[Cho Worsh]

Suggestion: Try the Final Sonorous III headphones with B style pads before spending more on other headphones.

 

[dazzerfong]

Finally bit the bullet and bought one. $438 AUD is just too good of a deal to pass up.

So far, impressions are positive. Very comfortable, and love the semi-open design. Feel like semi-open is about as closed as I can tolerate unless I veer into NC headphones, as I feel like closed designs feel very boomy. Note that these barely isolate: high frequencies are attenuated a bit, but low frequency leaks through very easily.

Soundwise, not too used to the signature so I applied some EQ. Brought the mids up a bit, and the highs a bit down, and now it's almost perfect. The 70mm dynamic driver has a very powerful bass when tapped upon. Takes a bit to stir it, but once it does, you can certainly feel it!

Powered with a ZX300 with the 4.4mm. On high-gain, volume is around the 50s; for comparison, my M9s are around 40s.

Build quality is superb - especially love the locking cables which allow for aftermarket styles. Personally think it's too thick, but hey, better than flimsy.

 

[CoryGillmore]

Finally bit the bullet and bought one. $438 AUD is just too good of a deal to pass up.

So far, impressions are positive. Very comfortable, and love the semi-open design. Feel like semi-open is about as closed as I can tolerate unless I veer into NC headphones, as I feel like closed designs feel very boomy. Note that these barely isolate: high frequencies are attenuated a bit, but low frequency leaks through very easily.

Soundwise, not too used to the signature so I applied some EQ. Brought the mids up a bit, and the highs a bit down, and now it's almost perfect. The 70mm dynamic driver has a very powerful bass when tapped upon. Takes a bit to stir it, but once it does, you can certainly feel it!

Powered with a ZX300 with the 4.4mm. On high-gain, volume is around the 50s; for comparison, my M9s are around 40s.

Build quality is superb - especially love the locking cables which allow for aftermarket styles. Personally think it's too thick, but hey, better than flimsy.

Volume in the 40s on high gain with your M9? Are my ears just ****ed or something or do you just like listening at barely discernible volumes? I listen anywhere from 74 to 80 on high gain with my M9 on my ZX300 4.4. On my OG Z7 from the 4.4 on my ZX with high gain I listen in the 90s.

 

[dazzerfong]

Volume in the 40s on high gain with your M9? Are my ears just ****ed or something or do you just like listening at barely discernible volumes? I listen anywhere from 74 to 80 on high gain with my M9 on my ZX300 4.4. On my OG Z7 from the 4.4 on my ZX with high gain I listen in the 90s.

If yours has the EU volume limit, that could explain it. At 90 on my M9s at high gain, I can use it as a speaker. At 70 on my Z7s, my ears start to bleed.

This is made worse by the fact that I use MP3Gain (insert joke here) on my songs to normalise them to 89 dB, so comparing it to your music, it's likely that I'm effectively listening even quieter than you.

If I set my high gain off, I get numbers similar to yours.

I'm also like in my mid 20s, so healthy ears and all....

 

[purk]

The Z7 M2 performs much better with better amplification. You really should get the PHA-3. The Z7 M2 really sound great out of the PHa-3 and the ZX300 doesn’t quite cut it. I find the Z7 MKII easy to drive but need quality amplification to really sound their best.

 

[dazzerfong]

The Z7 M2 performs much better with better amplification. You really should get the PHA-3. The Z7 M2 really sound great out of the PHa-3 and the ZX300 doesn’t quite cut it. I find the Z7 MKII easy to drive but need quality amplification to really sound their best.

Tried it out of that TA-ZH1ES at the store to see what I'm missing out, and honestly, barely anything. Maybe a bit of high-end extension, but it doesn't drastically change the sound of it.

Kinda wish there's an ABX box with 4.4mm IOs. Would really like to test all these things out with it.

Damn, now I kinda want the TA-ZH1ES: it's so pretty!

 

[purk]

Difficult to discern the difference in the store IMO. The improvements are much more audible at home. I have just about all the current Sony amps, DAPs, and headphones and I can tell that the Z7 MKII continue to improve with better gear. It matches very well with the tonality of the PHA-3.

