Sony IEM's - IER-M7, IER-M9, and the IER-Z1R

Hi Guys,

I am curious about all three of these IEM’s, but the IER-Z1R in particular. As the Tia Fourte ended up not working out for my ears (they set off my tinnitus after a while for whatever reason, I’m really not sure…) I’m considering jumping back into IEMs, and the three new offerings from Sony appear to be getting some positive feedback. Has anyone here had a chance to give them a listen apart from @Ishcabible at RMAF? Reports so far seem to be saying that they all have different sound signatures. Not a huge fan of the “bling” look of the IER-Z1R, but hey, if it sounds great…

IER-M7

IER-M9SX425

IER-Z1R

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If anyone’s going to CanJam I definitely recommend people try the IER-Z1R; I was shocked at how good they were.

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Damn, I wish I was in NYC so I could go to CanJam and hear them. I’ve called around and haven’t been able to find anywhere in Vancouver that is going to have the Z1R’s. Its very surprising as there is a big Sony presence at lots of stores, we even used to have more than one Sony store :frowning:

I just caved and ordered a pair of IER Z1R from Amazon this morning…will post impressions. From what I gather they love power and should pair wonderfully with my Cayin N6ii. Of particular note for me will be the comparison with my current love, the Solaris. Will they be complementary? Will one surpass the other? Time will tell…

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Looking forward to your impression. They were backordered last I checked except a used pair.

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Lol are you looking at getting a pair too? :stuck_out_tongue: The pair I bought was “used/like new” and about $250 cheaper than a new set… It also came with a 1 year warranty and it’s processed by Amazon so their return policy applies which is a huge plus.

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Haha. It’s only crossed my mind a couple times. I was able to try it out for a few minutes from @Legumez recently. I’m not so sure on how it’ll fit long-term which was what held me back a little bit, but unfortunately, I didn’t have an abundance of tips at the time of demoing.

I’m pretty happy with the VX though, but I’ve heard that the Z1R does complement it well. Kind of an expensive pairing though. :wink:

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Interested in your impressions as well ! Currently own the Solaris, but find the fit to be a bit “meh”.

I think you need that Z1R bass in your life, just go for it :wink: !

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I must confess I love my Solaris and am totally satisfied with it-- it fits me perfectly and I find the bass “just right”. My purchase of the Z1R was motivated purely by an unquenchable curiosity coupled with a lifelong love of Sony products. I’m really looking forward to trying out and comparing it to Solaris-- I’m really hoping I like each of them distinctly enough to keep both as a complementary pair. Time will tell though.

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I think you’ll find the Solaris lacking resolution, subbass boldness, and mid-range hollowness, and a little bit of clarity after listening to the Sony Z1R. Those are the little minor upgrades you’ll get for 33% more price.

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Is that what you meant to say? What I’ve gathered from reading is that the Z1R has recessed lower mids, and the Solaris has recessed upper mids, so the Z1R suffers a bit with some male vocals and the Solaris with some female. We’ll see though…I listen to a lot of Dire Straits and Sinatra-- both of whose vocals sound amazing on Solaris, so it will be a good point of reference.

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haha. No, i meant, Solaris will sound hollow in the upper mids (female vocals) vs the Z1R.

I dont have a problem with that though, as the VX has similar response in that area.

Both Solaris/Z1R are really great IEMs and at that point, you are choosing between minor differences that may be subtle to most people. I’ll patiently await your feedback next week!

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It might even be sooner than that…my Z1R left Romulus, Michigan (epic name for a town if ever there was one) last night at 11pm and was cleared customs and departed the processing facility here in BC as of 1 hour ago…I’m crossing my fingers I may even have it tomorrow.

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I got mail :slight_smile:

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Beauty ! Hope you like them !

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Stunning picture. Very nice portable gear too.

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Silver and Gold

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Didn’t expect the Z1R to be as big as the Solaris ! Is their nozzle length the same btw ?

Nozzle length is the same but Z1R is thicker at the base which is the source of my fit issues I think.

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