[xxxfbsxxx]

   
Well, not to derail the thread with technicalities again, but honestly, I feel people way underestimate how "bad" some sources can be. Tablets and phones aren't necessarily the best, and some lower-end components (Fiio E12) aren't necessarily the best either.
 
In fact, I'd think the E12 is the worst amp one can run the Z7 out of, and yet we have had 2 people attempt it already.
 
When I had the E12, it sounded pretty good, but it was a bit claustrophobic, and it had a very apparent cut-off on the top and bottom extremes. I couldn't hear those cut-offs until I owned much better gears, of course, but they are still there.
 
It's also got a slightly slow and mellow sound, that wouldn't compliment a slow and mellow headphone too well.

it maybe the worst amp to run z7, but on the same day successfully drove other cans which supposed to be more difficult to drive with more than satisfied level, namely lcdxc, ak812, oppopm2 and even hifiman 560.
Are you going to say that z7 is much more difficult to drive than those?
Furthermore, we did not really expect to hear the best of z7 sound out of average portable source but at least it has to present some potentiality, but i could not see any worth mentioning with z7 sound quality. 
and thanks gizzlybeast,"transferable results" is kind of easier way to explain this.

 

[takato14]

 
Pfff ultra portable, 
 
With the right walk, any headphone is ultra Portable
 

this is the first post of yours I've agreed with in quite some time
 
every headphone CAN be portable, some are just more suited to it than others (009 on SRD-X Pro, anyone?)

 

[Soundsgoodtome]

Anyone have a Z7 comparison to the D2000?

Also what post # is Jude's impression?

 

[money4me247]

  I think I interpreted his comment rather accurately as what it was--a dick comment.
 
So, again, have you or have you not heard the Sony MDR-Z7?

Sorry if i offended you. I didn't mean it as a dick comment. The name i would have called you would have been like 'not the best source of neutral feedback' lol. I had nothing mean in mind.
 
I only meant that positive feedback without any criticisms at all for everything you comment on seems a bit unrealistic & and can be unhelpful. All headphones have flaws, and that's why people around here search so much to find their perfect sound. Mentioning the flaws as well as the pros is only more helpful for interested parties/prospective buyers. When everything reviewed is stated to have great value or the sound or always described with positive spin that seems more like advertising rather than honest reviewing.
 
I can understand if you love everything you come across on or only write about the products you like, but that doesn't mean every product is without flaws. There are headphones i love to death, but they still have certain flaws. Knowing the flaws as well as the positive aspects can be very helpful.
 
I feel like everyone has biases when reviewing headphones, and it is always fun to deduce people's personal sound signature preference through their reviews. I haven't been able to pin point what kind of sound you like since the headphones you endorse have such a wide range of sound signatures.
 
There is nothing wrong with personal endorsements of gear we like, but it is always nice to read about the weakness along with the strengths as well as comparisons to other gear. Naturally, there has to be certain strengths & weaknesses of headphones relative to each other, and while they can all be a great value, there are some headphones that stand out as a better value than others or stand out for certain tastes. I feel like that kind of approach is more informative. With your extensive experience in this hobby, I feel like you can offer some very unique and helpful critical feedback. 
 
Of course I recognize your contributions to this community & love reading your gift guides. My comments really wasn't meant to be a personal attack or anything like that. I was half-joking when I wrote that & did not have any malicious intent. Apologies if any other meaning was implied.

 

[Dopaminer]

Right, now that we`re all patched up, can we steer the bromance back toward Z7 impressions/comparisons?  
 
People keep mentioning my former #1 contender, Shure 1540.   
Anyone have both ?
 
d
 
PS:  Mshenay`s "slow clapping" comment gave me the giggles....

 

[Bill-P]

  e12 isnt that bad
Sounds logical but I kind of disagree. If someone is familiar with how other headphones sound, even through a bad source/amp, the new headphone will still sound different than the others they are used to.  
 
comparing the hd650 and q701 from an e12 and the bottlehead crack with speedball will have transferable results. 

 
I have heard the stock HD800 out of the HDVD800, and also the LCD-2 and LCD-3 out of the same rig.
 
