[likenother]

If YOU don't like the sound of these headphones, does NOT make them "bad" or not HiFi"; it ONLY means they are not for YOU!
 
Just because you don't like some Hermès runway pieces, does NOT make them "bad", it simply means they're not for you!
 
These are amazing headphones for those who love them, and horrible for those who don't!

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  THIS. There has been too much hype in this thread for me to believe even half of it. I've heard from well-standing head-fi'ers that even they were bought by the massive hype and when accurately compared to other respectable headphones the MDR-Z7 turned out to be the slouch.

 
 
I'm not seeing much negativity, except from people who have never tested the Z7.  Its fair to want head to head comparisons, but to expect any headphone to kick the tail of a competitor that's twice the price might be a bit unfair.
 
My only experience in the same price is the TH600 and the RS1e
 
TH600 - less isolation, less leakage, similar quality, less comfort, more treble that's less accurate, more bass that's less accurate, slightly more aggressive, similar sound stage
 
RS1e - no isolation, full leakage, similar quality, less comfort, more aggressive even though its less aggressive then other past Grados, bass is more accurate, treble is more accurate, more sound stage

 

[MrGuzmanWhite]

  I`m sure you`ve experimented with this already, but I experienced a significant change in bass with the Z7 simply by altering the wearing position.  

Thank you, I tried and "perhaps" there is an effect, but it is clearly not ideal for me. When I reduce the bass with the EQ, the headphone improves quite a lot, just 6 db of enhanced bass that affect a lot the tonal balance. I wish it would be possible got EQ the headphone!

 

[Jodet]

  I just got mine delivered from Sony USA. Unit number 111, so it is one of the first ones made. I just connected it into my NUFORCE HDP Dac/headphone amp and started to play CD quality. Initial impressions after 10 min, not good. I will write a full summary of the SQ of this headphone in the coming days after I try to adapt to the sound and see if the break in affects the sound signature.
 
I now understand why the adjectives used for this headphone are "dark", "muddy", "recessed mids", and tamed highs and used together with "boomy bloated bass". Unless there is a dramatic change  in sound signature in the coming days, or my brain rewires, I think this will turn to be a big disappointment. 
 
Besides the SQ, the craftsmanship and quality of this headphone is superb.
 

 
I've owned an HDP.    It is not up to pushing the Z7's.   On my $1300 tube and and SACD player the Z7's sound wonderful. 

 

[Random Guy]

How much does the Z7 leak and bleed?

 

[MrGuzmanWhite]

  How much does the Z7 leak and bleed?

I would say that for a closed can it is average. It is not particularly silent. It all depends on the volume used but at least when I close the pads with my hands (not a perfect test but this is the only way I can try), and the music is loud, there is clearly music coming out that can be heard in the room from a distance.

 

[MrGuzmanWhite]

   
I've owned an HDP.    It is not up to pushing the Z7's.   On my $1300 tube and and SACD player the Z7's sound wonderful. 

Ok, thank you, I will test with my other amp, a Schiit Asgard. I hope that one can drive it high with that amp. With the HDP I can reach very loud volumes with no problem, so not sure why you say it is not powerful enough (?). Maybe the HDP amp is sloppy for this headphone?

 

[gelocks]

 
Ok, thank you, I will test with my other amp, a Schiit Asgard. I hope that one can drive it high with that amp. With the HDP I can reach very loud volumes with no problem, so not sure why you say it is not powerful enough (?). Maybe the HDP amp is sloppy for this headphone?

 
The worse thing about the HDP is it's amp section... (DAC and pre-amp are Ok, but like all NuForce, a bit bright with hint of grain). Still I like mine! (use it as DAC mostly). And yeah, Asgard might be better and fuller...
 
Either way, I don't think an amp will make you automagically like the headphone! And I believe that is A-Ok!

 

[ogodei]

 
The bass/mid-bass hump is ever-present however. Depending on the genre it is more or less present - at its best it feels like a natural part of the music - at its worst (so far for me it's especially present in some jazz recordings) it completely dominates the sound and is really distracting. This is by far the biggest problem to me. I can't quite put my finger on it yet, but it feels like there is some weird resonance happening that is not at all pleasing to me. Looking at the earlier pictures of the internal construction it could definitely be that these could benefit from a bit of damping material in the cups. Whatever it is, it has been present on a good deal of the material I've tried them with.
 
Closing out the night with Dire Straits Dire Straits via DSD. These really come together with this album. Smooth, easy listening, and that bass hump integrates well into the music. Detail and that 'right there' immediacy is still lacking, but not nearly so problematic on this album as it is on many others. This could explain why the reviews of these are so all over the map right now as they really seem to have a different character depending on the genre of music and (possibly) the gear they are paired with.

