[cheflatte]

For any Aussies interested we are able to preorder for delivery in late October via UK Amazon, interesting since Amazon us and sony will not deliver to Australia. Good luck everyone!!

 

[zorin]

Some impressions I gathered from comments on Japanese fora
 
- The size of the headband can be comfortably adjusted
- The lateral pressure on skull is not strong and bothersome, the 'adhesion' is adequate
- The ear-pads are soft and feel 'fluffy'.
- These headphones are lighter than they look
 
- The sound leaks in and out, Z7 are not fully closed headphones, more like semi-open or quarter-open
- The sound-field / soundstage is wide for closed headphones but smaller than the sound-field of good open headphones
- The Z7's sound effect is like listening to speakers that are close to one's ears, the intimacy of music that is specific to headphones is diminished [that is not good news]; Z7 have similar presentation of 'speakers sound' like Sennheiser HD800 have.
- The imaging / localization Left-Right is better with PHA-3 than with only the portables
- Also the bass sounds fuller with PHA-3 but it sounds weaker with just Walkman / portable player
- The bass texture is better with Z7 than it is with MA900
- One guy : the bass is not excessive [a big minefield of opinions on bass, everyone has a different view of how much is enough bass or not enough bass]
- Another guy : the bass is less than he expected, these headphones sound more flat than he expected, he puts the blame on the metallic coating of Z7's diaphragm; Z7 sound quite flat but they are not reference class balanced [meaning Z7's frequency bands are quite balanced relative to each other but not properly balanced like those in the reference class headphones]
- Z7 have good composite tonality [the composite sound of fundamental tones plus their overtones], good for the classical music and acoustic instruments
- On the other hand the treble extension of acoustic instruments, particularly of stringed instruments, is lacking
- Z7's treble resolution is inferior to the treble resolution of Sennheiser HD800 and of Beyerdynamic T1
- There does not seem to be a hole in the mid treble as is the case with MA900, the treble is more even
 
- There were a couple of voices that these headphones are overpriced. [ I do not share this view, 70mm driver does not come cheap]
 
A few photos
 

 

 
Metal coated diaphragm

 

 
Air pressure vent that helps to eliminate bass resonances [boominess]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

   
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
Sign me up for that little trio right there.  Unfortunately, I'll have to do it piece by piece.
 
But thank you for sharing all the goodness, this thread needed the impressions...

 

[Lorspeaker]

Ooo...vented.

Any velor pads option?

 

[WHertz]

  Some impressions I gathered from comments on Japanese fora
...
 

 
Thank you VERY much.

 

[AUserName501]

Problems with treble and the Z7 uses aluminium coated LCP drivers.

LCP drivers have problems with treble extension: http://cdn.head-fi.org/e/ec/900x900px-LL-ec14b11b_MDRZ1000.png

It can be seen on the Z1000, MDR-7520 (same as Z1000 but slightly different internal foam) and MDR-1R.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

I ordered the MDR z7 and matching stand. I plan on using With dx90 for commute. Can't wait for Eu so I preordered from Japan...

 
What is the matching stand?

 

[thatonenoob]

Hello All!
 
Great stuff/ impressions being posted by everyone (thanks Nomax, Zorin, and others)!  Just a heads up, I've gotten confirmation that the chief sound engineer at Sony and the team lead on Sony's Walkman NWZ-A15 will be coming to the event I am attending this Thursday, and that I will be able to speak with them for a little bit.  
 
If you have any questions, just post below and I'll try to fit them in this Thursday!

 

[Fegefeuer]

Ask about the Flagship 

 

[thatonenoob]

  Ask about the Flagship 

Once again, Head-Fi ers have managed to somehow cover just about everything. 

 

[HemiSam]

Nomax and Zorin FTW!!!!  Thanks a bunch guys (I assume you're guys...sorry if I got that wrong 

).  Great to see some real world experience based insights and the photos are very helpful.  These cans look to be nice quality.
 
We now have several inputs on the treble front that it's lacking so there is beginning to be a trend of input on that front which differs from the comparision to the TH900 (I think that was the reference earlier???)...hmmmm.  Odd...but I'm glad to see more and more balanced reviews vs the gushy...everything is great because they're new posts.
 
Keep the great input coming...thank you!!!!
 
HS

 

[jude]

What are you guy's source? ( @jude and @Nomax )

 
Mostly the Chord Hugo, due to amount of traveling since the MDR-Z7 arrived.

 

[Makiah S]

Not portable? Pff, I consider everything portable, save for Hifiman and Audeze or other hard to drive, bulky headphones.
This is perfect - closed, reasonable sensitivity... One of the best sound you can get on the go or at home , or so it seems so far

 
 

  Jude was impressed by the imaging (which is great) but I wonder how good the z7's overall soundstage is considering they're a "closed" headphone?

 
 

What are you guy's source? ( @jude and @Nomax )

 
 

  I heard these 2 days ago and was blown away but that was using the full setup with the hi res source and pha and kimber cables.
 
