[Quiz]

Is the Sony NWZ-A17SLV + Sony XBA-Z5 a good combo even without an amp? My main goal is excellent sound quality for music. Is the NWZ-A17SLV easy to use?
 
I currently have the iPod touch 5th generation (un-amp'd) + Sony XBA-3. Can I get rid of this for the above mentioned combo?

 

[xinque]

  I gave serious consideration to the AK240 to pair with my Z5 and ultimately ended up with a Cowon P1. While the balanced mode was one the things that drew me to the AK240, I just couldn't get past spending another $1,500 on a DAP to gain this feature. After over a week of listening to the Z5 through the P1 I'm more than satisfied with the combo. The Z5 provide a quality soundstage across many types of music which has been a pleasant surprise.

 
Yeah, I'm on the fence between Cowon P1 and AK120ii - maybe even the AK100ii.  Could use some input here if you guys have suggestions.  Considered getting the Z5 balanced with AK DAPs but that would seem to require a mess of cables and adapters.  The PHA-3 is just too big to be portable for me.  Just don't think I'm getting the most out of the Z5 using my iPhone 6 as source and due for an upgrade 

Also got my Z5s from UTM on Amazon.  The pair I got appear legit, and if it's counterfeit then it's a really really good counterfeit.  With the JPY rate as it is now, you could just get them off Amazon Japan for less than USD 500.  But you'll probably end up breaking close to even after shipping and duties.

 

[BlinkST]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/304018-REG/Belkin_F8V234_Speaker_and_Headphone_Splitter.html
 
You could experiment with something like that to see if it can work with the stuff you have now, and keep the PHA-3 for home use.

 

[joey99]

I got to try out the Z5, Z7, 1A, A3, 1840, 1540 for a few hours again in hongkong last night. Got to sit down a a couple of songs each as the sales guy was super nice and wasn't that many people around this time.
 
Really wanted the Z5 but I just found the vocals too lost on them. Vocals were just too recessed for me to buy them for HK$5000. A3 vocals was more forward and I found clarity on these better than the Z5 but it's too similar to my H3 so decided not to bother with iems this time. I'm quite happy with my 846 and haven't found anything that is better ... yet.
 
The 1540 and 1840 are the most light and comfortable HPs ever .. don't even feel you have them on... too bad the 1540 sounded too dark and muffled and very closed in. Didn't like it at all. The 1840 were totally different .. sounded like the 846 signature ... very clear vocals that stand out. 
 
Walked out the shop with the Z7. The bass is like nothing else.. it's really solid and it's got that 'where's that sound coming from?' feeling where it's sounds like it's out around the room and you look around. I thought to get something different from the shure sound would be good. Gto home and listened for a few hours last night and love them out of the box. Vocals are very separated from the bass/ back ground intruments and doesn't get lost.. and music flies around in all directions.. very good soundstage for a closed HP I think. For hk$4000 .. I thought these are the best looking hps around and the build quality is just amazing.

 

[dweaver]

I am enjoying out of both Z7 and Z5 but not everyone will hear things the same and not every fit will work everyone. I do hear the Z7 like you though and love the bass and sound stage as well. The more I use the Z5 the more I am noticing it's sound stage as well. It is smaller but instrument placement seems more pinpoint and I hear tremendous movement around the sound stage and that movement is really 3D like versus just left to right. I will have to try some of the 3D tracks to see which one seems to best in this regard.

But I also wonder how much difference I hear versus you because I am primarily using a 3rd party cable which seems to make these less warm than the Sony cable which may account for the vocals sounding different. I will again do some A/B testing between the two and post those results.

 

[joey99]

I really wanted to hear the Z5 and z7 with different cables and I went up to the sony store where they had the topend player, pha3, all connected but it was such a tangled mess that I couldn't get any of it to work. They had the Z7 with the balanced cable. Too bad didn't have enough time to get some sales person to sort out the mess. The Z5 was all tangled up in all the security cables and power cables. I'm sure with different setup with cables, amps, dacs, tips, it can sound quite different for everyone. I didn't want to invest anymore in it at the moment with balanced, or new amps, etc .. I wanted to use the Z7 standard for a while first ... when I get bored, I might upgrade cables, etc.
 
for now quite happy with the Z7. Too bad I couldn't get myself to like the Z5 ... the sales person also used the 846 and he also said there was no need to get the Z5 if you already have a 846 ... but it's very personal preference I think what you like. I just couldn't justify the price for it being quite a bit more expensive than the Z7. I think in a blind test, I would actually like the A3 more than the Z5.

 

[dweaver]

Hmmm, for fun I put on some UE tips and wow did it ever open up the treble and upper midrange! It adds quite a bit of airiness to the Z5. I am not sure if it has effected the sub bass or not but I can see some people liking the change in the signature. I also can see some people will find that they prefer the darker tonality of the Sony hybrid tips. I like both and may just keep both on hand for when I want a small change up in the sound.

 

[qsk78]

  Is the Sony NWZ-A17SLV + Sony XBA-Z5 a good combo even without an amp? 

No. The A10 series cannot drive them well.
They will be sounding but very far from what they actually can deliver with a good amplification.
Same story with H3 in my opinion. 

 

[dweaver]

Have to say I am enjoying the Z5 a lot. They sound every bit as good as the Z7 and have such a wonderful sound stage and imaging. I also am finding I can listen at low volume levels and enjoy them as much as at higher volume levels. I am definitely going to buy a balanced rig for them and Z7. It will start out as the Pono as anything else is just to expensive at the moment. But the level of detail and sound stage from HP's is just begging to see what balanced will do for them.

 

[oxygen1]

Have to say I am enjoying the Z5 a lot.

Are you going to share a review of them anytime soon?

 

[dweaver]

I am on vacation now so will hopefully have time to draft up something this week. So expect something in the next week or so.

 

[joey99]

just arrived in Tokyo last night and headed to a headphone shop and the shops here are amazing! they have everything here .. sony and AT are quite cheap especially with the low $jpy as I'm using $hk to convert and the Z5 works out hk$1500 less than in hongkong ... I'm thinking of just getting one just for fun. Will head out to Akihabara one night and get one .. unless I find something better. Maybe they're like the H3 that gets better and better as I use them.

 

[Stevemitchell]

   
Yeah, I'm on the fence between Cowon P1 and AK120ii - maybe even the AK100ii.  Could use some input here if you guys have suggestions.  Considered getting the Z5 balanced with AK DAPs but that would seem to require a mess of cables and adapters.  The PHA-3 is just too big to be portable for me.  Just don't think I'm getting the most out of the Z5 using my iPhone 6 as source and due for an upgrade 

Also got my Z5s from UTM on Amazon.  The pair I got appear legit, and if it's counterfeit then it's a really really good counterfeit.  With the JPY rate as it is now, you could just get them off Amazon Japan for less than USD 500.  But you'll probably end up breaking close to even after shipping and duties.

I just received mine from UTM as well, shipping to Texas.  $200.00 less than Amazon's actual price is great, but before I break the seal, I still have concerns.
 
These appear to be direct-imports from Japan.  What would be the best way to verify serial/part/UPC #s
 
to insure they're genuine?
 
Steve

 

[dweaver]

I can't imagine anyway these could be counterfeited so quickly.

 

[RedJohn456]

I can't imagine anyway these could be counterfeited so quickly.

 
Yeah hope so. Have a quick question if you don't mind. I noticed your post about the balanced cables and amp. What difference do they make if you don't mind explaining? I have heard of them a lot but am not sure as to what they do. Cheers and hope you're enjoying both the sony beasts in good health.