I've been using the Z7 for quite a while now, paired with my PHA-3. At first, I really didn't think the PHA-3 made a difference that justified its asking price, even though I only paid just over half of the Australian RRP of $1,099.95. After having used the pair for some time now for a range of...

After seeing so many rigs like this here on head-fi, I can finally post a picture of mine (Just a little bit of a Sony fanboy)! Kind of forgot that the PHA-3 is supposed to be used to drive something like the Z7 on the go, as I've just been using it on my desk with my PC for night time music...

  I also concur - I found my Triple.Fi 10 behaved similarly, and seems like it was tuned to be enjoyed when blasted, with a minimally fatiguing signature. The effect is more prevalent in the Z7 to my ears though. Though it is somewhat helped with the addition of the PHA-3.   I think my...

  I have an MDR-1RBT which can be driven wired as well, and in terms of ease of drive I agree, the Z7 is slightly harder to drive than my MDR-1RBT. Then again, this is the first pair of headphones I've had that has really given any of my gear any trouble with ability to drive - I had been using...

  I agree wholeheartedly regarding the logic of paying so much more for proportionately nowhere near as much improvement, which is exactly what I meant by "how far down the line of diminishing returns you're willing to go". By diminishing returns, I mean exactly that - each additional dollar...

  I can definitely see where you are coming from TBH. The way I see it, it's all about how far down the line of diminishing returns you're willing to go. Some people will feel that paying $500+ for a music player is insanity (all you have to do is google all the news articles on gadgets blogs...

  Surprisingly good, actually. I was expecting to be underwhelmed and immediately feel like picking up an amp of sorts (maybe that is just the head-fi effect, gear acquisition syndrome striking again...) but the ZX1 seems to be able to drive the Z7 quite well. I use the ZX1 with ClearAudio+ on...

  Some friends of mine bought it for me a couple of years ago for a birthday present, I honestly have no idea where it came from. As I'm in Australia, my best guess would be Big-W or K-Mart, or Mr. Toys Toyworld or something like that.

  Not a huge upgrade over the Xonar. The PHA-3 is audibly and noticeably better than the Xonar, don't get me wrong. It's just not what I thought $527 of upgrade would sound like, considering the Xonar set me back about $180 3 years ago. And from what I read, $527 is a lot less than most people...

So I went a little crazy over Xmas and just before the December sales ended I picked up a PHA-3 heavily discounted. Finally get to try that balanced cable! I'm not sure if its just me, but the difference isn't what I'd describe as night and day; it's audible for sure, there is more control and...

Went a little crazy over Xmas, upgraded a few peripherals.

I have done some light gaming with these, and can confirm they do very well here. The soundstage helps them reproduce direction in a game like Far Cry 4 quite well - from what I read open back cans are meant to be better for sound stage in general, which is probably why they are recommended over...

  I had problems with cover art too, and for some of my albums I still have issues, I'm just too lazy to fix it. I tried a few apps, like AudioTagger and ID3Fixer... With varying degrees of success. They did fix some of my music, but not all of it. It doesn't help that I have music spanning all...

      Some pics I took yesterday. To add to my previous thoughts, these things are amazingly solidly built. They just ooze luxury. And I personally think they look very pretty aesthetically. I might be getting a little infatuated... 

  I'd shoot the FB page a message, though it's only available if you're an Australian citizen, and completely at their discretion. Sale goes for the whole of December.   I've been using the Z7 more with my PC and the Xonar D2X, and it seems with a bit more volume it does pair quite well, very...