shinnbone said:

   
I have not heard the Z1000, so I can not comment on its sound. But a lot of Japanese blogs / industry reviews / articles say the 7520 is the more "consumer" oriented version of the Z1000. They consider the Z1000 to be more for recording studios, and the 7520 to have more of a "fun" sound signature (I'm translating and therefor paraphrasing here). Most of them seem to think they are just different, and one is not necessarily better than the other.
 
According to some, Sony brought the Z1000 to the States, had some experts audition it, then implemented their input to create the 7520. That is why the 7520 was first introduced as the "overseas" version of the Z1000. At first the 7520 was only available in Japan as an import.
 
Again, all of this is according to what I've read.

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I know you're just repeating what you read in another site, but I find their opinion strange. The 7520 has more even tonality so it should be more ideal for studios. It's the less colored of the two so that's weird IMO. Neither are very "fun" to be honest, and both show their studio monitoring roots to the core. They're both quite similar in a lot of ways. But Sony created the 7520 for studios after creating the Z1000 for consumers.
 
The Z1000 is just missing a lot of bass information, rolled off heavily starting at 100 hertz. It also has one of the most clausterphobic soundstaging I've ever heard from a headphone, and I normally don't give two schiits about soundstaging like other people.
 
Saying all this, I did love the Z1000 when I had it. Yeah I was sometimes bothered by the flaws mentioned above, but it was a beautifully built product that was so close to perfect, showed a lot of potential and promise with the LCP diaphram and magnesium build. When I heard the 7520 I had a big smile on my face cause I knew the engineers at Sony pretty much addressed a lot of the gripes I had against the Z1000. If people can find the Z1000 for cheaper (used or in some other country) then I say go for it and feel like you own 90% of the 7520 with better timbre.

m-13 said:

 
I know you're just repeating what you read in another site, but I find their opinion strange. The 7520 has more even tonality so it should be more ideal for studios. It's the less colored of the two so that's weird IMO. Neither are very "fun" to be honest, and both show their studio monitoring roots to the core. They're both quite similar in a lot of ways. But Sony created the 7520 for studios after creating the Z1000 for consumers.
 
The Z1000 is just missing a lot of bass information, rolled off heavily starting at 100 hertz. It also has one of the most clausterphobic soundstaging I've ever heard from a headphone, and I normally don't give two schiits about soundstaging like other people.
 
Saying all this, I did love the Z1000 when I had it. Yeah I was sometimes bothered by the flaws mentioned above, but it was a beautifully built product that was so close to perfect, showed a lot of potential and promise with the LCP diaphram and magnesium build. When I heard the 7520 I had a big smile on my face cause I knew the engineers at Sony pretty much addressed a lot of the gripes I had against the Z1000. If people can find the Z1000 for cheaper (used or in some other country) then I say go for it and feel like you own 90% of the 7520 with better timbre.

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Hi M-13, not having heard the Z100, I can't make any definitive comments. Just presented what I've read, because I thought it may be of some interest to those reading this thread. Not to be nit-picky, but it wasn't just "another site." I read quite a few reviews, blog entries, and descriptions on audio-related and retailer sites.
 
"But Sony created the 7520 for studios after creating the Z1000 for consumers."
This is just the opposite of what I read on Japanese sites. Every site that mentioned intended markets said the Z1000 was first released (in Japan only) for professional use, then released the 7520 (outside of Japan) with more "consumer" oriented tuning. From what I understand the 7520 has more bass, and that may be what they are referring to. Also a lot of them say the Z1000's high mids and highs have more clarity, so that may make them more "analytical" to them.
 
It could very well be that the perception and definition of "analytical" and "consumer-orented" in Japan are a little different from the States'. 

The t1 are said to be audiophile headphones however they will reveal a flee fart in a cathedral from 100 yards

shinnbone said:

   
Hi M-13, not having heard the Z100, I can't make any definitive comments. Just presented what I've read, because I thought it may be of some interest to those reading this thread. Not to be nit-picky, but it wasn't just "another site." I read quite a few reviews, blog entries, and descriptions on audio-related and retailer sites.
 
