For the Qualia it is all about the fit. Mine has a small headband so it does fit me perfectly. The sonic difference can be night and day between good and bad fit Qualia. I do enjoy the Z1R as well but I don't think it is as balanced sounding as a recabled CD3000 & SA5000 in a direct comparison. If you like a lot of bass and punchy sound signature with good sense of soundstage, the Z1R can easily be your favorite headphones. Never said that we all hear the same or prefer the same sound signatures. Plus, the Z1R works well with portable source.