[davidmolliere]

Not used to Sony's fit style but the Z5 is fairly comfortable although I suspect that L sized tips are a bit short for my ears (I get a seal but need a quite deep insertion, need to order those LL tips).
 
I know that Sony Hybrid tips have been praised by many but I find they're a bit rigid and the "contact" is not as nice as the IE800's tips or the Westone Start Tips I used with the SE846 : any advice on alternate tips that work with the Z5 (aside from the Phonak's, I sold those with my PFE232...) ?
 
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Edit : As the sony hybrids LL tips are not easy to find in Europe, I checked out my good old's TF10 tips and... they fit! Strange as the bore is a bit bigger on the TF10. They're much more comfortable than the Sony Hybrids that really were the downpoint of comfort for me (there is something about that silicone that irritates my ears plus it's too rigid). I doesn't seem to affect the sound,  although the opening on the TF10 tips are over twice wider, maybe a tad more bass but I need to A/B to make sure. 
 
I still have to find replacements you never know, any pointer appreciated.
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Still getting to know the Z5, I find that they're wonderful for Jazz (enjoyed Gerry Mulligan's "Chelsea Bridge", Sonny Rollins "St Thomas", Joshua Redman "Stop this train" or Dave Brubeck "Take Five"), I love the way they render the woodwinds, brass, drums and cello... I can see myself listening to a lot more Jazz with these The sound is so "organic" and lively, it's hypnotic! 
 
After giving more listening time on the PHA-3, I now grasp what it's bringing to the table to the Z5, especially with the balanced connection. Aside from better bass and treble extension, transparency is definitely a notch up from ZX1 alone, as well as imaging but I have only tried the PHA-3 balanced it's a bit unfair to the ZX1. All in all I don't feel the need to amp the Z5 on the go, ZX1 will do perfectly fine, but I'll appreciate the extra SQ when at home.
 
The Z5 is so good one could skip the Z7 altogether (Strike that, the Kimber Kables are just bringing what I missed from the Z7 so far... wow), I am much more impressed by them, but then again the Z7 probably needs more burn in (needed the Kimbers ) 
 
------
 
Edit :
I did quite a bit of listening, different genres, and it looks to me that the Z5 fits all kinds of music, at least what I am listening to from rock to hard rock, blues to jazz, classical, indie or electronic.
 
No matter which genre, the more I listen to them the more I appreciate the soundstage width but more importantly the depth and the overall imaging. The sound has so many layers. Those are definitely non fatiguing even with genres that are more agressive. Last night I listened to them at low listening level and they don't give up detail or dynamics as other IEMs have owned.
 
Bass is the first thing that strike upon the first hours of listen but the highs are smooth yet very detailed that tweeter BA has been finely tuned for sure. Last but not least the mids are really engaging and "meaty". Vocals are better than I gave them credit for upon first listen, maybe because the bass are so much deeper and textured than any other IEM I had that it distracted me from mids and highs. Brain burn in, no doubt
 
I love decay too, it brings so much to the music be it drums, snare, piano... yum!

 

[salanos]

Quite enjoying the A3 still. Driving it out of the ZX1.

I recall not liking the H3 when I tried it though. The Z5 on the other hand didn't seem worth the premium over the A3 for me.

I'm fine with Sony's so-called hybrid tips (the default one mounted in the box anyway) and pretty much have been using them all the time (having had Sony earphones for almost a decade). Considering trying Comply foam though.

 

[davidmolliere]

 
Quote:

Quite enjoying the A3 still. Driving it out of the ZX1. I recall not liking the H3 when I tried it though. The Z5 on the other hand didn't seem worth the premium over the A3 for me.

 
For europeans, choice will be between Z5 and H3, sony doesn't seem to intend to sell the A3 outside Asia it would seem. Granted, you can always get them from eBay as I did my Z5 (who are not available in Europe yet). From everyone's feedback A3 and Z5 are close, they share a lot of the DNA. Value for money is in favor of the A3.
 