"But Sony created the 7520 for studios after creating the Z1000 for consumers."
This is just the opposite of what I read on Japanese sites. Every site that mentioned intended markets said the Z1000 was first released (in Japan only) for professional use, then released the 7520 (outside of Japan) with more "consumer" oriented tuning. From what I understand the 7520 has more bass, and that may be what they are referring to. Also a lot of them say the Z1000's high mids and highs have more clarity, so that may make them more "analytical" to them.
 
It could very well be that the perception and definition of "analytical" and "consumer-orented" in Japan are a little different from the States'. 

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Hey I respect the hours/days you potentially put into researching these phones. Now I don't mean any offense but here are some additional info for you to consider.
 
One thing you should consider is that Jude actually spent a full day with Sony's head/lead engineer who designed both these headphones. And heard straight from the horses mouth that the 7520s were designed for the studios as a professional tool. Also the naming of the phone. MDR-7520 makes it part of their Pro Audio line, while the Z1000 was part of their normal consumer line. The 7520 follows in the proud steps of legendary studio monitors like the 7506 and 7509. It's pretty clear which of the two Sony meant for the studios. The 7520 is found in the Sony Pro Audio website while the Z1000 is not (last time I checked).
 
What can I say other than that the Japanese sites you read your info from are wrong. Nothing new about this, the Internet is full of misinformation from people who claim to be experts. This is not a knock against you or anything but I think you're repeating information that is unlikely to be correct. No offense of course.
 
*Also regarding the tonality and how useful they would be as studio monitors in actual use, the 7520 is indeed flatter of the two and is better balanced from bass to mid to treble. It's less colored than the Z1000, which has sucked out bass and elevated treble in comparison. The additional treble can be seen as "clarity" by some, but It's actually not more clarity but just a coloration if people take the time to examine both headphones with different recordings they will realize the 7520 is actually more resolving and has better micro-detail (slightly). The 7520 is not a fun headphone for consumers, in fact only Sony Pro Audio authorized dealers carry them as far I know (officially that is), not normal Sony dealers. These dealers will typically carry the full line of Sony Pro Audio merchandise, not just the 7520. The Z1000 I guess can be considered more "fun" of the two because of that extra treble sparkle, the 7520 will sound "dull" next to it (in comparison). But both headphones are not very fun at all compared to others that are out there.
 
This is of course all IMHO only. Nothing more.

m-13 said:

  One thing you should consider is that Jude actually spent a full day with Sony's head/lead engineer who designed both these headphones. And heard straight from the horses mouth that the 7520s were designed for the studios as a professional tool. Also the naming of the phone.

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Please post a link to the above information if possible. I'm not questioning you. I'm just plain interested in tidbits of info, especially from Sony.

jackson1 said:

   
Please post a link to the above information if possible. I'm not questioning you. I'm just plain interested in tidbits of info, especially from Sony.

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The search function is your friend, my friend. There are less than 10 threads dedicated to the 7520/Z1000 on all of Head-Fi, and they are all short enough for you to read all of them within a few minutes/hours. In fact Jude as met the Sony people several times as far I know.

No freebees, eh? Noted.

jackson1 said:

  No freebees, eh? Noted.

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Haha, okay I'll spend more time re-reading material I've read many times long ago just for your own pleasure. Hold on I'll be right back master....

Can confirm the bit on the 7520 being a Pro Audio model. It can only be found on the Sony Pro website (I think pro.sony.com, or something like that). I actually bought it from a professional audio equipment store, a store that doesn't carry consumer line headphones.
 
I also heard the Z1000 and 7520 and can again reconfirm that the Z1000 has rolled off bass, whereas the 7520 doesn't. Those are the main differences. Didn't listen to the Z1000 much longer after that, so can't give you further impressions on that model. And as for whether the 7520 is 'fun' or not, well that's a matter of taste To me they are very fun, as the bass is very tight and for instance works excellent with electronic music that has a fast paced bass. Very detailed and controlled, yet still rich and full without being bloated. It also works well for all the other genres IMO. And I like the way the mids and highs are presented. Detailed and crisp, not too much (except for the sibilance, which these headphones don't mask on bad recordings, unlike other headhpones which do mask this). So yeah, they're not the smoothest headhpones out there, but I personally have come to like that. I like all the micro-details to really zone in to the music when I close my eyes, but when I'm busy doing something else, all that detail doesn't become tiring or annoying. I can listen to these for hours. And by the way, I mostly use the Shure 840 pads for my listening, and sometimes the 1840 pads. I don't use the stock pads anymore as I strongly prefer the comfort the Shure pads provide. And the 840 pads sound closest to the stock sound signature, with perhaps a slight bit of added boominess to the bass and overall wetness to the sound (but mind you, it's not a huge difference and to me it's worth the trade-off).

