[JerryHead]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if the Z7M2 heat up your ears? Mine heat up real easily, which is partly why open-back are more attractive to me. But I hear such good things about the Z7M2, I really want to give them a try. Then again, I suppose it doesn't matter how good they sound if I'm going to be ripping them off after a short while due to discomfort.

 

[newworld666]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if the Z7M2 heat up your ears? Mine heat up real easily, which is partly why open-back are more attractive to me. But I hear such good things about the Z7M2, I really want to give them a try. Then again, I suppose it doesn't matter how good they sound if I'm going to be ripping them off after a short while due to discomfort.

I use 2 open back (a AMT Heddphone and Electrostatic KingSound-H04) and 2 Closed Back (a Sony Z7M2 and a Ultrasone Ed15 Veritas) => there are no significant difference in being hot or not, as my open back are almost hermetic (I am even obliged to put some 2mm tubes between cans and pads to leave some air going out of the heddphone pads and avoid some AMT noise when moving my head when foils are inactive).
So, i would think it's less an issue than the ears touching a bit inside the Z7M2, which can be annoying.
Only way, if it's an issue that ears become hot, is to go to IEM or totally open headphones SR1A or Mysphere3

 

[XM3orZ7m2]

@JerryHead The Z7m2 should be relatively cool for a closed back since it has 3 ports on the top and 3 ports on the bottom, allowing hot air to escape out the top. They don't allow others to hear what you're listening to though, so it's just closed enough for that. I'd say get these headphones if you are open to EQ. They are probably the best producers of bass, the most comfortable, and have the best build quality. I can't wait for oratory1990 to get his hands on this headphone, his scientific approach to EQing is by far the most respected in the community if you like Harman Target.

@dazzerfong Wouldn't having a larger driver generally mean more load or resistance due to the current having to move a larger object?

 

[JerryHead]

@JerryHead The Z7m2 should be relatively cool for a closed back since it has 3 ports on the top and 3 ports on the bottom, allowing hot air to escape out the top. They don't allow others to hear what you're listening to though, so it's just closed enough for that. I'd say get these headphones if you are open to EQ. They are probably the best producers of bass, the most comfortable, and have the best build quality. I can't wait for oratory1990 to get his hands on this headphone, his scientific approach to EQing is by far the most respected in the community if you like Harman Target.

@dazzerfong Wouldn't having a larger driver generally mean more load or resistance due to the current having to move a larger object?

Great, thanks, well, only real way to know is to give them a try I suppose. They should arrive by end of the week hopefully. I forgot to ask, is there anyone here who wears glasses and uses these headphones? I wasn't sure how comfortable they'd be if one is wearing glasses. Sometimes headphones can apply too much pressure to the stems (behind the ears) making them uncomfortable for wearers of eyeglasses.

 

[dazzerfong]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if the Z7M2 heat up your ears? Mine heat up real easily, which is partly why open-back are more attractive to me. But I hear such good things about the Z7M2, I really want to give them a try. Then again, I suppose it doesn't matter how good they sound if I'm going to be ripping them off after a short while due to discomfort.

It's a warm headphone. Look at the contact area, as well as the fact that it's non-breathable pleather, and you'll understand why. Not quite as immediate though: onset before things get gnarly is around a few hours. Then again, it's winter over here and I keep my window open.....

If you want something that's not hot, try velour headphones. Those tend to be a lot more breathable, and the contact area of the pads is reduced.

@JerryHead The Z7m2 should be relatively cool for a closed back since it has 3 ports on the top and 3 ports on the bottom, allowing hot air to escape out the top. They don't allow others to hear what you're listening to though, so it's just closed enough for that. I'd say get these headphones if you are open to EQ. They are probably the best producers of bass, the most comfortable, and have the best build quality. I can't wait for oratory1990 to get his hands on this headphone, his scientific approach to EQing is by far the most respected in the community if you like Harman Target.

@dazzerfong Wouldn't having a larger driver generally mean more load or resistance due to the current having to move a larger object?

Your first comment is, in theory, correct, but not true. Those holes are absolutely tiny, and it's more the fact that the leather pads are so big that it gets hot. That being said, it's not as hot as the WH-1000XM3: those ones are actually impossible to wear for more than a few hours at a time.

Also, if all else is equal, you would be correct. However, since efficiency has more to do with the rigidity of the driver, as well as the fact that impedance has to do with the voice coil itself, a larger driver in itself means nothing. If you compare the HD800's 58mm driver to the MDR-Z7M2's 70mm driver, you'd think that the Z7M2's driver is much harder to drive. The opposite is true in reality.

 

[JerryHead]

It's a warm headphone. Look at the contact area, as well as the fact that it's non-breathable pleather, and you'll understand why. Not quite as immediate though: onset before things get gnarly is around a few hours. Then again, it's winter over here and I keep my window open.....

If you want something that's not hot, try velour headphones. Those tend to be a lot more breathable, and the contact area of the pads is reduced.



Your first comment is, in theory, correct, but not true. Those holes are absolutely tiny, and it's more the fact that the leather pads are so big that it gets hot. That being said, it's not as hot as the WH-1000XM3: those ones are actually impossible to wear for more than a few hours at a time.

