Sony IER Z1R Review

[@Damien_N]

I had the super tweeter fail in my pair, I can say for certain that it’s failure was noticeable in cymbal hits in hard rock and heavy metal, which took on a severely distorted finish. Sony support was fabulous, they immediately sent me out a brand new sealed complete retail package when they confirmed the issue. Edit: I’d like to add that the Eartip selection is tremendous, and the two stock cables it comes with are among the best I’ve ever seen, no jank, no microphonics, pleasing coating etc. I just wish they were easier to buy individually, because I want to replace the cables on all my iems with them

[@notdroidbot2348]

You can get the cables individually from Sony dealers, they're a Sony part - I can buy them for roughly $100 each here in Australia.

[@Towelie-]

@@notdroidbot2348 The same goes for the ear tips, I got the same Sony Triple Comfort ear tips from the Z1R on my $8 MH755 for $20 total.

[@notdroidbot2348]

@@Towelie- get the tws triple comforts for mh755, theres an extended nozzle and it fit way better for me. but z1r ones work too. I have m9 ones for my 64 nio, too much bass for my taste sadly.

[@allydea]

I've had this IEM for about a year and I absolutely love it. Obviously, I don't expect you to tell me something I don't already know at this point, but your videos are always entertaining and I always find your takes interesting. To me it's a bit strange that you see the IER as similar to the Audeze over-ears. To me they are closer to the HE1000se. I don't find them dark as the LCDs, but rather clear and natural above all else. When I first listened to them, the thing that stood out and impressed me the most was the treble. It was just the most naturally sounding treble I had heard at that point, regardless of form factor. The soundstange is also something I found impressive. Then again, I thought the same about the HE1000se and you also said that one has weak soundstanging ability, so I guess we all hear slightly differently, but at least it seems to be consistent. As a last point, regarding fit: it looks like you're large final tips with it, so like you mentioned, you're not going to get a lot of contact with your ear because the fit is pretty shallow. While I can easily get a seal with large tips, the comfort isn't there, and when there's no comfort, the sound quality doesn't matter anymore. The breakthrough was when I manages to push them in deeper, to the point where the housing would make contact with my ear over large areas. In order to do this I had to pick the smallest sony tips (they are shorter when mounted than the finals, and that's important) that would still allow me to get a seal. The ear was a bit sore for the first couple of weeks, but adapted and now I sometimes forget I have them in. Alright, great video again, doesn't completely mirror my own impressions of the headphone, but I'm glad my previous _perlage_ comment made it in. :-)

[@En_Joshi-Godrez]

Almost everyone else agrees that they are leaning on cold sounding. I think I might possibly be becuase he didn't get a proper seal. Or maybe this is just a case of that "one reviewer" syndrome like when zeos siad the lcd x had a large sound stage.

[@Izquierda]

When it comes to the tips, less is more for sure. I made the mistake of starting with the larger end of the tips and could never feel comfortable because they were being pushed out and putting extra pressure on my ears. Using smaller tips definitely helped in my case also. I don't think these will ever be the most comfortable IEMs out there, but for most there should be a tip size that is good enough.

[@heechan80]

yes 100% agree with this. Deep insertion makes world of difference.

[@dleblanc343]

allydea i 100% confirm these are closer than audeze house than hifiman. I get a very deep fit and great seal. I actually prefer to reduce bass by using a double flange as i find it too bottom heavy

[@ameerzs1313]

i'm using these with Sony WM1A through 4.4, incredibly well pair & synergy.

[@GabrielVerdi]

4.4mm is amazing. I wish it had more attention than the super small 2.5mm

[@ks_3.14]

Not enough power

[@ameerzs1313]

@@ks_3.14 its not about power but amping capacity, 60/120 already sufficient through high gain uncapped.

[@ks_3.14]

@@ameerzs1313 you should plug in hugo 2

[@Obisp2]

Me too 💯

[@Static_Age]

Not that you would want to try this with an IEM that you don't own, but the ear guide can easily be molded to one's ear by using a hairdryer on the cable, getting it nice and warm, them putting it on and pulling it into place and holding it for a bit. I have done this with several other cables with this same build and it works well.

