[likenother]

   
I'm no cable expert but all the cables you mentioned should be better than the ones Sony includes (better sound and materials). As for which among them sounds better; doubt any one person would invest in all of them so comparisons may be difficult.
 
I was about to order a cable from www.plussoundaudio.com (they already have the z7 in drop down choices) but am considering that the Kimber may be better since it was engineered alongside the z7.

Thanks for the reply!
 
It's a given that any of these cables would be better than the stocks: for one, SONY felt the need to market them; and two, those cables cost more than 1/3 the price of the phones...
 
I took a look at plussoundaudio cables, and the LR series pure silver Type 6 Litz (Cryo treated) seems to be the most expensive option (I usually use price as a reference when I'm not sure which to get), and is that the one you were ordering?
 
I do like the Kimber option since they are packaged as a bundle solution for MDR-Z7 and PHA3; while they are most definitely better than the stock cables, are they as good as the other options? Unless the cable is at cost, SONY had to get them from Kimber, then add extra which probably mean the actual cost of these cables are not as much as the others, eh?!

 

[cute]

I was just comparing my DHC Silver Hybrid cable on the LCD 2F and Z7.  Using this same cable on both, the Z7 bass has more impact, and is tighter than the LCD 2F.  Vocals were very close...soundstage width similar and treble sparkle goes to the Z7!

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  ______
 
Have been listening for the last 1/2 hour to iTunes radio the Classic Rock station with the same gears. I did adjust the Gain to the higher setting on the 11.32 and I am having a few wow moments. 'Go Your Own Way' Fleetwood MAC, (not a big fan but of course on the radio this has been played to death lol)…..anyway it sounds the best I ever heard it. Nice separation and all instruments shining. Vocals are clear and no mud. "Light My Fire" now, am a BIG fan and it sounds as good as I can remember. I'm sure I've played it on my home rig.
 
And the Z7 is very comfortable to wear which I think no one has said anything to the contrary.

______
I have Ser# 139. Amazon got some of the first batch. Hey Jeff what is yours?

 
If you like Fleetwood Mac, give "Tusk" a listen.  The percussion and the instrument variety really shine on the Z7.
 
I have #114.  Not that its super important, but I don't know how Sony does serial numbers.  Would each region get their own set, or is it global for this particular product?
 
I think we should start a pool for how long Saraguie keeps these bad boys.  If the line is 2 weeks, smart money might be on the over....

 

 

[audiobot]

r u guys with the Z7 listening to 16bit or 24bit lossless files? I wonder if I should go 24 bit with my audio.

 

[Defiant00]

  r u guys with the Z7 listening to 16bit or 24bit lossless files? I wonder if I should go 24 bit with my audio.

 
16 bit with dither already covers the entire dynamic range that you could possibly hear when your ears were at their best. It also doesn't matter since most all music is now crammed into the very loudest values with effectively no dynamic range.
 
Some DACs may sound better in 24 bit mode, but 16 bit files really do cover human hearing's dynamic range entirely.

 

[James-uk]

These vs HD600? would they be an upgrade?

 

[Nekrosov]

I don't have Vibro or AD on hand, but I do have other T50RP mods: the Paradox and Slants. The Paradox and Slants are a bit better, especially if Z7 is unmodded. I stuffed acoustic fiber to tone down the Z7's bassyness / hollow coloration; and added small strips on the baffle and driver to "tighten" up the Z7's sound. After mods, Z7 has tonality similar to Slants. Slightly bassy and warm tuning, upper mids a touch recessed with a bump in the mid treble. Slants seem to emphasize the definition or tape-noise region, "sssh". The Z7 has a bump slightly below that in the sibilance region "ssss". The Paradox / Slants have more heft and don't sound as soft in the bass and also have more bass texture. The Z7 may have marginally better mids - close call here. Z7 isn't as deep in terms of stage, esp. compared to Slants. Z7 isn't as crisp - it tends toward an overall softer and relaxed sound with some "indistinctness."
 
Compared to TH900. TH900 is technically superior with much better bass quality and much more bass quantity down in the sub to low bass regions.  Z7 bass seems emphasized evenly (with not as much heft in sub bass compared to TH900) with some bleed into the mids. TH900 sounds much clearer has extremely good "blackground" (one of the best). However TH900 also has a sharp treble peak which adds sort of a hard slappy glare or sharpness, which to me, I find bothersome on most systems. The Z7's treble bump is more gentle with just minor emphasis on es's.
 
In stock form, I find Z7 rather uncompetitive (mid-tier), because of an overly warm and bassy sound which tends toward softness and indistinctness. After mods, I find the Z7 a rather compelling solidly upper mid-teir dynamic headphone with better detail retrieval and bass quality / quantity while still retaining its warm signature.
 
I may be looking at the Z7 with rose-tinted glasses b/c I am somewhat of a Sony fanboy.

Thanks purrin for your review.
 
Is it possible to compare Z7 with HE-500 too, please?
 

I was just comparing my DHC Silver Hybrid cable on the LCD 2F and Z7.  Using this same cable on both, the Z7 bass has more impact, and is tighter than the LCD 2F.  Vocals were very close...soundstage width similar and treble sparkle goes to the Z7!

Wow!! Really? Z7 has better bass than my beloved LCD-2? interesting.

 

[Skooter]

I've heard the MDR-Z7 twice and will provide a brief overview.

First off, build quality & fit and finish appear to be excellent. I also found then to be extremely comfortable. The ear pads and band are plush soft. Few headphones seem to reach this level of design in my view.

