[samHF]

Dear Forum,

Greetings from Europe. I am quite new to HiresMusic. So far I was listening music from my Mac through my Sony NW-A45 with it‘s dac functionality to the MDR Z7M2. This year I would like to upgrade the DAP to one with a balanced 4,4mm output.

But before I spend some money for that new device, I would like to try another (cheap) DAC solution with the FIIO Q1 Mark II. Unfortunately has the FIIO only a 2,5mm balanced output.

Do you know if there is a reliable adapter cable out there? Or would you have another solution? Many thanks.

I bought this adapter from aliexpress and its quality is good. Mine is also FiiO Q1 m2 + Z7M2.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/OKC...ed-Plug-Audio-Stereo-Cable-8/32877260097.html

 

[flibottf]

I bought this adapter from aliexpress and its quality is good. Mine is also FiiO Q1 m2 + Z7M2.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/OKC...ed-Plug-Audio-Stereo-Cable-8/32877260097.html

Been using one (3.5 to 4.4) for a few months now with my 1am2 and z7m2, works well! Still holding quite fine!

 

[Hergesheimer]

I bought this adapter from aliexpress and its quality is good. Mine is also FiiO Q1 m2 + Z7M2.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/OKC...ed-Plug-Audio-Stereo-Cable-8/32877260097.html

Been using one (3.5 to 4.4) for a few months now with my 1am2 and z7m2, works well! Still holding quite fine!

Thanks a lot guys. I have ordered it via AliExpress. By the way my new Sony ZX300 is fantastic with the headphones.

 

[DaejeonCitizen]

By the way my new Sony ZX300 is fantastic with the headphones

This is the exact setup I'm running too and I agree it's a fantastic combination.

 

[jaibautista]

Apologies for the somehow irrelevant post, but i would just like to share my recent find, a distant cousin of the Z7M2, i.e., the MDR-SA3000:

It's a perfect complement to the Z7M2's liquidy presentation. This is a different sounding Sony compared to what the company has been releasing during the past five (5) years or so.

Got it brand new for only ~USD120.

 

[purk]

Apologies for the somehow irrelevant post, but i would just like to share my recent find, a distant cousin of the Z7M2, i.e., the MDR-SA3000:

It's a perfect complement to the Z7M2's liquidy presentation. This is a different sounding Sony compared to what the company has been releasing during the past five (5) years or so.

Got it brand new for only ~USD120.

A rare find indeed. Quite a different tuning isn't it? Which do you like better noting that the cable on the SA3000 is off a much lower quality.

 

[jaibautista]

A rare find indeed. Quite a different tuning isn't it? Which do you like better noting that the cable on the SA3000 is off a much lower quality.

Very much different, indeed! This doesn't sound anything like Sony has produced in the recent past; I'm actually surprised that Sony stopped producing flagship open-back headphones after the Qualia Q10/SA5000, much more about Sony's decision to abandon this rather peculiar tuning which is now THE staple tuning for "audiophile-grade" headphones (i.e., hyper-detailed, well-extended, transparent).

Which do I like better...hmmmm...I initially thought it was an easy question to answer but, apparently, not so easy after all! I consider the Z7M2 a great all-rounder, given its tuning. I even consider it much superior to the Focal Elegia, which I was able to try a week ago (I think there's something off with the Elegia's tuning; I still prefer the Elear). That said, I would have liked the Z7M2 to have a teeny weeny bit more treble extension and more speed, something that the SA3000 can easily dish out in spades. Definitely, the cable can be better (it's too long as quite stiff) and I wonder whether changing the cable would further unlock the SA3000's performance (but I am afraid to have this pair modded, considering that it creaks a lot and I'm not sure about the structural integrity of the driver frame given its age). If I will be forced to keep just one, I'd still get the Z7M2 but I'll definitely haggle if I can also keep the SA3000.

Oh Sony, how I wish you create a long-overdue successor to the Qualia Q10/SA5000!

 

[Left Channel]

Apologies for the somehow irrelevant post, but i would just like to share my recent find, a distant cousin of the Z7M2, i.e., the MDR-SA3000:

It's a perfect complement to the Z7M2's liquidy presentation. This is a different sounding Sony compared to what the company has been releasing during the past five (5) years or so.

Got it brand new for only ~USD120.

Nice find! I wish Sony would produce a new set of open-backs with tuning similar to the Z7M2.

For comparison, graphs indicate the SA5000 does not have the smooth rich bass extension of the most recent MDRs. The bass curve looks more like that of the HD650: open-backs that are still fun and musical in their own way.

The mids and treble do look similar to recent MDRs. Very interesting.

Source: https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SonyMDRZ7.pdf

Source: another forum that cannot be named per head-fi rules.

 

[jaibautista]

Nice find! I wish Sony would produce a new set of open-backs with tuning similar to the Z7M2.

For comparison, graphs indicate the SA5000 does not have the smooth rich bass extension of the most recent MDRs. The bass curve looks more like that of the HD650: open-backs that are still fun and musical in their own way.

The mids and treble do look similar to recent MDRs. Very interesting.


Source: https://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SonyMDRZ7.pdf


Source: another forum that cannot be named per head-fi rules.

I consider the SA3000 as the evil lovechild of a Grado SR325 and a Sennheiser HD600: it has uncanny speed, attack, transparency and presence (without overbaking it a la Grado) while remaining somehow engagingly warm (but definitely could add more heft in the midrange). If you can still find an SA5000 (or even just an SA3000, which, according to replacement parts manuals, share the same driver as the SA5000), do yourself a big favor and listen to them for a good 20-30 mins. This is certainly a gem and proof of Sony's open-back headphone pedigree.

