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...It is a good job I got a fairly hefty bonus from work this month, paying full retail for both of these... but, in its own way, it has been totally worth it 
Now, with anything I mention below, it has to be said that these are early impressions, with the Z1000 only having about 20hrs on the clock, and the ZX700 - less still (only about 2hrs) - so, this is mostly for those who cannot wait to find out which pair they should be looking to get...
[As a caveat, the reason for posting in this forum, rather than the 'full sized headphone forum is that I am reviewing these on a portable basis...]
Starting with the Z1000, as others have mentioned, the build quality really is top notch - when you put them on, you can 'feel' the quality, fitting snuggly over your ears, with the head-band applying just the right amount of tension to get a good seal - comparing to the Sennheiser HD25's vice-like grip of your ears, the Z1000 is like a satin pillow around your ears...
Moving to the ZX700, whilst the 'phones may essentially look the same, the all-plastic construction means a more flimsy fit and feel, add to that that the ear-cushions are much less plump on the ZX700 vs the Z1000, they still appear to seal away from the outside world in an adequate fashion, however - moving your head too far in any direction unsetles the tonal (and literal) balance of the ZX700 - that being said, although we're talking purely cosmetics, I have to say that I prefer the ZX700's brushed metal appearance on the Sony logo over the mirrored (well, shiny) one on the Z1000 - Makes me wonder if those 'caps' can be transferred between the two cans.... Hmm...
Weight wise, the Z1000 is understandably heavier feeling with its plusher, and metallic parts - whilst in the hand, although it doesn't feel so different on the head (other than the previously mentioned lack of padding on the ZX700 compared to the Z1000)...
The only other thing to mention (which has been covered in other threads) is that the cable is fixed on the Z1000 (with a straight jack) whereas on the Z1000 it is removable / changeable (although oddly, on the Z1000 the short - portable cable is terminated in an L type jack - not showing much consistency there!!) - The cable of the ZX700 feels thinner (but the cable of the Z1000 feels somehow squishy, like it is padded!!), than the Z1000's but is still apparently non tangle, with both feeling much as another poster (sorry, I have forgotten who) akin to a USB cable... Very good!!
At this early stage, unfortunately any sound quality 'review' will be very short, more like bullet points - I am a relative believer of burn-in (whether literal, or psychological) and am more than well aware that neither pair is anywhere near any magic mile marker...
What I can say with assurity is that neither of these headphones will suit bass-heads, so definitely not 'cans to recommend to those coming from the 'Beats' type headphones - as an easy comparison, the Sennheiser HD25 sound like bass monsters compared to these, as if someone has skewed up an EQ - however, before you run away from the thought of these - the bass that is produced is of a high quality, and these are certainly bassier than the likes of the Beyer DT250 / T50 that I have been using recently - but nowhere near the B&W P5, which is just a bit of a bloat-fest!
Very early impressions are that the bass of the ZX700 is granier, less defined, and with potential distortion compared to the Z1000s which are cleaner sounding, the mids of the ZX700 are colored / boosted which can make vocals sound a little nasally, and instruments - unnatural - you get none of that with the Z1000 - and, with the treble, the ZX700 are a little muted (and again, grainy) when compared to the Z1000 - Soundstage, no comment really, people say that the soundstage is lacking - to me it is okay (on both pairs) - I'll grant you its not earth shattering, but its certainly not two dimensional as you would expect from some of the more negative reviews...
Only one very quick paragraph re the sound - I know that sucks, seeing that that is what Head-Fi is all about, however - as I mentioned at the top, there is not enough burn-in on either to form any conclusive opinions...
...One killer question which I am sure will be asked over and over regarding the two headphones in question - "Is the Z1000 worth 4x the price of the ZX700?" - looking at this from a portable perspective (I may well look at this from a home rig perspective on a different day) I have to say "no"...
As much as I appear to have berated the ZX700, they still show the market that there is good 'sound to pound' value to be had - The Sennhiser HD25 sounds bass heavy (bloated / lumpy), with thin midrange, and boosted / sharp treble when compared to the ZX700, and if you consider thatt the HD25 has been the reference point for all things Head-Fi for year after year, amd additionally consider that the HD25 costs more than the ZX700, then unless you are an extreme bass-head there really is no competition...
...Why don't I recommend the Z1000 for portable? - The fit is better, and the sound [tonally - and with regards to distortion] is nicer than that of the ZX700 but in all but the most demanding of portable circumstances you just won't need the extra sound quality that the Z1000s can offer you...
I am sure that the home rig discussion will yield a very different outcome, as I can hear that the Z1000s have lots of potential on tap, and - if you can afford the Z1000 they will serve VERY well for on the road usage, however - if you're using a moderate setup, and cannot lay down the money for the Z1000, the ZX700 could well see you right...
Apologies for the useless and probably inane rambling, however - I hope this starts to give a clue as to the relative merits of the ZX700 and Z1000 - If anyone has any specific questions, I will try my best to update the thread...
