Sony MDRZ1R Signature, Hi-Res Headphone, Black

This is an outstanding product with one caveat. The connectors are in a bad place; somewhat obtrusive. Moving them forward would make the cans perfect.

In my opinion, the best headphones at this price. fantastic build quality and the best sound I've ever heard

Great build quality, light, comfortable & great sound.

Every once in a while, a manufacturer decides to give their designers and engineers free reign to design their dream product. I'm firmly convinced that Sony did just that with the MDR-Z1R. These headphones are a statement product, an example of a company with considerable resources deciding to assault the notion of what a state-of-the-art headphone could be. From the moment you open the packaging, experience the feel, weight and finish of them, you can tell these are so, so special...and you haven't even heard what they sound like yet! But, then you plug them into your preamp/headphone amp/DAC/player/phone and que up a song (High-Res/CD-quality work best). And you find that this song that you thought you knew so well sounds quite different...that there's more to the bass line than you ever thought was there, that the snap of the snare and crash of the cymbals were never this immediate or clear, that there was such space and depth to the presentation, but with more localization of each instrument and vocal than ever before. And then this song ends, so you play another...and others still...until three hours later, the only realization that can come is you've never experienced your music like this before because you've never had a headphone like this before. Not one with the pace, rhythm and drive, especially in the bass and mids...with such authority over the whole musical presentation. One that is so easy to listen to, with no glaring issues or misses, and without a hint of listening fatigue. Is the Sony MDR-Z1R perfect? No...and that's because if you're a fan of open-back headphone designs, you won't find the airy, spacious sound presentation that the best headphones of that design have. But, I will say these Sony's present with a wider, deeper soundstage of any other closed-back I have ever heard, without ever getting too bright or analytical like some reference open designs do. So, in the end, the Sony MDR-Z1R headphones are quite simply the current reference standard for closed-back headphones. And, if like me, you prefer the sound of closed-back cans, these are the finest headphones on the market today.

I have had these headphones for about a month now and I can't believe how great they sound! They far exceed my Sennheiser HD650's in every way! They are soo clear and full sounding, they play very loud also if you like.

I love the sound of the Z1Rs. Strong bass without distortion or detracting from the Mids suits my music tastes very well. Paired with a stack of excellent Schiit components, the Z1rs provide the highest quality sound I have ever experienced. They are also beautiful in their construction, and more than comfortable. I couldn't be happier with my purchase!

I'm a relative newbie to the audiophile world. A few months ago I decided to slow down a bit and get a smoking jacket, a really comfortable chair and the best set of headphones and amp I could get my hands on. I spent countless hours on the internet, listened to some friends cans and then did some value based judging. I initially rejected these because I was convinced Sony's time had passed. The more reviews I saw, the more I got past all the marketing from everyone, the more I realized that so many headphones, if not all, have their own unique signature and that I would never be in a room with all 50 prospective cans to try for myself. I enjoy EDM music mostly, but also bluegrass and other acoustical genres (country, rock). More and more I realized that these closed back headphones were probably perfect for me. I took the plunge and ordered them. I practiced delayed gratification and gave them an appropriate burn in phase. I am 110% satisfied with my purchase. The craftsmanship with quality weeping from every detail is there. They are comfortable, not too heavy, but can get slightly warm on the ears. The soundstage is immersive and the base is smooth and rich. No fatigue that I've felt yet. I do own a few other similarly priced top name brands and can tell you that these are the best crafted and the most pleasurable phones I own. I save the box for all of the audio gear I buy, just in case I ever decide to sell it down the road. I save this box for safe packaging when I move. I will own these until I'm ambient temp. I would buy again without hesitation. Every time I go to my comfy chair (no smoking jacket) and sit down with a glass of wine (or soft drink), close my eyes and put these on, I go away. Really, really far away and it's magical.

Very nice sound, light, confortable. I buy also the kimber cable balanced i´ts a must the bass response makes a different experience.

Amazing closed back headphone. The leather is very good quality and smells amazing. The build quality is top notch. The most comfortable pair I own. Although MDR-Z1R tends to be a bit genre specific (leaning towards dance, hiphop, and electronic music), it is a great overall performer. It's a little recessed in the mids and +12k for rock and roll, but it is just a such a great chill headphone. A lot of genres sound very good. Bass is so tight and has authority. Nothing is muddy, just really relaxed.