Normally, I'd prefer the LCD-2, and to a certain extent, the LCD-3, but out of the HDVD800 specifically, I'd pick the HD800 over the other 2 any day. The LCD-3 was somewhat comparable, but the LCD-2 couldn't keep up at all.
 
On the other hand, if it's out of a Schiit Lyr with a Schiit Bifrost, which I have also had the pleasure of listening to, the HD800 would be just okay while the LCD-2 would rock.
 
So I still think synergy, or at least the very subtle differences between amplifiers can make or break the sound of a headphone.
 

  it maybe the worst amp to run z7, but on the same day successfully drove other cans which supposed to be more difficult to drive with more than satisfied level, namely lcdxc, ak812, oppopm2 and even hifiman 560.
Are you going to say that z7 is much more difficult to drive than those?
Furthermore, we did not really expect to hear the best of z7 sound out of average portable source but at least it has to present some potentiality, but i could not see any worth mentioning with z7 sound quality. 
and thanks gizzlybeast,"transferable results" is kind of easier way to explain this.

 
Being able to make something sound loud and being able to make something sound good are very different in my opinions.
 
I have owned the E12 at one point.
 
I currently own the HE-560.
 
I have heard the LCD-XC and HE-560 out of the E12 very recently. The pairing is suboptimal to be polite... and in fact, I wouldn't even say it can drive the HE-560 to "satisfactory" level. The LCD-XC is loud out of the E12, but just that. I have heard it out of better amps, and it does sound better than with the E12. The HE-560 wouldn't even get loud, and at high gain, it actually started to distort a little at lower frequencies.
 
And yeah, some headphones are just that picky with source components even when they don't seem so. But that doesn't mean the headphone is "good" per se. It's just that it's picky. I am starting to think the Z7 may be conforming to this pattern.
 
Beyond that, if you want to go into the semantics of why different electronic contraptions (amp, DAC, or DAP, etc...) should sound different, I believe we can continue the discussion in the sound science section.

 

[Currawong]

 

  Well, so far so good. They are somewhat on the thick and dark side of things, but this works well with modern recordings. Older stuff ... not so great. Mind you, the last pair of headphones I used were LCD-Xs and HD-800s before that, so I have to let my brain adapt to quite a bit more bass. Covering the bottom vents with my thumbs seems to drop the bass a bit. 
 
Holy heck they are light and comfortable though. The headband has a nice arc to it that suits heads like mine, unlike the AT cans which I need to bend to something closer to that shape.

Currawong - I'm interested in these for acoustic music, small ensembles with female vocals especially.  My preferred signature would be the AKG sound - kind of dry and airy?

 
Dry, yes, airy, less so. More bass, less treble, though you could plug the ports to reduce it somewhat.
 

My brain is just looking for justification on my purchase before I have them and when someone initially compares them to a $1500 headphone and them someone says they aren't an audiophile headphones and then you compare them to a $200 headphone is a little disheartening. Either way I need to evaluate them myself. Also currawongs impressions scared me.

 
I am a scary man....NOT. 

 
I like them, despite that immediately prior to my owning them I was listening with the LCD-X and HD-800s. I think if you were coming from a cheaper pair of cans, they're likely to sound impressive, but from more expensive ones any flaws are more obvious. I'm going to second Jude's thought about them being a peer to the TH900s. They are technically quite competent.  I'll try and explain it in my next video. I have an analogy somewhat out of left field to explain them.
 
Edit: Not a bad analogy would be the discussion we've been having about the HD-800s and adding damping to stop the reflections inside the cups off the metal around the driver and other areas. The result is an uncanny degree of precision in the stereo image, but it kind-of takes away from the fun a little. The Z7s are rather like that, but with a different FR.
 

So maybe I missed it, but are the pads detachable? Also, I know there are cable options, how does one go about getting one?

 
Yes. You have to remove a small screw at the bottom under the pads, then they twist out very easily. 
 

Money's "calling Jude names" comment wasn't necessarily mean to provoke a primal instinct of arguing but rather simply profiling you as somewhat of an advertiser.

 
That's a good one, considering Sony aren't sponsors (though they have been for at least one short period in the past). 
 

