Depth remains virtually the same and its staging provides a fairly out-of-your-head experience with an enjoyable 3D feel to it. Overall, I’d say this is one of the best instrument separation and layering that I’ve heard from a hybrid driver set up. The drop past 150 Hz is not drastic and uneven so, despite the apparent sub-bass bias, the low-end maintains a fairly balanced presentation with an organic timbre. As for the sound, both suit my taste in terms of tonality yet I find the Z1R to have a better technical prowess as it has a better instrument separation, layering, and a wider soundstage. Bass and treble are more extended with the Z1R. Empire Ears Legend X Technical The IER-Z1R and Legend X are excellent in their own right with the former having a more sturdy build while the latter having a more comfortable fit due to a semi-custom design. However, the Legend X has a custom option so in that respect, it gets an edge over the IER-Z1R in terms of fit. Both the Z1r and Solaris have solid build and durability but I’d give the upper hand on the Z1R in terms of fit. I find the bulge on the bottom side of Solaris to be a bit of cumbersome in the pinna. Both are universal fit so I was expecting the Solaris to have a versatile fit that could cater to various ear shapes and sizes.

The 12mm driver loads into a magnesium housing with an extended acoustic cavity to its rear, which is fitted with an acoustic tube that acts as a tuning device. The 5mm super-tweeter is positioned coaxially to the earphone’s sound outlet nozzle and offers, says Sony, “frequency response up to 100kHz.” Design goals included absolute consistency of voicing and phase coherency between the drive units, with the intent of having them sound, “as though they were a single, ideal driver.” The Z1R is rated at 40Ω at 104 dB so you’d get the best out of it when it gets some good power source. While I can already enjoy it straight from my Samsung Galaxy S9+, I feel that there’s a bit of a loss of dynamics. Off from my trusty Pioneer XDP-300R, I could get enjoyable listening volumes around 90 to 95 without any detail loss.With the upper midrange bias, stringed instruments, as well as vocals on higher octaves, get more emphasis. The lower midrange, however, is neither overly recessed nor thin-sounding due to the power from the boosted sub-bass region. Mids Clarity I also paired it with the Sony WM1A through its 4.4mm balanced port and I found the comfortable listening volume at around 40 on medium gain. The Lotoo Paw Gold Touch through its balanced output effortlessly fed enough power to make the Z1R shine.

Be wary though, you might get used to the initial sound signature out of the box so don’t be surprised when the sound changes a bit once it gets burned in for about 150 hours more or less. Don’t worry though since this change in sound is for the better in my opinion. Welcome Edition As for its build, the Solaris has a 24k gold-plated faceplate with Campfire’s logo engraved on the lower right side along with an alloy body as well as stainless steel nozzle. Just like the Z1R, the Solaris is on the heavier side yet its size is a bit larger compared to Sony’s. PerformanceIn terms of midrange, I prefer the A8000’s vocals by a margin over the IER-Z1R. Final knows how to tune the midrange and the vocals/string instruments are as articulate as they can be on the A8000. Every subtle nuance is highlighted including vocalists breathing in/out. Timbre is another strong point here with the metallic tinge of steel strings being evident against the more natural, softer tone of nylon strings. Empires Ears went for a warm and smooth tuning for the Legend X which is characterized by a slightly rounded low end with excellent impact, a smooth and lush midrange, and a tad relaxed treble. Rated at 10Ω and 115dB sensitivity, the Solaris is basically easier to drive than the Z1R. Off from the smartphone, the Solaris manages to maintain good dynamics and details. The Sony IER-Z1R has a triple-driver hybrid setup, with two dynamic drivers in charge of bass/mids and upper-treble, and one BA driver in charge of the treble.

To summarize: if you like V-shaped sound signature and aren’t too bothered about the subtleties of vocals — this is it, this is the IEM to end all V-shaped IEMs. These gorgeous earphones feature mirror-polished outer housings made of a zirconium alloy, with rear covers featuring delicate, engine-turned surfaces. Thoughtful accessories include a wide array of ear tips, plus two high-quality signal cables (one single ended, the other balanced). You get some nice accuracy and detail in then IER’s treble, and the height it gives to the imaging is definitely one of the highlights of this area. Its resonance is softer but doesn’t dull itself or roll-off too significantly. I always felt like you were getting a good treble presence that appeared easily digestible for most listeners, even when some of the details aren’t immediately noticeable. Its resonance might be more linear, but it doesn’t take away any form of enjoyment from the treble’s overall timbre. Summary The IER Z1R doesn’t look like any other IEM on the market, with its wide circular aluminum housing and significant weight. Their faceplates give you a jewel-like design that gives off a high-end feel that asserts a level of unparalleled value. Where the IER isn’t as lavish though is its level of comfortability. In its initial insertion, the IER can feel very unnatural, like it’s not supposed to be in your ear at all. Even when trying different ear tip sizes, the IER just feels like a bulky piece of metal that takes a while to adjust to. Once you find its sweet spot, the IER offers good support, but it is not a feeling that will disappear the longer you listen to it. DesignAs aforementioned, the Z1R comes with two sets of tips namely the silicone hybrid and the memory foam triple comfort. Both are equally comfortable and they both provide an excellent seal. Yet they sound slightly different. Dua Lipa’s Lost in your Light also has this fast-paced oscillation in its bass line as well as a punchy bass drum and both are presented nicely by the Z1R without going overboard in its slam and avoiding any apparent loss in detail. And pretty much from day one the cable broke on the left side in such a way that part of the cable became embedded in the headphone (see if you can spot the problem in the picture above).

In my case, the fit was not flush since the area in my pinna is quite small. And while it doesn’t fit well me, I could only surmise that some users would find the Solaris to be the perfect fit for their ears. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. In terms of soundstage/imaging, the former goes to the IER-Z1R whereas the Andro 2020 has slightly better center-imaging than the IER-Z1R but similar cardinal/ordinal imaging otherwise.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ Give it Away also had a satiating treble bite with no hint of harshness in its cymbals and high-pitched guitar riffs using the Z1R. The stage was wide and spatial cues as well as micro details were rendered with ease. As for the staging, there’s a bit more forwardness to its overall presentation but the width and height was something to be awed about as it reaches far out of your head. Staging and layering are excellent on both monitors but I like how the added air from the IER-Z1R emphasizes the imaging of instruments.