Lachlan wrote a blog post on A3 vs Z5 (http://www.lachlanlikesathing.com/2015/01/thoughts-on-sony-xba-z5-vs-xba-a3.html), very useful.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

Just got my Z5 today, I'm No. 5507. Soo yeah, they sound good from both ZX1 and LG G3.

 

[davidmolliere]

  Just got my Z5 today, I'm No. 5507. Soo yeah, they sound good from both ZX1 and LG G3.

 
Congrats! Mine were #1673, I tried them with the Note 4, not as good as from the ZX1 (less detail and imaging not as good plus warmer sig doesn't suit them as well as ZX1).

 

[salanos]

For europeans, choice will be between Z5 and H3, sony doesn't seem to intend to sell the A3 outside Asia it would seem. Granted, you can always get them from eBay as I did my Z5 (who are not available in Europe yet). From everyone's feedback A3 and Z5 are close, they share a lot of the DNA. Value for money is in favor of the A3

Specification wise they're similar at face value but the construction materials are different. If I recall right I think someone here said the Z5 shells are made of magnesium alloy. I don't get the same impression from my A3.

Also, the Z5 has an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer driver as opposed to the A3's non-aluminum coated - just a liquid crystal polymer driver.
In addition the Z5's super tweeter is said to be a magnesium-based diaphragm while the A3's is aluminum coated.
Lastly A3s and below are manufactured in Thailand (drivers still made in Japan I believe) as opposed to the Z5's Japanese manufacture. As some people have mentioned the Z5s get the privilege of numbered serials...

Definitely enjoying the airy bright sound and extended treble, which are my key reasons for sticking with Sony.
Admittedly I don't really like the ear-hanger design though, and compared to other ear-hook earphones I've tried the Sony ones just don't seem to hang on as nicely. Maybe I should try applying more force into reshaping them.

 

[RedJohn456]

Specification wise they're similar at face value but the construction materials are different. If I recall right I think someone here said the Z5 shells are made of magnesium alloy. I don't get the same impression from my A3.

Also, the Z5 has an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer driver as opposed to the A3's non-aluminum coated - just a liquid crystal polymer driver.
In addition the Z5's super tweeter is said to be a magnesium-based diaphragm while the A3's is aluminum coated.
Lastly A3s and below are manufactured in Thailand (drivers still made in Japan I believe) as opposed to the Z5's Japanese manufacture. As some people have mentioned the Z5s get the privilege of numbered serials...

Definitely enjoying the airy bright sound and extended treble, which are my key reasons for sticking with Sony.
Admittedly I don't really like the ear-hanger design though, and compared to other ear-hook earphones I've tried the Sony ones just don't seem to hang on as nicely. Maybe I should try applying more force into reshaping them.

I don't know if it will work, but I know that the XBA A2 has detachable cables and its worn cable down. Maybe you can snag an XBA A2 cable and use it with your Z5 and see if if its more comfortable in that regard? Just a thought. 

 

[davidmolliere]

Specification wise they're similar at face value but the construction materials are different. If I recall right I think someone here said the Z5 shells are made of magnesium alloy. I don't get the same impression from my A3. Also, the Z5 has an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer driver as opposed to the A3's non-aluminum coated - just a liquid crystal polymer driver. In addition the Z5's super tweeter is said to be a magnesium-based diaphragm while the A3's is aluminum coated. Lastly A3s and below are manufactured in Thailand (drivers still made in Japan I believe) as opposed to the Z5's Japanese manufacture. As some people have mentioned the Z5s get the privilege of numbered serials...

Definitely enjoying the airy bright sound and extended treble, which are my key reasons for sticking with Sony.
Admittedly I don't really like the ear-hanger design though, and compared to other ear-hook earphones I've tried the Sony ones just don't seem to hang on as nicely. Maybe I should try applying more force into reshaping them.

 

Thanks for clarifying the specs, I thought the dynamic driver was the same, but BAs were different, I stand corrected !
Yes, Z5 have a magnesium shell.
 
