Sony MDR-Z1R, A Deep Dive into Flagship Audio Excellence
by Samuel Kalenga on Sep 16, 2024
A Symphony of Design and Build Quality: Where Craftsmanship Meets Innovation
It’s a design statement. It’s sonic prowess wrapped in visual sophistication. A pair of high-end headphones announcing that, once again, Sony is serious about both incredible sound and beautiful things. Sculpted magnesium alloy earcups are both light and very strong, the perfect combination for a pair of headphones designed to be able to take a beating and survive daily use for many years yet remain very comfortable to wear for hours at a time. This consideration of materials appears to be bodly informed by Sony’s realization that really good sound is itself the product of a synthesis of the senses.
The most important factor in fit is the headband. The mounting of the suspension keeps the weight of the driver distributed evenly across the head. This means that none of the driver’s weight puts undue pressure on the skin, or pulls the headband off the auricle (or pinna) to create air gaps – a horrid experience for a headphone. This is why many on-ear headphone fits quickly become uncomfortable, especially for those with ears that rest closer to the side of their head, tall heads, or very short necks. Here, the design of a well delivered headband suspension will also keep even pressure across the headband, and fit snugger and comfortably.
The headband of the Meze brand Absolute 1000 (one of five options available) is leather covered at the top and steelfinished alloy mounted in brass on the side. The design motif mimics the earpads. Both are covered in natural leather assembled by hand to retain the living skin grain, with tan-dyed memory foam backing for density and heat retention. Inside, the earpad is given a soft velvet finishing, while the driver covers are machined from raw aluminium; both the headband and the yoke around the earcups are also steel-finished alloy.
The general aesthetics of the MDR-Z1R are of understated elegance, and the minimalist design elements, mixed with the exceptional build quality, entice listeners to as if delicately lifting off an endangered species of butterfly. These headphones aren’t the kinds that proclaim egotistically: ‘Look at me!’ They command deference with quiet dignity. The slick, gun-metal finish, with understated metal highlights, make the Z1Rs look as classic and elegant as all of Sony’s storied high-end audio products.
Unleashing the Sound: An Audiophile's Paradise
What makes the MDR-Z1R great is pure, unadulterated sound, Sony’s contribution to the drive to perfection in the auditory realm. Behind the MDR-Z1R lies Sony’s proprietary 70mm high-resolution driver.- Bass: The MDR-Z1R’s response here is remarkably full and rounded. The bass is deep and extended, with notes that aren’t just sonorously layered, but go deeper than most I’ve heard, creating a foundation for the entire soundscape. However, this isn’t exclusively about quantity: the bass is nimble and quick, with a noticeable ‘punch’ of attack that provides a satisfying ‘thump’ without ever becoming overbearing. This balance allows the low end to be a key part of the sonic interplay of bass, midrange and treble, without ever drawing attention from them.
- Midrange: The real fireworks happen here, which is the soul of the music in the foundational midrange The transparency and clarity of the MDR-Z1R’s midrange would be impressive in a pro THX sound room, let alone as part of an IEM. The timbral detail and space around the music is breathtaking. Vocals become the ultimate focus, mostly in Hajime Sawatari-designed square planarch drivers. Lyric and timbre define an accurate reproduction not only of the singer’s pitch but also the subtle turn of inflection and the emotion coded in the voice. No matter whether the singer soars to the top of a rafter-shaking ballad, or breathes low-key vocals into the fabric of a folksong, the MDR-Z1R’s reproduction of the sounds of a human voice have a startling reality, and will draw the listener deeply into the emotion and meaning of the song.
- Treble: The treble is extended and open with outstanding clarity. The headphones reproduce the very highest frequencies without veils of distortion and hardness or sibilant stridency, even at high listening levels. They have a hard sparkle in the extreme treble that isn’t harsh or piercing, conveying a sense of airiness and showing sparkling overtones in everything they play without being fatiguing to listen to. The clarity with which they reveal the treble on top of the carefully woven musical texture allows you to learn what is really going on with any particularly complex musical interweaving, especially where instruments such as violins, the highest woodwinds, cymbals and other extremely high-pitched instruments are involved. You begin to appreciate the textures and nuances that your previous pair of, however costly, headphones may have tended to smear and conceal.