Don’t buy this, ordered it and it broke within the first day, thought it wasn’t unlucky ordered another and it broke again. Horrible product

I've never spent so much money on headphones, especially as I purchased with the top of the range Sony portable DAC (NW-WM1Z), and i did so because i wanted to know for myself if the reviews are real. I'm no audiophile, but i have been blown away time and time again, literally...laugh out loud experiences are continual. I have nearly 5000 albums and i'm slowly working through them like i'm hearing them for the first time. To Sony - thank you so much for investing in the R&D and team to allow them to create such an array of products that for those of us willing to make the financial sacrifices can enjoy. I've never liked a product so much, and i'll continue to be an ardent follow of all future Sony hi-res audio equipment, this entire experience for me was unique and mind blowing and i just can't wait to go to bed every night to escape into my music. I'm obsessed with listening to anything and everything on these headphones. And every day i'm amazed...its a gift that keeps on giving. Just WOW. To the Z1R product team - thank you sooooo much, i'm so, so grateful to enjoy my music with these!!

The quality of the materials used for the headphones and storage box are first class. Adjustment and comfort during use is excellent. I power them with a Chord Mojo DAC amp. Having studied some reviews before I purchased them, I was aware of the “laid back” nature of the sound reproduction, which in turn has led to some negative responses. With this in mind I would recommend that anybody considering purchasing them has an extended demo, to realise their full potential. Be careful though --- it will probably end up with you having to own them!

Exceptional sound quality! They've got a superb build quality,very durable and they are very nice looking headphones! I'm really impressed by these cans! Thumbs up Sony...you've done a really good job on making us happier with our music!

Bought these headphones for a test. I am pretty disappointed. The product is overpriced.

The sound is amazing... Beyerdynamic T1 gen 2 Were my go to before these came into my life. I am not an audiophile and for that matter neither is anyone else. Our ears are so custom that it I all about finding what makes your hearing "feel'

I bought these a few weeks ago on the basis of a series of excellent reviews. They are living up to expectations. Most reviewers suggest that they get better with use and that appears to be the case. I am also considering buying the matched amplifier that Sony offers.

Such an amazing headphones best quality and design. 100% recommended

I've owned several other headphones including AKG K601, Sennheiser HD 598, Sony MDR-1A and Sony MDR-Z7, and in my opinion this pair of Z1R is the best so far for pop music, the sound is rich and well balanced, I just wanna listen to every song I have for once more. I really appreciate the use of the newly designed acoustic filter. However, I'm not happy with was the plastic housing, the metal housing used on the Z7 model seems to be much more durable and scratch-resisting. Also, the coating on the hanger is easy to wear off and get tin point too if you are not careful enough. These are well solved problems on the older Z7 and I don't know why Sony didn't adopt the merits from their old model.

Just picked them up 3 days ago and noticed that the paint on the back of the headphone has a missed painted spot. They are expensive and should have inspected for imperfections. I am not happy!

Pros: Excellent bassy sound that still brings out the micro details. Leather case Light and comfortable Headband Adjustment markers Detachable Cables Easy to drive Made-in-Japan Cons: You want top quality amps and dacs Painful hotspot on head if headband not adjusted properly 4.4mm balanced cable The Z1R is an amazing headphone. You got that rich bass that don't mask the details in the mids and trebles. The headphone is also light, comfortable and easy to use. The adjustment markers are very useful and I don't know why others don't do it. On the other hand, it did took me a couple of tries to find the right headband number for my head. If the headband is too long, it will create a painful hot spot on the top of my head. Sound isolation is just ok. It is not the best. The folding ear cup helps but to me the folding add more to comfort than isolation. This headphone does needs the right headphone amp and dac to truly bring out that thumping bass which I do have thankfully. (Bryston) Portability is bad due to its big size. And even though I love the leather case, it is not a portable one. But lets face it, unless you are made of money, you will probably not going to risk having this stolen or getting scratched by bring it outside. Finally, lets talk about cables. Even on such a high-end product, Sony went very Sony by including a 4.4mm balanced cable that only works on the 1% of the amp and dacs out there (TA-ZHE1S, HDV 820 and Sony Walkmans). All in all, Sony made an excellent end-game worthy headphone and even though I don't like the 4.4mm cable I would still recommend this product for its solid sound quality. Good job Sony.