[ChrisOc]

The final stage of the Head-Fi Members' Poll for IEMs is now open for voting. This is your opportunity to vote for your favourite IEMs. A few Sony IEMs still in play, go for it, make your vote count:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the...r-monitors-2020-please-read-the-rules.950854/

 

[sabloke]

If you use your IER-Z1R on the go, do yourself a favor and but the Fiio BTR5 Bluetooth receiver, a Fiio LC-2.5C Balanced 2.5mm MMCX Cable and pair over LDAC with your Android phone. All up, about $195 USD. Will you get the most detail and refinement out of your Z1Rs with this? Absolutely not, but the convenience outweighs the drop in sound quality IMO. You will always get the best sound at home using a desktop DAC of course, but the BTR5 & 2.5 mm cable combo is great for the price, sturdy and cheap enough to replace if something goes wrong. You can drop the damn thing but it is so light it doesn't matter. That $2k DAP on the other hand... Add to that the current trend of phones ditching audio ports and you see why the mobile hi-fi future is wireless. LDAC is pretty damn good, maxing out Spotify's streams with ease, and there is even better wireless streaming tech in the works. Don't even get me started on how well Nvidia Shield Pro TV sound over LDAC with my IEMs and cans, that's not on topic...

I'll go now for a walk with my new gonzo BT setup

 

[Ocelitgol]

If you use your IER-Z1R on the go, do yourself a favor and but the Fiio BTR5 Bluetooth receiver, a Fiio LC-2.5C Balanced 2.5mm MMCX Cable and pair over LDAC with your Android phone. All up, about $195 USD. Will you get the most detail and refinement out of your Z1Rs with this? Absolutely not, but the convenience outweighs the drop in sound quality IMO. You will always get the best sound at home using a desktop DAC of course, but the BTR5 & 2.5 mm cable combo is great for the price, sturdy and cheap enough to replace if something goes wrong. You can drop the damn thing but it is so light it doesn't matter. That $2k DAP on the other hand... Add to that the current trend of phones ditching audio ports and you see why the mobile hi-fi future is wireless. LDAC is pretty damn good, maxing out Spotify's streams with ease, and there is even better wireless streaming tech in the works. Don't even get me started on how well Nvidia Shield Pro TV sound over LDAC with my IEMs and cans, that's not on topic...

I'll go now for a walk with my new gonzo BT setup

Did that...Loved it...Now I went to the point of no return = using it in TWS with Fiio UTWS3 lol

 

[sabloke]

Did that...Loved it...Now I went to the point of no return = using it in TWS with Fiio UTWS3 lol

I cannot lie, love my cables... Also wanted LDAC that the UTW3 does not have... The most important thing is to be able to use these expensive IEMs as much as possible, almost everywhere. They're built like tanks and they're meant to blast sweet music all day long and a nimble setup helps with that a lot. Forgot to mention, this relatively cheap Fiio cable is way more comfortable than the stock one, too. Sound wise can't see any difference, even when playing off the RME DAC.

 

[mtl171]

I just got my IER-M9 and dang these are nice. My main reference for nice earphones are Etymotic ER4XR, and ciphered iSine 10 (plus lots of Chifi). In terms of sound signature, these are definitely neutral with a slight warm tilt. The treble extension is great and brings out hit hat/background claps/triangle with just the right amount of decay, while making horns sound just right. Mids aren't too forward (vs the ER4XR) and crystal clear. I was a bit nervous that mids would be recessed compared to the ER4XR, though my concerns were quickly erased. Bass has a nice thump closer to a DD then a BA, yet its still nice and fast. I do find its teeny tiny too warm (more so then the flatter iSine and ER4XR) for me but it makes my lower strings sound just right.

In terms of technicalities, its quite noticeable in strings and horns. Especially in faster segments and string plucking. Its close-ish to the HD800S at least as far as I could tell from memory. Also who knew IEMs could have soundstage

Anyhow to wrap things up, these have replaced the ER4XR as my best sounding classical music earphones. For what I paid (~$780usd ), I wouldnt say they're twice as good as the ER4XR. Though if you're chasing that extra treble extension, warmer tone, and expanded soundstage, I'd heavily consider. If I had to do a tone/technical comparison, I'd say tone is about the same but different (really like the etymotic sound) and technical maybe 10-20% better depending on what genre you like to listen to?

EDIT: Listening via Apple Music -> Oppo HA2SE -> M9 (S hybrids) with 3.5 stock cable.

 

[gerelmx1986]

The past few days I spent comparing to what I have against the DGG Bach 333 & BTHVN 2020 Boxed sets. Hil doing so I used my IER-Z1R and IER-M7 with my custom tips from cuatom Art. I got these tips as per recommendation from @davidmolliere in 2019.