 
I got this same impression from several minutes of listening as well. The bass hump sometimes resonates well with complex, mid-bass centric music (Dire Straits, Steely Dan, guitar rock stuff) but its still very forward.  With more airy stuff ( jazz\ brass \ woodwinds) its kind of 'What the heck is THAT doing there?' . I paired the cans with a GS-X mk2 which has pretty good control and the hump was still there so my bet is this will be primarily based on music. I was listening with a Gungnir though, will need to try it with a different DAC.
 

  I'm still surprised there haven't been more comparisons of the MDR-Z7 to the Alpha Dog, TH900, or ZMF x Vibro. I think for what you spend they should be directly compared to everything else within a similar price range. I have heard some opinions that the MDR-Z7 cant keep up with any of the headphones I just mentioned. That would be a major disappointment since they are priced in a bracket that demands them to keep up with other hi-fi closed cans.

 
MDR-Z7 v Alpha Dog - Z7 Sub bass & bass is way forward of the AD & present in greater quantity. Low mids are forward, possibly pushed by that "resonant hump" (which I'm guessing is somewhere between 150-350hz?) but mainly just somewhat forward.  Upper mids are slightly recessed from the AD.  As I mentioned in an earlier post the Z7 just seems to end around 11 to 12k, so all air from the sound is gone while Alpha Dog can bring some air into the mix. So with Z7 you get the cymbal's "bang" but with AD you get the real "clash" with all the jangly harmonics up there. The Z7s have more personality than the ADs (and that personality is 'bass') while the ADs seem like they try to do all things correctly if politely.
 
MDR-Z7 v TH-900s - Sub Bass\Bass is about the same but less controlled on the Z7s, tighter on the 900s. The bump on the Z7 leading into the mids is very apparent compared to the 900s. The 900s mid-range drops back fairly fast while the Z7 mids are forward and not as detailed or clear in comparison. And on the top end the 900s are just sharper and extend all the way up there so you get pierce & air in the music.
 
This was all listening with Gungnir, Ragnarok & or GS-X mk2. 
 
The TH-900s are not anywhere in a similar price range BTW unless the cost has dropped sharply. IMO TH-900s easily best the Z7s. The ADs will depend on your tastes but I think they are geared toward listeners wanting the flatter experience.

 

[telecaster]

Shipped from japan,
I got to finally listen to my Z7 :
-Jriver played from SSD BRIX i7u4500 minipc (gizmo remote)
-USB interface : Explorer (TOSLINK)
-DAC : Director
-AMP : Lafigaro 339 reboot. GEC 6AS7G & L63 tubes
 

 
FLAC on SSD used :
Billie Jean - Micheal Jackson's  25th anniversary Thriller
Nobody Home - Pink Floyd's The Wall
Aura - Lady Gaga's Artpop
Sugar Coated Sour - The Dillinger escape plan's Calculating Infinity
Improv Munchen - King Crimson's Heavy ConstruKction
Love - John Lennon's Plastic Ono band
Mother Tongues - John Mclaughlin Trio's live at royal festival hall
The Salmon dance - Chemical brothers' We are the night
 

 
FOCUS
I would call the Z7 very focused.
There's this precision in keeping the focus
You are more than invited to select a single detail that the Z7 present sonically Inside your head.
You can track it, look at it, feel the body of it, the atmosphere around the examined elements.
On the faint détails that usually are masked by miscellanous gunk the z7 shines
 
MONITOR
That reminded me of the monitoring type of listenning. The ambiance of the recording has never been so well expressed in any headphone I had. I can see people buying this headphone just to be able to mix sub bass mixes, tracking unwanted bass signal in productions,etc. I really like the fact that I now have a headphone capable of reproducing sub bass at that level.
 
PRECISION
The sound is precise at loud volume where there is an orchestral fortissimo including the thundering basses and the screaming choirs.
I would imagine the large (alu?coated membrane permits the Z7 to play as loud as earthshaking explosions while still retaining perfect placement of the instruments, easy lack of distorsion. Fortissmos are moment where the entire audio chain is at the most Under stress.
 

 
 
ACID
I like it. But it is still a reminder of studio monitor where utter detail retrieval is a needed workhorse. Highs are clear and Under the spotlight. In comparaison HD650 high are more a refined like when you wanna relax, while the z7 are alive and I would say with a touch acidity like an apple let's put it tastewise.
 
VOLUME
With calm and clear mind, the volume can be raised very high for a headphone. You don't head harshness because there is none. But don't damage your precious hearing boy.
 
SOUND SIGNATURE
I still don't know about the exact signature, but the z7 was very nice to listen to as the above détails.
The Z7 responded differently between the ibasso DX90 and the home rig. It's way more enjoyable on the full rig.
In a word, the bass is shaking down there and the sound is acid.
 

 
HOLY MOTORS
I love the build of this thing. The headband is solid, smooth, leather and metal to the touch of very nice quality! And this is the most silent and dampen headband I ever used. BUT the size is too little even fully extended : My biggest drawback of the z7.
The leather is nice because I feel it drinks from my skin oïl, where leatherette would only stock it on the surface. I love leather.