[@allydea]

The ear guides tend to disintegrate by themselves after about a year, so unless you're prepared to remove them anyway (I had to do that on the 1 year anniversary of the IEM) heating them up will likely speed up the breaking down of the material.

[@Static_Age]

@@allydea interesting. I've done this to three cables, two of which are 3+ years old and have had no issues. I would assume it's material dependant.

[@Ilovepizzandnb]

Great review as always man, I've been waiting for this one. I recently received the IER-Z1R I agree with the comfort level, but it is definitely one of the best in-ear monitors I own when it comes to sound and quality.

[@ubacow7109]

JV Reivews: Its not a big soundstage ..... but it sounds grand and huge..... lol

[@briandorsey6437]

Good review except the super tweeter is absolutely blazing 🔥 to my ear and one of the coolest sounding trebles I’ve ever heard & the soundstage is bomb for an IEM...I think the fit of these make some people hear them different than others. Love them.

[@elba_magellan]

It doesn't sound like he got a proper insertion

[@raveeyadav]

I agree 💯 here, the insertion makes all the difference in treble for IER Z1R

[@protato911]

really good review and overall informative, but sadly from what I noticed most of the flaws that you mentions are because of the fits, which is totally fine, not all human ears are the same size after all, but the treble and imaging improve dramatically if you can get a deep fits. My best experience with it is using one of those 3 fins tips that push its really deep into your ears and create a perfect seals (pretty much can't hear a thing outside) and it's one of the best IE mi ever heard, but too bad the tips are quite uncomfortable so I usually use the extra small spinfit tips and its still great, but my ears are quite big so the IEm fits me well.

[@soleiman89]

I was sooo pumped for these until the end of the video when you said 2000$ headphone 😂. Still always fun and informative to watch your reviews. Thanks a lot.

[@multiversalsingh]

Japanese audiophiles always take it to the next level. It's interesting to see Sony experiment with such stuff.

[@ugur3527]

Sony IEMs are excellent but all of Japanese brand over-ear headphones are generally bad.

[@degou3438]

@@ugur3527 Stax: 🤡

[@Cmoneybabyy]

Stax is bad in 2024. This ain't 2002 bro ​@@degou3438

[@Unbox_and_ASMR]

It's crazy how I still keep coming back to it after having heard many high end IEMs 😂

[@donn3k]

1,900 IEM or 2080 TI XD decision decision

[@versaleyang]

You shouldn't even be considering the 2080TI, the 3080TI is coming soon.

[@donn3k]

@@versaleyang yeah but lets be real 3080 ti will be as much lmao

[@versaleyang]

@@donn3k It shouldn't cost much more than the 2080TI so why not just be patient and wait? Unless you wanna waste hard earned money on an overpriced IEM, it's your money so it's your decision.

[@donn3k]

@@versaleyang probably wait a few more months

[@darthmandude]

One will be obsolete in a couple of years, and one will last you a lifetime if you take care of it enough

[@maxweinbach3996]

9:36 Thought something was wrong with my headphones

[@neilloveminecraft]

In regards to amplification. This is not a hard to drive IEM by any means but def not easy. A half decent Dongle should be able to drive it well and in my case I use the ibasso DC04 pro in Balanced 4.4 I would say that a 3.5 and 4.4 really makes a huge difference in the fullness of the sound

[@KojiCO-ConvinceM]

The fact that you state “it doesn’t make any sense I’m comparing this to over ear headphones,” You have yet to sit down with something that is truly special. If you can, get to audition the Anole VX I gave up on IEM last year, after about 35 of them they were exactly what you stated i.e.Ms, but once I’ve picked up the VX, I realised there is no distinction between the two, these are truly over ear headphones I don’t think I have been surprised as much as this in the last 16 years of high-end headphones and speakers What the VX does is insanity, it makes you realise that I EM can be just as good if not exponentially better than the over ear headphones of the same price category. But I do warn you, they are 2.5 KLOL so start saving them pennies 🤩 See you on your next review

[@00bikeboy]

The over-the-ear design isn't intended to redistribute its weight, it's to hold the IEM more firmly in place and prevent it from being accidentally dislodged.