The highs were stunning Heard this.

 
Couldn't play my own bass track. But this was awesome. The highs were amazing even beyond the T1 but that is with their full setup. No way ..having seen the T5p or high end beyer drivers this LCP 70mm competes with them on its own.
 
I think folks who buy the Z7 only will be disappointed. This is the same driver though larger than the 1R which also uses LCP. Magnet assembly seems identical in design. How this can be expected to compete with flagships on it's own makes no sense and sony isnt pricing it like a flagship (i can get it for 530 bucks) They are pricing the entire setup on flagship plus source level but not even sony is touting this set of cans alone as something to rival an HD800 for example or even a Th900
 
 
What was the track and settings and source for the bass that was so clearly superior to the th?
 
Context?
 
 
I run the bass thread in headphones and I gotta have these just cuz I gotta ...but unless I upgrade my source or mimic the Sony setup by buying it all I'm not gonna have my mind blown like I did. Unless you lower the sub bass to not interfere with the highs your gonna get the muffle NOMAX mentioned and anyone who plays with big drivers knows that can be an issue. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. 70mm.  Folks said the xb1000 was overwhelming and this will be too but have the potential to balance and excel if configured in a way that is what Sony intended or similar.
 
That track by Boston through the full setup was the best listening experience I have ever had and I have heard them all though mostly jazz and classical...(They really should all  try this track

...it was amazing) I know I will not get that ear orgasm again till I pay for it and it will cost me more than 530 bucks. I'm getting it for the bass and future proofing myself for a migration to hi-res eventually.
 
 
 
Yes that fabric over the driver is thin and see through and the pads are softer than the Th but the driver still feels very far from your ear and the soft padding will absorb a lot of hit but the pad is kinda unique in form so it feels very comfy.

 
Hmm I've been wanting an upgrade to my W1000x which is uber aggressive, even out of the hm801 [big slow warm dap] the highs on the W1000x sill aren't any where as smooth as they are on my HE 4 [Beyer Pads]
 
How ever I recently sold off my D2k, as out side of EDM it didn't get much use. It's nice to hear the cups on the MDR Z7 may be an Alliumiom Alloy, I hate plastic but I can live with metal or some Metal Alloy [I prefer wood, but metal's acceptable. Just no plastic!!!
 
That said though, I am disappointed to hear that it can be a touch bassy [not a bad thing] makes me worry though if I should swap out my HM801 which is a pretty bassy DAP [again the D2k was too bassy out of the HM 801 for anything outside of EDM] More than Likely I won't as I have a feeling running the MDR Z7 Balanced out of my NFB 10ES2 is going to be amazing, again my Modded D2k was glorious for metal and EDM out of my NFB10ES2, I prefered it over my HE 4 some times. I'm hoping the MDR Z7 will have a touch more refinement over my LA D2k, but a simmilar sound signiture. Which was rich and resolving, although I have a feeling that sound stage will be deeper and wider on the Sony.
 
Either way, I might take a stab at these in the Spring of Next Year, when all the HYPE buyers are selling them off. But :/ I'd have to get them re cabled, if were lucky some one might figure a way to mod the headphone Chamber it self to take mini XLRS but I think I'd rather not go that route, and just the cable made for it.
 
Still good to hear that it sounds pretty amazing out of it's full Portable System. I'm hoping if balanced with XLR and the proper cable it'll have an equally or suficently stunning quality of sound out  of existing balanced systems. 
 
I just saw Zorins Post, shame one me. I hope though we get a tour going on these, Treble impressions are VERY subjective. Some ppl called the LCD 2 uber dark and quoted it has having "dead treble" until I heard the LCD 2 Fazor, I was then able to decide for my self how "dead" the treble was. An the LCD 2 Treble wasn't... as bright as I like it but it was sufficent.
 
Meh open closed, not a big deal to me. My first rig was my HM 601 cMoy BB and my DT 880, yes I used a DT 880 in public it was grand. It actually didn't leak much out side like 3 feet from me
 
Any ways, here's to hoping we can get a tour going 

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

Price Japan has the Z7s listed:
 
http://www.pricejapan.com/front/e_good_info.php?code=1428&category=10
 

Maker		Sony
Japan model name		MDR-Z7
USA Model Name		MUC-B12SM1
Price		50,800 Yen
Pure Weight		0.3 kg
Total Weight With Box		1.4 kg
Size(width*length*height)		28 cm * 26 cm * 25 cm
Cubic Weight		3.00 kg
Item Count		pcs
Option		SONY PHA-3 (85,800 Yen) SONY CC-DST-HP1AW(headphone stand) (7,500 Yen) SONY MUC-B20BL1( balanced connection cable) (22,000 Yen) SONY MUC-B12SM1 (cable) (20,500 Yen)

 
This is much lower then what I'm paying through Amazon...

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

Pricejapan is great. I've ordered from Kaneda a few times and it's always been fast, smooth service