Sony MDR-Z1R

Exploded view of the MDR-Z1R's extra-large, intricately designed 70mm drivers. Sony's MDR-Z1R Signature Series headphones are the brainchild of their master acoustic engineer Shunsuke Shiomi. And the company has taken great care in fulfilling his vision. Just look at the video of the creation process in the carousel above — such precision and attention to detail. The result? A pristine, powerful-sounding set of headphones that have won over the most discerning personal audio critics. Now-retired Crutchfield writer (and my mentor) Dave Bar is a headphone aficionado — and a hard man to please. Trust me, I've seen him make a "meh" face while listening to some really top-notch audio gear. Here's are his unfiltered thoughts on these headphones after a recent listening session at our HQ: "Listening to a high-res version of Bob Marley's hauntingly beautiful Redemption Song through the MDR-Z1R headphones and Sony's TA-ZH1ES headphone amp gave me chills. You could positively feel the anguish in Bob's voice as it ca...