I owned both and ended up returning the Sony IER-Z1R because of the tinny sounding treble. I still own the Sennheiser IE 900 and am very happy with the sound.
wow! thank you for such an excellent unbiased review of these two magnificent earphones! I loved how you explicitly discussed timbre, transience, driveability and even the details of the non-veiled midrange. I was leaning towards the ZR1's but after you listed all of the pros and cons, you mentioned you "could fall asleep while wearing the IE900's" and *that* is the level of comfort I want with a high end IEM. Thanks again!
I have the Noble Sultan in my collection and still prefer the IER-Z1R ....... I also enjoy and love the IKKO OH7 ...... I also changed the cable on my Z1R to a NOBUNAGA Labs Gilgamesh-Omega...... and WOW an entire cleaner sound !!!!
Just wanted to chime in and say I've wanted the Z1R but since it never went down in price I got the IE 900 as an upgrade from my IE 600 and never thought I'd say the 600 sounds muddy by comparison. I've been enjoying the 600 for over a year but immediately after listening to the 900 I can confidently say it's just much better. Perhaps not as naturally sounding in terms of timbre BUT what you get in sense of space/air/resolution and layering more than make up for it.
I have both the Z1R and IE900, you're not missing much. Both are amazing in bass and treble. Z1R is a bit less recessed and has a wider stage, that's it. Comfort wise the 900 is untouched.
I stick to midfi with iems… ie600 and symphonium meteor are my duo of choice right around the 500 used price point. I’ve tried the higher end ear monitors and just can’t get into them for the $. Noble sultan, Tia trio, and the birds were all nice but I felt they were worth nowhere near new or used prices. 🤷♂️. I can get into higher end Hps and speakers just can’t with iems.
I don't have experience with IEMs. I know the obvious such as soundstage, but can anyone make a comparison between Senn IE 900 and bassy HPs like Caldera or AB-1266 Phi TC?
It would be better if they swapped each other's cables. The IE900 is light enough that it could use Sony's more flexible cable because it doesn't need much support. The body is so light weight that any microphonics that the cable produces is really obvious and distracting. Conversely, the Z1R would benefit from the stiffer, more supportive cable that the IE900 has.
Great comparo, one good thing about the ie900 is you can play any genre of music on them and they doesn't disappoint, well are you using stock tips with them?
A great take on two excellent IEM's Sajid. IE 900 is indeed an exceptional IEM, sounds enthralling & technically proficient. There are many superb high value IEM's in the market, but at its price, with included accessories & 2 year warranty makes it a good buy.
Man, amazing video! We need more stuff from you. no-nonsense, precise, to-the-point..this is exactly what the audiophile community needs! Thanks 🙏 looking forward to more.. One question, how do the ie900's compare to the Sony ier-m9's?
Very non biased review. To many people look at the graph and say the mid range suck. It’s honestly not bad and a non issue, yes for other iem in the price range there is better but it doesn’t have a 500 dollar mid range and also the acoustics back filter, the chamber and the tip filter changes the mid from what the graph displays
@westonlittle1149 s24 ultra has no headphone jack.. were you planning on using a type C to 4.4 adapter? I've been wondering about using the ie900 on my s23 ultra but not sure if the phone would sound as good as a dedicated hi res Walkman.
With those kind of very very expensive source, people can easily judge witch ones they'd like, silly. Bottom line, Z1R is for fun, IE900 which i think is still sibilance, which is not recommended for the price, take IE600, simply cheeper and balance between price and performance. I never heard people talking IE900 is one iem for basshead, or maybe i have, i'm not sure. But Z1R yes, it is the basshead iem, perhaps THE KING. I drive this iem everyday. IE600 is not have sound stage wider and detail than IE900, for the sake of fun listening and i prefer IE600 or Sony M9 for balance iem. If you want to prove which ones people will choose between IE900 and IE600, the answer is IE600. This ones is have amazing performance for the price than IE900. I agree Z1R a little bit demanding about the source, just a bit. Any source with at least 240mw through balanced 4.4/2.5 can drive this iem. It does not to be using very expensive ones to drive it. Ci-fi or not does matter, choose source with enough power for Z1R and never using EQ if possible, your ruin the sound signature of the iem. Unless you want to spend thousands dollar of amazing product and put it on the table.
I had a chance to compere ie900 and Z1R in the local headfi store. IE900 better in every aspect and they are another level. It terms of musicallity 1 DD is way better then multidriver configuration. On other hand ie900 is not perfect, there is some issue in upper midrange.