[@ChiLL_iLL]

Yeah, this IEM takes some work to get it fitting right- but currently, it is my fave. I don't think I've ever heard bass this good on any headphone

[@N02tradamus]

Even compared to LCD2?

[@ChiLL_iLL]

@@N02tradamus honestly, yeah. The tone is less warm and more towards neutral I'd say, so things are a bit more "clear," with layers of bass/boom. I think the fact that it's an IEM makes a rumble difference too. I have the LCD i3 in ears and I still think the Z1R are the bass king.

[@N02tradamus]

@@ChiLL_iLL Wow, sound spectacular. They come in today. Will be testing them out.

[@ChiLL_iLL]

@@N02tradamus what did you end up thinking?

[@N02tradamus]

@@ChiLL_iLL It was cool but I was amazed to be honest. Plus the fit was a bit of an issue. I ended up getting a Meze Empyrean/HFM Arya and Chord TT2 instead. :)

[@chuanyewlee9502]

Excellent review. Like some of the others who have commented I also have this iem. I would add one comment that it may be interesting for you to listen to it using sony DAPs such as the nw-wm1a or nw-wm1z. Both of these DAPs were tuned with this iem in mind.

[@hilalbanai2326]

The best sounded iem out there 🔥🔥

[@dleblanc343]

hllbn second best to me!

[@sayurunethsilu]

@@dleblanc343 what's your first? I'm intrigued

[@felixmilleniantosetiawan2048]

This or Campfire Audio Solaris 2020 🤔

[@roeslan1969]

Good & fair review, thank you.. I kind of agree with most of your points & impressions.. I demo'ed IER-Z1R last year using WM1Z & DMP-Z1 and wasn't that impressed at all.. But I was quite surprised why so many people/reviewers said it's such an outstanding IEM in terms of SQ, soundstage, separation, etc.. To me, the most I'd give it 8/10..

[@juniormorales7269]

What's your personal 10/10?

[@roeslan1969]

@@juniormorales7269, so far haven't found that elusive IEM yet..

[@kaankucuk1612]

Hello Can I ask , I am listening music through my iPhone, I sometimes use AirPodspro, sometimes use wired earphones of Apple, I just like have the curiousity that iems are very expensive which means they probably give day and night differences. But again in my life, I havent used any iems like U12T, Sony IER-Z1R, Moondrop Variations, Mesk II etc… but can I ask your opinion, is there really satisfied and significant difference if I invest in a Bluetooth DAC/DAP and connecting U12T or any other “High-end IEMS” to my Mac or iPhone and listening music compared to regular wired Apple earphones and AirPods which are connected to my mac or iPhone directly?

[@Mista1Take]

@@roeslan1969 ur just crazy

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

red halo

[@mrfrosty3]

I can't put my finger on why but I find I am strangely drawn to Sony products. These are dangerously tempting.

[@tommymai3062]

i just got mine today and it took over 20mins to find the right tip. I think the fit will throw a lot of people off. You know you got it right when you push in on the ear pieace lightly and do not hear a increase in low end

[@bobbye6807]

This is a review based on improper seal?

[@bunozen1]

Susvara in background....how are you enjoying it?

[@sendal]

Hi & Thanks for another great review! I see the Meze Rai Penta in the video - How would you compare the Z1R to it? Many thanks!

[@joshuvaantonio]

Super curious to know your opinion..Sorry to be lae, which iem would be having the biggest soundstage ?

[@pharmacistrushikesh948]

Sir, Which is best for me from Sony IER-Z1R or Sony MDR-Z1R if i like bass, specially sub bass(low bass)...?

[@iikatinggangsengii2471]

go for the headphone one

[@lukkaturi]

How do these compare to the IER M7 (also from Sony). As far as I'm concerned, the M7 have a more "neutral" sound in comparison with the Z1R. It would be great a review of those. Cheers!

