[takato14]

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Maybe.
 

Thought so, I was looking at it since late last year but decided not to buy it due to his habit of flipping (that's why he was banned here) and the supposedly damaged cable.
 
For some impressions, since I'am of the few people here who has heard all the 3 models, namely Z5, Z6 and Z7. They share one thing in common is their is a roll off present with the treble. Detail retrieval for these things are amazing for the size the heavy duty drivers are capable of but they don't offer the level of micro-detail and airy soundstage that of the SA5k or a modded S3k. The Z6 is balanced of the 3 and sounds about 2/3 of a CD17/2k. The Z7 is a more balanced Z5 with some of the roll off removed, but it is still present.
 
They are indeed rare, if they were still in production they would probably be the best portables to exist today. Prices for the Z5 is usually $35-80, Z6 is around $120-150 and Z7 can go up to $250 but mostly around $200.

I have the SA3k myself, which uses the <exact> same drivers as the SA5k, and they're not genuinely fast, while the Z5 is. The SA3k seems to try and fake fast by being trebley and dry. They are very detailed, but the Z5 has more. The treble extension is better as you said, but is also splashier and far less refined. The Z5 exhibits so much control over its treble; I've never heard better. Even my friend's RS2i can't compare. The SA3k's bass also falls off a cliff, while the Z5 is almost a flat line all the way down to 10Hz. 
 
About the soundstage, I was attempting to make the Z5 open-backed because of how amazing the imaging is on these beasts. It's absolutely spot on, and I'm sure that if these were in a different enclosure that the soundstage could be absolutely perfect. However, since they're so rare, I don't really dare mess with them much... I already snapped the adjuster trying to take off the inner headband and had to glue it back on.
 
How's the technical precision on the Z6 and 7 compared to the Z5? Just wondering if there's any real reason to keep my eyes peeled for a Z6 or Z7.

 

[chrislangley4253]

I have never heard a "slow" headphone, and I'd really love to know what the heck that means. From my experience there is the speed of dynamic drivers, and then electrostat/orthos.. But, I have never heard a dynamic headphone that I would call slow, I just don't get it.

Sorry for being OT.

 

[DefQon]

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I have the SA3k myself, which uses the <exact> same drivers as the SA5k, and they're not genuinely fast, while the Z5 is. The SA3k seems to try and fake fast by being trebley and dry. They are very detailed, but the Z5 has more. The treble extension is better as you said, but is also splashier and far less refined. The Z5 exhibits so much control over its treble; I've never heard better. Even my friend's RS2i can't compare. The SA3k's bass also falls off a cliff, while the Z5 is almost a flat line all the way down to 10Hz. 
 
About the soundstage, I was attempting to make the Z5 open-backed because of how amazing the imaging is on these beasts. It's absolutely spot on, and I'm sure that if these were in a different enclosure that the soundstage could be absolutely perfect. However, since they're so rare, I don't really dare mess with them much... I already snapped the adjuster trying to take off the inner headband and had to glue it back on.
 
How's the technical precision on the Z6 and 7 compared to the Z5? Just wondering if there's any real reason to keep my eyes peeled for a Z6 or Z7.

The Z7 is a fairly large step ahead of the Z5, think of the Z5's current sound but improved and on steroids. I found the Z6 to be fairly laid back and less energetic than the other two, more balanced in other words. I think leaving the Z5's as it is is best because any other mods will just drop the current sound quality a notch or two. To me and a few others that have heard the Z5's the biggest down fall is the treble, if you find they are good than that's good for you. I too own the SA3k's modded and compared it to the SA5k, indeed they use the same driver just different pads, I still found the Z5 a notch down from them (mind you modded and amplified) for classical music, but being as a portable it's some very good engineering Sony has put into them.
 
I've been trying to locate a good deal on the Z7 over the past 2 years since I registered. It is not an easy find to grab a hold of and most times on ebay the prices are extremely expensive.
 
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I have never heard a "slow" headphone, and I'd really love to know what the heck that means. From my experience there is the speed of dynamic drivers, and then electrostat/orthos.. But, I have never heard a dynamic headphone that I would call slow, I just don't get it.

Sorry for being OT.

 
My interpretation of slow is for example, sometimes if you listen to complex or multi-layered mixed music the headphone sounds sort of too closed-in or congested sounding. Laid back, very warm or dark headphones tend to fall into this category with the airy soundstage or bright ended headphones giving the impression of keeping up with the music easily, dynamically fast sounding.

