[RandomHajile]

Aren't the Kimber kables silver plated copper also?

And does anyone know what the cables are based from what line in kimber's products??

As in they are 8wire braid, so 8TC style? Or x2 hero?

 

[Bill-P]

Uh... stock cable is actually silver-plated copper according to Sony's service manual, and I have tried a copper cable versus stock just to see if stock sounds clearer, and it does.

Kimber Kable is pure OFC (Oxygen Free Copper), so unless I'm missing something, it'll make the Z7 even darker than how it is already. Not that that's a bad thing because the stock Z7 has a pretty nasty upper midrange shout and a lower (or mid?) treble bump that I can hear very audibly, and which appear on frequency response graphs... so having a copper cable to tone those down is favorable, but they won't help much with "clarity", which I think is sorely missing with the stock headphone.

I'd say... Silver Dragon V3 or some similar silver cable makes more sense even if they cost more.

Either that or some dampening mods will do as well.

 

[jozifkwan]

Piccolo? Piccolino?
Must be more expensive than the headphone

 
8 Wire Twisted Piccolino

 

[purk]

Uh... stock cable is actually silver-plated copper according to Sony's service manual, and I have tried a copper cable versus stock just to see if stock sounds clearer, and it does.

Kimber Kable is pure OFC (Oxygen Free Copper), so unless I'm missing something, it'll make the Z7 even darker than how it is already. Not that that's a bad thing because the stock Z7 has a pretty nasty upper midrange shout and a lower (or mid?) treble bump that I can hear very audibly, and which appear on frequency response graphs... so having a copper cable to tone those down is favorable, but they won't help much with "clarity", which I think is sorely missing with the stock headphone.

I'd say... Silver Dragon V3 or some similar silver cable makes more sense even if they cost more.

Either that or some dampening mods will do as well.

I recommend going with a silver over copper cable upgrade as well.  However, i can see that Kimber Kable could also be a good choice given that it may be voiced for the Z7.  Still, I think a good silver cable will open up & tighten the sound of the Z7 more than any copper cable will.  Still, this is a reasonably good deal given the relative low price of the Kimber vs. other brands.

 

[qsk78]

  I recommend going with a silver over copper cable upgrade as well.  However, i can see that Kimber Kable could also be a good choice given that it may be voiced for the Z7.  Still, I think a good silver cable will open up & tighten the sound of the Z7 more than any copper cable will.  Still, this is a reasonably good deal given the relative low price of the Kimber vs. other brands.

Well,  it can be a silver plated copper but with a big amount of silver (60-70%) in it.

 

[purk]

  Well,  it can be a silver plated copper but with a big amount of silver (60-70%) in it.

I believe the Spec of the Kimber is a very high purity OFC wire.  Silver is much more expensive than copper hence they didn't go with silver version of the Kimber cable.

 

[qsk78]

  I believe the Spec of the Kimber is a very high purity OFC wire.  Silver is much more expensive than copper hence they didn't go with silver version of the Kimber cable.

I'm talking here about  custom cables like mine, for instance

 

[Spfere]

I ordered a pair of these headphones last week and finally got them today, but stuck at work with my little FiiO E-17 so I can't wait till I get home, but I thought my Beyerdynamics DT 880's were comfy... They have nothing on these headphones when it comes to comfort 
 
But is the extra cost for a cable really worth it? it is quite alot of money for me that I could probably spend better on getting a better dac+amp at home (compared to my magni+modi combo I currently own)

 

[Sonic Defender]

  I ordered a pair of these headphones last week and finally got them today, but stuck at work with my little FiiO E-17 so I can't wait till I get home, but I thought my Beyerdynamics DT 880's were comfy... They have nothing on these headphones when it comes to comfort 
 
But is the extra cost for a cable really worth it? it is quite alot of money for me that I could probably spend better on getting a better dac+amp at home (compared to my magni+modi combo I currently own)

Get a better amp/dac, seriously. Regardless of what people say, as far as I can tell, none of these cable purchasing members set up blind testing. Without blind testing I don't care if the poster has 25 000 posts and owns every expensive headphone and amp on the planet. You need blind testing that is done correctly to make any determination as expectation bias is extremely strong, and everybody is equally subject to it's effects, no exceptions, none. Now I just spent $500 Canadian for an amazing cable to be made, but I did that for other reasons and to this day I make zero claims about sound quality as I have been unable to do any blind testing therefore any impressions I have are very biased and can't be confirmed. Sorry, I love this community, and the quality and caliber of members here is exceptional; however, the trust me I know I can hear the difference position on cables is simply just opinion.
 
