[Mink]

The last early impression.
These aren't headphones to wow anyone, they're mostly understated and I think a short audition won't do them any justice.
Yes, they can be disappointing because they show a big contrast in loudness, soundstage and tonality between different recordings, much more than my Denons and Audio Technica's do.
Listening to a playlist with different songs by various artists result in a mixed bag, there is too little sameness if you know what I mean. Yes this obviously is a strenght, but for enjoying music this is not necessarily alway the case.
The A900Xs for instance, although they have enough clarity to show differences, they overall play every track big and relatively upfront. You pretty much get an idea how the next track is going to sound. The Sony's on the other hand can be extremely laid-back and with other tracks very upfront as well. The contrast sometimes is just too big.
 
And I will say it again classical music, especially Baroque is handled very very well. I think they are superb for acoustic and natural recorded tracks.

 

[MacedonianHero]

   
What were you using to drive them?  I see so many mixed reviews on how the Z7s sound directly out of a DAP.  I'm getting the jones for the new ZX2, and I so want it to push the Z7 with at least some authority....
 
I'm also torn on cables myself.....Kimber or silver, Kimber or silver...  I would really like the Kimber with the right angle 1/8" connector, but my spidey since says silver would "tighten" things up a bit...

 
Depends on the DAP, with my AK100II they are spectacular! On the Resonessence Labs Herus, also fantastic!

 

[joey99]

  The last early impression.
These aren't headphones to wow anyone, they're mostly understated and I think a short audition won't do them any justice.
Yes, they can be disappointing because they show a big contrast in loudness, soundstage and tonality between different recordings, much more than my Denons and Audio Technica's do.
Listening to a playlist with different songs by various artists result in a mixed bag, there is too little sameness if you know what I mean. Yes this obviously is a strenght, but for enjoying music this is not necessarily alway the case.
The A900Xs for instance, although they have enough clarity to show differences, they overall play every track big and relatively upfront. You pretty much get an idea how the next track is going to sound. The Sony's on the other hand can be extremely laid-back and with other tracks very upfront as well. The contrast sometimes is just too big.
 
And I will say it again classical music, especially Baroque is handled very very well. I think they are superb for acoustic and natural recorded tracks.

 
After a few weeks with the Z7, I have the same impressions. I also have the A900X. It does pick it's tracks to be great ... I would also go through my playlist and they all sound great on the Z5, 846, A900X .. on the Z7 some songs will sound a bit messy but all of a sudden a few songs will come alive and are just excellent. 
 
I've had a good listen to the 3m Kimber upgrade cable now and comparing to the stock. The upgrade cable is certainly warmer and smoother. The stock is slightly brighter and vocals stand out in front more and the sound is more tight. For the price .. I'm not sure but I kept going back to the Kimber cable. It is a good looking and well made cable and probably keep it for it's length anyway. 

 

[Bill-P]

  I'm not sure if getting the enclosure right will make the Z7 an R10 successor.  The two headphones actually sound the world apart.  The R10 for instance is very sweet and transparent sounding headphones with the only weakness is in its bass output.  It possess some of the most  beautiful and natural tones around.  They and the Qualia are also very fast and almost electrostatic like in their response.  The Z7 IMO is warmer and darker sounding headphones.  It probably has too much bass going on for my taste and certainly not as transparent as reference cans such as the HD800.  I'm not sure if Sony voiced the Z7 for more toward mainstream pop/rock culture in mind.  Don't get me wrong, I do like the Z7 a great deal but I also notice its shortcomings hence my quest to also making it better by using a good silver cable. 

I would love to check out your ultra mod on the Z7.  Are we talking about a Canjam in this coming March?

I think we are pretty much on the same page here hence the reason we both are trying to make the Z7 a bit better.  For what Sony you can get the Z7 I still think it is a good buy given its excellent build quality and highly forgiving sound.

 
Yeah... I think we are both trying to do the same thing. I'm just a bit more extreme in my approach. Next step is to get some rolls of solid silver core cable in so that I can braid a replacement that has more conductors for the Z7. I think it's most likely the copper core of the SPC cable of the HE-560 holding that little extra back.
 
Just for comparison's sake, here's the song I'm using to test "speed":
 

 
Stock Z7 sounds all jumbled up, but my version now is just ever so slightly behind the 560, and I think it is now about on par with the ES10.
 
I tried to keep with stock Z7 sound, so non-fatiguing and all. I get ringing with my ES10 with that song, but the Z7 is smooth sailing. I think the extra tightness that the solid silver core cable will bring will be "it". Probably as far as I can push those poor drivers anyway. 70mm physically can't have that good a control, unless Sony over-engineered the drivers. I think around 50mm or so is the sweet spot for dynamic drivers in terms of bass output + clarity. Though I must admit... getting the Z7 to this point, the bass has to be heard. 70mm dynamic does deliver some very solid bass...
 
Anyway, yes, I meant CanJam in March. Will be in attendance along with my other 2 headphones, and then I guess you'll get to hear for yourself why I have been raving about them. Both of the other 2 are also heavily modded (especially the ES10), and neither sound anything like the stock versions anymore.
 

