takato14
Headphoneus Supremus
I'd be devastated if the Z7 weren't better than a headphone released 36 years ago
Age is a number, and it is quite foolish to judge it based on that. There aren't many, but there are still vintage headphones out there that can stand alongside the big boys, and the DR-Z7 is one of them. Other notable ones are the Fostex T50v1, Pioneer Monitor 10-II, and Stax SR-X MKIII.
While not the best out of the aforementioned, the DR-Z7 is a very good headphone, even by today's standards. While its entirely different sounding, I'd put it on the same level as the HD800 soundwise, and far far ahead of it in build quality. It's all metal and has an extremely fast, responsive driver with some of the hardest hitting bass I've ever experienced.
It is a couple notches behind in comfort, but it's a very heavy on-ear, so that's kind of a given. Either way, Sony hasn't made a better headphone since, except maybe the R10 (which I haven't gotten to hear yet).
The MDR-Z7 appears to borrow certain design merits from the DR-Z7 (metal plated diaphragm, large voice coil, heavily dampened backwave, sealed and vented) as well as borrows its naming system so it might at least sound similar. And if that's the case, it's gonna be mine the moment it's available.