Sony MDR-Z1R High-Resolution Audio Premium Over-Ear Headphones - Black

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Soundstage is wider and taller on the IER-Z1R but stage depth is about par on the U12t. Imaging is tad more precise on the U12t, though these are marginal differences. Where I found more palpable was the difference in coherence. U12t, despite the 12 drivers, sounded more coherent than the IER-Z1R. Also a slight note about build/accessories: Sony IER-Z1R is quite a bit ahead on those aspects. It’s important to note the playing field has been leveled with all headphones being used with the same equipment and music. Only with this methodology could the differences be accurate and comparable. It also should be said, all this equipment was designed to be part of one ecosystem, all sounding optimized yet slightly different. Your choice as best would really be a matter of taste in the end. AC Sanctuary uses the acronym RCM to describe these bikes, meaning Radical Construction Manufacture:

Midrange: Vocals are a bit of a mixed bag. Higher-pitched male vocals have a noticeable dip; I got this impression while listening to Keith Urban’s “Sweet Thing”. His voice takes on a slightly hollow or recessed quality that I don’t get as much with the U12t. And just in general, I wasn’t particularly impressed with male vocals on the IER-Z1R. Conversely, female vocals are more pronounced. I listen to a lot of K-Pop/J-Pop, and stuff by the likes of Taeyeon and Aimer simply shines on the IER-Z1R. The high has sparkle but never fatiguing as it somewhat overshadowed by the bass. I can say that the high is smooth and detailed. If you ignore the fit (more on that later), the IER-Z1R is one of the best built IEMs or earphones I've ever used. The metal shell feels solid and sturdy - it's got the heft of something built to last. The semi-proprietary MMCX is both a positive and an issue here. It's slightly more recessed than usual, with a bit of a lip around the cable-side connector. This makes it (theoretically) more resistant to bending and more durable. In practice, it makes finding third party cables a bit of a struggle. Cymbals, Rides and Crashes having natural timbre with decent amount to treble extension, giving it pleasurable decay The IER-Z1R is, like the A8000, an fun earphone for the person who already has everything and wants something unique and special in addition to that. If you are this person and the price is no issue, than get it! If not, wait for a good used A-Rank deal. you can easily get them 50% off, used in like new condition.So why did I choose this over the other? I felt like z1r is an upgrade of Andromeda. Better bass, sub-bass, better Soundstage, same sparkle in high and mid. The Z1R has a sort of funny design. The material on the headphones is two big earcups is clean and unique, and it also bulges outward. You’d think by the size that the Z1R would be a lot more weighty, but they actually have a lightweight feel to them. The earpads and headband material are also very soft and comfortable, being made from sheepskin and prioritizing a non-fatiguing fit after numerous listening hours. I thought the Z1R had great isolation and my ears still had enough room to breathe and avoided getting hot. Design

I boxed up the Z1R after three days and returned it. I didn't expect that listening to it for more days would help much, nor should it be necessary. Rap vocalists from Tyler, The Creator, Logic, Kanye West, EARTHGANG will probably show the most instance of recessed vocals, but otherwise still slaps a ton of dynamics, making each vocalists' sound having even more characteristic At the end of the day the IER-Z1R is still an in-ear and will never have soundstage performance matching ToTL full size headphones or speakers. However, they've one of the best soundstages for IEMs. Rather than being a 3-blob imager, the Z1R does well in placing sounds and instruments at distinct places in space, with enough depth to separate them out. They also avoid that 'in your head' sensation that some IEMs can have. Just my own experience that as I said I feel compelled to share because it has been very real for me. As noted earlier, it’s safe to say the Z5 was the closest sonic precursor to the IER-Z1R. It may be debated weather it was the last flagship, there is also the CIEM Sony Just ear IEM, strictly in Japan. For me I am always reminded of of the Z5 rather than remembering the full-size Z1R while listening to the IER-Z1R. Even before the IER-Z1R, I knew that the new introduced flagship would be a continuation of the legendary Z5 sound. Though where they took the sound is far better than I could have dreamed.

Since I have the Tesla, I feel that the driving experience feels the same. Nothing really wows me. The only 2 that wowed me are Anole VX and M5. Probably because they are so easy to drive. But VX is the one that caught my attention the most. Iem itself is gorgeous, fit perfectly in my ears. Since Z1R is kinda my first time, other than Anole VX, the build for the rest of the iems feels too light and cheap, But Anole VX is almost double the price than Z1R, its like maybe Electric Bugatti without the Self-Driving feature.

Many said that the mid is recessed. The mid is not forward. However not so much recessed as well. For female vocal which I mainly listened, the mid is there. Well-textured and full bodied.

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The IER Z1R has become one of those community staples and doesn't need much of an introduction or tech specs for that matter. What I will mention here however is something that I had misunderstood myself for a while - the Z1R's DD actually performs the lows and mids, while the BA covers the upper midrange and lower treble. The second DD covers the ultra highs, and the technical specification goes up to 100kHz. Each shell inside has three drivers, all of them developed by sony in-house. a 12 mm Dynamic similar to that of the MDR-Z1R with an magnesium dome and LCP diaphragm, a BA with new silver wires and gold connectors. And a 5 mm LCP Dynamic driver. The housing also has a magnesium-frame and a acoustic tube system for handling the sound stage. The position of the Instruments, the layering, the crowd around and behind me, everything is exactly where it belongs and this is what i use the MDR-Z1R for most of the time. I have a lot of very well recorded Live BluRay and DVD and if i listen to any of them, there is no question about the choice of Headphone. I choose an IEM and two full-size headphones as these three actually represent Sony’s recently introduced top of the line models. Being the level they are at they were/are completely hand made in-house at Sony’s headphone factory in Tokyo Japan. This in itself remains in strict contrast to everything else Sony has released recently except the Z5 IEM and DMP-Z1 desktop unit; which are also in-house builds.