[dweaver]

The Z7 should need way less power than the HD650. Could this be a case of feeling less dynamic so your just turning up the volume to reach the dynamic sweet spot?

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  I'm behind about 300 posts on this thread...LOL.  It's moving faster than I can keep up with so sorry if the following has been addressed previously.
 
I am amping my Z7's with a Woo WA7.  I was A/B'g the Z7's with my HD650's.  I noticed that I had to turn the volume up to drive the Z7's to the same volume level as the HD650's which surprised me a bit.  I realize the Z7's have big drivers, but I'd read a lot about them being relatively easy to drive.
 
Can anyone else confirm (or refute) that the Z7's need more power to drive to the same volume level as the HD650's?   Just want to be sure what I'm seeing is to be expected.
 
Thanks.
 
HS

 
I like to throw more power at them, then one would expect.   But not quite HD650 power......

 

[HemiSam]

The Z7 should need way less power than the HD650. Could this be a case of feeling less dynamic so your just turning up the volume to reach the dynamic sweet spot?

 
This is what I expected as well but it is not the case.  I pause whatever song I'm listening to or restart it and I have to rotate the volume pot on my Woo WA7 amp higher to get to the same volume level...not kind of...not maybe...definitively.  I'm hoping I don't have an issue with the Z7, but if I do it's not apparent to me since they sound pretty darn good otherwise.
 

   
I like to throw more power at them, then one would expect.   But not quite HD650 power......

 
 
What I would really appreciate is if anyone that owns both a Z7 and an HD650 tries an A/B and lets me know what they find.  If the experiment results in the same findings that I have, then there's nothing anamolous with my headphones.  If someone (hopefully more than one other head-fier) finds the exact opposite using the same audio chain including an external amp, then I'm going to be scratching my head.
 
I think I'm going to post in the HD650 thread as well to see if I can find someone willing to give this a shot that owns both and report back.  
 
Thanks.
 
HS

 

[Mickice]

I think they sound better the louder you go.
Was watching some Anime with them last night, rich full bodied experience.

Sometimes I want the highs a bit brighter, other times I don't. Hmm.

 

[elnero]

   
This is what I expected as well but it is not the case.  I pause whatever song I'm listening to or restart it and I have to rotate the volume pot on my Woo WA7 amp higher to get to the same volume level...not kind of...not maybe...definitively.  I'm hoping I don't have an issue with the Z7, but if I do it's not apparent to me since they sound pretty darn good otherwise.
 
 
 
What I would really appreciate is if anyone that owns both a Z7 and an HD650 tries an A/B and lets me know what they find.  If the experiment results in the same findings that I have, then there's nothing anamolous with my headphones.  If someone (hopefully more than one other head-fier) finds the exact opposite using the same audio chain including an external amp, then I'm going to be scratching my head.
 
I think I'm going to post in the HD650 thread as well to see if I can find someone willing to give this a shot that owns both and report back.  
 
Thanks.
 
HS

I don't have HD650's here but I have used them in this setup and if memory serves the average volume level was pretty close to what I listen to with my Z7's.
 
It may also be your amp, I'm not that well versed on the ins and outs but I do know some headphones require more voltage while others require more current so depending on your amps design it may need more volume than you'd expect for a low impedance headphone. I know this was the case when I had an RS-1 and Singlepower amp way back.

 

[DoctaCosmos]

I admittedly was posting before I gathered my thoughts about the headphone fully but I think I am having a problem remembering exactly how they sound because I was so busy trying to piece together my ideal headphone. Now that I've thought about it some more I can confidently say I did like the headphone. One thing is for sure that I remember is that it definitely have great imaging in the mids which were rather delicate almost like a stax Sigma delicate. But what my brain never really grasped about a lot of the non flagship open headphones is their presentation of the rest of the spectrum. Like Jeff said there seems to be less presentation throughout the ranges and most definitely imo a lack of micro dynamics. I would like to give these headphones a shot at home sometime and really evaluate them. BTW I also liked them more than the hd650s which where another hheadphone I was expecting a lot more out of than what I heard.

 

[HemiSam]

 
I don't have HD650's here but I have used them in this setup and if memory serves the average volume level was pretty close to what I listen to with my Z7's.
 
It may also be your amp, I'm not that well versed on the ins and outs but I do know some headphones require more voltage while others require more current so depending on your amps design it may need more volume than you'd expect for a low impedance headphone. I know this was the case when I had an RS-1 and Singlepower amp way back.

 
 
Thank you, elnero.  One thing that did occur to me reading your post is that with the Senn's I'm using the 1/4" female from the Woo and with the Z7's I'm using the 3.5MM.  I guess that could also potentially be a source of the difference.
 
HS

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

Isn't the 3.5mm input for IEMs on the Fireflies?

 

[dweaver]

That would make a difference LOL

 

[HemiSam]

  Isn't the 3.5mm input for IEMs on the Fireflies?

 
I've used it on several headphones that come with a 3.5mm cable including the B&O H6's and the ATM50x's (the M50s are particularly easy to drive...the B&O's less so based on what I witnessed).   This doesn't mean I was doing it right but not all cans come with a 1/4" jack.
 
I'll check things out tonight out of the 1/4" and report back.  Be gentle with me if I screwed this up....
 
 

 
HS 

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

Can I "RTFM" you?
 

 

[HemiSam]

  Can I "RTFM" you?
 

 
 
LMAO...I deserve that.
 
Yeah...it was me being daft.  Installed the 1/4" > 3.5mm adapter to the Senn's and sure enough the Z7's are louder at the same pot/volume level on the Woo.
 
Whoops....
 

 
 
 

 
HS

 

[dweaver]

LOL glad you asked though now you get all power

 

[Bill-P]

I don't see the same trend that you do. Not only do I own a HE-6 (which blew away the 560 to me side by side) but I've auditioned the 560, the HE-400, the 400i, the XC, owned the TH 900 and I still think the Z7 is a very good headphone. Very.

And just for the record my HE-6 is the best phone I've ever heard.

Generalizing about people who haven't heard high dollar headphones is not true. It's just personal preferences.

Well, I didn't say they "disliked" the Z7 per se, but that folks who have heard better tend to have some basis to compare and nitpick things about the Z7.
 
I may end up liking the Z7 when I finally get to listen to it as well. Like you said, it's personal preference.
 
But that doesn't take away the fact that it doesn't have the technical prowess that many are hoping for it to... at the price point Sony is asking.

 

[dweaver]

I think you need to hear them before you can make a claim they don't have the technical prowess. They might not be the signature many were hoping for but I am not convinced they are not technically sound at least when compared to other similarly priced headphones. I think they are very detailed, it is just different than what many think it should be. I guess what I am saying is you might decide the people who say these are not technically sufficient are wrong after you hear them, it will depend on whether you like what Sony is offering in the Z7.