Thanks for reading
Now, with anything I mention below, it has to be said that these are early impressions, with the Z1000 only having about 20hrs on the clock, and the ZX700 - less still (only about 2hrs) - so, this is mostly for those who cannot wait to find out which pair they should be looking to get...
[As a caveat, the reason for posting in this forum, rather than the 'full sized headphone forum is that I am reviewing these on a portable basis...]
Starting with the Z1000, as others have mentioned, the build quality really is top notch - when you put them on, you can 'feel' the quality, fitting snuggly over your ears, with the head-band applying just the right amount of tension to get a good seal - comparing to the Sennheiser HD25's vice-like grip of your ears, the Z1000 is like a satin pillow around your ears...
Moving to the ZX700, whilst the 'phones may essentially look the same, the all-plastic construction means a more flimsy fit and feel, add to that that the ear-cushions are much less plump on the ZX700 vs the Z1000, they still appear to seal away from the outside world in an adequate fashion, however - moving your head too far in any direction unsetles the tonal (and literal) balance of the ZX700 - that being said, although we're talking purely cosmetics, I have to say that I prefer the ZX700's brushed metal appearance on the Sony logo over the mirrored (well, shiny) one on the Z1000 - Makes me wonder if those 'caps' can be transferred between the two cans.... Hmm...
Weight wise, the Z1000 is understandably heavier feeling with its plusher, and metallic parts - whilst in the hand, although it doesn't feel so different on the head (other than the previously mentioned lack of padding on the ZX700 compared to the Z1000)...
The only other thing to mention (which has been covered in other threads) is that the cable is fixed on the Z1000 (with a straight jack) whereas on the Z1000 it is removable / changeable (although oddly, on the Z1000 the short - portable cable is terminated in an L type jack - not showing much consistency there!!) - The cable of the ZX700 feels thinner (but the cable of the Z1000 feels somehow squishy, like it is padded!!), than the Z1000's but is still apparently non tangle, with both feeling much as another poster (sorry, I have forgotten who) akin to a USB cable... Very good!!
At this early stage, unfortunately any sound quality 'review' will be very short, more like bullet points - I am a relative believer of burn-in (whether literal, or psychological) and am more than well aware that neither pair is anywhere near any magic mile marker...
What I can say with assurity is that neither of these headphones will suit bass-heads, so definitely not 'cans to recommend to those coming from the 'Beats' type headphones - as an easy comparison, the Sennheiser HD25 sound like bass monsters compared to these, as if someone has skewed up an EQ - however, before you run away from the thought of these - the bass that is produced is of a high quality, and these are certainly bassier than the likes of the Beyer DT250 / T50 that I have been using recently - but nowhere near the B&W P5, which is just a bit of a bloat-fest!
Very early impressions are that the bass of the ZX700 is granier, less defined, and with potential distortion compared to the Z1000s which are cleaner sounding, the mids of the ZX700 are colored / boosted which can make vocals sound a little nasally, and instruments - unnatural - you get none of that with the Z1000 - and, with the treble, the ZX700 are a little muted (and again, grainy) when compared to the Z1000 - Soundstage, no comment really, people say that the soundstage is lacking - to me it is okay (on both pairs) - I'll grant you its not earth shattering, but its certainly not two dimensional as you would expect from some of the more negative reviews...
Only one very quick paragraph re the sound - I know that sucks, seeing that that is what Head-Fi is all about, however - as I mentioned at the top, there is not enough burn-in on either to form any conclusive opinions...
...One killer question which I am sure will be asked over and over regarding the two headphones in question - "Is the Z1000 worth 4x the price of the ZX700?" - looking at this from a portable perspective (I may well look at this from a home rig perspective on a different day) I have to say "no"...
As much as I appear to have berated the ZX700, they still show the market that there is good 'sound to pound' value to be had - The Sennhiser HD25 sounds bass heavy (bloated / lumpy), with thin midrange, and boosted / sharp treble when compared to the ZX700, and if you consider thatt the HD25 has been the reference point for all things Head-Fi for year after year, amd additionally consider that the HD25 costs more than the ZX700, then unless you are an extreme bass-head there really is no competition...
...Why don't I recommend the Z1000 for portable? - The fit is better, and the sound [tonally - and with regards to distortion] is nicer than that of the ZX700 but in all but the most demanding of portable circumstances you just won't need the extra sound quality that the Z1000s can offer you...
I am sure that the home rig discussion will yield a very different outcome, as I can hear that the Z1000s have lots of potential on tap, and - if you can afford the Z1000 they will serve VERY well for on the road usage, however - if you're using a moderate setup, and cannot lay down the money for the Z1000, the ZX700 could well see you right...
Apologies for the useless and probably inane rambling, however - I hope this starts to give a clue as to the relative merits of the ZX700 and Z1000 - If anyone has any specific questions, I will try my best to update the thread...
Thanks for reading