LOL! (but agree with M-13)

starfly said:

  Can confirm the bit on the 7520 being a Pro Audio model. It can only be found on the Sony Pro website (I think pro.sony.com, or something like that). I actually bought it from a professional audio equipment store, a store that doesn't carry consumer line headphones.
 
I also heard the Z1000 and 7520 and can again reconfirm that the Z1000 has rolled off bass, whereas the 7520 doesn't. Those are the main differences. Didn't listen to the Z1000 much longer after that, so can't give you further impressions on that model. And as for whether the 7520 is 'fun' or not, well that's a matter of taste To me they are very fun, as the bass is very tight and for instance works excellent with electronic music that has a fast paced bass. Very detailed and controlled, yet still rich and full without being bloated. It also works well for all the other genres IMO. And I like the way the mids and highs are presented. Detailed and crisp, not too much (except for the sibilance, which these headphones don't mask on bad recordings, unlike other headhpones which do mask this). So yeah, they're not the smoothest headhpones out there, but I personally have come to like that. I like all the micro-details to really zone in to the music when I close my eyes, but when I'm busy doing something else, all that detail doesn't become tiring or annoying. I can listen to these for hours. And by the way, I mostly use the Shure 840 pads for my listening, and sometimes the 1840 pads. I don't use the stock pads anymore as I strongly prefer the comfort the Shure pads provide. And the 840 pads sound closest to the stock sound signature, with perhaps a slight bit of added boominess to the bass and overall wetness to the sound (but mind you, it's not a huge difference and to me it's worth the trade-off).

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Haha, sorry if I made the 7520 sound like lifeless tools. I find them very nice/fun/enchanting as well. I love them.
 
But I think when people think "fun headphone" they think of heavily colored headphones with boomy bass and sizzling highs. I was trying to say that the 7520 is not one of these but is a very balanced, very detailed headphone that is silky in its presentation overall. I find neutral headphones to be the most "fun" so my definition of fun might be off from others. I find coloration of any kind distracting in the long run and not fun at all. The longer I'm in this hobby the more and more I seek neutrality and it's the gateway to the true fun of the music.

"What can I say other than that the Japanese sites you read your info from are wrong"
 
Sony's Japanese site lists the Z1000 under the "Monitor Series" lineup, and calls it a "reference studio monitor suitable for demands of recording studios." (http://www.sony.jp/headphone/products/MDR-Z1000/)
 
 
The very guy who designed the Z1000 and the 7520 (the guy Jude talked to) says the Z1000 was developed "as the top-of-the-line studio monitor that can satisfy pros." Furthermore, he says they designed the Z1000 to be used for mastering and mixing. He called it "more like a measuring tool for sound engineers." (As an aside, the MDR-CD900ST was designed for musicians to use while recording.) The development of the Z1000 started with "a desire to create studio monitors that pushed the abilities of headphones to the limit."
 
Also, the small soundstage apparently is by design. The Z1000 was not meant to recreate a theater (or whatever kind of venue) experience. It was designed to have the instrument close as if you were onstage, without the air and the distance you'd have as an audience member.
 
(http://www.sony.jp/headphone/special/park/products_ms/tech1.html)
 
Because the 7520 is the "overseas" model and is not sold by Sony, it is not listed on Sony's Japanese site. 
 
Sony is not calling the 7520 "consumer" or "fun." Some reviewers who compared them said compared to the Z1000, the 7520 is more fun and consumer-oriented. It's relative.
 
I also did not say the 7520 was developed as "consumer" cans. That is what some people felt Sony did. 
 
