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

Product Information

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. Disclaimer 2: the Z1R is not a free unit, but I did get it at a fat discount because I have badass buddies that shan't be named Inheriting MDR-Z1R's diaphragm structure, the 0.47" dynamic driver's diaphragm consists of magnesium dome and aluminum-coated LCP. This full-range driver offers deep bass and fine mid-high sound.

In many ways it’s impossible to compare apples and oranges. Some may argue that I’m off my medication that the IER-Z1R is an IEM and the Z1R is a full size headphone. Ahh yep? But.......their sound signatures are actually closer together than apart. They do sound the same and have a list of similarities in sound. The difference is imaging placement. So I’ve simplified these concepts for you here. But seriously that is all it really is. The full-size headphone has transducers outside your ears so the soundstage is outside your ears. An IEM goes inside of your cranium so the sound is inside of your cranium and outside your cranium. Also amazingly both the IER-Z1R and full-size Z1R reacted the same way to burn-in with both smoothing out after 100 hours and gaining bass detail and finesse. The centres provide a fundamentally differentiated image of what is happening. Guitars, whether electric or acoustic, sound exciting. The sounds of other instruments of the spectrum are also very well mapped. Cymbals sometimes sound slightly blurry, vocals cannot unfold completely. All the way to the top, there is an area of ​clear emphasis, which creates airiness​ but makes some signals a bit sharp. When the 903cc Kawasaki Z1 was introduced in 1972, it was the largest, most powerful DOHC four-cylinder motorcycle ever produced. That year, the bike set an FIM / AMA 24-hour endurance record, covering 2631 miles at Daytona at an average speed of nearly 110 mph. The Z1 earned MCN’s Machine of the Year award for four straight years, and helped set the template for the next decade of superbike design. After owning several budget-fi /chi-fi such as GR07BE, Kanas Pro, Fiio EX01, ATH E40, Intime Sora and many others, I decided to make a huge jump into TOTL. The MMCX connector feels pretty sturdy, very firm, no wobble (the problem of the XBA-Z5 MMCX), feels as solid as the MMCX of the XBA-H3 which i owned in the past.In terms of soundstage/imaging, the former goes to the IER-Z1R whereas the Andro 2020 has slightly better center-imaging than the IER-Z1R but similar cardinal/ordinal imaging otherwise. The super tweeter is on a coaxial position against the nozzle. This layout directly delivers accurate super high notes to your ears, with an ultra-wide frequency response up to 100 kHz.

Opening the carrying case reveals the Earpieces, below the earpieces there is a cable-holder, a shirt clip and a cleaning cloth which i found a bit rough and hard, prefer to use the one i use to clean my eyeglasses. The interior of the case is covered in some sort of veñvet.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. Even with my Dumbo ears, the IER-Z1R becomes uncomfortable after a few hours of continued use. And of course, the sound quality depends greatly on your insertion depth. Deeper is better, but also less comfortable. On the technical side, the mids come across natural in both timbre and tone. As a whole, no parts seem unnaturally gritty or thin like they can with other headphones that have either too much / too little treble and mids. The infamous IER-Z1R Midrange: Can’t we have it all? I mean we are paying a lot of money here. Can’t we simply have everything? The best answer here is the word “perspective”. The midrange is a perspective. It’s actually there completely. Try listening to Bohemian Rhapsody, get yourself into a dark room. Turn-off your cell phone and close your eyes and listen to the Queen song in full while paying close attention and you tell me if the midrange is completely there? Also while your at it what’s your opinion of the vocal rendition? You decide for yourself. Still if that doesn’t work you may have to stay after school? Maybe some other dusty midrange album?

Comfort was an issue intialy, as my ears adapted to being coloquially put raped. But after finding the right sized tips. I have begun to forget i have them on. Burn-in – don’t really believe in it unless we’re talking about your ears and brain getting used to the sound. This is a demo model anyways, so it has at least several hundred hours on it already. Unboxing & Accessories​In a few words: Simply the best ever Unboxing experience i ever had on an IEM product. I've owned the IER-Z1R for a couple years now, since 2021. At the time, I was looking for the step up from the Blessing 2 and these seemed a perfect fit. Not that they were similar in tonality, but past me didn't pay enough attention to notice that before buying. With headphone shops few and far between, and often closed for pandemic restrictions, I bought them blind and eagerly waited. This review is for the people who already watched every Z1R Review on YouTube, read every Review here on Head-Fi and just wants an additional opinion from an long-time owner about if he should really pull the trigger or not.

Specifications

These look and feel stunning in the hands. The way Sony presented them in the little jewelry box really solidifies what Sony wanted these to be; a halo product that is one of a kind. They're built very well and can easily last generations with the machining being super precise. And remember too, for some listers the sound of the full-size Z1R was never going to work for them. Some folks are simply looking for audiophile neutrality and not our warm U shaped Sony House Sound. What Sony did was dial in a less U shape into the end sound signature of the IER-Z1R. Maybe it was simply easier to do? The IEM has three drivers per side, the full-size Z1R only has one? But to summarize, the IER-Z1R is completely usable right out of the box. It’s doesn’t need a special cable to be it’s best. Obviously the IER-Z1R is so transparent that it reveals what is upstream; so better information in, better information out. In fact let’s get into the sound signature............ From all the Headphones i've listened and/or owned so far (HD800S, HD820, Several Focal and LCD, pretty much everything from Meze and Hifiman, Moondrop VENUS and so on) nothing ever sounded as Live as the MDR-Z1R