Interesting I own the ie600 and only demod the 900 for a few hours. I felt the 900 was slightly more resolving and technical but I got my 600 for $500. I’m happy for the price
@@garygriffiths7353 I agree for $500 it really is a great value. I also bought a symphonium meteor for 500 and it's a fantastic combination with ie600.
@@aceofspades6667 the meteor is one I’m keen to try. I have tried and owned several expensive iems and still own the a8000, u12t and ier z1r. While I like all of them most can be perfectly happy with iems in the £500 ball park. I would never spend on those 5k iems
Great Review Sajid and I found the exact same issues with the Z1R cable. Sonically I can't agree more with your review. I let the Z1R go but kept the ie900 in the stable, I also find them to be the PERFECT competitive gaming IEM, they blow all headphones out of the water and most all IEM's that I have tried and I have tried a ton. 🎧
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I owned both and ended up returning the Sony IER-Z1R because of the tinny sounding treble. I still own the Sennheiser IE 900 and am very happy with the sound.
I’ve been waiting for this comparison!
The bass on the IE900, wow, it actually trades blows with the Z1R... Simply amazing.
wow! thank you for such an excellent unbiased review of these two magnificent earphones! I loved how you explicitly discussed timbre, transience, driveability and even the details of the non-veiled midrange. I was leaning towards the ZR1's but after you listed all of the pros and cons, you mentioned you "could fall asleep while wearing the IE900's" and *that* is the level of comfort I want with a high end IEM. Thanks again!
Great job as usual!
Thank you!
Thanks for saving me from having to go through the expense and trouble of doing this myself. I love the IE900.
Great review. Can we share the cable btw Z1R and IE900 since both of them are MMCX connector?
I have the Noble Sultan in my collection and still prefer the IER-Z1R ....... I also enjoy and love the IKKO OH7 ...... I also changed the cable on my Z1R to a NOBUNAGA Labs Gilgamesh-Omega...... and WOW an entire cleaner sound !!!!
Just wanted to chime in and say I've wanted the Z1R but since it never went down in price I got the IE 900 as an upgrade from my IE 600 and never thought I'd say the 600 sounds muddy by comparison.
I've been enjoying the 600 for over a year but immediately after listening to the 900 I can confidently say it's just much better. Perhaps not as naturally sounding in terms of timbre BUT what you get in sense of space/air/resolution and layering more than make up for it.
I have both the Z1R and IE900, you're not missing much. Both are amazing in bass and treble. Z1R is a bit less recessed and has a wider stage, that's it. Comfort wise the 900 is untouched.
I stick to midfi with iems… ie600 and symphonium meteor are my duo of choice right around the 500 used price point. I’ve tried the higher end ear monitors and just can’t get into them for the $. Noble sultan, Tia trio, and the birds were all nice but I felt they were worth nowhere near new or used prices. 🤷♂️. I can get into higher end Hps and speakers just can’t with iems.
I don't have experience with IEMs. I know the obvious such as soundstage, but can anyone make a comparison between Senn IE 900 and bassy HPs like Caldera or AB-1266 Phi TC?
Two future classic gems of the Sub 2000 Tier, they even look similar. Similar looking cable,chrome and all :p (Z1R is already a classic though)
Maneiro o vídeo..
Thanks for this but the IER-Z1R has 2x Dynamic drivers & 1x Balanced Armature driver
I notice as well hahaha, It's weird to someone have so expensive stuff but did not know what's inside.
For Rock, which one do you recommend more ?
It would be better if they swapped each other's cables. The IE900 is light enough that it could use Sony's more flexible cable because it doesn't need much support. The body is so light weight that any microphonics that the cable produces is really obvious and distracting. Conversely, the Z1R would benefit from the stiffer, more supportive cable that the IE900 has.
Great comparo, one good thing about the ie900 is you can play any genre of music on them and they doesn't disappoint, well are you using stock tips with them?
How do they handle rock and metal? thx
its like a dedicated music iem
@@malthus101 no problem at all
its tuned more to music/dap, so that youll have great listening experience anywhere, id prob have ie900 w a dap too if im in need of such system
A great take on two excellent IEM's Sajid. IE 900 is indeed an exceptional IEM, sounds enthralling & technically proficient. There are many superb high value IEM's in the market, but at its price, with included accessories & 2 year warranty makes it a good buy.
Man, amazing video! We need more stuff from you. no-nonsense, precise, to-the-point..this is exactly what the audiophile community needs! Thanks 🙏 looking forward to more..
One question, how do the ie900's compare to the Sony ier-m9's?
I prefer the IE900s to the M9s :)
thanks for the reply! :)
Either one is better as we all have different prferences
Were you using BTR7 in bluetooth mode or wired to phone via USB?
