Sony MDR-Z1R VS Audeze LCD-4Z Headphones Compared

[@phototristan]

Be sure to see my updated video on the Audeze LCD-4Z headphones here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKqYk5mam8eXn5o

[@nib95]

I've really only ever heard that metallic tinge in the Z1R's on a handful of tracks out of thousands, and only when I've pushed the volume uncomfortably high. At low to medium volumes (which I almost exclusively listen to, to prevent longterm damage or loss of hearing to my ears) the Z1R is an extremely smooth, non fatiguing and clean sounding headphone. I would also recommend using a mic or system to volume match headphones during these comparisons. Make a note of where you need to turn the volume pot to reach the same dB for each headphone, and only then compare, otherwise the slightest differences in volume can hugely impact results.

[@Dinrog]

I had both and while liked the Z1R with some rare recordings that favoured its special sound, the sonic improvement of an LCD X and even more the 4z was almost unbelivable. Mainly in terms of resolution and speed. I just wish evry Headphone had the build and comfort of the sony :)

[@zcreto]

im looking into getting my firsf plannar. already had my ear exp elegia, h800S and z1r which i cutrently use everydaily. are the lcd x competent enough for my first and.maybe last planar or should i jump towards lcd 4/4z or 3 ? price is mot too decisive but value/performance is also considered

[@TheFijianGuy]

I prefer the hd800S to the audezes but I definitely prefer the audeze over the z1r..what are your thoughts and thanks for the great comparison.

[@phototristan]

HD800 series is a bit too peaky in the highs for me, and not quite bassy enough also.

[@KainSwiss]

It's interesting as here in Australia I can get the Z1R for $1599 and the Audezes are $5,799 clearly the Sony headset is better value for money here. Great insight into both sets

[@Faazzil]

Can you please provide the link?

[@KainSwiss]

@@Faazzil That was 2 years ago. Price went up now!

[@MarkRoberts-bj2me]

Pretty much what this cat expected from Tristan's solo review of the Audeze LCD-4Z. Apparently Audeze now has a facility not directly connected to their House of Pain division where all heretofore TOTL Audezes were designed and manufactured. When Tristan can wear the 4Z for extended periods of time we know this model is a different animal comfort wise. The Audeze House Sound has always been this cat's preferred sound signature but up until this model, Audeze has been unable to house that sound in a wearable headphone. Anyone interested in an Audio Technica ATH-W3000ANV, a collector's item, is advised to check eBay. Time to pick up a pair of the 4Z and retire from the neverending introduction of the newest and greatest headphone of the month club, at least for awhile.

[@thesoundizerav4956]

I forgot to mention. Excellent review.

[@vineshshankar9464]

Your review was incredibly useful. Thank you very much, I was tossing up between these two :)

[@phototristan]

Glad it helps!

[@Robert-iv8vc]

The question as always is: does the difference in sound quality make the 4z's higher cost worth it? Its a subjective question that can only be answered by the individual Audiophile but in my case the answer is Yes. Once you've heard a 4z its not likely that any other headphone currently in production is going to sound better...unless a listener wants to spend mid 5 figures on a Sennheiser flagship.

[@tommymai3062]

I’m getting my z1r next week. I will be the judge on how accurate your review was.

[@jjjoooojjj]

And what's your judgment please?

[@rick-val22]

I know you no longer have the 4z's but I am thinking of buying a set. Have you heard both, the 4 and 4z's? I have read reviews and blogs that have conflicting opinions on how they sound compared to one another. Some say they sound exactly the same and others say the 4 is more euphonic and better sounding. Would you have any insight on this matter?

[@WooAudioUSA]

thanks for another great review.

[@MuhammadKharismawan]

I'm only interested with the Z4 because it's lighter... Glad to have you clear which is more comfortable. Which of the two is more of your personal sound sig reference?

[@phototristan]

The Audeze 4z are my favorite of the two.

[@Sjsgdjsb]

How correct to compare them, if one is closed and the other one is open headphones... 🤔

[@drunksaru]

Ahhh, you changed your name. I didn't realize this was your video but figured it was... I got about 30 minutes of listening with the Z4 and I have to say, currently, I prefer the Sony only because it seemed to do better in a wider variety of genres than the 4Z (with the setup I had). BTW, I think i missed it but which Amp were you using to test? I listened to the 4Z with the WA5 and Z1R with TAZH1 as well as Valhalla 2. I couldn't do a side by side comparison like you.

[@phototristan]

I'm using the Hugo 2 as DAC and Violectric V281 amp. I also sometimes listen direct out from the Hugo 2 or Chord Mojo.

[@lonestar1664]

@@phototristan I wanted to know how does Z1R sound directly from Hugo 2? by the way I bought the Z1R based on your review 😂

[@phototristan]

Sounds excellent.