[@newsappa49]

Since i own both inear. M7 is more neutral and warmer than Z1R but soundstage and treble of Z1R is superior compared to M7.

[@cooleycollege01]

Ikko OH10? Would like to compare since they are still the most powerful and clean in the bass for me.

[@Vaanfo]

Hey just a heads up your #Tags have the Hifiman HE1000 tags in them.

[@JoshuaValour]

Fixed - thanks!

[@saviolajh]

Also, Zeus is spelled incorrectly in the description 🙂

[@ElectroMac74]

it will be interesting if there is a registry of 3d ready to print in 3d printer files of iem so we can the try before buy

[@itsabodh]

Wohaaa!!! That giant wide ass softbox!

[@theonlinething1039]

The strip light?!

[@LISTEDGames]

How do these compare to Moondrop Blessing 2 ?

[@N02tradamus]

I get the Sonys tomorrow. I tried the Blessing 2s ... I was not impressed ...

[@LISTEDGames]

@@N02tradamus ok lemme know what you think about them please!

[@N02tradamus]

@@LISTEDGames Will do. Feel free to remind me by Monday if I dont update you. Thanks.

[@ClutchNelson]

How do these compare to the MDR-Z1R? Which do you prefer?

[@shlumpgod]

people never say earphones idk why

[@MisterRhul]

Because it is vague. Earbuds and in ears are diferent, but both are earphones.

[@gavinl1006]

hows the bass compered to the se846

[@theearthisbread]

The se846 becomes a joke compared to it.

[@usen12345]

Hi Josh. Really appreciate your high quality and thoughtful work! Can I request you to kindly do a review of Sony IER-M7 and M9 as well?

[@ahmed4k417]

My friend is it better than fiio fh7 you advise which one please help me

[@MannyScoot]

the more components you put into a set of IEM, they higher the failure rate of the monitor........

[@leonzhou765]

Huge upgrade compare to Z5?

[@bubbachua]

weird, have read countless reviews of the superb soundstage but you're saying its not very good. you should say how you have driven the iem in your testing.

[@gwynbleiddroach2589]

Almost everyone but him saids it has an amazing soundstage, and is class leading. Sounds like he had a bad fit.

[@marian_f1704]

How does this compare to the mdr-z1r?

[@ThePrimaFacie]

No link to unboxing, you dont say how many Oms it needs, could you have bent the wire that goes over the ear to see if it can conform to your ear? Stopped at 03:36, Im good, good luck

[@nanezferrer3565]

this vs senheiser ie 900 ?

[@joelstatosky1817]

Tin2 for rich people. Also it would match perfectly with the SHA900. just saying guys. Also replace that cable asap everyone with a different cable, literally everyone on reddit complaining about it loved it with a different cable. Also don't you guys hate it when your audio quality is so good it makes the track seem bad when you don't have good audio

[@gwynbleiddroach2589]

The cable is universally loved on Reddit, and is probably one of the best stock cables out there. People who dislike it are in the vast minority.

[@az717able]

Are these better than Shure se846

[@nickdual]

Thank you for sharing, I am KZbinr from Vietnam.

[@aqwandrew6330]

can you review the ier m9 too?

[@HiFiInsider]

I think it has a fun sound signature. The sound could be more balanced.

[@kmsrog]

Hi sir mike

[@dbekia]

Hi Mike, how would you compare them to the Campfire Audio Solaris? Would greatly appreciate your view on this, thanks in advance

[@iamSofaK1nG]

i love how there are a pair of 4k diana's lying around in the background!!!!

[@roufali3178]

Please review Shure kse1500 ☺️☺️

[@laurakim6297]

please review 64 audio u12t josh. thanks

[@bfitelson]

+1

[@Izquierda]

Did you try these with the TA-ZH1ES amp like you did with the MDR? They pair up really well! Some say it works even better than the MDR with that amp.

[@michaelbracken9585]

I paired my IER-Z1R with the TAZH-1ES dac/amp and listening to Giorgio by Moroder is bliss…

[@stiggles98]

So I know talking price this is fully sacrilegious, but based on how you describe the Sony's, could you compare their sound with the Monoprice Quintet IEM's? They sound like they have similar sound balance and emphasis, and I'd be curious to see how much improvement the extra price brings.

