[Redcarmoose]

Chiming in on the Z5 here: I’ve been listening to these for the last 3 hours out of an iFi Nano BL (285mW @ 32 ohms) and paired with Symbio W tips and a silver cable (Fiio LC-3.5D). Reading through this thread, I was led to believe that the Z5 were warm, dark, and lush; a bassy HD650, if you will. They are, quite unequivocally, anything but. The Z5 are far more similar to the Fostex TH-X00, which were my daily drivers for almost 2 years, but with more restrained bass. There is plenty of treble presence and extension too, and I say this having owned the Sony EX1000, Fearless S8 Freedom, and iBasso IT04.

There have been a number of comparisons made in recent pages with the BLON BL-03. Let’s be clear here as well: I’ve had the BLON’s for 2 months now, and really, really like them. I like them so much I recently ordered a second pair. The BLON have an incredibly rich and wonderful timbre and a huge soundstage. But, they are nowhere close at all the Z5 in terms of either tonality or technicalities. The BLON actually sound like an HD650 with an insane bass boost. The Z5 are far more open, leaner, and brighter, and miles ahead in clarity. It’s not even a 10, 20, or 30% difference. There is no comparison here. For context, I have the BLON paired with a silver cable too (Null Lune), and with four different sets of tips (SpinFit CP100, Spiral Dot, Symbio W, Acoustune AET07), they still required EQ in the bass region.

So......your saying the whole thread is wrong?

 

[shampoosuicide]

So......your saying the whole thread is wrong?

I might be mad... but I do believe that is what I am saying

 

[Redcarmoose]

I might be mad... but I do believe that is what I am saying

It’s many things... like in comparison to what you have been listening to. It’s also the surrounding gear, fit and cable. Using a silver cable could be very much the culprit? But as long as your happy.......goal achieved...congratulations!

 

[shampoosuicide]

It’s many things... like in comparison to what you have been listening to. It’s also the surrounding gear, fit and cable. Using a silver cable could be very much the culprit? But as long as your happy.......goal achieved...congratulations!

Oh yes, absolutely agreed on surrounding gear and fit. I'm a little befuddled myself as to how divergent my impressions are, but definitely pleased with what I'm hearing.

 

[Damz87]

Oh yes, absolutely agreed on surrounding gear and fit. I'm a little befuddled myself as to how divergent my impressions are, but definitely pleased with what I'm hearing.

I kind of agree with you that the Z5’s aren’t as dark sounding as the impressions on here lead us to believe. I was surprised by the decent amount of treble presence when I first got them. Pairing with a neutral/brighter source balances them out well too.

 

[shampoosuicide]

Ran the Z5 out of my D50s + Liquid Spark setup, and wow. Much richer, fuller, and more expansive sounding compared to the iFi Nano BL. Bass is much more powerful as well. These really do like power.

 

[shampoosuicide]

I've been so impressed with these having listened to them over the past two weeks. Lengthy impressions follow...

Chain: Tidal > Topping D50s > Cavalli Liquid Spark > Z5 + Arete MKIV cable + Symbio Peel tips

For perspective, the ‘highest end’ gear I’ve owned include the TH900, ZMF Ori, HD650, EX1000, Fearless S8F, and iBasso IT04. I’ve auditioned the Andromedas thrice, twice out of an iFi Micro BL, and once out of a Chord Mojo.

Of all of the headphones listed above, I find the Z5 driven by the Liquid Spark to be the most impressive and remarkable, in terms of its combination of technical competence and tonal representation.

Much has been said of the Z5’s bass and soundstage, but with the right chain, they’re also wonderfully cohesive, with the most natural tonality across the spectrum of all the headphones I’ve listed above. Combined with their remarkable openness, they also present a stark realism I have not heard before.

Bass is strong yet composed, with the right decay and texture. They’re not concussive like the TH900, but match their power with naturalness.

