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Sony's new flagship 2014 - MDR-Z7
Nov 10, 2014 at 2:51 PM Post #3,106 of 9,173
dischorddubstep said:
try the JVC SZ2000!
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Well, I do have an ATH-ES10 that will shake your jaw off. Awaiting Tyll's measurements on that one. I think he should have it today.
 
But I do have an HE-560 as well, and I prefer ortho's bass now. Even boosted, it sounds cleaner.
 
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Nov 10, 2014 at 3:01 PM Post #3,107 of 9,173
bill-p said:
   
Bass test (also bass control test):
 

 
If the headphone gives you nice ear massage instead of breaking apart after 60 seconds, then it's got good bass and bass control.
 
Careful with your volume knob. You may just shake something loose in there. 
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Nothing to compare it too, but sounds like an ear massage to me on Z7.
Also nothing broken at average volumes. But I it did hit some of my low end hearing loss in the right. 
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:07 PM Post #3,108 of 9,173
Cool. So we know Z7 at least has enough bass pressure to turn that song into an ear massage. 
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Now let's see how it does with vocals. Here's a song I've just discovered... that I think is a good judge for vocal characteristics:
 

 
If possible, I'd suggest finding the CD for this one. Youtube compression takes most of the details and textures away and has a weird smoothing effect that sort of masks the cymbals, too. But the soul is still there for the vocal, so it's still a valid test.
 
If the vocal is up front, center, and is neither forward or recessed, then it's good.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:17 PM Post #3,109 of 9,173
The songs vocals are up front and center and I would say They are neither forward or recessed.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:43 PM Post #3,111 of 9,173
Well, that's what I was afraid.
 
I couldn't appreciate her or Norah Jones while I had my Audio Technica headphone, either. It sort of made all vocals sound the same way, like a normalizer for vocals.
 
And that's not to say they sound "bad". They all sound "good", but not necessarily "beautiful".
 
It wasn't until I heard the same songs again on a higher-end rig that I could appreciate all of the little nuances in their voices.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 3:55 PM Post #3,112 of 9,173
I did not enjoy that song one bit lol. Seemed more like a poem with the delicacy of light, breathy attributes of music thrown in while neglecting any forms of true emotions both rhythmic and resonance. I'm sure people will wonder what I'm talking about just Iwonder whats wrong with mickices ears not liking anything norah Jones lol.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:11 PM Post #3,113 of 9,173
Well, he doesn't like Norah Jones either.
 
And I'd admit Norah Jones is over-used in reviews and impressions, but that's simply because... her early recordings are so bad that they would highlight the flaws of your setup if something goes awry in the midrange.
 
As in... if anything is out of the ordinary, it'll be highlighted since her recordings push those flaws past the clipping point.
 
Anyway, if you guys don't like her or Anne Bisson, I guess this might help:
 

 
And yeah, I can enjoy Jazz and Metal at the same time, so sue me. 
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Just very well-recorded, and nice separation of vocal from the rest of the other instruments, but has the potential to sound slightly recessed due to the soundstage.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:15 PM Post #3,114 of 9,173
I just like the energy of norah Jones while still being sweet sounding. I had to be fair and give your dragonfly song a better listen than on my tablet so I turned on my speakers and enjoyed it a little more but still didn't like it lol. . It was better for sure but she reminded me of a really old lady that somehow managed to keep her clarity throughout the years lol. I thought she was going to die a few times lol.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:20 PM Post #3,115 of 9,173
That's the softness that Youtube introduced in their compression that I noted. (Oh, and it's also there in Tool - Lateralus, but I suspect the song will still do quite well)
 
The CD version is far cleaner and much more detailed, and it gives a much better image of her voice. I can only imagine what the vinyl version would sound like.
 
Now that I think about it, it's probably not a good combination with the Z7 either way, because now I'm imagining the Z7 as being this overly soft and gentle headphone that's only slightly fast, so it won't be able to deal with songs like that one very well.
 
And that doesn't bode well for me. I like soft and more natural sound, but I don't like it when it's overly so. A headphone can still be soft/natural and still have good speed and attack in order to bring out the best in a recording.
 
Then again, I may be asking for too much, but hey, the Z7 is sold at $699... not a low price at all.
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:24 PM Post #3,116 of 9,173
I only found a cover of the tool song that I quite liked a lot although only an instrumental. . You should check it out
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:38 PM Post #3,118 of 9,173
I read the following at the Chicago meet thread:
 
claritas said:
  The new Sony Z7 made a bad impression on me. I can live with its softness/mushiness. But I'm hearing something seriously wrong with the soundstage. It has kind of a horseshoe shape with the listener sitting in the center: shallow in the middle and most of time the musicians were playing somewhere behind me. I listened to half a dozen tracks and gave up.
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Is anyone else experiencing the same soundstage issues with the Z7?
 
Nov 10, 2014 at 4:42 PM Post #3,119 of 9,173
That is a cool band. A darker 2 Cellos.I will post some tunes that work very well.

In regards to the vocal listed above, the singing was exactly where the poster was suggesting. The issues with the Song were in the instruments and youtube compression.
 
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