I didn't mean to offend or upset anyone. But from above links, I think I can say with some confidence that the statement "Sony created the 7520 for studios after creating the Z1000 for consumers" is not quite accurate. Sony did create the Z1000 for studio use, and then introduced the 7520 with a different tuning for the non-Japanese market.
 
Again, I am only reiterating information that I thought was interesting. I did not, and do not wish to start an argument. Just felt being told blanketly that the info I presented was wrong was not exactly fair.

shinnbone said:

 

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Ah okay man. I'm willing to accept all this information. I'm not offended in the least and neither should you be. We're both on the same side of this hobby. What I do know is that at the time when the Z1000 was first announced and subsequently released (before the release of the 7520) there was a lot of confusion about the exact reasoning behind the headphone. Some called it a flagship headphone like the R10, a cheaper little brother, and others said it's a professional monitoring tool etc. People were comparing the Z1000 (freshly imported from Japan) to the likes of HD800 and T1, assuming that the new $700 MSRP was some kind of statement flagship. At the time Sony was saying the Z1000 was intended for professional applications etc, etc. It even came with a nice red sticker that said "Studio something something". However, we were all surprised when Sony showed off the MDR-7520 and then went onto say that this in fact is their studio tool and that the Z1000 had just been a consumer flagship. Or atleast that's what I thought they were trying to say (at the show where they first introduced the 7520).
 
It's all confusing, but in the end, this line of discussion is pretty pointless given that no mastering engineer working for a big record label worth his salt will ever mix using a headphone. They will use monitoring speakers to complete 99.99% of the mix and then use headphones as a final check and in fact can do the entire work without headphones. No headphone is as neutral and as reliable as studio monitoring speakers. This myth of the importance of listening to headphones as the artist intended or some such nonsense is something false spread by Beats by Dr. Dre. Almost every big studio I've seen in Asia just has a Sony MDR-7506 or a 7509 and nothing really beyond that. I hear that some studios did buy up some 7520, but a lot of them don't feel the need to move beyond the 7509 they already have set up. If you know of any big record studios in Japan using the Z1000 let me know cause I'd be shocked out of my pants. LOL. I did hear of a studio in Britain buying up three 7520s to use in their studio, but that's probaby an anomally as well.
 
So in the end, it really doesn't matter what Sony intended as their intention doesn't make the Z1000 better than the 7520 to my ears. I heard them side by side and there was a clear winner. The narrow soundstage of the Z1000 will be distracting because it actually is an anomally I've never heard from any other headphone, monitoring or otherwise. It's not just small, it's very odd... hard to describe other than to say it sounds like you're in a very narrow hallway, so narrow you can barely move. The 7520's soundstaging isn't exactly steller either, but like I was saying before, mastering engineers would be/should be relying on speakers for the right placement cues.
 
I think everything that needs to be said has been said. To cap off this useless discussion with a even more stupid concluding statement I need to point out that the 7520 is all black, and we know black is the new black which makes it very cool and SEXY. ROFL  

Hi M-13,
I know you're one of the known experts in both MDR-7520/Z1000.
Can you comment about the sound signature between MDR-7520 and SHU-840?
Are they sounded very close to each other? I mean the treble, bass, mid, sound stage & separation.

mannkind246 said:

  Hi M-13,
I know you're one of the known experts in both MDR-7520/Z1000.
Can you comment about the sound signature between MDR-7520 and SHU-840?
Are they sounded very close to each other? I mean the treble, bass, mid, sound stage & separation.

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Exepert? OMG don't ever say that! I hope you're kidding because otherwise I feel like an ass.
 
I'm a stupid fan boy with too much time who wasted hours of his life reading up on them. Plus I don't speak or read Japanese so Shinnbone has my balls in a vise grip right now.
 
Are you talking about the Shure 840? I think that was the 2nd headphone I ever owned? A lot has changed since then and I've gone through a dozen headphones in the past 3 years or so and several amps and dacs. My audio memory on the 840 is very fuzzy at best, especially since I didn't really like it too much for the month or so that I owned it. As an educated guess I would think the 7520 is superior in every category you mentioned, but then again they're not even the same price bracket so... but then again the 840 might be good enough depending on your purpose. What will you be using to drive/listen to the 840? What kind of music?