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

I'm a big fan of Sony products. I have owned Sony XBR TVs for many years, as well as two other very good Sony headphones, a Sony NW-WM1A Walkman and a TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier. So I expected to be happy with the Z1R. It received mixed professional reviews, including a critical review from InnerFidelity. It turns out that InnerFidelity's rating is spot on. The Z1R has far too much bass, although that didn't particularly bother me. What I couldn't accept was the high frequencies that made the orchestral strings sound unnatural. I mostly listen to jazz and classical music, and orchestral music just doesn't sound right on the Z1R. Surprisingly, Sony has much better headphones, the MDR-1AM2, with a more natural sound, with just a slight emphasis on bass and treble. So if you're looking at the Z1R, consider the much more affordable MDR-1AM2. Or, in the $2,000 price range, the Ether 2s from MrSpeakers (now Dan Clark Audio) are much better headphones.