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Posted 20 hours ago

Sony IER-Z1R Signature Series in-Ear Headphones (IERZ1R),Black/Silver

£24.995£49.99Clearance
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The IER performs less effectively in its midrange, minimizing the exciting factor for a duller tonality in comparison to the lively low-end. Some people might not have the same success as i did with these, but i reckon after people hear them they're faced with a very difficult choice because of that sweet sweet sound. The bass response is leagues ahead of the U12t, and it more than holds its own in terms of technicalities.

Yeah right, i was saying everything about good and bad things objectively since both are my set and aren't review units but apparently some fans feel their beloved IEM is the best. Growing up in the US, I mainly associated them with TVs and cameras, so it was surprising to see how much standing they have in the audiophile crowd. But it’s actually not so great compared to a lot of the other IEMs that I would qualify as top-tier. To this effect, purely on the basis of sound, I find myself going back and forth between the two with the IER-Z1R having the edge overall because of my music genre preferences.Regardless, Z1R is still my favourite for bass but I’ve had so much time with it so this is only natural. In particular, there’s a powerful sub-bass emphasis and a long, drawn-out decay (in the best sense possible) which the U12t lacks by comparison.

If you plug your wired earphones/IEMs directly into your phone or laptop, you are probably not hearing them at their best. It has just the right attack and decay which reminds me of the days when we messed around in recording studios. And if I get real picky - you know I do - the way the IER-Z1R rides dynamic swings isn’t exactly top-tier.

The next thing is the typical recessed lower mids to make everything sound clear (i'm not a fan of this) and a bit cold but thats a slight change. All instruments sounds truer to their nature and the soundstage is also pretty large and spacious, when using the crossfeed functionality in Mojo2's DSP suite. The treble on the IER-Z1R just barely rides the line between 'clear and emphasized' and 'sibilant and piercing'.

Timbre is another strong point here with the metallic tinge of steel strings being evident against the more natural, softer tone of nylon strings. To this effect, their flagship IEM the IER-Z1R garners a lot of respect in the circles I hang out in; it’s even a personal favorite of more than a few of the reviewers I enjoy following, so I had to check it out for myself. With advances in cable-making techniques and radical approaches to manufacturing, there are now several solutions to this universal problem. Firstly, I like a fun tuning so the Z1R is right in my ballpark and until yesterday it was the best IEM I had heard. Now, we're not talking they compete with open headphones like HD800, but it makes music sound grand.It’s a 5mm micro-dynamic driver with Al-coated LCP diaphragm and offers up to 100KHz response — a figure that’s inaudible by all humans but aces the numbers game. I think depending on taste you might prefer one over the other, I myself find the Z1R’s treble response more appealing. I somehow feel that Aria is better, maybe because to the fit but a close competition with 7Hz Timeless. To deliver music with true emotional impact that takes your breath away, every element of the IER-Z1R has been designed and developed by Sony for this one purpose.

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