Sony MDR-Z1R Headphones
SONY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF making reference-quality headphones, starting with the limited edition MDR-R10. That was in 1989—and at $2,500, it was the most expensive headphone in the world. A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with an MDR-R10, and it was the most beautiful-sounding headphone I’d ever heard. No wonder the cognoscenti dubbed it the Stradivarius of headphones and scooped them all up years ago. MDR-R10s rarely come up for sale, but when they do, they go for at least $6,000!
Next came the Qualia 010 in 2004, priced at $2,400, and it was stunning as well. However, Sony discontinued the model in a couple of years, and the company didn’t initially reassert its considerable headphone engineering chops when the high-end market took off in the early 2010s. We had to wait until 2014 for the MDR-Z7 ($700), which I reviewed favorably in this magazine.
Now, with the MDR-Z1R headphones, a companion TA-ZH1ES headphone amplifier/DAC (see “Like a Rock,” page 63), and the NW-WM1Z Walkman, Sony has launched its new Signature series and is getting serious about making great headphones again.
’Phones for the Ages
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Sound & Vision.
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This story is from the April 2017 edition of Sound & Vision.
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