  What were you using to drive them?  I see so many mixed reviews on how the Z7s sound directly out of a DAP.  I'm getting the jones for the new ZX2, and I so want it to push the Z7 with at least some authority....
 
I'm also torn on cables myself.....Kimber or silver, Kimber or silver...  I would really like the Kimber with the right angle 1/8" connector, but my spidey since says silver would "tighten" things up a bit...

 
You may laugh at this but... my iPhone 6+. The 6+ has a slight treble roll-off that's somewhat noticeable compared to my other sources, so it's the worst case, but somehow, my current modded Z7 isn't doing that bad with it. Please note that at this point, I think mine sounds like a much faster headphone than stock.

 

[Lorspeaker]

wow wat a song...fantastic...( on my yamaha )

 

[zorin]

   

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Quote: Originally Posted by Bill-P /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I'd hope so:
http://hifiman.com/Products/?pid=205


And yeah, I have tried to run it balanced. More impact, but still not as clean/clear.


I'm not asking for HD800 clarity, but at least it should be up to par with something like the Denon D5000/D7000, which are in the same price range. And still, I believe the Z7's drivers to be very capable. Sony simply mucked it up when they used the enclosure they did, and made the ear pads the way it is.


The Z7 would have been a worthy successor to the R10 if they had just gotten the enclosure right. I mean... its measurements look suspiciously similar to the R10. The R10 just sounds cleaner because it doesn't have to deal with enclosure resonance, poor damping factor, and the likes.


 

I'm not sure if getting the enclosure right will make the Z7 an R10 successor.  The two headphones actually sound the world apart.  The R10 for instance is very sweet and transparent sounding headphones with the only weakness is in its bass output.  It possess some of the most  beautiful and natural tones around.  They and the Qualia are also very fast and almost electrostatic like in their response.  The Z7 IMO is warmer and darker sounding headphones.  It probably has too much bass going on for my taste and certainly not as transparent as reference cans such as the HD800.  I'm not sure if Sony voiced the Z7 for more toward mainstream pop/rock culture in mind.  Don't get me wrong, I do like the Z7 a great deal but I also notice its shortcomings hence my quest to also making it better by using a good silver cable. 

Quote: Originally Posted by Bill-P /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Well, I have used my Z7 on a bus...


...yeah, the cable was annoying.


Noise isolation is actually fairly good on a bus. The relaxed treble is actually quite welcome here, as I had to turn up the volume slightly more than usual to combat bus noise (and extra vibrations), but no fatigue set in. And bus was loud enough that no one else could hear what I was listening to.


In a completely quiet office, though, the Z7 does leak out some very faint music. Again... not enough so that folks would hear unless I'm turning things up to dance floor level, and the next person sits pretty close to me.


And @purk, I won't claim my Z7 to sound like an HD800, but I think I have gotten it to a decent state as far as technicality goes. Will have to let you listen to it if we get the chance. Are you coming to CanJam, sir?


 

I would love to check out your ultra mod on the Z7.  Are we talking about a Canjam in this coming March?

Quote: Originally Posted by Bill-P /img/forum/go_quote.gif



Bright doesn't necessarily mean it's "transparent".


For instance, the Audeze LCD-2 can hardly be described as bright, but yet it could be fairly transparent. On the other hand, something like the Ultrasone Edition 10 is bright... very very bright, but not transparent at all.


It's kind of hard to convey this, but once you go and listen more to higher-end gears, then that "transparency" will start to make some sense. It's what people meant by "speed", "transient", etc... The Stax SR-009 is one headphone that's not necessarily bright, but on first listen, people will say it's bright because they mistake its speed and transient response for brightness. Once you listen to it more and compare it side by side to the Abyss/HD800, etc... you'll find that the SR-009, in reality, is very neutral, and it's not bright at all.


I'm coming from a planar magnetic headphone (HE-560) in the same veins, so to me, the Z7 sounded extremely thick, muddy, and veiled.




I didn't claim to hear all of the Z7's true potential? I said I got it to a "decent state". That's still far from true potential.


And either way, I don't think connector transition really is as bad as you are saying. For instance, the HD800 has detachable connectors/plugs as well, and yet even with those plugs in the way, it's still a very resolving, super fast, super transparent headphone compared to many other headphones that are hard-wired.

 

I think we are pretty much on the same page here hence the reason we both are trying to make the Z7 a bit better.  For what Sony you can get the Z7 I still think it is a good buy given its excellent build quality and highly forgiving sound.

 

Quote : "I'm not sure if getting the enclosure right will make the Z7 an R10 successor.  The two headphones actually sound the world apart.  The R10 for instance is very sweet and transparent sounding headphones with the only weakness is in its bass output.  It possess some of the most  beautiful and natural tones around.  They and the Qualia are also very fast and almost electrostatic like in their response.  The Z7 IMO is warmer and darker sounding headphones.  It probably has too much bass going on for my taste and certainly not as transparent as reference cans such as the HD800.  I'm not sure if Sony voiced the Z7 for more toward mainstream pop/rock culture in mind.  Don't get me wrong, I do like the Z7 a great deal but I also notice its shortcomings hence my quest to also making it better by using a good silver cable." 
 