For the record, I am on the fence about cables, I hope the big investment I made matters, I really do, and I don't see why cables can't have some positive impact on sound quality. Without evidence that stands up to the standards of scientific inquiry, claims need to be taken very carefully. And that goes for any gear. If there isn't a technical advantage/innovation in the gear that can reasonably be expected to yield positive sound quality gains, and be blind tested, then I remain equally skeptical of course.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  I ordered a pair of these headphones last week and finally got them today, but stuck at work with my little FiiO E-17 so I can't wait till I get home, but I thought my Beyerdynamics DT 880's were comfy... They have nothing on these headphones when it comes to comfort 
 
But is the extra cost for a cable really worth it? it is quite alot of money for me that I could probably spend better on getting a better dac+amp at home (compared to my magni+modi combo I currently own)

 
You might be surprised by what the Magni/Modi does with the Z7.  I'd give it chance.  The Z7 is a funny headphone.  The brain burn in is greater then any headphone I had before.  I say live with it a bit before rushing into a pricey cable.
 
BTW, I believe that a cable can make a more then noticed difference.  But more on some headphones then others...

 

[Spfere]

 
Get a better amp/dac, seriously. Regardless of what people say, as far as I can tell, none of these cable purchasing members set up blind testing. Without blind testing I don't care if the poster has 25 000 posts and owns every expensive headphone and amp on the planet. You need blind testing that is done correctly to make any determination as expectation bias is extremely strong, and everybody is equally subject to it's effects, no exceptions, none. Now I just spent $500 Canadian for an amazing cable to be made, but I did that for other reasons and to this day I make zero claims about sound quality as I have been unable to do any blind testing therefore any impressions I have are very biased and can't be confirmed. Sorry, I love this community, and the quality and caliber of members here is exceptional; however, the trust me I know I can hear the difference position on cables is simply just opinion.
 
For the record, I am on the fence about cables, I hope the big investment I made matters, I really do, and I don't see why cables can't have some positive impact on sound quality. Without evidence that stands up to the standards of scientific inquiry, claims need to be taken very carefully. And that goes for any gear. If there isn't a technical advantage/innovation in the gear that can reasonably be expected to yield positive sound quality gains, and be blind tested, then I remain equally skeptical of course.

Yes, I am looking into saving up for a better dac/amp combination, Looking at the Valhalla2 or Lyr2 and the Bifrost would they make a good pairing? or is there some other dac/amps I should look at inside that price range that would give me better value for my money?
 

   
You might be surprised by what the Magni/Modi does with the Z7.  I'd give it chance.  The Z7 is a funny headphone.  The brain burn in is greater then any headphone I had before.  I say live with it a bit before rushing into a pricey cable.
 
BTW, I believe that a cable can make a more then noticed difference.  But more on some headphones then others...

 
 
Oh I had, I will definitely use my Magni/Modi, but I did buy them as a step in stone so to speak, and cables, well as I have read several people talking about them I do get curious so I hope I can get a chance to try after i've had the Z7 for awhile first, and as I said I am a bit strapped on cash now after this purchase so have to say up again before I can get something more. (so at least a couple of months unless I happen to win the lottery or something similar. 

 

[dweaver]

I can hear differences in cables but I generally buy cables for other reasons such as wanting an Android cable etc. I have used 4 different cables with my Z5 and they all made subtle yet definite changes to the sound. Luckily for me my Android cable works the best for that IEM. But my Z7 is still paired with the default cable as I don't really use it for portable use aside from around the house.

I think for those wanting a serious upgrade in sound they would be better off investing in a balanced source than hundreds of dollars on a cable.

Btw my Z5 cable was $90 and that was as much as could stomach paying for a cable. I will spend $400 on a Pono before I spend that much on a cable.

 

[Mink]

   
You might be surprised by what the Magni/Modi does with the Z7.  I'd give it chance.  The Z7 is a funny headphone.  The brain burn in is greater then any headphone I had before.  I say live with it a bit before rushing into a pricey cable.
 
BTW, I believe that a cable can make a more then noticed difference.  But more on some headphones then others...

Totally agree.

 

[dL.]

Yes, I am looking into saving up for a better dac/amp combination, Looking at the Valhalla2 or Lyr2 and the Bifrost would they make a good pairing? or is there some other dac/amps I should look at inside that price range that would give me better value for my money?

I would get the Woo Audio WA7 instead. I tried the Schiit Bifrost Uber / Lyr 2 and preferred the WA7 more, though I never A/B'd it with the Z7 in particular.

At the very least, you won't run into cosmetic blemishes out-of-the-box if you happen to be OCD.

dL

 

[saflang]

I can hear differences in cables but I generally buy cables for other reasons such as wanting an Android cable etc. I have used 4 different cables with my Z5 and they all made subtle yet definite changes to the sound. Luckily for me my Android cable works the best for that IEM. But my Z7 is still paired with the default cable as I don't really use it for portable use aside from around the house.

I think for those wanting a serious upgrade in sound they would be better off investing in a balanced source than hundreds of dollars on a cable.

Btw my Z5 cable was $90 and that was as much as could stomach paying for a cable. I will spend $400 on a Pono before I spend that much on a cable.

Not to de-rail this thread but which Android cable are you using with the Z5's ? 
Also I must say I'm loving the sound of the Z7's with my Musiland US 02 DAC paired with a Little Dot MKIII.  I'm contemplating getting a Sound Blaster E5 for portable use (reviews have been surprising good).  Having bought both the Z5 and Z7 I can't stomach the price of a PHA-3.