  I cannot stress enough that everyone's ear is different and people hear things very differently. There will be people going to like Z7, and there will be people going to hate Z7. Some will say bass on Z7 is lacking, while others will not.
 
Only concrete way to evaluate is listening to it in optimal environment. There is no other way around.

 
This is what I posted in another thread about a pair of IEMs people were arguing over:
 
If you wonder why people have such varied opinions, it is because different people listen different music at different volumes. Different music + different volume = different impressions. Then when you add different degrees of experience with IEMs, you can end up thinking a pair of IEMs or headphones are anything from great to awful.

 

[money4me247]

Money's "calling Jude names" comment wasn't necessarily mean to provoke a primal instinct of arguing but rather simply profiling you as somewhat of an advertiser.

That's a good one, considering Sony aren't sponsors (though they have been for at least one short period in the past). 

 
I wasn't trying to start an argument or imply that jude is being paid to advertise for certain equipment. I mean he is positive about everything, sooooo... that is either alotta dollas or just a personal positive outlook on everything.
 
The comment only meant that if I was 'fooled' by a review that only contains a positive spin, I would be down to call out the reviewer for not giving totally comprehensive review of the flaws as well as the pros. I didn't actually call anyone names, insinuate anything sketchy, or throw any insults. lol!
 
edit: didn't realize that the comment would be taken personally and I apologize again if I overstepped.

 

[Maxvla]

I assume Jude's comments are similar to Tyll's review philosophy. He'll review it if he likes it, or thinks a large group would benefit from his input. See AKG K812 with Tyll. He thought it had some issues and wasn't his favorite so he set it aside. People demanded a review, so he did one. For all the positive comments about headphones they like, there are many more that have no comments or reviews that they weren't moved by.

@Amos

Glad to hear about the pads. That will ensure modders can get their fill, and opens up the lifetime of the product. Any word about the cable? Do you get it from Kimber direct, perhaps?

 

[Bill-P]

  I wasn't trying to start an argument or imply that jude is being paid to advertise for certain equipment. I mean he is positive about everything, sooooo... that is either alotta dollas or just a personal positive outlook on everything.

 
Well, I think it's just his own politeness taking over.
 
Not to imply that I know Jude personally to make that statement, but from my own point of view, if I was asked by a friend to give my opinions on his dearly beloved headphone, I wouldn't just go and tell him "they suck" even if... well, they do suck, right? And I certainly would not do so on camera and then publish the video for the world to see.
 
Beyond that, some reviewers have expressed negativity with certain products in the past, and the consequences are pretty dire.
 
And that's not just from the sponsor, but also from the fans. And I have seen some reviewers refraining from even writing a single word about a headphone that they don't like... because they got so much... let's say... "feedback" from their fans regarding a previous attempt to point out flaws.
 
Beyond that, in a hobby, and a niche such as this, I think a bit of optimism is kind of necessary.

 

[gikigill]

Sony Australia will have them in December this year for Christmas.

 

[Asr]

Right, now that we`re all patched up, can we steer the bromance back toward Z7 impressions/comparisons?    
People keep mentioning my former #1 contender, Shure 1540.   
Anyone have both ?

 
Disclaimer: I previously owned the SRH1540 for about a week and a half, and only heard the Z7 recently at CanJam@RMAF (caveat: limited time, show environment).
 
I sold the SRH1540 because I hated its bass in particular, it was just so bloated and intruded way too much into the mid-range. It wasn't very clear-sounding either. I thought my amp (the HeadAmp Gilmore Lite) would help rectify both the bass and clarity but it didn't.
 
From what I heard of the Z7, I'd be inclined to call it somewhat close to a sonic inverse of the 1540—if someone considers the SRH1540 "warm" then the Z7 might be "colder". And certainly without the 1540's heavy bass emphasis.

 

[Zoide]

To my ears, this is Sony's best headphone in quite some time--for my preferences, perhaps their best so far, period.

I take it this obviously excludes the MDR-R10?

 

[takato14]

I take it this obviously excludes the MDR-R10?

Has jude even heard the R10

 

[Asr]

Has jude even heard the R10

 
LOL, I'd be surprised if Jude hasn't heard the R10 considering how long he's been attending meets, in particular the National Meets where Ray Samuels often brought his R10s.....