[Pro-Jules]

M9 - LDAC - EarStudio SE100 with its 10 band eq = fantastic.

I have 4 saved eq's for 2 x headphones, my car and a BT speaker

 

[SoundTown]

Got to try the M9 and M7 a couple of days ago. Currently own the Z5 and happy with it, and though the Z5 suits my personal preferences a bit more than the M7 and M9, I think Sony's taking some really good steps forward with these new IEMs. They're also much more recommendable as high-end flagship options from Sony; while I massively enjoy the Z5 and had pined over it for almost 2 years before getting it, I'll be the first to admit the Z5 is not an earphone you can easily recommend to everyone.
M7 seems a bit more forgiving than the M9 out of my iPhone SE, with M9 presenting more flaws or imperfections in mastering or recording techniques than the M7. M9 also seemed to have tighter bass, though I'm honestly not totally sure if it's just some form of confirmation bias. Both are great earphones that deserve flagship status though, once again I'm really happy Sony is taking the high-end pro market this seriously.
To my ears, the M9 seems better suited for studio use as monitors being slightly more clinical. On the other hand, the M7 might work better as a stage monitor, being a bit more smooth, warm, and forgiving. Not sure how Sony's marketing these, I'm only aware they're going for the "pro" angle, but that's what I personally feel.
Imaging and staging is exceptional on these earphones, and by far is the stand-out feature to me. Layering in tracks, vertical height, and depth of image are all top class from what I've heard in the price range. I know many would've mentioned this by now but surprisingly for a Sony the bass is not too emphasised, it's quite flat and tampered, maybe even a bit subdued in the mix. Both the M7 and M9 seem to focus more on the mid range, also providing exceptional treble extension while being perfectly smooth without any nasty peaks.
In some ways, the M7 and M9 also seem to have a similar sound signature to the XBA-N3. I can't exactly say the M7 is worth almost 3 times the price of the N3, but for N3 owners looking for a natural upgrade the M7 is what I'd point to as a great first choice under the $1,000 range.
Comparing the M9 and M7 to what seems to be its biggest competition, namely the Andromeda, I must say the Sony options seem more forgiving of your source than Andromeda. The Andromeda had a really nasty hiss with my Fiio Q1 DAC-amp, and sounded rather flat and underwhelming out of my iPhone. I know this is a sign of the Andromeda picking up on the high amount of noise in my Fiio DAC, and my iPhone might not have had the best combination of clean output and power to drive the Andromeda to satisfactory levels. But I certainly had no issues plugging the M7 and M9 into my phone. Of course, if you're buying IEMs at these kinds of prices, you probably have better equipment than I do, but still I think it's worth mentioning the Sony offerings won't make you feel too bad about plugging it into lesser gear out of convenience or maybe you've found the perfect IEM in one of these earphones and you're waiting to save up for a spanking new DAP.
On one final note, I feel the cables on the M9 and M7 are not my favourite. They're smooth, which might feel good on the skin, but I found that they tangle a bit too much. This is in stark contrast to the lacerated cables on the previous Sony earphones which I found work great for preventing tangling. I must say that the ear guides are a major improvement though. They're shorter at a much more sensible length (finally!) and they also don't seem to have a memory wire inside which might snap over time.
Overall, very glad I got a chance to try these exceptional earphones, and I'll be heading to the Sony flagship store here in Singapore to try the IER-Z1R some day. Hope I'll like the IER-Z1R much more than the MDR-Z1R, which I unfortunately didn't really enjoy.

 

[mrtim6]

Nice write up soundtown - one point I forgot to mention about the cables is they are not microphonic, or at least I’ve not encountered it so far which is quite remarkable.

Regarding bass on m9, I didn’t find it lacking in conjunction with my Sony A1 Walkman balanced or via 3.5mm. I did a head to head with the noble encore and found the m9 bass far superior. Because its tonality was very natural, the encore bass sounded overdone, less natural , making the recording artificial sounding.

 

[ezekiel77]

Had a chance to try the M9 over the weekend. These are my impressions after a half hour of listening in the shop.

- neutral-warm signature with an emphasis on naturalness
- no big wow factor early on but the sound grows on you
- excellent extension both ends
- bass, while undeniably BA-sounding, is lush and warm especially on the midbass, but still quite fast; while subbass provides a bit of rumble
- mids are natural-sounding and provides good detail. Very liquid and inviting. For my preference I'd prefer something more textured and airy, but can see what they're aiming for here
- treble is well-extended with just a hint of sparkle and no perceivable early drop-off. More of a gentle kind of treble that is smooth and devoid of harshness. Personally I'd like more sparkle, but each to their own
- very good soundstage width and left to right separation. Depth and height are perceivable too but not as prominent as the width

Based on memory of the Andro sound, they don't sound too alike. Andros are more spacious and airy, have brighter treble, and overall conveys more detail levels at the cost of some accurate timbre and tone. I like to think they're sidegrades.

 

[mrtim6]

Ezekiel77 thanks for your impressions, what source dap or dac/amp did you use?

