I'm always very skeptical of things like this. If it were that easy to "fix" it why didn't Sony just install some tape in it themselves? With all the money they have I can't help but think if it were a problem Sony would have fixed it themselves. This isn't some bargain bin dollar store headphone, this is THE Sony flagship from 2014. I highly doubt a piece of tape will do anything to it that Sony didn't already test/R&D. In my mind, the way it sounds is the way Sony designed it, with all their resources and engineers.If I had to leave these headphones untouched for some reason, I would have returned them right away instead. Too many bass reflections inside the cup limiting the true potential of these cans! I wonder how many owners have actually applied the well known medical tape mod for the Z7 to remedy the problem. Those of you who haven't done this, you have no idea what you're missing...
Just to give you an idea of what these reflections do, they will eliminate the incredible chesty sub-bass feeling that the Z7 are capable of delivering. They'll mask soundstage nuances and pressurize your ears. The mod works just like anxiolytic pill for the music, calming down things and bringing out the lost details and clarity.
That's why I'm not a big fan of closed headphones. I really do not think they present any musical advantage over the open back except for the isolation. But the Z7 was such a nice opportunity. And thankfully a mod for them is applicable.
If you think I'm exaggerating, there's only one way to find out
I wish I could sit down with two Z7s, one modded and one stock and audition them, without knowing which is which.Just to clarify, the sound signature of the Z7 hasn't change at all with the mod. No lack of pace or impact, thinness/thickness or any weird artifact or anomaly was introduced throughout the frequency range. All was needed was two layers of tape evenly applied inside the cups. The way the (sub)bass digs and rumbles now is what you typically find in 1K+ category headphones, in addition to the improved clarity. You don't want or need that, that's OK. Opinions and preferences vary.
But I strongly suggest to everyone who hasn't listened to a properly and carefully taped Z7 to do so and compare it to the one in stock form just to see what I'm talking about.
If I was instructed by someone to be the strict headphone judge in the town, 50%+ of the headphones in the sub 1K region out there would need to go back to the lab for re-tuning or recycling. This is a long off-topic subject for some other time though.
The Z7 requires neither re-tuning nor recycling...It only need a bit of damping inside. The tape mod for the Z7 exists and has become very popular for a reason. Z1R does not need that. I'm starting to think about possible scenarios...One is what I mentioned above, the usual problem with manufacturers not paying attention to the very last detail in the sound before packing the product, another reason could be that Sony did not want the Z7 to get any closer in performance to the planned flagship later on and so they did that on purpose?
Anyways, if you find the stock Z7 enjoyable enough, that is all that matters at the end of the day.
It has been bought!
I totally agree!
Being next to my wife while she's sleeping requires a closed back. How is the sound leakage with these?
