[DoctaCosmos]

Not sure if it is a recording flaw or an effect they were going for.

 

[czcsfb]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to show off the deal I got, $460 CAD was actually a result of pre-order + a friend's employee discount.
 
What I really wanna mention was the dramatic price dropping off happened on X1, D600, so on and so on. Remember their overpriced MSRP? I meant it will also be a good choice to wait Z7's price drop, and I don't think it will take very long time. 

 

[Mickice]

Maybe 6months - 1year but by how much?
These would be a steal at $499US

 

[zhenya]

   
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. 

 
 

  Cool. So we know Z7 at least has enough bass pressure to turn that song into an ear massage. 

 
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.

 
Good selections Bill. These two tracks do really show the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Z7. On the bass track the Z7 sounds like nothing else I own, and as you say, gives you a nice ear massage. With my CD3000's that I'm currently comparing them to there is very little of that sensation. On the vocal track it's just the opposite. I don't much care for the track, but on the Z7 all the nuance to the voice is lost whereas that is what the CD3000 excels at, giving you a bit of an ear massage of its own and making even this song that I wouldn't normally listen to enjoyable. I was able to listen to this at 320k on Spotify.

 

[zazex]

  Sorry guys, didn't mean to show off the deal I got, $460 CAD was actually a result of pre-order + a friend's employee discount.
 
What I really wanna mention was the dramatic price dropping off happened on X1, D600, so on and so on. Remember their overpriced MSRP? I meant it will also be a good choice to wait Z7's price drop, and I don't think it will take very long time. 

 
 

Maybe 6months - 1year but by how much?
These would be a steal at $499US

 
 
There's no way to tell when, or if, the price will come down on these.
It may even go up.

 

[Mickice]

Thats true, all depends on success and sales. So far things seem kinda positive. Even at $800 I am enjoying every cent I spent, unlike any headphones I own. 

 

[dweaver]

I have to admit I am also enjoying these even though I paid pretty much full retail. One thing is for sure. My wanting to resell them just to try something "new" is pretty much squashed since I would take a bath reselling them. Strangely that seems like a good thing for me LOL.

 

[Lorspeaker]

  Thats true, all depends on success and sales. So far things seem kinda positive. Even at $800 I am enjoying every cent I spent, unlike any headphones I own. 

 
 
i am baiting for usd200..some time in the distaaant future.. 
lets see if i am rite.  drumming my fingers..patience patience.zzzzz

 

[Mickice]

$200us? No chance, theres probably close to $200 in metal on these.
I'd have to try a second hand store for that type of deal. Someone after a quick buck.

 

[kman1211]

  $200us? No chance, theres probably close to $200 in metal on these.
I'd have to try a second hand store for that type of deal. Someone after a quick buck.

I doubt it. The whole headphone probably costs around $50 to make. Headphones don't really cost much to make material wise, the end cost is more about R&D, sound quality, profit, etc. than the actual cost to make the headphone. And the materials are nowhere near that expensive, metal isn't really expensive unless it's an exotic and rare metal. 

 

[longboy]

  I doubt it. The whole headphone probably costs around $50 to make. Headphones don't really cost much to make material wise, the end cost is more about R&D, sound quality, profit, etc. than the actual cost to make the headphone. And the materials are nowhere near that expensive, metal isn't really expensive unless it's an exotic and rare metal. 

How do you know this? Personal experience in the industry?

 

[Mickice]

Whats the price and sonic qualities of iron ore these days? Not to mention the aluminium coat. 

 

[kman1211]

 
How do you know this? Personal experience in the industry?

Well factoring how much of the materials used in headphones, the materials used tend to be quite cheap, just look at the cost of earpads as an example, the plastics and metals are often fairly cheap as well. Just using some logic and understanding of how business and the like tends to work. It may be a bit more than $50 or less, can't say, I was simply giving an educated guess considering the materials and considering manufacturing costs. Headphone manufacturers are a business foremost, the products need to make a healthy profit if the company is going to survive and flourish, especially if they focus mainly on the premium side of things. Premium products tend to sale at a higher profit than common lower-quality products especially if the company focuses mainly on premium products to support it's business due to a lesser amount of sales. High-end headphones and high-end audio in general also has a high perceived value which allows products to be sold at a higher premium.

 

[x838nwy]

Mild steel is about $1/kg. So $200 gets you a LOT of steel. Considerably more than you'd want on your head, anyway. If one looks at raw material costs alone, one will end up never going to eat out, pay for a car wash, stay in hotels or even go to college or university.
 
In this, as in any other hobby, how much things "cost to make" is a moot point. What one chooses to include or exclude in ones account and what one accounts those costs towards etc. It gets messy and frankly quite silly. Best to judge the worth/value of a thing on ones own personal scale and when the selling prices falls to or below that, make a purchase if the desire still exist.

 

[kman1211]

  Mild steel is about $1/kg. So $200 gets you a LOT of steel. Considerably more than you'd want on your head, anyway. If one looks at raw material costs alone, one will end up never going to eat out, pay for a car wash, stay in hotels or even go to college or university.
 
In this, as in any other hobby, how much things "cost to make" is a moot point. What one chooses to include or exclude in ones account and what one accounts those costs towards etc. It gets messy and frankly quite silly. Best to judge the worth/value of a thing on ones own personal scale and when the selling prices falls to or below that, make a purchase if the desire still exist.

Exactly, with hobby's such as high-end audio, it's more about the perceived value to the owner and if you think the sound is worth the price. I personally view audio reproduction as an art form, it's expensive but it's also an experience and it's the experience that many people are buying the headphones for.