 

[terrav]

Did anyone try the Kimber M12SB1 with M9 or XBA-Z5 ? I'm willing to blind buy one for the M9, and i really want to hear some review from you guys, thanks !

 

[ezekiel77]

Ezekiel77 thanks for your impressions, what source dap or dac/amp did you use?

Mine's a K-modded WM1A (sounds warmer, more spacious and detailed than stock) with a Sony 4.4mm balanced cable from the store.

 

[SoundTown]

Nice write up soundtown - one point I forgot to mention about the cables is they are not microphonic, or at least I’ve not encountered it so far which is quite remarkable.

Regarding bass on m9, I didn’t find it lacking in conjunction with my Sony A1 Walkman balanced or via 3.5mm. I did a head to head with the noble encore and found the m9 bass far superior. Because its tonality was very natural, the encore bass sounded overdone, less natural , making the recording artificial sounding.

I agree that the cables are really quiet and produce virtually zero cable noise. But that honestly has always been a strength of Sony cables, so I wonder what brought about the change in design / material choice. Perhaps Sony felt the more glossy and smooth cables would look more visually pleasing on-stage? I do wonder.

Regarding the M9's bass, I also agree that it isn't lacking in any way. In fact I quite like the M9's combination of bass quantity and quality. I do stand by the fact that I find it more subdued than past Sony earphones but I welcome this change and think it's for the better for professional uses. Texture was also really excellent (same with the M7).

Now that I think about it, I must say the M7 and M9 are by far and away the only recent flagship IEMs I've heard marketed for professionals that I actually enjoy. The Audio Technica E70, while interesting with wonderful bass, was overall a poor showing. Fender's FXA series, in my opinion, suffers from harsh and abbrassive peaks in the upper mids that make them unlistenable from the FXA5 up to the FXA7. I'm not a fan of the Westone and Shure IEM house sounds... JH and even AAW have interesting offerings but even if you want a universal (and not the custom), you still have to wait quite a while. I could go on. Suffice to say I like these models from Sony the best, though they certainly come at a price. But I happen to think it's pretty fair considering the performance you're getting compared to the competition.

 

[SoundTown]

Had a chance to try the M9 over the weekend. These are my impressions after a half hour of listening in the shop.

- neutral-warm signature with an emphasis on naturalness
- no big wow factor early on but the sound grows on you
- excellent extension both ends
- bass, while undeniably BA-sounding, is lush and warm especially on the midbass, but still quite fast; while subbass provides a bit of rumble
- mids are natural-sounding and provides good detail. Very liquid and inviting. For my preference I'd prefer something more textured and airy, but can see what they're aiming for here
- treble is well-extended with just a hint of sparkle and no perceivable early drop-off. More of a gentle kind of treble that is smooth and devoid of harshness. Personally I'd like more sparkle, but each to their own
- very good soundstage width and left to right separation. Depth and height are perceivable too but not as prominent as the width

Based on memory of the Andro sound, they don't sound too alike. Andros are more spacious and airy, have brighter treble, and overall conveys more detail levels at the cost of some accurate timbre and tone. I like to think they're sidegrades.

Your impressions sound very similar to what I've heard as well, thanks for taking the time to write. Like you, I also tend to lean towards a more airy upper frequency or sometimes even a more aggressive high frequency for enjoyment, but I feel the M7 and M9 have a signature that naturally prevents fatigue and possibly even reduces the possibility of hearing damage because of their tamer highs while encouraging critical listening. Or maybe it's just me. Like you mentioned, to each their own.

Your statements have also re-sparked my interest in trying the Andromeda once again, perhaps this time with a better DAC-amp. Maybe something like a Chord Mojo demo unit will do the trick.

 

[mrtim6]

I think so far IMO the M9 better all of my previous IEMs including UE18 CIEM, Shure 846, Westone W40, Momentum IEM.
Where they better all of those other IEMs is texture, realism, natural sound (to steal a Yamaha tm). And the integration of all frequencies. They are the most complete sounding IEM I’ve ever had. I.E. no glaring weaknesses at all.

 

[mrtim6]

Merry Christmas all.

Has anyone had any updates regarding the release of the IER-Z1R?

 

[darkwing]

love to hear more impressions, especially compared to other TOTL iems

 

[jackyzhu]

would be someone able to compare xelento and M9? comfort and sound wise. I listen to acoustic, pop and some classic. Thanks

 

[audionewbi]

would be someone able to compare xelento and M9? comfort and sound wise. I listen to acoustic, pop and some classic. Thanks

As much as I like my T8iEMKII (which is a warmer Xelento), M9 is just on a different level. It has the deep subbass of Xelento, when music calls for it, Xelento by nature always has that in its sound signature.
I say, if you can, save your money, get the M9 and later on a powerful source for it.

 

[jackyzhu]

Many thanks for sharing this. Good to know that m9 is on a different level. I currently have wm1a which might be OK to drive m9?

As much as I like my T8iEMKII (which is a warmer Xelento), M9 is just on a different level. It has the deep subbass of Xelento, when music calls for it, Xelento by nature always has that in its sound signature.
I say, if you can, save your money, get the M9 and later on a powerful source for it.