 

[CoryGillmore]

If yours has the EU volume limit, that could explain it. At 90 on my M9s at high gain, I can use it as a speaker. At 70 on my Z7s, my ears start to bleed.

This is made worse by the fact that I use MP3Gain (insert joke here) on my songs to normalise them to 89 dB, so comparing it to your music, it's likely that I'm effectively listening even quieter than you.

If I set my high gain off, I get numbers similar to yours.

I'm also like in my mid 20s, so healthy ears and all....

It’s a US model as far as I know. Bought from Amazon US. Is there a way to check for certain in the device?

 

[Sonic Defender]

The Z7 M2 performs much better with better amplification. You really should get the PHA-3. The Z7 M2 really sound great out of the PHa-3 and the ZX300 doesn’t quite cut it. I find the Z7 MKII easy to drive but need quality amplification to really sound their best.

I owned the PHA-3, but man, for way less money you can do better. I think my FiiO Q5s sounds better, is way less money, has Bluetooth, swappable amp modules and comes ready with a 4.4mm balanced connection. The PHA-3 is way dated in todays market, IMO. The PHA-3 when it was fresh was a great device (still too expensive I think).

 

[purk]

I owned the PHA-3, but man, for way less money you can do better. I think my FiiO Q5s sounds better, is way less money, has Bluetooth, swappable amp modules and comes ready with a 4.4mm balanced connection. The PHA-3 is way dated in todays market, IMO. The PHA-3 when it was fresh was a great device (still too expensive I think).

If you are using a good connectors and cable for the PhA-3 you may not think otherwise. I preferred the PHA3 over just about anything out there in a portable form including the iDSD black label. What cable and connector do u use to connect with the PHA-3? For reference, my PHA3 is nearly as good as the Questyle CMA600i driving the Z7 m2 in balanced. I wish the PHA3 comes with a 4.4 mm jack. Agreed about the asking price on the PHA3. Which amp module do you have for the Q5s? I may give that a try.

 

[Sonic Defender]

If you are using a good connectors and cable for the PhA-3 you may not think otherwise. I preferred the PHA3 over just about anything out there in a portable form including the iDSD black label. What cable and connector do u use to connect with the PHA-3? For reference, my PHA3 is nearly as good as the Questyle CMA600i driving the Z7 m2 in balanced. I wish the PHA3 comes with a 4.4 mm jack. Agreed about the asking price on the PHA3. Which amp module do you have for the Q5s? I may give that a try.

I had it with the Z7 and used it balanced, it was very, very nice, but I have to say that in my view, it has been passed by things less expensive now. It lacks even Bluetooth which with the Q5s is so well implemented that it is an essential connectivity option for me. Clearly the PHA-3 is the solution that you have settled on. If it wasn't so darned expensive I could get behind it, but at least here in Canada they are still asking for almost $1000 which is just far, far, far too much money, IMO. I use the AM3D with the Q5s, but the AM3E (stock) module is nice, just a little warmer compared with the AM3D.

 

[dazzerfong]

It’s a US model as far as I know. Bought from Amazon US. Is there a way to check for certain in the device?

Don't want to cause this to turn into a ZX300 chatroom, so I'll probably do it over there, but I dunno. I'm gonna use a DMM to measure the voltage. You happen to have a multimeter or voltmeter?

 

[CoryGillmore]

Don't want to cause this to turn into a ZX300 chatroom, so I'll probably do it over there, but I dunno. I'm gonna use a DMM to measure the voltage. You happen to have a multimeter or voltmeter?

Hey at least it's still Sony gear related haha! I do have a multimeter but I'm not very proficient with it. How would you go about using it to measure a headphone out?

 

[dazzerfong]

Hey at least it's still Sony gear related haha! I do have a multimeter but I'm not very proficient with it. How would you go about using it to measure a headphone out?

Basically, involves measuring the voltage on the jack when running a test signal. Currently my multimeter is left at work so I'll have to do it myself tomorrow or so.

Does your multimeter have AC measurements?

 

[CoryGillmore]

I think? ACV?

Basically, involves measuring the voltage on the jack when running a test signal. Currently my multimeter is left at work so I'll have to do it myself tomorrow or so.

Does your multimeter have AC measurements?