Review on SONY MDR-Z1R WW2 Signature: Superior Sound Quality in Black (International Version) by Jake Powell

I've had them for a few days now so I think I'm still burning them but I don't know if I believe it. I think the point is to let my brain adapt to the sound signature and just fall in love with it. On first listening, I wasn't impressed with anything other than the bass. My other headphones include the HD800, HD58X, HD650 and HE-400i. I'm used to a brighter sound signature and my 800s have a DuPont mod to tame them a bit because I'm quite sensitive to sibilance. I'm not afraid to apply a little EQ to even out the sound and I have different presets for all my headphones including the Z1R. I'm testing these headphones between my two amps: Audio-gd NFB28.38 and Small Dot MKIII. I don't like that on a tube amp. The bass sounded dirtier on the MKIII but that's why I love the HD800 on it as it adds some punch and bass to it. The tube amp likes the higher impedance anyway, which the Z1R doesn't have. In fact, the 64 ohm impedance seems high in testing as they are very loud on the NFB28 at modest volume settings. All my other headphones need higher settings to get the same volume. Sonically, the transition from lighter-colored headphones to these is a bit disappointing. They have a lot of highs, especially with the EQ, but they don't have that instant brightness that makes you feel like the response is broad and open. It's more like a noise through a hollow piece of wood, which sounds awful, but it's not as bad as it sounds. It's just that all the bass and mids are very pronounced, but the treble doesn't swing forward with the same energy. You can still feel the treble strain with the right music, so the highs aren't missing, they just aren't as straight or full. These banks are really tuned to specific music. They really do sound like dance music, but I don't really like them. Live music is just amazing. Like they were set up for that and I couldn't believe how well it brought it to life. Metal and rock guitars are really crisp and sound fantastic with the bass emphasized. I had never heard bass guitars sound so forward and present in my music until these headphones came along. That totally amazed me. Overall I fall in love with the sound signature and you'll quickly get used to what I wouldn't call a dark sound (because it's not as dark as the HD650) but rather a bit more bass/mids. The sound with the highs isn't there at the extreme level unless the track is screamingly high. I listen to them when I need a lighter, fuller sound, and I use my HD800s when I need a wider, higher pitched, more explosive sound but less bass. That's all I can say. The Z1R are unique headphones compared to others I own and they go well together because they are so different. Are these headphones meant to replace all others? nope It's just another tool in my arsenal to try and find the right sound to suit my mood of the day. I think my next set of headphones to try will be the Fostex TH-900mk2, but I'll have to let my wallet cool down a bit!