 

[vid]

Not to be rude, just a personal observation - takato has had in the past a slight tendency to describe each new headphone as the most amazing thing he's had. Nothing wrong about that, of course, moving up in the headphone world, but it still seems an ongoing progression.

 

[GREQ]

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 The Z5 exhibits so much control over its treble; I've never heard better. Even my friend's RS2i can't compare. 

Them is fighting talk. I'd have to hear that to believe it. 

 

[takato14]

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Not to be rude, just a personal observation - takato has had in the past a slight tendency to describe each new headphone as the most amazing thing he's had. Nothing wrong about that, of course, moving up in the headphone world, but it still seems an ongoing progression.

Understandable. However, I have not done that with every headphone, only the ones that really are better. When I got the SA3k I was pretty unimpressed, same with the DT1350 (although both have their perks).
 
The things that have happened recently are me getting the KOSS Reference One, the 4AAA and the Z5. The reference one sounded quite impressive, very detailed and expansive. Then I heard that the 4AAA was the best vintage KOSS so I grabbed one. It was like the Reference One, but better in every area. At the time, the 4AAA was the best sounding headphone I owned. Then I got the SA3k, wasn't too impressed, it was more refined but it was also very thin and unenjoyable. Now I have the Z5... which absolutely destroys all of my headphones. 
 
It's either incredible luck or the fact that I'm doing research before getting a headphone now. The SA3k was my attempt at trying bright headphones, and I didn't look into it that much before buying it, and the DT1350 was recommended by a friend, so I never heard the negatives about it. 
 
Though I do exaggerate sometimes, the Z5 really is the best headphone I own right now.
 
And replying to what GREQ said above, the Z5 might not quite be faster than the Grados, but the treble is certainly better than the Grados, and the rest of the headphone is far more enjoyable for me,

 

[takato14]

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I have never heard a "slow" headphone, and I'd really love to know what the heck that means. From my experience there is the speed of dynamic drivers, and then electrostat/orthos.. But, I have never heard a dynamic headphone that I would call slow, I just don't get it.

Sorry for being OT.

Slow is referring to the speed of the attack: How fast the diaphragm moves toward its outmost position. Decay is the opposite, how fast it returns back to its normal resting position. Slow headphones usually get congested and sloppy with fast music like was said above. 
 
My K240 Studio is so slow that I can see the diaphragm move. That's VERY bad, probably the worst case I've ever seen. My M50s are lacking a bit too.

 

[FrolM89g]

seenheiser hd 545
 
It is interesting what is the year of its issue?
 
http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/6941/img8020ci.jpg
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7436/img8023m.jpg
 
More photos in the album on the link -
http://imageshack.us/g/1/10051185/

Art. Nr. 00193R, sn. 24472629

 

[GREQ]

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seenheiser hd 545
 
It is interesting what is the year of its issue?

 
My random google research puts this headphone in production starting around 1993, which isn't exactly 'vintage' by the unwritten but widely accepted definition in this thread. 
Anything made in the early 80's is just strongly pushing the boundaries of 'vintage'.

 

[takato14]

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seenheiser hd 545
 
It is interesting what is the year of its issue?

 
My random google research puts this headphone in production starting around 1993, which isn't exactly 'vintage' by the unwritten but widely accepted definition in this thread. 
Anything made in the early 80's is just strongly pushing the boundaries of 'vintage'.

I personally consider anything before the 90's vintage. 

 

[GREQ]

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I personally consider anything before the 90's vintage. 

 are you saying I'M vintage!?

 

[takato14]

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I personally consider anything before the 90's vintage. 

 are you saying I'M vintage!?

oh my god XD
 
No sir 

 

[vid]

Sizewise comparisons of the Sennheiser Unipolar driver (right) to some vintage cans. That's the naked Unip driver, with some remnants of the baffle on top. Yes, the baffle has been cut unevenly. It was done by my pet chimp, so leave him alone.
 

 

 

 

[nick n]

wow it's bigger than i thought, and not to worry the baffle looks perfectly fine if anything it will introduce some musical harmonics on the quantum level it will be that insignificant
 
that hinge for the cups is a great looking way to join them up also.

 

[takato14]

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Sizewise comparisons of the Sennheiser Unipolar driver (right) to some vintage cans. That's the naked Unip driver, with some remnants of the baffle on top. Yes, the baffle has been cut unevenly. It was done by my pet chimp, so leave him alone.
 

 

 

Wish I could find a Unipolar...