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Sony's New 2014 flagship IEM - XBA Z5
Jan 13, 2015 at 2:52 AM Post #798 of 5,804
Covering the ports on the H3 has seemed to really cut back on the bloat some...moved the mids and highs a bit more forward. Anyone have a pair and can compare them to the A3's? 
 
I love the H3...better then even the JH16 Pro FP I owned before them. The mids and highs though are a bit...lacking...not bad by any means. 
 
Either way, say the part of covering the ports and tried it with the H3. Glad I did.
 
Answer me this...is the A3 worth it over the H3 for the ~$150 it would cost me over what I could sell my H3 for?
 
Edit: Yeah, covering the ports on the H3 have certainly made them better to my ears. The treble is a bit more sparkly and noticeable. The mids sound more forward, clear, natural - vocals seem better. The bass has less bloat...sounds quicker. Doesn't seem to reach quite as low...looses some of that rumble. Still better than most IEM's I've heard over the past year though. Still to my liking. 
 
Hmm...
 
Should also note that I removed the filters on my H3's as well. Didn't really care for them in my old EX1000's either. 
 
Jan 14, 2015 at 9:29 PM Post #800 of 5,804
Well, after about 1.5 weeks & ~45 hours, my Z7's are working out very well for me.  On other wide/big-bore IEMs, I have really liked the stock Sony hybrid ear tips (large/light blue).  However, on the Z7, not so much.  Luckily, I found a pair of the now out-of-production Phonak gray silicone tips in an old IEM case, and these work terrifically. 
 
I do experience audible distortion at higher volumes, but pretty much never listen at those volumes.  Bass has settled in nicely, and w/ the Phonak tips, it is very well controlled (could sound a bit flabby w/ the Sony tips).  I enjoy the out-of-head sound stage, and I have zero issues with fit.  I was planning to pony-up for the Earsonics Velvet, but after reading about their build issues (yet again...why do they always seem to have these issues?) and my good experiences w/ the Z7, I think I'll stay put for now.
 
Jan 14, 2015 at 9:47 PM Post #801 of 5,804
feverfive said:
Well, after about 1.5 weeks & ~45 hours, my Z7's are working out very well for me.  On other wide/big-bore IEMs, I have really liked the stock Sony hybrid ear tips (large/light blue).  However, on the Z7, not so much.  Luckily, I found a pair of the now out-of-production Phonak gray silicone tips in an old IEM case, and these work terrifically. 

I do experience audible distortion at higher volumes, but pretty much never listen at those volumes.  Bass has settled in nicely, and w/ the Phonak tips, it is very well controlled (could sound a bit flabby w/ the Sony tips).  I enjoy the out-of-head sound stage, and I have zero issues with fit.  I was planning to pony-up for the Earsonics Velvet, but after reading about their build issues (yet again...why do they always seem to have these issues?) and my good experiences w/ the Z7, I think I'll stay put for now.
Click to expand...

You mean the Z5. Z7 is the headphone name.

Not that I can blame you, considering Sony's recent fetish for the letter 'Z'. The headphones are Z, the phones are Z, the tablets are Z, the Walkmans are Z etc.
 
Jan 14, 2015 at 9:52 PM Post #802 of 5,804
blinkst said:
 
feverfive said:
Well, after about 1.5 weeks & ~45 hours, my Z7's are working out very well for me.  On other wide/big-bore IEMs, I have really liked the stock Sony hybrid ear tips (large/light blue).  However, on the Z7, not so much.  Luckily, I found a pair of the now out-of-production Phonak gray silicone tips in an old IEM case, and these work terrifically. 

I do experience audible distortion at higher volumes, but pretty much never listen at those volumes.  Bass has settled in nicely, and w/ the Phonak tips, it is very well controlled (could sound a bit flabby w/ the Sony tips).  I enjoy the out-of-head sound stage, and I have zero issues with fit.  I was planning to pony-up for the Earsonics Velvet, but after reading about their build issues (yet again...why do they always seem to have these issues?) and my good experiences w/ the Z7, I think I'll stay put for now.
Click to expand...

You mean the Z5. Z7 is the headphone name.

Not that I can blame you, considering Sony's recent fetish for the letter 'Z'. The headphones are Z, the phones are Z, the tablets are Z, the Walkmans are Z etc.
Click to expand...


Damn...yes, I meant Z5...  I read some of the Z7 thread before posting here, LMAO.
 
Jan 16, 2015 at 9:40 PM Post #803 of 5,804
I also just got Z5, still burning in... at the moment I have a question for the Z5 owner, do you guys think the cable connector is a little loose on the left side than the right side? (My serial # is around 600)
 
Jan 16, 2015 at 10:31 PM Post #806 of 5,804
I'd like comparison with EX-1000, one of my all time fav in terms of airyness and accuracy compared to other universals of that time.  
 
Please share your impressions if you have both.  Isolation sucked ass, but that's what made the airyness.
 
Jan 16, 2015 at 10:40 PM Post #809 of 5,804
silverears said:
  I'd like comparison with EX-1000, one of my all time fav in terms of airyness and accuracy compared to other universals of that time.  
 
Please share your impressions if you have both.  Isolation sucked ass, but that's what made the airyness.
Click to expand...

Yes please a comparison between the two flagships is a must 
biggrin.gif
. I'm curious to know how the z5 will compare if its fully maxed out, by this I mean how it'll sound with the upgraded balanced cable and the pha-3 amp/dac.
 
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