# Are Sony's Flagship EIR-Z1R / MDR-Z1R Headphones/Earphones Good for Composing/Mixing? Any Better Suggestions?



## DJames (May 26, 2021)

I already own a pair of amazing open-back pair of Focal Clear Professional headphones for composing/mixing...when the apartment is actually quiet...which is rare. Problem is, my studio is in the living room behind a big office partition and all the noise from my wife and kid goes right through those headphones and drives me mad.

I'm looking for the *best of the best closed-back headphones or in-ear monitors that will block outside noise and still keep my compositions balanced and accurate*.

Being a Sony fan, I am wondering if the flagship EIR-Z1R / MDR-Z1R Headphones/Earphones would be good for reference-level listening. Has anyone tried? I think I need something with a lower impedance for my MOTU M2 to drive.

Link to EIR-Z1R for reference: https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/in-ear-headphones/ier-z1r
Link to MDR-Z1R-: https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/headband-headphones/mdr-z1r

I'm still fairly new to digital music creation, so please be kind if this seems like a crazy question!


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## SupremeFist (May 26, 2021)

Whoah, those are expensive. For closed-backs I've heard from a lot of places that the Neumann NDH-20 are extremely good. I sometimes use my noise-cancelling Sony Mx1000-Mx3 for the issues you are describing for writing and rough mixing, but I wouldn't trust them with a final. However, the developer of dsoniq Realphones has said he may be creating a corrected profile for them, which would make them more useful.


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## DJames (May 26, 2021)

I actually bought those Neumann NDH-20s a couple of weeks ago and sent them back for a refund after 10 minutes. After reading so many great online reviews, I was really disappointed. Many of those reviews were probably sponsored. According to those reviews, these headphones were supposed to be the best for sound isolation! The fact was, the sound isolation was so bad I could hear the children across the street playing in the park with my apartment balcony and windows closed! As for sound quality, compared to my Focal Clear Professional headphones, the Neumann's sounded like they were coming out of a tin can. I can't understand what the online hype was about. 

I was considering Sony WH-1000XM4 too, but someone here on another thread had said it can cause phasing issues. What do you think?

I've never heard of Dsoniq Realphones. I'll check that out. Thanks!


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## fakemaxwell (May 26, 2021)

The Neumann NDH-20 are indeed very good, and 1/4th the price of those Sony's. Having not actual listened to them I can't actually say which is better, but if you don't like the Neumann's you're at least only out 500 buckaroos rather than two grand.

[Edit] lol woopsie, I see you've already tried them. If you want more sound isolation than them you're going to want DJ headphones, like the Hd-25 II, but I wouldn't want to wear those day in and out if I didn't have to.


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## DJames (May 26, 2021)

fakemaxwell said:


> The Neumann NDH-20 are indeed very good, and 1/4th the price of those Sony's. Having not actual listened to them I can't actually say which is better, but if you don't like the Neumann's you're at least only out 500 buckaroos rather than two grand.
> 
> [Edit] lol woopsie, I see you've already tried them. If you want more sound isolation than them you're going to want DJ headphones, like the Hd-25 II, but I wouldn't want to wear those day in and out if I didn't have to.


That's why I'm wondering if there are any really good in-ear monitors because I know from experience that the memory foam tips can block noise very well. I'm just not sure if those Sony Z1R are appropriate for composing/mixing. Like, would they colour the sound too much?


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## SupremeFist (May 26, 2021)

DJames said:


> I actually bought those Neumann NDH-20s a couple of weeks ago and sent them back for a refund after 10 minutes. After reading so many great online reviews, I was really disappointed. Many of those reviews were probably sponsored. According to those reviews, these headphones were supposed to be the best for sound isolation! The fact was, the sound isolation was so bad I could hear the children across the street playing in the park with my apartment balcony and windows closed! As for sound quality, compared to my Focal Clear Professional headphones, the Neumann's sounded like they were coming out of a tin can. I can't understand what the online hype was about.
> 
> I was considering Sony WH-1000XM4 too, but someone here on another thread had said it can cause phasing issues. What do you think?
> 
> I've never heard of Dsoniq Realphones. I'll check that out. Thanks!


No phasing issues here with the Sony WH: I use them wired for music production rather than over Bluetooth. But yeah, if you want _that_ much sound isolation you're looking at active noise cancelling or IEMs with good tips.


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## el-bo (May 26, 2021)

DJames said:


> I'm still fairly new to digital music creation, so please be kind if this seems like a crazy question!


It's not crazy to want isolation. It is crazy to spend that kind of money, as a beginner...or even a pro. Headphones, as with much tech, suffers greatly from the concept of diminishing returns i.e You'll likely get 90% of the way there at 10% of the cost. People have mixed professional albums, for many years, with headphones that cost a couple of hundred quid.

It doesn't take long to acclimatise to a certain sound-profile (for good or for bad). So as long as you get to know the headphones you are using i.e how your mixes translate and how professional mixes sound on them, you'll be fine. Definitely worth investing in one of the current crop of eq-curve flatteners, if for nothing else than to tame the kinds of harsh frequencies that lead to fatigue. But if you also make sure to take regular short breaks, in which you can re-calibrate your hearing, all will be fine.

As for the MDR-Z1R: Sheepskin ear cups? 'Thefuckiswrongwithpeople!!


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## Tralen (May 26, 2021)

If noise isolation is that much of an issue, you could try some headphones for drummers.
​About the impedance question, you could use a headphone amp (I use a Samson QH4). It is also very convenient to manage multiple headphones at the same time.


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## Hadrondrift (May 26, 2021)

el-bo said:


> Sheepskin


I would *love* to get some true sheepskin earpad replacements for my headphones. There is nothing worse than the PU leather (pleather) that you encounter everywhere today and that is sure to start crumbling after a while.


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## el-bo (May 26, 2021)

Hadrondrift said:


> I would *love* to get some true sheepskin earpad replacements for my headphones. There is nothing worse than the PU leather (pleather) that you encounter everywhere today and that is sure to start crumbling after a while.


Yeah...flaky pleather. Might as well skin a sentient being. Apparently dog skin makes a much better seal. Longer lasting, also. Just saying ;0


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## Zhao Shen (May 26, 2021)

If you're loving your Clears, why not try a pair of Focal closed backs? Maybe something along the lines of the Elegia? I'm also in a similar position, searching for a solid pair of closed-back cans, but because Sonarworks Reference is such a prominent part of my mixing workflow, I'm limited to pairs that they support.


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## fakemaxwell (May 26, 2021)

When you need isolation.... https://www.trewaudio.com/product/remote-audio-hn-7506-high-noise-headset/


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## DJames (May 26, 2021)

Zhao Shen said:


> If you're loving your Clears, why not try a pair of Focal closed backs? Maybe something along the lines of the Elegia? I'm also in a similar position, searching for a solid pair of closed-back cans, but because Sonarworks Reference is such a prominent part of my mixing workflow, I'm limited to pairs that they support.


I was also considering the Elegia since I trust Focal products. but since they are not designed as "reference" headphones, how much would they colour or boost the sound? That's the golden question about using any audiophile-styled headphone, really. Are the differences that big between a dedicated reference headphone and an audiophile headphone?


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