Looking to upgrade my THX-00 PurpleHearts. Enjoy the sub bass tremendously.
I'm currently running a THX789 with a Pro-Ject S2 Digital with a LPS connected to a Schiit Loki.
Listening Preferences:
-Hip-Hop
-Dance/Electronic
-Alternative
-Pop
Have been eyeing a used pair of Sony's MDR-Z1R's. Something one step closer to some TOTL cans.
Finding allot of conflicting opinions. They are commonly being described as 'veiled' and 'overpriced'.
Some people recommend ZMF's Eikons or Atticus or TH900 MK2's.
What should I do?
Listen if you can. Hard I know if you are looking at a used pair, but obviously that's the most straightforward way to find out how your pinnae interact with the headphone FR. We have broadly similar musical taste genre-wise (in other words, not classical/blues/jazz listeners). I like my Z1R. Bought them new a few years back when the street price was half the retail price. Noticed (as other have mentioned) street price appears to have gone again up lately.
For comparison I have Senny HD650 and AirPods Max. Never enjoyed the Sennys much and bass is a bit weak [edit: I bought them for work and use them as a reference]. APM are great and subjectively more neutral than the Sony in the mid-treble to my ear. If the recording leans bright they are preferable. But the Sony have very enjoyable timbre. They don't strike me as veiled, at least they don't lack detail, but their sonic flaw is the well-known voicing in the treble. You'll find that enjoyable or not depending on your taste and your ears. You can EQ to taste of course, on some recordings you may want to: the hazy fizz that often comes with processed vocals is accentuated. I think what
@Benesyed says above is spot on.
To my ear the bass is just right, well-delineated, extended, not boomy. Rendition of bass decay is pretty delicious actually. For me, the warmth/boost that you can see around 90-200 Hz (which I wouldn't go for in speakers) helps balance the lack of tactility that headphone bass necessarily suffers from. And it isn't at the expense of the sub-bass.
As for the non-sonic aspects, the Z1R are comfortable, feel lighter than they weigh and while the industrial design is somewhat subtle, the build quality and detailing is exquisite, I reckon.