Midrange is my favourite of the headphones I’ve heard: wonderfully even and full bodied, and match the Verum 1 in terms of timbre. This is the most natural and realistic midrange presentation I’ve encountered, and not the overdone, overly romantic midrange found in the HD650.

Treble. Perhaps a controversial opinion again, but as with its midrange, I think the Z5 has the most natural treble I’ve heard. It’s airy, even, and well-extended, with no distracting emphases in any region. I have an above-average appetite for treble, and have been really, really into V-shaped signatures for the past 2 years. While the Z5 are not bright by any measure, they certainly do not suffer from any lack here.

Soundstage is unlike anything I’ve heard in an IEM (to be sure, I have not heard the Z1R), with a scale and presentation that matches full-sized headphones, coupled with a remarkable sense of openness and fantastic separation. The Andromeda in comparison, despite having very good depth, still sounds decidedly like an IEM in this regard.

Amping

These things scale dramatically. Moving from the iFi Nano BL (285mW @ 32 ohms) to the Cavalli Liquid Spark (2.4W @ 32 ohms) widened the soundstage tremendously.

Cables

The Z5 are the first IEM I’ve owned that revealed stark differences between cables, much more so than with any upper-mid fi IEM’s I’ve owned. In the past, I struggled with consistently hearing any immediate or distinct differences between cables. That’s not the case with the Z5 at all.

I was initially listening to the Z5 with the FiiO LC-3.5D, a silver cable, and found them surprisingly bright and lean. Then I swapped to a copper cable, the Null Arete MKIV, and the Z5 showcased a different signature altogether: smooth, natural, full-bodied, and expansive. Returning to the Fiio cable again, they are now eminently unlistenable.

Tips

Of the tips I’ve tried — including the Symbio W, Spiral Dot, Acoustune AET07, Final E, SpinFit CP100, KZ Starline, Azla Sedna — the Peels stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of sound quality, and, for me, comfort.

Compared to the more popular Spiral Dots, the Peels present an even larger, more open soundstage, and superior separation, clarity, bass definition, and treble presence and extension.

For my own tastes, I disliked the stock, Final E, and KZ Starline tips, all of which narrow the soundstage significantly and result in a much more dark and closed-in sound.

 

[Redcarmoose]

I've been so impressed with these having listened to them over the past two weeks. Lengthy impressions follow...

Chain: Tidal > Topping D50s > Cavalli Liquid Spark > Z5 + Arete MKVI cable + Symbio Peel tips

For perspective, the ‘highest end’ gear I’ve owned include the TH900, ZMF Ori, HD650, EX1000, Fearless S8F, and iBasso IT04. I’ve auditioned the Andromedas thrice, twice out of an iFi Micro BL, and once out of a Chord Mojo.

Of all of the headphones listed above, I find the Z5 driven by the Liquid Spark to be the most impressive and remarkable, in terms of its combination of technical competence and tonal representation.

Much has been said of the Z5’s bass and soundstage, but with the right chain, they’re also wonderfully cohesive, with the most natural tonality across the spectrum of all the headphones I’ve listed above. Combined with their remarkable openness, they also present a stark realism I have not heard before.

Bass is strong yet composed, with the right decay and texture. They’re not concussive like the TH900, but match their power with naturalness.

Midrange is my favourite of the headphones I’ve heard: wonderfully even and full bodied, and match the Verum 1 in terms of timbre. This is the most natural and realistic midrange presentation I’ve encountered, and not the overdone, overly romantic midrange found in the HD650.

Treble. Perhaps a controversial opinion again, but as with its midrange, I think the Z5 has the most natural treble I’ve heard. It’s airy, even, and well-extended, with no distracting emphases in any region. I have an above-average appetite for treble, and have been really, really into V-shaped signatures for the past 2 years. While the Z5 are not bright by any measure, they certainly do not suffer from any lack here.

Soundstage is unlike anything I’ve heard in an IEM (to be sure, I have not heard the Z1R), with a scale and image size that matches full-sized headphones. The Andromeda in comparison, despite having very good depth, still sounds decidedly like an IEM in this regard.

