Fair enough. Thanks.
I just keep trying to make a mental list for possibilities in case I see an outstanding deal in new or used.
I think there are two things that make the z7 special one being itâs expansive almost exaggerated staging and the other itâs unique bass presentation. That said I completely understand it not being to everyoneâs liking.
Ditto. Best Iâve seen is $2000 cad. Seems to be the z1râs standard used market value. Thereâs one on CAM for that price in mint condition.
I definitely would not pay $2K or anything near that. They are only $2.5K new.
I was thinking that if I ever stumbled on them for $1.5K, then I might consider them. But to be honest now that I think back more on my Z7âs, probably not.
As Mon says there are other 'phones that would be more exciting for that kind of money, to me.
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I donât think the Z1R would be what you are looking for based on this description imo
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I am still in the process of burning these in, but a new headphone that I might be interested is the DT1990 since I am a competitive gamer as well. Any thoughts on it? I am thinking about going the route of finding a good enough headphone for now until I am able to go to an audio show and hear the ZMF headphones, Diana V2, Meze Empyrean. This is just a current route I am thinking of, but could definitely change by tomorrow and this is assuming I donât want the Aeon Flow 2 Open.
Brighter neutral, analytical headphones, very raw, very detail and information forward. Staging thatâs pretty sharp and accurate imaging, pretty impressive for comp gaming. Also good for a more neutral studio signature
Smart choice
Even with the balanced pads? Also would you take the DT1990 over the Elex?
Personally I donât like the balanced pads, while it adds some smoothness, it does muddy up the bass response a bit and imo tends to reduce staging performance a tad
For music listening generally I prefer the elex for the most part
Based on what we have discussed, do you think that I would prefer the Elex more?
I think so imo, it would prob be more up your alley than the 1990
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Burned in the Aeon Flow 2 Open and there is definitely a noticeable difference with burn in. I also received the RME ADI-2 DAC FS.
Impressions of Aeon Flow 2 Open: After burn in, they donât sound dull like they did initially and they opened up quite a bit. In general, I like them, but still not what I am looking for in general. I actually donât have that many complaints about the sound of them, but it doesnât really do anything to me if that makes sense. For the price theyâre at, I think they are a good value and good sounding headphone. They are comfortable outside they can get a bit warm depending on your living environment. They seem to have a slight v-shaped sound leaning on the warm side, but I could be miss analyzing it. I do prefer the sound of them on the iFi Micro iDSD BL over the RME.
I did try the Focal Clear on the RME and definitely prefer the sound of them on the RME over the BL. Makes me like the Focal Clear more now than before. As far as IEMs go, both the RME and BL sound really good. Basically one is slightly more detailed and one is slightly more âfunâ sounding. I canât decide which I prefer more on IEMs. Bass boost on BL is more enjoyable than EQing the bass on the RME.
For me they are just really great all rounders and while nothing jumps out as extraordinary, they tend to do things really well all around which isnât common for a closed back in this price range tbh
That is correct
Personally I would agree thatâs a better pairing than the bl, the bl is far too colored and warmer/smoother for what the clear likes
Pretty much
Would also agree
Listening to the RME with the Clears actually makes me want to keep the Clears. I think I will definitely decide on either Elex or Clears depending on how finances are. That should hold me until the next audio show.
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I just got my Z1R today and Iâm really starting to dig it a lot. At first, it took a while for me to get used to such a warm sounding headphone again after using more natural and even bright sounding headphones. Now Iâm enjoying them quite a bit and the bass, treble, and staging are the best parts so far. Iâm really surprised at how large the staging is on these yet they obviously still sound closed, it messes with my head but in a good way. Looking forward to hearing how they sound after I truly get accustomed to their signature.
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Itâs been a month and a half and the Z1R have become one of my favorite headphones Iâve ever had. Paired with the iFi Neo they sounds so smooth and clean with good detail retrievel and a large soundstage. I really thought with the Neo they might sound to warm but thankfully thatâs not the case and they sound great whether Iâm using just the Neo or using the Neo as a DAC and my A50s as the amp section. With the A50s it sounds a bit more neutral where as using just the Neo itâs warmer but with more bass impact and a larger soundstage.
All in all I couldnât be happier with this headphone (and the Neo) and not only do they sound great but the build quality and comfort are also some of the best Iâve seen and felt. Iâve always thought Sony products where a bit overpriced most of the time but thankfully with the Z1R at itâs new price of $1800 they compete well with other headphones in their price range.
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If they made an open back Z1R that would probably be really cool to see and hear that would probably be a like a tank of an open back considering how well theyâre built
Well Sonyâs last Open Back Is the MDR MA900 and those are more on the âflimsyâ side of things, still made of metal and good plastic, but their focus on its design is lightness sooâŚ
before that when I think of the Q10 and SAX000 series those are pretty peculiar in design as well⌠Sony had a good base on the Z1R design as they made the Z7 so solidly, but with an open back theyâd have to start over on the drawing board so letâs see⌠I and many other really do would like for them to release an open back flagship already.
Tho before all that, So far Iâm enjoying my Z1R qutte a lot, I bought it because after purchasing a T1 I felt that my Z7 are lacking quite a bit in technicalities whenever I switch between the two, now with the Z1R, they have cpearly met, sometimes even surpass my expectation, bigger, deeper bass, clearer, albeit lean mids, detail and resolving ability that I didnât whink would be there, ie as good as the neutral bright T1âs.
The Z1R clearly belong in the summit for its technicalities, especially so for the closed back headphone category, itâs just the tuning that make and break them, and thats definitely a subjective thing.
an easy way to check is kinda, just get yourself a used Z7, and if you like them, then the Z1R IS for you. what you do to the Z7 afterwards is up to you.
for me, I still have it around when I need to travel for more than a couple days, I just canât justify risking my 900usd Z1R on that kind of venture, the Z7 is close enough I can satisfy my craving for a Z1R at least for a couple days.
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I feel like the Z1R already has such a good soundstage for a closed-back that they donât need to mess around with an open-back flagship imo. Compared to some of my open headphones the Z1R has a larger soundstage and I think the imaging is also better than a few of them.
Iâve been using them over most of my other headphones more and more lately because theyâre pretty much the total package when it comes to a good headphone. Theyâre build quality is top-notch, comfort is as good as any headphone Iâve tried, and the SQ while not totl is plenty good and competes well with other headphones in itâs price range. The bass is some of the best you can find in a dynamic driver and while being a warm headphone the treble has sparkle you donât get from most headphones with this kind of signature.
The Z1R isnât like any other headphone I have and are probably the most comfortable. Theyâre the one HP I donât think I could ever sell.
Sony MDR-Z1R Premium Closed-back Headphones: Still Worth It in 2024?
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Great review. I have always wondered about them, but they are a lot of coin, even used.