[@NushiSama]

What cable are you using on the Z1R? it looks really nice

[@phototristan]

It's the Sony Kimber upgrade cable. I'm not sure they make it anymore but you may be able to find it on eBay.

[@NushiSama]

@@phototristan Thank you very much

[@RX-rd4sc]

Great review Do you remember Which one of these sounds big like a huge sound

[@phototristan]

Z1R has a wider soundstage if that's what you mean. It's still not hugely wide tho.

[@RX-rd4sc]

@@phototristan like vertically

[@zcreto]

i chose z1r coz its all i could afford 3 weeks ago . may get the 4zs now . i.needs more research

[@Boogie7910]

Thanks for the comparison. While I'm a big bass head which makes me love the Z1R, the smoothness of the 4Z you talked about sounds really enticing. The weight of the phones is probably a deal breaker for me however because I'm sensitive to that and get headaches. Can the 4Z match the Z1R's in terms of bass when EQ'd? BTW, I just pre-ordered Chord's TT2 and M Scaler. Should be a solid upgrade from my Schiit Gumby I hope.

[@phototristan]

>Can the 4Z match the Z1R's in terms of bass when EQ'd? Yes they can. The 4Z is overall a more pleasant and 'high end' sound as well.

[@ancorey25]

Audeze is famous for its bass (and speed) amongst planar high end products. the Z1R has “more” bass as it is a closed back headphone designed for bass heads but the Audeze has huge impact and slam an incredible detail and SPEED especially in its base department. The song has more bloom and bleed but less precision and speed. The LCD-4 is one of the single most enjoyable bass headphones the Z1R is just a rare closed back headphone that can sorta compete in the same space. No where near as many closed back flagship cans compared with open back cans for reasons.

[@garyzamudio9586]

which one do you recommend if I plan to run them using the chord mojo?

[@phototristan]

Both actually sound good with the Mojo however the LCD-4z likes more power in general.

[@MarkRoberts-bj2me]

A few thoughts, the price comparison should be looked at using the proper perspective. Sony is obviously a large corporation and benefits from economy of scale while Audeze is a small niche company manufacturing cans. What this means to the consumer is that one gets more "bang" for the buck with Sony since it would be much more expensive for Audeze to engineer and manufacture the Z1R than it is for Sony. Keep in mind that apparently the Sony engineer team was provided with a large budget and over the course of 10 years the research involved in manufacturing the Z1R was extensive. To call these cans "closed end" is a bit of a misnomer. They are actually ported and while this cat is not technically savvy enough to define exactly how that affects the sound the ports are there for a reason. One major point Tristan did not address is "soundstage". The open planars surprisingly have a rather narrows sound stage whereby the Sony's are surprisingly wide. The Z1R can pull off the illusion that sound is coming from outside the cups. One should be reasonable and responsible when listening to headphones, jacking up the volume pot is not recommended. Perhaps at high decibel levels the Z1R bass response may break up and sound like a cheap sub but when listened to at low and moderate volumes, the articulation is there and that bass is palpable. When a dynamic headphone can provide more bass without crossing the line into bass head territory than a planar, one has got a unique pair of cans. Try as one might, this listener failed to pick up on the "metallic" complaint by Tristan regarding the Sony. Perhaps the listening back and forth between the two cans triggered Tristan's comment. Apparently the Sony's were designed to kick back with and relax with a super comfortable lightweight headphone that will provide the listener with more of a speaker-like presentation without any concern over the room's acoustics or listening fatigue. Is the LCD-4Z more polished and a bit more accurate? Yes they are but they don't surpass the Sony in every characteristic. In conclusion, along with the HiFiMan 1000se, which is an extremely good headphone, this cat is willing to stick with the Z1R until the introduction and reception of the LCD-5.

[@Boogie7910]

I'm hearing good things about Meze EMPYREAN. Have you been able to demo them?

[@phototristan]

I heard them at RMAF 2018 last month and talked to the guys there at their booth as well. Very nice design, sounds great too with a slight mid-bass bump. My only issue is customer service should there be any issues as they're located in Romania. For headphones that expensive, I'm a bit leary.

[@oldgeezerstechreview4048]

Mediahound I’d say, don’t worry too much since the Meze guys are very responsive and also very proud of their flagship product, Sony customer service, on the other hand, is a total Desaster and one reason for their decline. They now try to bounce back, but their customer care is still atrocious.

[@75avan]

Link to the stand please?

[@phototristan]

It's here - www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Perch-Headphone-Stand-Black/dp/B01MT014PK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1540136775&sr=8-2&keywords=audioquest+perch&linkCode=sl1&tag=tt-20&linkId=3c8cb122f30fa68a15dda99893efc859&language=en_US

[@eat_ze_bugs]

How do female vocals sound on the z1r vs the 4z?

[@phototristan]

They're smoother and a bit more forward on the 4z.

