Picked a pair of these up refurbished for quite an insanely good deal, $60 and I also picked up Aureo's extra deep MDR-7506/V6 earpads to make these cans over-ear now instead of on-ear, better sound isolation and much more comfortable.
I would like to beg to differ with the majority of all the comments in this thread bashing these cans. I don't know what cans/IEMs those who have labelled these cans as "bass-heavy" own, but I for one certainly would not categorize the ZX750BNs as a basshead can.
I have done a quick testing of what the sound is like right out of the box, with them wirelessly connected to my iPhone and NC turned on, which is the main reason I'm getting these, to use on the go on transit.
To summarize what I am about to share with everyone in terms of the sound of these cans, if you're used to typical Sony sound signature, sibilance and all, the sound signature of these ZX750BNs won't be very foreign to you.
It does have an undeniably noticeable V-shaped sound signature, midrange is clear and detailed but with certain tracks, it does take a step back from the bass and treble, while with certain tracks it does not seem that recessed at all and is actually somewhat nicely balanced with the rest of the frequency range. I would've preferred a slightly more warm and natural tone though. In comparison with my JVC HA-S500s, the mids are more recessed however they are not as "shouty" as the at times strangely overly forward high-mids as the S500s.
While the bass makes itself known and extends quite a bit deeper than I initially expected these cans to, they rarely bleed into the mids, which is good. With that being said, the bass does not have the quickness to allow it to shine in very articulate tracks, the bass becomes one mushed up mess, nowhere near as tight as the bass on my S500s with certain articulate tracks requiring quick response. However, given those (negative) traits of the ZX750BNs, the bass never seemed boomy or "basshead-like" to me in the 30 minutes or so I tested them. So unless you're used to BA sound signatures where there is quite literally no bass, I don't know what everyone in this thread is complaining about. Mid-bass is very nicely controlled, where most of the oomph comes from sub-bass, though it can get muddy sometimes on its own, not affecting mids and highs, which is good I guess. The drivers can't keep up with articulate tracks
Treble has typical Sony sibilance, albeit with excellent perceived extension with sparkle though it may just be a result of the V-shaped sound curve, though as with the typical Sony sound signature, the top end can get VERY fatiguing, and the more you listen, the more you realize the extension is actually not as good as one initially would think it is, once again typical of Sony. Like the bass, the ZX750BNs have trouble with very articulate (fast) tracks, particularly rock, with certain notes just becoming quite literally a blur of sound. The detail is there however, presentation is MUCH wider than I initially expected, excellent soundstage. Sonic cues are presented pretty well out of the head, good enough to mention that's for sure.
I know it's not a very detailed review perhaps, but all in all, I purchased these at an undoubtedly great price to use on the go while taking the bus or train, and these get the job done. I would never use these for critical listening, they are not meant for that. They have a somewhat fun sound signature with good perceived clarity across the whole frequency range, I have no complaints. I would certainly like more detail in the low and top end, but I can't complain, they get an 8/10 for me.
Whatever they are, they are DEFINITELY not basshead cans. I compared them with the Beats Studio Wireless (gasp) since I work at a place which sells every single colour and configuration that exists of every Beats model, I definitely prefer these over the Beats Studio Wireless, which honestly are a huge improvement over what they used to be. If you are familiar with Beats Studio sound, these are the clearer, more sparkly, less bassy and colder version of those.
***UPDATE***
I tested all the same tracks I tested while using BT, but hooked up to my iPhone then my ODAC, the dynamic range is much better and the lack of clarity in articulate tracks is now present, with much clearer instrumental separation when I was connected via BT to my iPhone. The sound is noticeably different when connected wirelessly, and when wired, in a pleasant manner.
