Home / Headphones / Compare

Sony IER-Z1R vs Shure SE846

Side-by-side comparison — scores, specs and which one fits your setup.

HIGHER SCORE
Sony IER-Z1R
9.2
/ 10
IEMReference
Shure SE846
9.0
/ 10
IEMReference

Specs comparison

9.2/10
SCORE
9/10
24Ω
IMPEDANCE
101dB
SENSITIVITY
114dB
No
NEEDS AMP
No

Analysis

The Sony IER-Z1R scores 9.2/10 with 24Ω impedance and 101dB sensitivity. At 24Ω, it drives well from most phones without an external amp.

The Shure SE846 scores 9/10 with 9Ω impedance and 114dB sensitivity. At 9Ω, it can be driven directly without extra hardware.

Based on our scoring, the Sony IER-Z1R scores higher overall. However, the right choice depends on your full audio chain — use our analyzer to see which fits your actual setup.

Own one of these headphones?

A high headphone score doesn't mean your audio sounds great. Your DAC, amp or source might be the real bottleneck.

Analyze my setup →Sony IER-Z1R details →Shure SE846 details →

Similar comparisons

Sony IER-Z1R vs Thieaudio Monarch Mk2Compare →Sony IER-Z1R vs Campfire Andromeda 2020Compare →Sony IER-Z1R vs 64 Audio U12tCompare →Sony IER-Z1R vs Noble Audio Kublai KhanCompare →