Amping

These things scale dramatically. Moving from the iFi Nano BL (285mW @ 32 ohms) to the Cavalli Liquid Spark (2.4W @ 32 Ohms) widened the soundstage tremendously.

Cables

The Z5 are the first IEM’s I’ve owned that revealed stark differences between cables, much more so than with any upper-mid fi IEM I’ve owned. In the past, I struggled with consistently hearing any immediate or distinct differences between cables. That’s not the case with the Z5 at all.

I was initially listening to the Z5 with the FiiO LC-3.5D, a silver cable, and found them surprisingly bright and lean. Then I swapped to a copper cable, the Null Arete MKIV, and the Z5 showcased a different signature altogether: smooth, natural, and full-bodied. Returning to the Fiio cable again, they are now eminently unlistenable.

Tips

Of the tips I’ve tried — including the Symbio W, Spiral Dot, Acoustune AET07, Final E, SpinFit CP100, KZ Starline — the Peels stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of sound quality (and, for me, comfort).

Compared to the more popular Spiral Dots, the Peels present an even larger, more open soundstage, and superior separation, clarity, bass definition, and treble presence and extension.

For my own tastes, I disliked the stock, Final E, and KZ Starlines tips, all of which narrow the soundstage significantly and result in a much more dark and closed-in sound.

“Wonderfully even and full-bodied.” “Natural tonality.” “Openness and stark realism!”........your review is so great. Reminds me how these are forever underrated. This all happened because you catered to what they needed upstream. Many never figured that out.

 

[shampoosuicide]

Very kind of you, Moose... And many thanks for highlighting the cable issue (I've always been a bit on the fence about cable differences). I'm a bit sentimental, so it's a little sad to me how overlooked and misunderstood these are.

 

[gerelmx1986]

I wouldnt have sold my Z5 if it was not for the troubled MMCX connector going loose

 

[Damz87]

I've been so impressed with these having listened to them over the past two weeks. Lengthy impressions follow...

Chain: Tidal > Topping D50s > Cavalli Liquid Spark > Z5 + Arete MKIV cable + Symbio Peel tips

For perspective, the ‘highest end’ gear I’ve owned include the TH900, ZMF Ori, HD650, EX1000, Fearless S8F, and iBasso IT04. I’ve auditioned the Andromedas thrice, twice out of an iFi Micro BL, and once out of a Chord Mojo.

Of all of the headphones listed above, I find the Z5 driven by the Liquid Spark to be the most impressive and remarkable, in terms of its combination of technical competence and tonal representation.

Much has been said of the Z5’s bass and soundstage, but with the right chain, they’re also wonderfully cohesive, with the most natural tonality across the spectrum of all the headphones I’ve listed above. Combined with their remarkable openness, they also present a stark realism I have not heard before.

Bass is strong yet composed, with the right decay and texture. They’re not concussive like the TH900, but match their power with naturalness.

Midrange is my favourite of the headphones I’ve heard: wonderfully even and full bodied, and match the Verum 1 in terms of timbre. This is the most natural and realistic midrange presentation I’ve encountered, and not the overdone, overly romantic midrange found in the HD650.

Treble. Perhaps a controversial opinion again, but as with its midrange, I think the Z5 has the most natural treble I’ve heard. It’s airy, even, and well-extended, with no distracting emphases in any region. I have an above-average appetite for treble, and have been really, really into V-shaped signatures for the past 2 years. While the Z5 are not bright by any measure, they certainly do not suffer from any lack here.

Soundstage is unlike anything I’ve heard in an IEM (to be sure, I have not heard the Z1R), with a scale and image size that matches full-sized headphones. The Andromeda in comparison, despite having very good depth, still sounds decidedly like an IEM in this regard.

Amping

These things scale dramatically. Moving from the iFi Nano BL (285mW @ 32 ohms) to the Cavalli Liquid Spark (2.4W @ 32 Ohms) widened the soundstage tremendously.