First listen - with PH3 amp, Sony-Kimber balanced cables and 35th anniversary DAP. 10 minutes in a noisy store. I found the earphones isolated well. Me and my friend enjoyed the gear. It was the demo jazz, easy classical and random pop music on the store DAP so did not use my music. She told me the sound was smooth and would be especially nice for classical. She also told me to buy the set up then and there. I wanted to try again in a quieter environment but almost pulled the trigger on the amp and phones.

By the way I have heard that slick looking Sony DAP a half dozen times and love the industrial engineering. The interface is a bit better than the iPhone's but the android is more buggy and laggy. The weak amp was not a problem in previous listening with my sensitive iem's and headphones but the sound was always a bit shrill and lifeless. This time the combination seemed to work quite well, but the listen was just too short and the environment too noisy to make a determination. It was an enjoyable session.

The Z7 clearly demands power so I strongly suspect that Sony DAP alone will be insufficient.

Second listen - 30 minutes in quiet store with standard 3 pin cable and using:
1. iPhone 4S as DAP (using the PH3 as DAC and unbalanced amp)
2. IPhone 4s as DAP (using Typhoon muses black portable as DAC and amp)
3. Store laptop with itunes (using Oppo desktop Unit (I think it had its own DAC but forgot))
4. Store laptop2 with itunes (using Marantz desktop DAC/amp)

I have some well recorded classical and acoustical music on my iPhone that I know well. I use this to test gear so it provides a personal benchmark. I found demos 1 and 2 to be good but not spectacular. The highs and mid-range in particular were commendable. The lower frequencies were less satisfying, maybe because of the port. There was some odd low frequency phasing issue in the left earphone with the Typhoon which I think was an issue with the amp and not the headphones.

The Oppo did a better job overall. I have listened to this amp a few times before and thought it was OK. Also tied the LCD X and senn HD800 for a quick comparison. The LCD X and the Sony shared some of the same DNA. The senn's irritating highs and thin lows are emphasized by the Oppo so that was an Unenjoyable listen (I felt the same last month about that combo).

There was something wrong with the laptop2 and Marantz setup as some female highs were distorted in one ear.

Summary--

The first listen was suboptimal conditions but the Sony balanced combination left a positive initial impression. The second sessions were a mixed bag.

There are some general benefits from balanced amps (crosstalk) and the Sony amp/DAC might just be a lot better engineered via balanced vs. via unbalanced path. Alternatively, the Sony DAP might play better than the iphone as a source to the ph3. That said I tried two single ended desktop DAC/AMPs and the sound was good but not great. I not buying the idea that the cable quality is making such a difference.

So initial thesis is that:
1. Z7 should be run in balanced mode
2. Special synergy in balanced mode with ph3 amp and 35th anniversary DAP
3. First listening session was flawed with noisy environment and unknown music

Once the quiet stores have the z7 to test in balanced mode I'll try again and see which thesis is correct.

I would also like to see this driver in an open design and am tempted to make my own.

 

[purrin]

These vs HD600? would they be an upgrade?

 
Sidegrade. HD600 is very much under-appreciated.
 

  Thanks purrin for your review.
 
Is it possible to compare Z7 with HE-500 too, please?

 
I'll do so tonight against my HE-500+jerg pads.
 

  Wow!! Really? Z7 has better bass than my beloved LCD-2? interesting.

 
I didn't think so at all, especially if Z7 is unmodded. LCD-2(r2) bass was much cleaner, tighter, and articulate. There are variances among LCD-2 headphones though.

 

[Nekrosov]

I'll do so tonight against my HE-500+jerg pads.

Thanks

 

[Maxvla]

Massive upgrade to HD600, IMO. HD600 has poor bass impact and side-only soundstage for the most part. Grainy highs and can have a lack of focus unless on great rigs.

 

[gr8soundz]

 
It's a given that any of these cables would be better than the stocks: for one, SONY felt the need to market them; and two, those cables cost more than 1/3 the price of the phones...

 
I agree. You could easily spend more than $700 for the absolute best cables.

 
I took a look at plussoundaudio cables, and the LR series pure silver Type 6 Litz (Cryo treated) seems to be the most expensive option (I usually use price as a reference when I'm not sure which to get), and is that the one you were ordering?

 
I am considering it. From what I've read throughout head-fi silver is tops and figure if I go aftermarket why not. I can order a 4ft 4-wire cable from the site I mentioned for close to the same price as the kimber. The kimber is 8-wire though so it still might be the better choice for the price. Maybe someone else can chime in with their opinion.

 

[Makiah S]

Well it's nice to hear the MDR Z7 has moved into modding territory now lol

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

Yes, I'd like to see one apart, other then my own.....

 

[kman1211]

Massive upgrade to HD600, IMO. HD600 has poor bass impact and side-only soundstage for the most part. Grainy highs and can have a lack of focus unless on great rigs.

That's good to hear. I find the bass impact on the HD 600 isn't that great and it doesn't seem to scale up as well in the bass as my K712. The highs can be a bit grainy, mainly in the 3-4khz region I believe. Honestly I find the headphone inferior to my K712 in most aspects, especially in terms of soundstage. What I like about the HD 600 is it's tonality and it's rich lush wooden-like sound. But honestly it's not what I consider neutral or even the most natural sounding headphone despite all the claims saying it is, it is quite transparent though. I am looking forward to getting the Z7 early next year.