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The_D0lph1n t1_jdx5ueh wrote

Thanks for the impressions! I very much want to try the X9000 someday as I've read very interesting things about it. It also looks amazing, probably my favorite-looking headphone design.

I'm also more interested in the AWAS now. My first audiophile headphone was a closed-back Audio Technica (ATH-A990Z) and after I swapped to microsuede pads, I really enjoyed the sound of it due to how it presented female vocals and the "air" in the sound. Definitely a genre specialist, but when it worked, it worked. I've been thinking of adding an AT back into my collection at some point, and the AWAS is one of the prime candidates with the striking red earcups.

I'm curious about the Yamaha, as impressions seem to be pretty bipolar on that one. A whole bunch of people say that it's very impressive, and a whole bunch of other people say it's very disappointing. You had the MDR-Z1R in your list of past headphones. Did you like the Z1R? Some people on Head-Fi who've heard both say that the Yamaha is tuned in the same vein as the Z1R, and the Z1R is also a very polarizing headphone in terms of its sound. My current theory, having not heard the Yamaha yet, is that it's like an open-back Z1R. I'm wondering if liking the Z1R could be a predictor on liking the Yamaha.

When I got my MDR-Z7m2 recently, I thought it was very muddy, dull, congested, and unresolving for the first two minutes that I listened to it (adjectives that have also been used for the Z1R and the Yamaha), right after listening to the Aeon 2 Noire. If this had been at a show, I would have walked away, because it's a headphone where I had to stop and reset my expectations on what a headphone should sound like before I could enjoy it. I like the Z7 now quite a bit, so I still have high hopes for the Z1R and the Yamaha. I always love polarizing headphones!

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GL1TCH3D OP t1_jdxbwhn wrote

So obviously at a show I can’t pad swap. In terms of female vocals the TH900 has always been the best that I’ve owned. Note that stock they’re lousy. Either drop in an EQ or pad swap + dampening ring. That being said you won’t get the airiness out of the th900 that you would out of anything open back.

The Z1R was an instant resell for me. Mid bass was extremely bloated no matter what I paired it with. I don’t know if I ended up with a defective pair but it was bleeding… which is unacceptable in a $2k pair of headphones. No amount of EQ was fixing it. Note that it was happening on both channels which led me to believe it wasn’t a defect, but just how it was designed. The awas being a bit rolled off will lack that air. The Sony Z7 headphones (I only tried the mk1) was a lousy set as well. So I’m with you on that.

I imagine if thé Z1R mid bass was solved it would be significantly better but I can’t give any other comments based on the unit I owned.

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krucacing t1_jdz4rr1 wrote

>Audio Technica Awas

It is what it is, don't expect Z1R to blow you away if you deem Z7M2 as muddy, details wise, Z1R is not competitive at its price range, unless you really need closed backs, which inherently at a disadvantage compared to open backs.

you need 2 sets, one for analytical, the other warm, bassy guilty pleasure, don't expect one set to do it all, even you go super high end.

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The_D0lph1n t1_jdz5gvr wrote

I actually like the Z7M2, it just took me a while to adjust to how it presents music. I grew to like it so much that I wish I just went with the Z1R in the first place. For detailed/analytical listening, I already have the Hifiman Shangri-La Jr, the Stax SR-L700mk2, and the DCA Aeon 2 Noire, so I'm not lacking there. Hence my interest in the Z1R and the AWAS, warmer headphones with unusual tunings that contrast against the planar-type headphones in my collection. Thanks for the advice though, I agree that no headphone will do everything well.

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krucacing t1_jdz82he wrote

go zmf, expertly tuned warmish sets

auteur classic looks good.

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