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
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