 

[purk]

You can easily smooth out the sound of the SA3000 by using better and thicker gauge copper cable while retaining its sense of speed and openess. I have done that on my SA5000 and now loving my pair even more. I also have the Qualia 010 so I know far these things can go. I do agree with you that the Z7 m2 is a more rounder headphones and I prefer its tonal balance over the z1r.

 

[jaibautista]

You can easily smooth out the sound of the SA3000 by using better and thicker gauge copper cable while retaining its sense of speed and openess. I have done that on my SA5000 and now loving my pair even more. I also have the Qualia 010 so I know far these things can go. I do agree with you that the Z7 m2 is a more rounder headphones and I prefer its tonal balance over the z1r.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion! Will certainly consider that if and when I decide to have my SA3000 recabled.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Hey everyone,
So recently ive had the opportunity to try the Sony Z7mk2.
and it sounded good when using from my DAP (A&K SR15)
yet many people both here(not nessicarily this thread but others), youtube, reddit, other audio community forums or sites.
are all giving these headphones a bad review, saying its worse than the 1st version and just not worth the price.

i can agree that the price is very high for what they are, and build quality could "feel" better? im not sure. but the sound was good.
not sure what people mean by them sounding terrible.

could someone elaborate on this? to me it sounded like a closer version of my B&O H6(gen2) but less open/wide than my DT1990 Pros. these are the only headphones i have at the moment to mentally compare them to.

 

[Left Channel]

Hey everyone,
So recently ive had the opportunity to try the Sony Z7mk2.
and it sounded good when using from my DAP (A&K SR15)
yet many people both here(not nessicarily this thread but others), youtube, reddit, other audio community forums or sites.
are all giving these headphones a bad review, saying its worse than the 1st version and just not worth the price.

i can agree that the price is very high for what they are, and build quality could "feel" better? im not sure. but the sound was good.
not sure what people mean by them sounding terrible.

could someone elaborate on this? to me it sounded like a closer version of my B&O H6(gen2) but less open/wide than my DT1990 Pros. these are the only headphones i have at the moment to mentally compare them to.

I have both. The build quality is the same, and the exterior design is almost the same with just a few changes.The Z7 sounds "darker", and if you don't like that you may report defects like "swallows the midrange", but many EDM listeners and others love it. The Z7M2 has a different tuning, and if you love the previous model may say the M2 is "too bright and shrill", but in my opinion it is better for vocals and acoustic music, as well as for general videos with speech, and for me and Goldilocks it is in the "just right" category. For a more detailed comparison see this previous post: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-mdr-z7m2-headphone-thread.886123/page-24#post-14615878

 

[Tsukuyomi]

I have both. The build quality is the same, and the exterior design is almost the same with just a few changes.The Z7 sounds "darker", and if you don't like that you may report defects like "swallows the midrange", but many EDM listeners and others love it. The Z7M2 has a different tuning, and if you love the previous model may say the M2 is "too bright and shrill", but in my opinion it is better for vocals and acoustic music, as well as for general videos with speech, and for me and Goldilocks it is in the "just right" category. For a more detailed comparison see this previous post: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-mdr-z7m2-headphone-thread.886123/page-24#post-14615878

Awesome graphs and notes, im definitely gonna read it more thoroughly. I dont mind a dark sound as i'm also considering a pair of Audeze LCD2C on recommendation by people here.
I'm also considering the Sony Z7M2 because i do enjoy acoustic guitar tracks, female/male vocal tracks and film soundtracks as my main. i do listen to rock/metal/pop/punk/EDM/D&B. so my taste varies.

on your second graph im noticing double peaking, both in the low end and higher end. it seems a bit "V" shaped. but i dont mind as i use my DT1990 pros for music analysing. i'm mostly looking for a closed back pair thats comfortable, fun sounding and i can use daily for everything. i usually only use my DT1990 pros on the weekend at night when its quiet at home and i can listen to music clearly.

 

[Left Channel]

Awesome graphs and notes, im definitely gonna read it more thoroughly. I dont mind a dark sound as i'm also considering a pair of Audeze LCD2C on recommendation by people here.
I'm also considering the Sony Z7M2 because i do enjoy acoustic guitar tracks, female/male vocal tracks and film soundtracks as my main. i do listen to rock/metal/pop/punk/EDM/D&B. so my taste varies.

on your second graph im noticing double peaking, both in the low end and higher end. it seems a bit "V" shaped. but i dont mind as i use my DT1990 pros for music analysing. i'm mostly looking for a closed back pair thats comfortable, fun sounding and i can use daily for everything. i usually only use my DT1990 pros on the weekend at night when its quiet at home and i can listen to music clearly.

I found the Z7 too dark, and upgraded to the Audeze LCD2 Closed Backs. I preferred the LCD2 Closed Backs' sound, and would have stayed with them if the Z7M2 hadn't appeared. To me that Audeze and the Z7M2 sound similar, but the Audeze bass is rougher and more "slamming", while the bass in both Sony models is smoother and I find it much more pleasurable. (Another factor was the size and weight of the LCD2 Closed, which is less of a concern if you're looking at the LCD2C, but all Audeze models are big.) I also have DT-770 Pros, and find neither Z7 model has anywhere near the Beyerdynamic "V shape". The Sony bass is much more extended and smooth, and the Z7M2 has nice clear mids. I love that sound.