[Peter Ruby]

Thanks for the info and my apologies for the delayed response. I appreciate the comparison and your effort in responding.

Still looking for a U12t vs Z1R and/or M9 comparison. Although, at these prices, it may be wishful thinking.

Bah, can't justify owning both anyway unless the u12t is THAT stellar.

I think perhaps I need a girlfriend.

I own both the M9 and Z1R and yes, the is a difference especially in the soundstage. It’s wider, taller and deeper.
Aside from a few differences, I was very shocked to hear how good it sounds using the WM1Aa.

 

[gerelmx1986]

I like the M7 for the go, where you dont care about details.
IER-Z1R is dor home, where you focus on the music

 

[Rndm User]

Is there a place I can demo the z1r in Chicago?

 

[Peter Ruby]

Is there a place I can demo the z1r in Chicago?

where you at? I have the Z1R and M9 with a wm1A you can demo?

 

[littleaboutiem]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/fin...ns-and-discussion-thread.613641/post-15490786

My impressions of the A8000 and Z1R, if anyone is interested

Tl;dr
Z1R has better bass. A8000 more detailed and (in my opinion) better mids, although it can be harsh/sharp sounding. Fit for Z1R is a slight issue for me.

 

[Sp12er3]

Final and Sony never meets in their tuning IMO. They always are very different from one another.

 

[littleaboutiem]

Final and Sony never meets in their tuning IMO. They always are very different from one another.

My only experience with the brands are IER-M7 and the E5000. I think Final Audio are more on the 'emotive' spectrum in terms of tuning. Sony's packaging is world class, even for the M7.

 

[bancanus]

Does anyone have Sony M9/M7 to compare with Westone UM Pro 50 gen 2? i am thinking of buying an iem with good noise isolation, good comfort to listen to during commute. I couldn't find any review comparing sony and westone um pro series, hope someone could help me!

 

[dohdough]

Does anyone have Sony M9/M7 to compare with Westone UM Pro 50 gen 2? i am thinking of buying an iem with good noise isolation, good comfort to listen to during commute. I couldn't find any review comparing sony and westone um pro series, hope someone could help me!

If the pro 50 has the westone house sound like the original w4, the main difference is in how the background details are brought forward and enhanced while the m9 keeps it in the background but doesn’t disappear because of how great the separation is. The bass on the m9 is also thick and luscious. If you love hearing all the detail in your face, the m9 won’t scratch that itch.

 

[renoraines]

currently testing both the sony iem-m9 and iem-z1r and have a few initial conclusions for folks considering these two:

Sound:

• z1r has the most incredible/powerful bass i've heard in an IEM/headphone...
  • the freq range in z1r is very impressive and is a noticeable improvement over m9
• z1r has a "warmer" quality to it...
• both have incredible detail. Z1R wins here since it has such a broad frequency response
• yes, the m9 is clearly more of a standard reference monitor
• so far, i've found the m9 to be SLIGHTLY less harsh, not sure why this is.

Fit and Isolation:

• personally, I cannot get a great fit with m9, no matter which tip I use (for reference, the large hybrid tips are the only ones that are sufficient for me with the m9). Not a deal killer but I was surprised to find the z1r to fit in my ears far better.
• as just noted, z1r with medium hybrid tips fit close to perfect, even with lots of movement.
• as suspected, the z1r provides superior isolation, most likely due to the fit
• both feel equally great while wearing

Aesthetics:

• m9 is smaller, lighter and has a smaller profile while wearing
• z1r's zirconium alloy body while pretty, is more noticeable in the ear

Other:

• both products have 1-year warranty which is upsetting personally

 

[maricius]

currently testing both the sony iem-m9 and iem-z1r and have a few initial conclusions for folks considering these two:

Sound:

• z1r has the most incredible/powerful bass i've heard in an IEM/headphone...
  • the freq range in z1r is very impressive and is a noticeable improvement over m9
• z1r has a "warmer" quality to it...
• both have incredible detail. Z1R wins here since it has such a broad frequency response
• yes, the m9 is clearly more of a standard reference monitor
• so far, i've found the m9 to be SLIGHTLY less harsh, not sure why this is.

Fit and Isolation:

• personally, I cannot get a great fit with m9, no matter which tip I use (for reference, the large hybrid tips are the only ones that are sufficient for me with the m9). Not a deal killer but I was surprised to find the z1r to fit in my ears far better.
• as just noted, z1r with medium hybrid tips fit close to perfect, even with lots of movement.
• as suspected, the z1r provides superior isolation, most likely due to the fit
• both feel equally great while wearing

Aesthetics:

• m9 is smaller, lighter and has a smaller profile while wearing
• z1r's zirconium alloy body while pretty, is more noticeable in the ear

Other:

• both products have 1-year warranty which is upsetting personally

Damn you must have ginormous ears to find the Z1R more comfortable!

 

[CoryGillmore]

Fit and Isolation:

• personally, I cannot get a great fit with m9, no matter which tip I use (for reference, the large hybrid tips are the only ones that are sufficient for me with the m9). Not a deal killer but I was surprised to find the z1r to fit in my ears far better.

In regards to finding the right tip for the M9: smaller is better! I used the LL tips for something like 9 months before I started playing around with tip sizes again and discovered I'd been using tips that were way too big. I went from LL hybrids to MS hybrids. Quite the difference. I was getting a seal with the LL tips but it was way too shallow of an insertion. The MS tip provides a seal much deeper in the ear canal for me, which pulls the best sound from the M9.

I learned a little trick to get the most consistent fit/seal out of the M9. Pop them in your ears like normal, then pull your upper ear cartilage up and towards the back of your head, while doing this, take your free hand and push the IEM down into your canal. You may not want to push it down as far as it can go, it can really negatively affect the sound if the tip nozzle gets pushed up against your inner ear canal.

I've found this technique to give me the most consistent fit and sound with the M9. Which is important as the M9 can sound like schiit if not inserted in just the right way.

 

[dohdough]

Comply isolation tips attached backwards helps too. I’m probably going to experiment with cutting off about 2mm to make them shorter.

 

[bibit69]

For M9, now using cheapo large tip with medium bore, thick hard stem, I cut 2mm from the stem.. feels and prolly sound like custom IEM, wide contact area & shallow insert but tip is very near the canal.

Better details, less mid bass.

It's rivalling my VX now, but maybe cuz i haven't optimize my tip for VX.

 

[Peter Ruby]

I find the M9 to be more comfortable because they weigh so little compared to the Z1R’s. Much better for in the go and drawing less attention.

In regards to sound, they’re close enough that if I hadn’t purchased the Z1R first, I’d be happy with the M9. The bass from those absolutely blows most BA IEMs out of the water. They made my old Shure 846s sound like they had no bass whatsoever.