BT mode
If you have experience with both, how better is WM1Z M2 than the WM1A M2?
obv jh win in music/monitoring category
*edit, this is referring to roxanne, 16v2 i dont really like it, but maybe due to unfinished sound
*edit, its par w ciems actually, both
IE900 and Neve RNHP are a super team
Very non biased review. To many people look at the graph and say the mid range suck. It’s honestly not bad and a non issue, yes for other iem in the price range there is better but it doesn’t have a 500 dollar mid range and also the acoustics back filter, the chamber and the tip filter changes the mid from what the graph displays
Great comparison, sad that you don't have u12t along with these boys
Sennheiser does some estats, of course.
Can i plug the ie900 into hdvd 800 amp or is it to powerful 😊
No dont, they dont need any external dac/amp. Just buy an apple dongle, its the best according to audio engineers as it has inbuilt dac/amp
Which is better for Jazz in your opinion? (without EQ)
Also I have read the Z1R uses two dynamic drivers and one BA
Says that on Sonys Website
you might want to demo them before purchase
@@iikatinggangsengii2471 i got the Hisenior Mega5EST 7th Anniversary Edition now. Will sell all my other gear.
Can you drive either with a smartphone?
Yeah. I use IE900 with Poco x3 pro
@@syzygy.levity nice I'll be getting this for my s 24 ultra soon. I'm excited.
@@Capybarainahumansuit you'll love the IE900
@westonlittle1149 s24 ultra has no headphone jack.. were you planning on using a type C to 4.4 adapter? I've been wondering about using the ie900 on my s23 ultra but not sure if the phone would sound as good as a dedicated hi res Walkman.
@@kapitancurtis maybe not but it will be sufficient believe me.
ier z1r needs a cable upgrade, i use a gold and silver 4.4 balanced cable, it sound so much better
Agree
Can you tell me the cable name please?
Every single audio engineer i know in youtube says cables only give a placebo effect
I HATE when people say "IEMs can't/don't have soundstage".... That's as wrong as saying, "reproduced sound doesn't sound like live sound".
They do have soundstage, just small. When you shove drivers deep into your ear canals with tight isolation, the sound will always be smaller.
hm the topends
tough choice but ie900 technically better
ah i have answered, ie900 focusing more on details and movements whereas z1r more 'honest' sounding, natural, as it is
ie900 indeed sounds like a champ so yeah i still pick ie900
With those kind of very very expensive source, people can easily judge witch ones they'd like, silly. Bottom line, Z1R is for fun, IE900 which i think is still sibilance, which is not recommended for the price, take IE600, simply cheeper and balance between price and performance.
I never heard people talking IE900 is one iem for basshead, or maybe i have, i'm not sure. But Z1R yes, it is the basshead iem, perhaps THE KING. I drive this iem everyday. IE600 is not have sound stage wider and detail than IE900, for the sake of fun listening and i prefer IE600 or Sony M9 for balance iem. If you want to prove which ones people will choose between IE900 and IE600, the answer is IE600. This ones is have amazing performance for the price than IE900.
I agree Z1R a little bit demanding about the source, just a bit. Any source with at least 240mw through balanced 4.4/2.5 can drive this iem. It does not to be using very expensive ones to drive it. Ci-fi or not does matter, choose source with enough power for Z1R and never using EQ if possible, your ruin the sound signature of the iem. Unless you want to spend thousands dollar of amazing product and put it on the table.
I had a chance to compere ie900 and Z1R in the local headfi store. IE900 better in every aspect and they are another level. It terms of musicallity 1 DD is way better then multidriver configuration. On other hand ie900 is not perfect, there is some issue in upper midrange.
nah nigga ur tripping, Z1R is superior.
I think ie600 is much superior to the ie900
Interesting I own the ie600 and only demod the 900 for a few hours. I felt the 900 was slightly more resolving and technical but I got my 600 for $500. I’m happy for the price
Sounds like your source might be the limiting factor potentially.. Ie900 off my RS8 is God tier
I own both. The ie900 is technically better but the ie600 is true value for money
@@garygriffiths7353 I agree for $500 it really is a great value. I also bought a symphonium meteor for 500 and it's a fantastic combination with ie600.
@@aceofspades6667 the meteor is one I’m keen to try. I have tried and owned several expensive iems and still own the a8000, u12t and ier z1r. While I like all of them most can be perfectly happy with iems in the £500 ball park. I would never spend on those 5k iems
Great Review Sajid and I found the exact same issues with the Z1R cable. Sonically I can't agree more with your review. I let the Z1R go but kept the ie900 in the stable, I also find them to be the PERFECT competitive gaming IEM, they blow all headphones out of the water and most all IEM's that I have tried and I have tried a ton. 🎧