alphanumerix1
1000+ Head-Fier
the z1r has a odd driver config, do you know which drivers handle which frequencies?
Three Brand New Earphones: Sony IER-Z1R, IER-M9 and IER-M7
- Thread starter monini13
- Start date
the z1r has a odd driver config, do you know which drivers handle which frequencies?
gerelmx1986
Headphoneus Supremus
Is the ier-z1r signature almost the same of the MDR-Z1R?
How good is the imaging of those three compared to the EX1000?3. General Impressions
I'm glad to say I've managed to try on all of these newly releases for the past two days and listened to hotel california the way i listen to all stars: 50 times back to back. I dont know if the showrooms prevented the DAP's from reading sd cards cause it refused to read mine, hence i was stuck with hotel california cause i didnt know the other songs in the provided DAPANYWAYS, here are my impressions of these earphones but do read it with a grain of salt because these are all in showroom conditions where there is quite a bit of external noise.
IER-Z1R:
I would say this pair of earphones does possess a lot of the qualities that enables it to reproduce sound similar to as if you were listening to a set of speakers. The soundstage is very wide and I would say all the focus on high internal loss did achieve a black background(though i have to try again in a quiet environment to re-ascertain this) for clear separation of sound, along with nice imaging. These are all qualities that aid the Sony team in achieving similar sound to a speaker room.
At the start of these press events, Nageno san, the Senior Acoustic Architect used a nice analogy that left a lasting impression in my mind. He said in the process of making this new earphone that strives to achieve the sound of speakers in a room, it is like looking at a large picture on a wall from far away versus looking at the picture on your phone screen. To your eyes, they may be similar size but the depth of perception is not the same. Thus not only do the engineers, but the consumers have to be aware of the limitation if they were to go forward with this idea; because an earphone can try and reproduce the imaging of speakers, but it cannot provide the same sensation. However, as many of us can agree, a wide soundstage and good imaging are qualities that can be very much enjoyed while listening to music.
As for the sound signature, the bass is also pronounced and emphasised; there is good impact and texture on the instruments, along with rumble. Vocals are clear though i would really like to try more with my own music to have a better impression on how the vocals compare!!! The highs have a nice brilliance that i do like (i have a penchant for bright sounding earpieces). But overall theres good dynamics from bass all the way to treble.
IER-M9:
Coming to this after listening to the IER-Z1R was a bit of a shocker wew, because in comparison, this had a much smaller soundstage. Bass is also pronounced, well all the earphones released at this event have slight bass emphasis. Perhaps it seems even more bassy to me since i do listen to the ER4SR as my daily driver. However, i do like the bass response, it has good texture and satisfying rumble and impact. I'm guessing the smaller soundstage is for the artist to better monitor their own voices or instruments. I would describe the overall sound here as well-bodied. From what i've heard, the well-bodied sound coupled with the small soundstage affected the instrument separation and it was not quite as good as the IER-Z1R. There is good detail in the sound produced however, and a fairly linear progression up from the mids to the treble. There is sufficient treble though this is not an airy iem.
IER-M7:
As mentioned by the engineers, the M7 and M9 should have fairly similar signatures and I do think they sound similar. The immediate difference is the drop in detail; the nuances in the instruments were not as obvious. The sound signature was very much similar to the M9 though this is not an earphone i spent a lot of time listening to so apologies everyone. But to recap, pronounced bass, well-bodied sound with nicely balanced mids and highs. Soundstage is also small.
I hope everyone can get an idea of what i heard at the events and for those of you who have also heard it, do share your impressions so we can compare!
EX1000 would sound technically better than any of their current lineup based on the impressions here
mochifi
Head-Fier
That same Vietnamese site just unboxed the Z1R. Bit extravagant but at this price I expect nothing less
What about the imaging aspect, though?
gerelmx1986
Headphoneus Supremus
They say the ier-z1r has the widest soundstage for an iem
Yeah, but you can have an IEM/on-ear/over-ear that can have really wide soundstage and poor imaging. But in comparison to the EX1K, I was really curious about the imaging aspect of the Z1R, M9, and the M7.
I base it from the impressions here compared to how I heard the EX1000
Soundstage and detail (macro/micro). The only weakness with 1000 is the smooth transition from mids and treble where the new lineup will have an advantage but EX1000’s mids and treble sound natural to me nonetheless
Mimouille
Headphoneus Supremus
I understand what you are saying but that is a lot of interpretation. Anyhow, if it WAS the case, then better stick with EXK
I hate to sound like a broken record, but how about the imaging/accuracy of positional cues of the Z1R, M9, and M7 compared the EX1K?
Hanesu
1000+ Head-Fier
I see...
Hmmm....I always try not to judge gear that I have not heard yet.
But I agree, the soundstage on the EX1000 is hard to beat. There are not many other phones that sound as airy and wide (only the iSines maybe). I think this has to do a lot with the way how the EX1000 is built and inserted into the ear. Z1R seems to have a more classical approach in this regard - so a smaller soundstage is kind of expected.
Detail? Hmmm again. I must say I have been a huge fan of the EX1000 and owned it for many years, but after listening to it again a while ago, I was kind of surprised it was not as detailed as I remembered it. At least not after owning some newer gear. Compared to the Andromeda, for example, to my ears the EX1000 sounds less detailed and grainier. Though still on a high level….and I still prefer its dynamic driver bass.
Last edited:
Users who are viewing this thread
