans]

Does this player have streaming?

DMP Z1 does not have streaming. It does have LDAC and USB C for digital sources.

 

[deep2285]

DMP Z1 does not have streaming. It does have LDAC and USB C for digital sources.

USB C is more than enough. Many thanks for the clarification.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

I want to listen to this. I never liked the Z1R cause of absolute lack of lower mids.

The weakness in its lower mids is one of the reasons why Z1R is outside of my personal top 10. It does have top 5 bass with is very noteworthy.

There are 2 ways to correct for the Z1Rs weak lower mids. The auto EQ parametric EQ parameters work brilliantly. I used to listen to it with a Chord Hugo 2 and Equalizer APO to correct for the weakness in the mids. Also, a warm source does it too, hence the DMP-Z1.

 

[mRaaghava]

The Z1R is a great IEM that is unique in what it does. It is marked by outstanding bass quality, great impact and tonality. And, it has an extremely clear presentation in the highs. Mids are a bit weak (especially in the lower mids) making it a tough sell for male vocals and the fit is very difficult for many. It is a classic and anyone who goes down the audiophile journey will want to experience it. It definitely belongs in the IEM hall of fame.

If you want a proper upgrade to it, then I would buy a DMP-Z1 and the Brise BSEP for Z1R cable. That is the best I have ever heard it and the warmth of the DMP helps to warm up the mids brilliantly. The Z1R scales up better than any other IEM I have tried.

Otherwise, if you want to find a complementary set, anything in the watercooler top 10 will do it. It really depends on what specifically you are seeking. I would go for something that is outstanding in the mids or grittier in presentation to complement the Z1Rs strength. That would be a set like Noble Ronin or Annihilator or even something like Singularity that has great sub bass but a much grittier sound. I would have also recommended something like an Amber Pearl or Red Halo/Les Jardin, but that would be higher than you budgeted.

Thank you so much. Will definitely consider the cable and other IEMs too.

 

[yaps66]

My current favorite artists are:

Snarky Puppy (and each of their members' individual projects) - Ensemble, jazz, fusion
Dirty Loops - Band, jazz, fusion
Laufey - Female vocalist, jazz, semi-classical
Anomalie - Pianist, jazz/electronic, fusion
FKJ - Multi-instrumentalist, jazz/electronic, fusion

Cory Wong (and his respective groups, i.e. The Fearless Flyers, Vulfpeck, etc.) - Band, funk
Lake Street Dive - Band, pop/funk/soul, vocals
Incognito - Band, acid jazz/funk/soul, vocals
Oz Noy - Band, jazz/funk

RAYE - Female vocalist, R&B
Mahalia - Female vocalist, R&B
Ella Mai - Female vocalist, R&B

Animals As Leaders - Band, prog-rock
Polyphia - Band, prog-rock, guitar-focused
Arch Echo - Band, prog-rock

Nas - male vocalist, hip-hop
Royce da 5'9" - male vocalist, hip-hop
Black Thought - male vocalist, hip-hop

I've put most of my test tracks on a Spotify playlist for easy reference. ('Haven't updated it in a coupe months, though.)



P.S. I wanted to give a special mention to Hiromi and her latest project, Hiromi's Sonicwonderland. I've admired her for years now, and the album she just put out with trumpet player Adam O'Farrill, bassist Hadrien Feraud and drummer Gene Coye is nothing short of masterful. They played two of my favorite tracks from the record live on NRP's Tiny Desk. It's magical.

Love Hiromi! Thanks for the rec!

 

[stacey]

Is there such thing as cable failure? Was listening to Odyssey on the stock Ares II and nothing from the left IEM. Rolled cable and the problem is gone. Hmmmmm

I’ve been having issues with this Ares II cable for a while…Anyone know any good cable parings? I’ll pass on PW Audio shielded cables.

 

[mRaaghava]

Nothing that I've heard. And before you point fingers at the self-appointed Z1R cheerleader here, I'm not saying it's the best at everything. Just that its sound profile, design and fit is unique, and everything else I use is mostly complementary, including Rn6, Xe6, Trifecta, IE900, MSE...

Yes. Absolutely love it for what it is. It’s my one and only TOTL IEM since last three years.

 

[Piotr Michalak]

Sounds like Le Jardin was a repackaged Red Halo in a lot of ways.

That's right, and both were upgraded and repackaged Mason.

Either way to my ears Amber Pearl had great bass but I would not say strong bass-- my attention was mostly on the mids generally and vocals

LeJardin is much, much more mids and vocals oriented.
But! Bass response on Amber is attenuated to a large extent if you use larger tips and don't place them deep in your ear canal like a CIEM. That makes them seem more neutral. Maybe that was the way you rehearsed them.
There was some discussion here regarding how BA bass drivers easily loose their force with even slightly imperfect fit compared to DD drivers. I have another hypothesis regarding how our internal ear volume affects bass perception, thus deeper fit may mean more bass perception. But also going past the first ear bend may mean clearer upper mids, so ymmv. Maybe someone knows some facts and would elaborate on that.
Even though I'm not a basshead, I prefer AP on small Azla crystal tips and put them as deep as possible, ciem-like fit. I feel it's the way they're supposed to be used.

