Mosauwer
100+ Head-Fier
Great analogy my friend. A couple of days back I got sony wm1a with midnight mod, it made z1r sing as like as I had auditioned it with wm1z. ah.. i am so happy having this combo in my hand. before getting z1r I sold nearly everything i had (ier m7, isine 20, meze 99 classics, lcd 2) kept hd600 for editing works and movie/gaming. Last march i bought a Dunu sa6 + Plenue R2 combo which is killer for the price, i am using this on the go as my daily driver (tho covid has locked me down again). After the arrival of wm1a, i am not particularly liking the R2 (with its 2.5mm balanced port). So I am planning to change my daily gear and get an m9 for run and gun use.M9 = drinking pure water. clean and organic (everything sounds just right). instrumental cues top notch. non-fatiguing. fit is amazing, unlike someone (looking at my beloved IER-Z1R).
Z1R = yeah, water is good for you, but it's not fun. This is the Cola/Whisky/Scotch version (or whatever, I don't drink). The Bass is clean, rumbling, massive, with a slow decay. What mids? The Treble is smooth and extends so far that you need a telescope to follow.
On a more serious note: M9 is good for a relaxed tone, overall quite balance with a great fit. Z1R is good for when you want to feel the music, quite exciting yet refined. Just the fit isn't for everyone.
I sold everything once I got the IER-Z1R though. That included the M7, M9, Xelento, S8F, Andromeda, iSine 20, etc. Just to show how much I love this iem.
I demoed mest once from a friend. Honestly, I didn't like it. Personal preference and all, but Z1R and M9 should cover most of your needs. Heck, even just Z1R is more than enough.
as I said earlier, I had m7 which I loved but upping my daily driver game up to $1200-1300 for comfort and quality.