[@chunkylover5367]

Great review! You were so thorough that I can really imagine how smooth these earphones are. Have you heard Shure SE846? You want to review them?

[@JohnSmith-kj3jy]

They are an outdated relic

[@chunkylover5367]

@@JohnSmith-kj3jy Reference?

[@JohnSmith-kj3jy]

@@chunkylover5367 what do you mean by reference

[@chunkylover5367]

John Smith What is your source? What specifically are you referring to when you say that it is a relic?

[@JohnSmith-kj3jy]

@@chunkylover5367 I've heard them myself. The tonality is wonky. It's well known that the old trinity of iems (akg k3003, Sennheiser ie800 and shires se846) have not withstood the test of time. Andromedas beats them soundly

[@krazyfrog]

The super tweeter likely just exists to expand the frequency response to the claimed 100,000 Hz.

[@tinytownsoftware3837]

Which nobody can hear 😂

[@Enhanz]

Josh, you should try the ER2's, they're endgame I'm telling ya

[@drsedo8715]

Hi there! Hope you can give me some advice. I'm looking to get my first headphone setup, I really fancy a tube amp setup but i want something budget friendly. I have a computer with optical out and i thought a good setup could be the Schiit Modi coupled to the schiit Vali with the Massdrop AKG K7XX headphones. My main use will be jazz, rock, classical & to connect it to my ps4 to game, as it also has optical out. Do you think this set up is worth it? Or is there anything you would change or add to get the most out of my money? Maybe invest more on headphones might be really worth it? What do you think?Thanks!!

[@tedwasileff512]

Could u review the Voyager 14 please. Thank You.

[@TheCujo1956]

For $2000 it better not have any negatives. Better yet I could/would not ever think of buying $2000 iem, perfect or not!

[@mauricesj66]

Can you do a review on the AkG n5005,All the other reviews are in foreign languages

[@amirberent6533]

Ear hooks are for being aesthetic and hide the cable, not for pulling the IEM and support the weight, which makes 0 sense, as it should be firmly fitted into your ear, and not “suspended” or anything

[@TouzeenHussain]

Please review the Dunu Luna...can't make up my mind between the Luna and the Z1R.

[@rangga940519]

please review the 2020 campfire andromeda and 64audio tia fourte

[@babypandas2648]

Long awaited

[@MK-jj6tg]

What lighting do you use? Also will you review the Final D8000, I have heard they are better than their pro version, better than Meze Empyrean, Focal Utopia/Stellia, on par with Hifiman Susvara, and still better than the LCD 4s. (All based on so much research but very very opinion based obviously)

[@dleblanc343]

Misha Sharp D8000 Pro is significantly better than the original version. I posted a review on headfi :) I rate it slightly behind Susvara, and noticeably above Utopia/ HEKse

[@runetech]

All Sony IEM's I ever had the over ear part is completely moldable. Just bend it to the shape you want. If this does away with that function, then indeed it is bad...

[@Sushanttechworld]

Please try jh audio iems like 13v2 pro or 16v2 pro and shure se 815. I really want to watch a good review on them make it please nobody has a good review on youtube

[@spartanV48]

I tried those IEMs a couple years ago and I don't know, they weren't really that special in my opinion. They sounded like their price, but not for me. Might be good for you though depending on what you listen to. Obviously this is not a good review, but thought you'd probably want to know. I do own the JH Audio Lola and rarely use them.

[@TheMightyMedia]

Incoming Susvara review pls..

[@kylerclarke2689]

I got very lucky to find a well-paying job and I think I might be able to save for these. No more wallowing in mid-fi hell, picking things that are "pretty good" or only great at one thing

[@YY-wu7et]

@@humm6155 Idiotic new money logic.

[@gwynbleiddroach2589]

@@YY-wu7et if you are responding to OP, I’m not sure how it’s idiotic at all. Sounds like you may be jealous.