That's not so accurate, because compared to Mason, RH not only has an upgraded BCD driver, but is tuned a little differently: a little more subbass and treble.

Actually I'd love to see some measurement comparisons. Because for sure the FTS cable may create that impression.
But as I said, Mason FS and LeJardin were rather similar with the latter being just darker. I do not recall bass differences. I think also LeJardin has a bit more upper mids. Can't find the measurement now as I'm on a trip and on a phone.
But I have never seen Red Halo measurements or heard it myself. I would love to borrow and measure this if anyone would be so trusting and interested to lend me one (probably a huge longshot).

 

[Scubadevils]

Seriously looking forward to this…

 

[MRT-Man]

Is there such thing as cable failure? Was listening to Odyssey on the stock Ares II and nothing from the left IEM. Rolled cable and the problem is gone. Hmmmmm

I’ve been having issues with this Ares II cable for a while…Anyone know any good cable parings? I’ll pass on PW Audio shielded cables.

OTL is a really great pairing for Odyssey. From recollection I think FT is also pretty good, but OTL is even better.

 

[Deezel177]

Is there such thing as cable failure? Was listening to Odyssey on the stock Ares II and nothing from the left IEM. Rolled cable and the problem is gone. Hmmmmm

I’ve been having issues with this Ares II cable for a while…Anyone know any good cable parings? I’ll pass on PW Audio shielded cables.

For sure. ‘Could be a bad solder joint or a faulty plug. ‘Can’t help you on recommendations, but cable failures are definitely possible.

 

[warrenpchi]

That’s a great idea, even if it means manufacturers having to stock up on 256GB SD cards just to store them all.

Given our acquisition habits, that seems like a reasonable investment to help ensure Watercooler happiness?

I'm really curious to see where this one lands price wise. If it runs in the $1 - $1.5k bracket as has been speculate it will be a huge boon imho and pretty much an instant purchase for me.

You mean like a blind purchase?

I would hedge a bet that when someone around here says "more universal" they generally mean "more balanced". At least that's what I mean.

Or more broadly appealing to our sensibilities? But yes, I would never default to thinking you meant "consumer" in any way.

Honestly with how insane prices are becoming anything sub $2k for a truly great IEM makes me really happy these days. Going forward it will take an awful lot or something pretty unique to make me spent anytihng close to $3k or above.

Which is why I'm still astounded by the Bellos X4. It's such a nice reference signature, and yet it remains under a kilobuck... soooo unexpected!

Of course, things could always go the other way entirely. It's probably only a matter of time before there's some kind of ultra limited Watercooler edition of something or other that breaks all previous price barriers.

Since I am going to spend over $3 K and it will be my first IEM above $1,300 (Singularity) asking questions was vital as reviews can only do so much. I value user experience a lot more than reviews and this is the great thing about Watercooler.

You know what might be an even better investment in the long run? Meeting up with Watercoolers - whether at a CanJam or otherwise - and auditioning/discussing gear, signatures, preferences, etc. I think that would give you very usable information for correlating what you hear, with what others say they hear, such that you're better able to frame any/all impressions you find here in the future.

Speaking for myself, I've come to know a solid handful of people in the community over time, whereby I have a deep correlation with their ears. And while we often like different signatures, I know that we all hear similarly, such that I can blind buy/dismiss many units based on their impressions alone.

 

[JSBachFan]

Just a quick DIY trick, if you struggle with too slippery Nozzles where the Tip just doesn't want to stay. (like on my Supermoon)
I found tiny rubber bands at a dentist, where they are used to be applied on braces for slow pulling.
In my case, they fit perfectly around the inside of the tip. The tip has way better grip now. Please use this trick on your own risk. Maybe in some weird scenario the tip falls off, the rubber band detaches itself and stays in the ear channel. I happily use it like this and find the worst case scenario unlikely to happen.

 

[deep2285]

Given our acquisition habits, that seems like a reasonable investment to help ensure Watercooler happiness?



You mean like a blind purchase?



Or more broadly appealing to our sensibilities? But yes, I would never default to thinking you meant "consumer" in any way.



Which is why I'm still astounded by the Bellos X4. It's such a nice reference signature, and yet it remains under a kilobuck... soooo unexpected!

Of course, things could always go the other way entirely. It's probably only a matter of time before there's some kind of ultra limited Watercooler edition of something or other that breaks all previous price barriers.



You know what might be an even better investment in the long run? Meeting up with Watercoolers - whether at a CanJam or otherwise - and auditioning/discussing gear, signatures, preferences, etc. I think that would give you very usable information for correlating what you hear, with what others say they hear, such that you're better able to frame any/all impressions you find here in the future.

Speaking for myself, I've come to know a solid handful of people in the community over time, whereby I have a deep correlation with their ears. And while we often like different signatures, I know that we all hear similarly, such that I can blind buy/dismiss many units based on their impressions alone.

I took a break from traveling and business seven years ago. I came back to India and relaxed for 5 years in a city which is known for Ashtanga Yoga.

Since the past two years, I somehow gathered the strength to move to Bangalore. Last year I got into this hobby to cope with the stress of living in such a big city.

I am sure that travels to Canjams will start soon and I am also aware of the fact that once I start doing it, there won't be any stopping.

I owe this hobby that much and meeting coolers is something I am looking forward to.