As I did comparing, the listening sessions were pretty long, ca. 9 hours as I went through my Hassler Bachakademie vs Bach 333 and the original DGG Beethovens '97 box vs the new 2020 box. The custom tips were pretty uncomfortable and pretty painful with Z1R after such long listening sessions, that I decided to swap to M7. And problem was solved.

I am theorizing it is because the weight of the IER-Z1R, pulling the custom tips to the walls of my ear canals making them pretty uncomfortable and painful after such long periods

 

[junyamada]

I would recommend Brise Audio STR7-SE. I tried it with M9 and it enhances the SQ even more. I got a very analog, hi-fi-like sound signature on top of the M9 sound. Bass has more weight and slam. I was very very impressed with such enhancement and I might really go for one in the future.

Brise Audio also offers an option to customize their cable and they provide the Sony IER type mmcx connector. If ordering I would go for this type of connector, with a L-shaped Brise Audio 4.4mm plug for the termination.

Where can you order one if you are in the US? Though the cable costs almost the same as the M9, I'm really intrigued.

 

[lomenhk]

Where can you order one if you are in the US? Though the cable costs almost the same as the M9, I'm really intrigued.

The one I intended to order was the STR7-SE model, which costs around USD 322. Yes most of their cables are expensive and the higher rank ones almost cost the same as the M9. But I think STR7-SE is enough to satisfy my needs.

You can email Brise Audio directly at support@briseaudio.jp for enquiry. I think they can handle the order for shipping to US, or arranging a local dealer to handle your request.

 

[surfgeorge]

In terms of technicalities, its quite noticeable in strings and horns. Especially in faster segments and string plucking. Its close-ish to the HD800S at least as far as I could tell from memory. Also who knew IEMs could have soundstage
EDIT: Listening via Apple Music -> Oppo HA2SE -> M9 (S hybrids) with 3.5 stock cable.

I went the other way, looking for a headphone that could beat the IER-M9 and also found that the HD-800S is somewhat similar to the M9, with more detail and of course much more expansive soundstage. Impressive that the M9 can get so close.
PS: try the M9 with even better sources when you get a chance. They scale well! I love the pairing with the Chord Hugo 2.

 

[michaelc]

The one I intended to order was the STR7-SE model, which costs around USD 322. Yes most of their cables are expensive and the higher rank ones almost cost the same as the M9. But I think STR7-SE is enough to satisfy my needs.

You can email Brise Audio directly at support@briseaudio.jp for enquiry. I think they can handle the order for shipping to US, or arranging a local dealer to handle your request.

I have tried few Brise's cables. Go to STR7-REF if possible....

 

[junyamada]

The one I intended to order was the STR7-SE model, which costs around USD 322. Yes most of their cables are expensive and the higher rank ones almost cost the same as the M9. But I think STR7-SE is enough to satisfy my needs.

You can email Brise Audio directly at support@briseaudio.jp for enquiry. I think they can handle the order for shipping to US, or arranging a local dealer to handle your request.

Thank you. Will take a look at it.

 

[mtl171]

I went the other way, looking for a headphone that could beat the IER-M9 and also found that the HD-800S is somewhat similar to the M9, with more detail and of course much more expansive soundstage. Impressive that the M9 can get so close.
PS: try the M9 with even better sources when you get a chance. They scale well! I love the pairing with the Chord Hugo 2.

Perhaps one day I'll start messing around with sources I did find the M9 to remind me of the detail of the HD800S, at least from what I remembered from my audition. The difference in soundstage is huge as you mentioned. I'm hoping the LCD-X I have on the way match up to the resolution of the M9 too!

 

[Sonywalkmanuser]

Although the HD800 has better resolution detail and more expansive soundstage, there are certain areas where the IER-M9 has it better.

Transients dynamics, sub-bass and midbass is where the M9 is better. Listening to the HD800 feels like it's really limiting the loud transients so as to showcase the soundstage and microdetail to you. In the IER-M9, you can turn up the volume to get stronger transient response but yet still able to resolve the remaining soundstaging information and finer details that haven't being (by means of psychoacoustic) masked away by the louder transient notes.

 

[junyamada]

I have tried few Brise's cables. Go to STR7-REF if possible....

What would be the changes if one was to use this cable? I've never really had a cable that almost cost the same as the IEM.

I was able to get a quotation from their support email. It was cheaper than the ones I've seen on ebay for the STR7-REF. Around 650-750 range including the shipping (which was quoted around 70 usd, damn).

 

[michaelc]

What would be the changes if one was to use this cable? I've never really had a cable that almost cost the same as the IEM.

I was able to get a quotation from their support email. It was cheaper than the ones I've seen on ebay for the STR7-REF. Around 650-750 range including the shipping (which was quoted around 70 usd, damn).

Better discuss the Brise Cable here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-brise-audio-japan-cable-thread.843612/page-16#post-16224567

I have written few posts regards the cables differentiation...