[@kylerclarke2689]

@@YY-wu7et thank you for the helpful advice :)

[@gregorkluth2857]

And now it's time to do some speaker reviews again

[@ryan011193]

Anyone know how I could get hold of a pair of these in the UK?

[@SiG-Popart]

I got mine off of Amazon UK for £1614.52 with 5 interest free instalments 👍

[@ozunkeskin6919]

@@SiG-Popart how are they? Good? I need a review :)

[@SiG-Popart]

@@ozunkeskin6919 ...After living with the Z1R’s for a couple of months I have to concur with Chris (Bad Guy Good Audio Reviews) when he says…

[@ozunkeskin6919]

@@SiG-Popart can you keep it short

[@dontknowmuchbutitry218]

Can someone explain to me why tf they almost 2000 thousand dollars

[@gwynbleiddroach2589]

Because that is how the market is and has always been in the audiophile world. They sound that good.

[@94jmbottaro]

can you review the Ifi Hip dac?

[@theearthisbread]

Okay i’ll just get the Sony Wf1000-xm3

[@pratamamp]

I noticed the AGV helmet there josh! What do you ride? 😁

[@aissabriand]

i ! hello from Saint Pierre and Miquelon, for super tweter i think it's for hi-res audio ? yes? No? Thanks for your test man! :) peace ! +

[@sunnysunshine9016]

Spot on! Thank you for the review 😊

[@Vamp898]

So the next thing needs to be IER-M9

[@caffeine-addict123]

Has anyone heard qdc’s anole vx?

[@menocorde]

An amp, enhances bass response. Yeah, how?

[@ThereIsOnlyOneRandom]

great review.

[@HobbyTalk]

How does it compare to Chu? (I’m joking)

[@ROCKSTAR3291]

Fit is atrocious, I can't use it for more than 20 mins

[@dante19890]

Not z1r worthy ears, too small XD

[@johnm5131]

it's weird that they dropped the ball so badly on fit.

[@Gamerlingual]

What does he mean by S’s? Pardon my ignorance

[@SiG-Popart]

Sibilance....The over emphasised "S" hiss sound.

[@Gamerlingual]

Thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Makes sense since I own these IEM’s. Super awesome and Josh is spot on. Although they fit comfortably for me

[@Elm8n]

@@Gamerlingual you get sibilance even with a good fit? Once i got a good deep fit, the sibilance disappeared for me.

[@前田日明-w8u]

Sometimes someone love this sound because it's "rich" or "deluxe" ,but it's far from high fidelity. The charm of this is from huge amount of added showy accompanying sound.

[@Dp-dx3zu]

They are sold out everywhere

[@renbanhart.s]

I think b&h hast them i got mine from there, end game iem for sure you wont need anything else

[@4bdull784]

Ruben Chairez and what headphone do you have?

[@Dp-dx3zu]

Ruben Chairez says they are back ordered

[@renbanhart.s]

I own ikko oh10, audiofly af1120 sennheiser ie80 and ie80s, beyerdynamic dt1990

[@renbanhart.s]

@@Dp-dx3zu :( last resort may be ebay man, they are a pretty good set honestly hope you can find a pair

[@MustangDesudiroz]

Dang need to try these irl

[@memesandentertainment8]

Bro review tin t2 plus

[@PowerL1N3]

@Joshua Valour For IEMs you’ve done: -Sennheiser IE900 & -Sony IER Z1R Could you please do: -Thiemonarch MKII & -UE 11 Pro

[@superprim12]

I feel you did not review them as audiophile earbuds... These are all about AMAZING sound..... Nothing else!!

[@metal571]

Joshua Valour

[@V4Now]

Bet it won't stay in my ears?😄

[@Levian-Nighfury]

For rich people that have to much money :p

[@peteroh7451]

Sounds just as good from an iPhone with dongle. This guy is just a wannabe audiophile. He has no clue what he's saying lmao.

[@B4UCE]

95% of people agree with him that it scales with more power. No need to be a dick

[@m4nc1n1]

Just Bet the Blon 3's lol

[@deepankar853]

This comment is just to help your channel