Comfort and Fit: Crafted for Extended Listening
The MDR-Z1R is made for listeners with the patience to devote time to their listening experience and therefore comfort is a critical consideration. The earcups are fairly large and sufficiently generous in their padding to feel comfortable. The earcups are intended to feel soft and luxurious and (i hope) this is the experience one achieves; there is something quite intimate about how the listener sits with the sound.
The adjustable headband will accommodate a range of head sizes and shapes, ensuring that the fit suits the user and everyone will feel comfortable wearing them. The pressure of the headband is relatively evenly dispersed, and despite being on one’s head all the time there is little risk of fatiguing oneself or get}. It is appreciably lightweight for headphones that feel so good.
Connectivity and Features: A Seamless Audio Experience
The detachable cable It is also clear that apart from the colour option and impractical bag that combine to make the MDR-Z1R stereo headset and home theatre headphones, the detachable cable is one of the key features here. The other end of the cable is built into the headset socket, which, indeed, allows you to replace the cable if one should ever break. This shouldn’t be a problem considering the thickness and durability of the cable.
You just simply fit one end of the cable to the socket, and the other with the plug. Your MDR-Z1R headphone is therefore so secure that you don’t have to worry about it getting loose, especially mid-song, with a resulting accidental disconnection. The sound quality here is excellent. The thick cable will help ensure these dynamics and other features not compromised, with the balance between the signal flow and the resistance of the breathing space maintained.
A Symphony of Comparisons: Outperforming the Competition
In manufacturing terminology, I don’t imagine anyone ever sat down for an ‘alignment’ meeting during the creation of the MDR-Z1R I don’t know what turns the proverbial wheels, but I suspect the manufacturer’s easy familiarity with the manufacture of medical electronics also played a role in writing the checks. The result was the headphone equivalent of Porsche Engineering, which also writes checks for other car manufacturers to build a Cayenne SUV under a different label.
Given that counterfactual scenario, I think the performance of the MDR-Z1Rs would have been equivalent to the master musician in session. It doesn’t exactly mean winning on points, but it would have certainly been competitive in its category. Might I toss in another few corporate headphone makers as extras? Maybe mention Audeze, Sennheiser, Focal, HiFiMan, the Beyerdynamic T1, and a select few others? Possibly? Ah, but these are all brands in the ‘gold-standard’ class and, like legendary Nike, each brand has its individual forté.
It falls a little short in headroom, for example. But its sonic balance, superb comfort and commitment to creating the ultimate audio experience as convincing as possible make it a truly compelling flagship headphone. And it’s Sony’s dogged commitment to sonic excellence, a trait that continues to grow and manifest with the passage of time, that has allowed it to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best, and for this the company deserves huge credit. It truly shows that Sony has mastery of the science of audio.
Price and Availability: A Reflection of Flagship Quality
The MDR-Z1R demands an investment, and it hammers home the difference between paying for a car and paying for a house. Paying for a house isn’t something you do if you need a garage for a few weeks, and paying for a MDR-Z1R isn’t something you do if you need a pair of headphones while you wait for a more affordable pair to become available. Paying for a MDR-Z1R isn’t something you do if music is merely an unobtrusive companion while you do something else; it’s something you do if you want your music to be the thing you’re doing. Paying for a MDR-Z1R, quite simply, is an investment in something that is great.
It’s an investment in a wonderful daily experience that is made possible by your faith in Sony’s gift for crafting great sound. It’s an investment in a piece of audiophile heritage, a flagship product for Sony to wave in the proud tradition of high-fidelity. Or it would be, if I ever stop wishing the damn thing was cheaper. This is an edited excerpt from 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (fourth edition, 2016) by Robert Dimery, Michael Dreydipold, Nicolas Peyrac and Stylus publications, edited by Jon Dale and Steve Harnell, and published by Quarto.