Cables

The Z5 are the first IEM I’ve owned that revealed stark differences between cables, much more so than with any upper-mid fi IEM I’ve owned. In the past, I struggled with consistently hearing any immediate or distinct differences between cables. That’s not the case with the Z5 at all.

I was initially listening to the Z5 with the FiiO LC-3.5D, a silver cable, and found them surprisingly bright and lean. Then I swapped to a copper cable, the Null Arete MKIV, and the Z5 showcased a different signature altogether: smooth, natural, and full-bodied. Returning to the Fiio cable again, they are now eminently unlistenable.

Tips

Of the tips I’ve tried — including the Symbio W, Spiral Dot, Acoustune AET07, Final E, SpinFit CP100, KZ Starline, and Azla Sedna — the Peels stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of sound quality, and, for me, comfort.

Compared to the more popular Spiral Dots, the Peels present an even larger, more open soundstage, and superior separation, clarity, bass definition, and treble presence and extension.

For my own tastes, I disliked the stock, Final E, and KZ Starline tips, all of which narrow the soundstage significantly and result in a much more dark and closed-in sound.

Great review! Thanks for the peels recommendation. Will give them a go

“Wonderfully even and full-bodied.” “Natural tonality.” “Openness and stark realism!”........your review is so great. Reminds me how these are forever underrated. This all happened because you catered to what they needed upstream. Many never figured that out.

I’ve been reading through this thread from the start and it’s interesting reading the mixed reviews the Z5 got in the early days. I noticed a lot of the members that weren’t impressed were not running them balanced or with very powerful sources. If that were a known fact back then, maybe the Z5 would be more popular today. They improve so drastically when using the right equipment.

 

[Damz87]

I wouldnt have sold my Z5 if it was not for the troubled MMCX connector going loose

Yeah I’m too scared to change the cable anymore. I’m sticking with the M9 cable

 

[Redcarmoose]

Very kind of you, Moose... And many thanks for highlighting the cable issue (I've always been a bit on the fence about cable differences). I'm a bit sentimental, so it's a little sad to me how overlooked and misunderstood these are.

They are their own little world. In our quest for different many of us have tried to look for something else only to come home to the Z5. Also in the (grand) scheme of things they are rather reserved. On a quick listen their qualities may not jump out. They are like old school Hi/Fi in contrast to the eighties book shelf speaker sound which over pushes detail for clarity in places. The relaxed Z5 is more of something that grows on you with time and care in what equipment you use.

I myself went out looking for more detail but made a return to discover the Z5 is doing so much correct. Obviously going to the IER-Z1R is the expected progression, though if you read about people selling their IER, it’s about a different set of issues. The IER treble or the IER fit. So while technically maybe more advanced and better, the IER is far from perfect. Last year a metal-head was posting that he liked the Z5 over the IER-Z1R for his listening. And while a claim like that may seem preposterous on first reading........there is a good chance for that to be true for someone. When you dial everything in right the XBA-Z5 ends up romantic and a very refined eloquent example of Sony DNA.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Great review! Thanks for the peels recommendation. Will give them a go



I’ve been reading through this thread from the start and it’s interesting reading the mixed reviews the Z5 got in the early days. I noticed a lot of the members that weren’t impressed were not running them balanced or with very powerful sources. If that were a known fact back then, maybe the Z5 would be more popular today. They improve so drastically when using the right equipment.

Exactly. Plus if you were to make broad generalizations of 2014.....It would be a year 6 years ago when amplifiers for portability were less powerful. There was very few balanced portable amplifiers. Also maybe many were not prone to experimenting with cables. Back then it would have been strange to cable swap a flagship cable. The 3.5mmX2 balanced that Sony was pushing at the time was hard to find in amplifiers.

 

[Damz87]

My favourite thing about the Z5 is it’s soundstage. Its so bloody wide. It’s like the IEM equivalent of one of those ultra wide 49” computer monitors