IER-Z1Rvs.x HBB Punch
Sound & Specs Comparison
Information
Both IEMs are widely regarded in the audiophile community. See how they differ in terms of sub-bass response, upper mids, clarity, and overall tonality. Spider charts and rating breakdowns included.
Objective Comparison
Facts, details, stuff.
| General Info | IER-Z1R | x HBB Punch |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sony | Kiwi Ears |
| Country | – | UK |
| IEM Description | Despite their small size, the Sony IER-Z1R earphones feature a sophisticated 3-way design with two dynamic drivers and a highly precise balanced armature. The sound quality is not just high-resolution—it's ultra-high-resolution, reaching an impressive frequency response of up to 100 kHz. Housed in a precisely crafted, virtually resonance-free aluminum shell, the design ensures that all three drivers remain in perfect phase alignment. The cables are fully balanced and made from high-purity OFC copper with silver plating for maximum detail retrieval. | A bold tribrid IEM designed for bass lovers, combining deep 15 dB-boosted sub-bass, clean mids, and crisp treble with dual EST drivers—housed in a sturdy hybrid shell with detachable, customizable cable. |
| Price Level | 2.000 + | 100 – 500 |
| Housing & Driver | ||
|---|---|---|
| Driver Config | Hybrid | Tribrid |
| Driver Types | Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature | Dynamic Driver + Balanced Armature + Electrostatic |
| Shell Material | – | Resin |
| Cable | – | Single-crystal copper 20 AWG, 1.45 mm braided, PVC sleeve |
| Technical | ||
|---|---|---|
| Freq Range | 3-100.000 Hz | 5 Hz – 44 kHz |
| Impedance (Ω) | – | 12 |
| Sensitivity (dB) | 103 | 98 |
| Crossover | – | 3-way passive with dedicated acoustic sound tubes |
| Platform Info | ||
|---|---|---|
| Comments | 0 | 1 |
| Visit Count | 97 | 113 |
| External Reviews | 1 | 1 |
Meta Ratings
IER-Z1R delivers barely better sound reproduction, offering a more immersive and engaging experience overall. Its tonal balance, clarity, and spatial imaging stand out clearly compared to x HBB Punch (9.8 vs 9). For comfort fit, x HBB Punch performs slightly better (7.3 vs 6.8). IER-Z1R’s cable appears notably more premium in both aesthetics and function, from its braid quality to termination. Accessory-wise, It includes overwhelmingly more practical and high-quality items, enhancing both protection and usability.
| IER-Z1R | x HBB Punch | |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | 9.8 | 9.0 |
| Comfort Fit | 6.8 | 7.3 |
| Build Quality | 9.8 | 9.5 |
| Stock Cable | 8.5 | 6.0 |
| Accessories | 8.3 | 4.0 |
Sound Characteristics
x HBB Punch produces sub-bass that is a more textured and present in cinematic or bass-heavy tracks (9.5 vs 9). IER-Z1R renders bass with a greater punch and separation, where x HBB Punch sometimes feels bloated (9 vs 8.5). The lower midrange on It blends e more smoothly into the bass region, avoiding the disconnect found in x HBB Punch (8.5 vs 7.3). It reproduces female vocals and strings with e more air and forwardness, while x HBB Punch remains recessed (8.5 vs 7.3). The treble on It is a more nuanced and refined, especially when it comes to cymbals and ambient elements (9 vs 7.5). It captures ambient cues and reverbs m more precisely through its upper treble, enhancing spatial perception over x HBB Punch (9.5 vs 8). Listeners may notice that It presents sounds with c more lateral space, giving recordings more openness than x HBB Punch (10 vs 7.3). The retrieval of faint audio cues on It is a more convincing, while x HBB Punch tends to gloss over them (9.5 vs 7.3). In complex arrangements, It separates layers m more distinctly, preventing overlap that x HBB Punch occasionally suffers (9.5 vs 7.5). It shows a better control of masking effects, maintaining clarity across frequency ranges better than x HBB Punch (9 vs 7.8). It controls harsh sibilant peaks a more effectively, making vocals smoother than on x HBB Punch (9.5 vs 9). It presents instrument timbre with m more natural coloration, giving a realistic tone that x HBB Punch lacks (9.5 vs 8). Tonality on x HBB Punch is e more coherent and refined, yielding a more pleasing overall signature than IER-Z1R (10 vs 9). Subtle ridges and granularity are conveyed n more clearly on It, adding life that IER-Z1R doesn’t quite match (10 vs 9).
| IER-Z1R | x HBB Punch | |
|---|---|---|
| Sub Bass | 9.0 | 9.5 |
| Bass | 9.0 | 8.5 |
| Bass Feel | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Lower Mids | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| Upper Mids | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| Lower Treble | 9.0 | 7.5 |
| Upper Treble | 9.5 | 8.0 |
| Sound Stage Width | 10.0 | 7.3 |
| Detail | 9.5 | 7.3 |
| Layering | 9.5 | 7.5 |
| Masking | 9.0 | 7.8 |
| Note Weight | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Slam | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Sibilance | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| Timbre Color | 9.5 | 8.0 |
| Tonality | 9.0 | 10.0 |
| Texture | 9.0 | 10.0 |
Tonal Signature
// Nothing to compare yet.