About the cables from the thread I gather you can use any cable with MMCX connector (at least with Z5), that opens possibilities
I have read though that cables without ear hanger, given the design of those IEMs, they don't stay in place well enough, that's one critic to the MUC-M12SM1 high perf cable for Z5 btw (there is no ear hanger). Better get memory wire and that makes sense given the design...
 

 
I don't know if it will work, but I know that the XBA A2 has detachable cables and its worn cable down. Maybe you can snag an XBA A2 cable and use it with your Z5 and see if if its more comfortable in that regard? Just a thought. 
 

 
I don't know how that would work as connectors are up (that would strain the IEMs to rotate by pulling), and the insertion is "angled", wearing them with cables worn down would require some unatural insertion or switching left and right and cable it reversed (?).

 

[feverfive]

The ear hooks/connectors is my only complaint about the Z5's...  I am actually pleasantly surprised.  I totally expected the Z5 to be purely temporary while I spent a couple months auditioning other IEMs (I have a good friend who loves Sony products religiously, and he would've bought the Z5's from me at my cost if I decided to move on).  I was a bit confused by the Z5 at first, but after a month & probably 100 hours on them, I am surprisingly going to stay w/ the Z5.
 
My expectation was that I'd spend a great deal more money for something like the K10-U (I'm not interested in getting customs).  My portable rig is expensive enough.  I'm more than fine with not feeling the need to pay double the MSRP of the Z5 for new IEMs.

 

[salanos]

I don't know if it will work, but I know that the XBA A2 has detachable cables and its worn cable down. Maybe you can snag an XBA A2 cable and use it with your Z5 and see if if its more comfortable in that regard? Just a thought. 

Thanks for clarifying the specs, I thought the dynamic driver was the same, but BAs were different, I stand corrected !
Yes, Z5 have a magnesium shell.

About the cables from the thread I gather you can use any cable with MMCX connector (at least with Z5), that opens possibilities
I have read though that cables without ear hanger, given the design of those IEMs, they don't stay in place well enough, that's one critic to the MUC-M12SM1 high perf cable for Z5 btw (there is no ear hanger). Better get memory wire and that makes sense given the design...

As can be seen in this picture the A3s, like Z5s, connect via the "top" of the driver housing. Though they are effectively symmetrical and can sort of be worn upside down, it's not entirely natural and to properly get them on right you might have to reverse the connectors - i.e. connect L to R and R to L. This looks possible (but I haven't tried it) as the MMCX connector looks standard, but Sony has designed a non-standard housing with two guiding-edge slats on the sides of the connector. This means you can actually connect the earhook backwards.
And of course there's the slight possibility that using the earphones upside down affects the sound balance in some way, especially given the XBA-hybrids' dedicated-range driver engineering.

A2s should use the same connector since they are noted for being able to accept the Kimber Kable upgrade, so I would expect A3 and A2 cables are interchangeable. What I cannot be certain of is whether the cable quality is different in some way resulting in a difference in signal transmission (and therefore sound).
At this point if I intend to replace the cable it'll probably be with something aftermarket rather than the A2's. The Kimber Kable official is an interesting prospect but at the same time since I'm looking for bang-for-buck $100 for a cable is a bit extreme for me. Part of the issue is also that I've been using straight in-ears for much of my life, in particular my previous XBA-3 were straights, and it's only in recent time that I started feeling accepting of over-ear designs. Could be because of the pleasant experience of the ATH-IMxxs or the aurvana in.ear 3 i have. Then again, those aren't really 'ear hook' over ears...