Also, if all else is equal, you would be correct. However, since efficiency has more to do with the rigidity of the driver, as well as the fact that impedance has to do with the voice coil itself, a larger driver in itself means nothing. If you compare the HD800's 58mm driver to the MDR-Z7M2's 70mm driver, you'd think that the Z7M2's driver is much harder to drive. The opposite is true in reality.

What you said about velour pads is consistent with my experience actually, I tried the Shure SRH1840 which are open back with velour pads, and my ears did not get hot, at least not for an hour or two. Maybe I'll look around to see if I can find velour pads for the MDR-Z7M2, although I wouldn't be surprised if either they were non replaceable, or such pads don't exist for this model. The only other headphones I ever owned in my life were the Sony MDR-1ABT, which I had bought due to its LDAC. I ended up selling them a year or two later because I couldn't keep them on for longer than 30 minutes. Too hot.

 

[dazzerfong]

What you said about velour pads is consistent with my experience actually, I tried the Shure SRH1840 which are open back with velour pads, and my ears did not get hot, at least not for an hour or two. Maybe I'll look around to see if I can find velour pads for the MDR-Z7M2, although I wouldn't be surprised if either they were non replaceable, or such pads don't exist for this model. The only other headphones I ever owned in my life were the Sony MDR-1ABT, which I had bought due to its LDAC. I ended up selling them a year or two later because I couldn't keep them on for longer than 30 minutes. Too hot.

They are replaceable, albeit very hard coz it seems to be stuck. I didn't bother to pursue it.

There's a screw on each side of the headphones just behind the cushion. See link below for the service manual for the Z7: note the M2 has the right side screw near the top of the cup instead.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1167786/Sony-Mdr-Z7.html?page=4

 

[JerryHead]

They are replaceable, albeit very hard coz it seems to be stuck. I didn't bother to pursue it.

There's a screw on each side of the headphones just behind the cushion. See link below for the service manual for the Z7: note the M2 has the right side screw near the top of the cup instead.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1167786/Sony-Mdr-Z7.html?page=4

They're replaceable, but it's too hard to loosen the screw? Well, I don't think I'll bother anyhow. The only velour pads I could find are in China, and that's 1-3 months shipping time from me at this point (due to pandemic). I'm gonna try and make them work, as they've gotten rave reviews. Sony's flagship right up until four years ago when the Z1Rs came out.

 

[dazzerfong]

They're replaceable, but it's too hard to loosen the screw? Well, I don't think I'll bother anyhow. The only velour pads I could find are in China, and that's 1-3 months shipping time from me at this point (due to pandemic). I'm gonna try and make them work, as they've gotten rave reviews. Sony's flagship right up until four years ago when the Z1Rs came out.

Screw isn't hard to take out: it's the pads themselves that are stuck in the interlocking mechanism.

 

[JerryHead]

It's a warm headphone. Look at the contact area, as well as the fact that it's non-breathable pleather, and you'll understand why. Not quite as immediate though: onset before things get gnarly is around a few hours. Then again, it's winter over here and I keep my window open.....

If you want something that's not hot, try velour headphones. Those tend to be a lot more breathable, and the contact area of the pads is reduced.



Your first comment is, in theory, correct, but not true. Those holes are absolutely tiny, and it's more the fact that the leather pads are so big that it gets hot. That being said, it's not as hot as the WH-1000XM3: those ones are actually impossible to wear for more than a few hours at a time.

Also, if all else is equal, you would be correct. However, since efficiency has more to do with the rigidity of the driver, as well as the fact that impedance has to do with the voice coil itself, a larger driver in itself means nothing. If you compare the HD800's 58mm driver to the MDR-Z7M2's 70mm driver, you'd think that the Z7M2's driver is much harder to drive. The opposite is true in reality.

Is pleather generally warmer than leather? I'm thinking so, but was unsure. Could they be equally as hot? I'm actually surprised that they didn't' use real leather considering the price of these on initial release.

 

[dazzerfong]

Is pleather generally warmer than leather? I'm thinking so, but was unsure. Could they be equally as hot? I'm actually surprised that they didn't' use real leather considering the price of these on initial release.

Generally, yes. Leather is breathable (to an extent); pleather is not. As a longer answer, softer pleahter like PU is breathable to a degree, but harder pleathers like PVC isn't. The Z7M2's pads are PU.

 

[JerryHead]

Generally, yes. Leather is breathable (to an extent); pleather is not. As a longer answer, softer pleahter like PU is breathable to a degree, but harder pleathers like PVC isn't. The Z7M2's pads are PU.

I’m actually surprised that for a $600 headphone, Sony couldn’t have used real leather.

 

[dazzerfong]

I’m actually surprised that for a $600 headphone, Sony couldn’t have used real leather.

-shrug-

Pleather earpads are a hell of a lot easier to maintain: don't have to worry about conditioning and the sorts.

 

[JerryHead]

-shrug-

Pleather earpads are a hell of a lot easier to maintain: don't have to worry about conditioning and the sorts.

I did have pleather car seats that I preferred for just this reason.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Hey Fellow Sony peeps! so i've been wondering is there a recommended Hard case for the Z7m2 from amazon that someone could share that they use?
Also, is there a good place to get shorter cables for them that arent like... 200$ LOL