[@soumyadipbera3269]

You are comparing open back(audeze) with close back(z1r). Compare open back with open back and close back with close back. All know open back is natural sounding where close back is little less natural but detail retrieval is better compared to open back but at high volume (over 90%) close back may sound little distorted but it’s very little and I think most of the time no one going to listen over 85% volume. But still if you want edit or recording, open back is better as it more natural sounding and close back for emphasis on detail retrieval but little less natural compared to open back.

[@DonLee480]

Should have watched this video before I commented on your last video. This answers my question 🤣

[@bernamej]

Your voice is PERFECT

[@ecodelta3732]

Has una review de un audeze lcd 2 cerrado con el z1r

[@o0jun0o]

what camera is used to flim this?

[@phototristan]

See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWTIYoV6ZcuibtU

[@RabbitConfirmed]

I ordered them for 1000$, it was on sale, do you think it's a good deal? Are they worth the money?

[@RX-rd4sc]

which one?

[@RabbitConfirmed]

@@RX-rd4sc I cancelled my order. I have the Audeze Maxwell now and Im pretty happy. Use it for PC

[@RyuMasterEX]

Never underestimate audeze bass

[@phototristan]

Indeed

[@olexandrs6639]

lsd 4z are slightly less efficient 98db/mv vs sony's 100 db/mv. that's why power requirements are more even than u expected: lsd need much more current, but less voltage, and eventually more power: lsd Painful 120 dB SPL 1.54 Vrms 102.67 mA 158.11 mW sony Painful 120 dB SPL 2.53 Vrms 39.53 mA 100.01 mW I heard than sony's zx300 (true portable DAP) has voltage on high gain (balanced) measured at 1.85 vrm. power = 200mw. thus current is 200/1.85 = 108 mA. it means that on the paper true portable sony's DAP should drive lcd4z properly and slighthy better than mdr z1r. It'ss reported than zx300/zx500 still do very good with z7m2 or z1r, but proper amp can drive it slightly better.

[@gundum1o1]

Hey there. Would you mind comparing the 4z with the Final Audio D8000? I read they're even more resolving and neutral than the 4z.

[@bunozen1]

I agree with you. When comparing headphones the Z1R can sound not that premium anymore, what a shame.

[@MuhammadKharismawan]

That's because just how different it sounds compared to most flagship, I think ft owners that just use them it'd be much less of a problem. Also the Z1R is closed, which people tend to forget.

[@MarkRoberts-bj2me]

With a synergistic front end, the Sony Zeds are still extremely pleasurable. The Zeds are technically not "closed" cans. They are ported.

[@abhishekkeraliya8623]

Thanks, can you please compare Z1R with LCD XC ? Both are closed back and similar price (given sony's are available at around 1700 USD now).

[@phototristan]

I haven't considered the LCD-XC due to how heavy they are.

[@mikylenaidoo1779]

@@phototristan price is more of an equal footing ito comparison... rather than weight .... dont you think.... i mean this is how the consumer market works...

[@NighteeeeeY]

Closed dynamic vs open planar double the price. Oke.

[@phototristan]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWXCeGp-fa9jfac

[@NighteeeeeY]

good one ;)

[@Piercingthesky1]

Lcd4z so pricy feels bad buying it lol

[@thesoundizerav4956]

Thank you for the review which I have been looking forward to. Do you know the weight for these Audeze Headphones? Will you be selling your Z1R or do you intend to keep them as a contrasting headphone pair? Some people might be disappointed with the lower base quantity on the Audeze especially owners of other Audeze models where base is of high quantity.

[@phototristan]

The bass quantity on the 4z is not any lower than with other open back Audeze headphones.

[@thesoundizerav4956]

phototristan ok. Will you keep the Sony MDRZ1R?

[@phototristan]

I cannot confirm or deny at this time. ;)

[@janmichael1728]

Ups. Like my Z1R a little bit less now. Damn. Thanks for the review, though.

[@phototristan]

It's still a great headphone.

[@SoonerUnitedKingdomOffical]

I'm in love with my Z1R's therefore I will never listen to these Audeze. 😉

[@Robert-iv8vc]

The sonic capabilities of the 4Z are almost supernatural, absolutely outstanding sound reproduction.

[@trilingualkid]

Z1r peaks are the same as HD800? lol

[@michaelbytner9346]

Is that here a "closed-back vs open-back headphones" comparison, or what is the point of this video? Sorry, but for me this here is absolute nonsense, the two headphones are fundamentally different per se. The SONY are closed-back, so compare it with closed-back headphones. The AUDEZE are open-back, so compare it with open-back headphones. Everything else are nonsense...

[@fatdoi003]

i'll be damned if a giant electronic corporation totl headphone can beat a 3.5x more expensive one from a small manufacturer.....

[@bill32889]

second!