I'm not certain what the A3's shells are made of, but they look very similar and have a pleasant shine like the Z5's. They could be magnesium, but since they're a pretty small object and thin I can't really judge. I don't want to rap them hard either. I've seen plastic finished in a similar fashion and when I think of magnesium I'm more likely to recall the NWZ-F80x's body.
The first page headliner pic does state the Z5 is using an aluminum LCP driver and magnesium tweeter which I thought was interesting. I only recently noted the difference in material specification - Sony explicitly states the A3 uses aluminum for its tweeter, but just describes the dynamic full-range driver as a "16mm liquid crystal polymer diaphragm", so it's safe to presume it doesn't have the aluminum coating as Z5 marketing material specifically mentions "aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer".
EDIT: looking at pictures of the Z5 its shell looks to have a rougher matte texture. The A3 has a sort of smooth, high-specular metallic-matte finish rather than a roughened looking anodized-ish surface. More likely plastic then. In addition, the A3 has two finishes on the shell, the aforementioned shiny matte darkened silver as well as a more typical black plastic body. It's got almost exactly (if not exactly) the same shape as the Z5's, but the shiny bits are more like a 'faceplate'.
What i can see on the Z5 is that it seems its whole shell is anodized magnesium with a unified finish, which actually makes them look plainer.

 

[dweaver]

Sorry about my A2 comment about the cable, it appears unlike the H2, the A2 is detachable.

I am sure the A3 is indeed a plastic housing as compared to the magnesium housing of the Z5.

The Z5 has definitely helped me stop wanting to buy anything new. Anything I have heard simply pales in comparison and I simply don't have the money to buy another flagship IEM or headphone.

 

[ianeith]

Sorry about my A2 comment about the cable, it appears unlike the H2, the A2 is detachable.

I am sure the A3 is indeed a plastic housing as compared to the magnesium housing of the Z5.

The Z5 has definitely helped me stop wanting to buy anything new. Anything I have heard simply pales in comparison and I simply don't have the money to buy another flagship IEM or headphone.

I am happy to confirm that the xba-h2 cable is also detachable.

 

[davidmolliere]

  I was a bit confused by the Z5 at first, but after a month & probably 100 hours on them, I am surprisingly going to stay w/ the Z5. My expectation was that I'd spend a great deal more money for something like the K10-U (I'm not interested in getting customs).  My portable rig is expensive enough.  I'm more than fine with not feeling the need to pay double the MSRP of the Z5 for new IEMs.

 
That's something that has not been raised I think, the Z5 have fairly agressive pricing in regards to their performance level, I have paid way more for SE846 (900€) and the IE800 should be on par (not their launch price but current price) for european pricing (700€). I had the luck to get them (brand new) at 550€ from ebay.
 
The Z5 is definitely at least a worthy competitor and by my opinion one of the top universal IEM. At this level personal preferences in terms of sound signature will be the decisive factor. I for one love the wide soundstage, the depth and 3D imaging, the powerful and detailed basses and the smooth and detailed highs of the Z5. 
 
 

As can be seen in this picture the A3s, like Z5s, connect via the "top" of the driver housing. Though they are effectively symmetrical and can sort of be worn upside down, it's not entirely natural and to properly get them on right you might have to reverse the connectors - i.e. connect L to R and R to L. This looks possible (but I haven't tried it) as the MMCX connector looks standard, but Sony has designed a non-standard housing with two guiding-edge slats on the sides of the connector. This means you can actually connect the earhook backwards. And of course there's the slight possibility that using the earphones upside down affects the sound balance in some way, especially given the XBA-hybrids' dedicated-range driver engineering

 
Kudos for investigating, indeed forgot to mention the two guiding edge slats very important, looks like users here have managed to use standard MMCX cables with the Z5 though.

 

[M-13]

Has anyone tried the Z5 with the official upgrade cable? Any impressions?

 

[feverfive]

  Has anyone tried the Z5 with the official upgrade cable? Any impressions?

 
Does Sony have a single-ended cable upgrade?  I thought the only Sony-made "upgrade" is the already supplied balanced cable.  Apparently I'm wrong...  I'd be willing to buy a cable upgrade, assuming it's not "stupidly" priced....guess I need to actually make an effort and find out if there is one.  I thought we only have third-party cable makers upon whom to rely, something I really don't want to do.
 
EDIT:  So I found this >>>  http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1080981-REG/sony_mucm12sm1_muc_m125m1_high_performance_portable_audio.html
I assume this is a Kimber cable, and not the same thing as the stock cable...  The earpiece-side connector is different (it has ridges).