 
Yes, that is what Sony had in mind. Make and sell bassy murky sounding headphones. The executives and the representatives of Sony stated publicly that the headphones Sony is trying to imitate and compete with are the Beats. The Sony of old was competing with Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser, unlike the new Sony.
Considering the situation Sony has been in for years, one can somewhat understand the decision of the company directors. Sony's audio products division is a shadow of its former self, the bulk of Sony's earnings come from entertainment and from intellectual property rights payments. Its TV division also manages to make some money. Sony needs money urgently, there is talk in Japan that Sony will be broken up into smaller pieces to survive.
An attempt is being made to recapture some of the former Sony's audio products market share and earn the needed money. The problem is that since the 1980s the public's music taste has changed. We live in the age of cultural decay, the types of music which suited MDR-R10 and which were still predominant in the 1980s [a great decade for Sony audio] are a niche corner of the music market these days. What percentage of people listen to music of Vivaldi and Beethoven, EmmyLou Harris and C.C.R, Roberta Flack and The Temptations ?
There is not much money to be made on transparent, frequencies balanced and clear sounding headphones. The cultural gurus and their vehicles of music propagation in general promote, and I would even say force, bass heavy and thumping styles of music on the masses. Just turn on the radio. The drums and bass and electronic sound has pushed the sound of the acoustic instruments away from the cultural center stage. The Beats outfit made billions of dollars on fitting its 'headphones' to the new predominant music. The world of the acoustic sound has shrunk and Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser and Audio Technica cover it so well that Sony would have had no chance to penetrate this portion of the music market, not unless it played a trump card of resurrected R10 or something very similar.
The Sony brass in their urgent need for cash figured out that the best way to earn it is to make headphones for the biggest portion of produced and sold music, which is bass heavy and rhythm type of music, usually with vocals that are pushed into background. What is the percentage of headphones being sold that fit this kind of music, what is the percentage of headphones sold that are bass colored ? I'd say at least three quarters. It seems, almost certain, that Sony executives decided that a better version of the Beats will bring them a success. The Sony Corp. will make hay if it manages to take some 50% of the Beats' market. 
The Sony of old is gone, it is history. Its spokesmen stated publicly that R10 will not be brought back, that Sony is not interested in making balanced and clear sounding headphones like R10. The new Sony is turned in a different direction. it is now chasing a different kind of dream.
Akio Morita, the late founder and longtime president of Sony devoted his life to efforts for Sony audio products to have balanced, natural and clear sound. The audio fidelity was almost a trademark of Sony back then. He must be rolling in his grave.

 

[Mink]

Yes, that is what Sony had in mind. Make and sell bassy murky sounding headphones. The executives and the representatives of Sony stated publicly that the headphones Sony is trying to imitate and compete with are the Beats. The Sony of old was competing with Beyerdynamic and Sennheiser, unlike the new Sony.

That said, they still made a great pair of headphones with the Z7s

 

[qsk78]

I got today my custom cable - excellent.
 

 

[Mink]

I must confess that the Sony's have a very poor price-quality ratio, just like the Denon AH-D5000s did, at their retail price of 699 US Dollar.
Luckily I got both Z7s and D5000s for much less!  Sound-wise I like the MDR-Z7s just a little bit better than the NAD HP50s and with their nicer fit and comfort and excellent build quality I think my 367 Euros are well spent, ehm...maybe very well spent

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  I got today my custom cable - excellent.
 

 
That looks mighty nice.  May I ask who you ordered it from?

 

[qsk78]

   
That looks mighty nice.  May I ask who you ordered it from?

Well, here is his website http://www.hybridaudio.ru/ - I don't see any switch to English. It's in Moscow.

 

[cdsa35000]

I must confess that the Sony's have a very poor price-quality ratio, just like the Denon AH-D5000s did, at their retail price of 699 US Dollar.
Luckily I got both Z7s and D5000s for much less!  Sound-wise I like the MDR-Z7s just a little bit better than the NAD HP50s and with their nicer fit and comfort and excellent build quality I think my 367 Euros are well spent, ehm...maybe very well spent

$699 were decade's their standard retail prices/MSRP, like the CD3000 and SA5000, lucky I got only a decade later a brandnew CD3000 for $180 due ignorance of the outlet store.

 

[purk]

I got today my custom cable - excellent.

Can u provide some impression before and after cable upgrade as well as the balanced effect. Silver or copper wire? Your setup looks great!

 

[Mink]

I know it is inherent to the closed-back design, and maybe the shape of my ears but I feel they have more unwanted (peaky) resonances, 'ringing' with female vocals and choirs than both my A900Xs and D5000s.
The cups definitely could have been better dampened, if that would be the cause that is....

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  Well, here is his website http://www.hybridaudio.ru/ - I don't see any switch to English. It's in Moscow.

 
Thanks. Do the connectors just plug in, or thread in like the stock connectors?