 

[MrGuzmanWhite]

 
Either way, I don't think an amp will make you automagically like the headphone! And I believe that is A-Ok!

You are correct, the Asgard and Bifrost combo doesn't alter much the sound tonality. I am doing A-B with my AKG 550, and even for imaging and soundstage the AKG is a match or better than the MDR-Z7 with much better tonality for my taste (both driven from the Schist pair). All being said, for $700, the Sony MDR-Z7 doesn't look to justify that price range (at least to my sound preferences), I feel they have hindered a good headphone by enhancing the low frequencies, unnecessarily.

 

[goldenSHK]

  If YOU don't like the sound of these headphones, does NOT make them "bad" or not HiFi"; it ONLY means they are not for YOU!
 
Just because you don't like some Hermès runway pieces, does NOT make them "bad", it simply means they're not for you!
 
These are amazing headphones for those who love them, and horrible for those who don't!

If YOU don't like the sound of apple earbuds, does NOT make them "bad" or not HiFi"; it ONLY means they are not for YOU!
 
Just because you don't like some Hermès runway pieces, does NOT make them "bad", it simply means they're not for you!
 
Apple earbuds are amazing headphones for those who love them, and horrible for those who don't!
 
^See what I did there? Not trying to start anything, but it always irks me when people claim that there is 0 objectivity in this hobby. Of course it is mostly subjective, but I think we can all agree that you can like something that is of less technical brilliance. For example, no one would agree that the apple earbuds are "hifi" or "just not for you." They are an objectively lower end product. Same idea can be applied to headphones of different price brackets. It is quite possible that any headphone is "bad." Just because it is really expensive doesn't automatically mean that it can no longer be "bad" and can only be "not for you." 

 

[dweaver]

You are correct, the Asgard and Bifrost combo doesn't alter much the sound tonality. I am doing A-B with my AKG 550, and even for imaging and soundstage the AKG is a match or better than the MDR-Z7 with much better tonality for my taste (both driven from the Schist pair). All being said, for $700, the Sony MDR-Z7 doesn't look to justify that price range (at least to my sound preferences), I feel they have hindered a good headphone by enhancing the low frequencies, unnecessarily.

I have a feeling you would be in nirvana with a K712...

 

[Malfunkt]

Here are my quick impressions. The guys at the Sony Store had not even heard them. They had just got them in and I got to hear it right out of the box.

Which means the sound could possibly change drastically if burn in is real thing with these headphones.

They are very premium feeling and nicely solid.

Immediately upon listening to some DSD material via Sony DAC I can tell you these do not have a studio monitor response. These are not flat response, and they have a very present mid bass range than can conflict.

Actually, there tuning somewhat reminded me of my Denon AH-D600s so some of you can run far away right now. I actually quite love the D600 but it is not a reference can and I would say either is the Z7.

It is clearly designed for modern music production and the enhanced bass will please many.

You can use EQ to reduce the bass on more acoustic, jazz and classical material. And it is certainly easier to take away bass than it is to add it.

Technicalities are very good, and listening to some Coltrane was evocative to say the least.

Attaching my Sony MDR-7550 to the same amp and the same tracks was what I expected. 7550 still has an immense spacious soundstage, less than the z7, and the response and frequencies were flatter and more preferable.




At $700 Canadian. Not for me. My d600 fills this space easily. In fact the d600 may actually hit harder and a bit lower. D600 comfort is on par if not a smidge above. If price is an issue if actually recommend the D600 if you want a fun can. Also, I can push an Hd25 from my iPhone 6, but it cannot drive the z7. Maybe okay for certain tracks, but the z7 is pretty thirsty.

I tempered my enthusiasm for these headphones and they are very very good. the MDR-10 and MDR-1 were puny sounding next to them.

 

[zhenya]

   
I got this same impression from several minutes of listening as well. The bass hump sometimes resonates well with complex, mid-bass centric music (Dire Straits, Steely Dan, guitar rock stuff) but its still very forward.  With more airy stuff ( jazz\ brass \ woodwinds) its kind of 'What the heck is THAT doing there?' . I paired the cans with a GS-X mk2 which has pretty good control and the hump was still there so my bet is this will be primarily based on music. I was listening with a Gungnir though, will need to try it with a different DAC.
 
 
MDR-Z7 v Alpha Dog - Z7 Sub bass & bass is way forward of the AD & present in greater quantity. Low mids are forward, possibly pushed by that "resonant hump" (which I'm guessing is somewhere between 150-350hz?) but mainly just somewhat forward.  Upper mids are slightly recessed from the AD.  As I mentioned in an earlier post the Z7 just seems to end around 11 to 12k, so all air from the sound is gone while Alpha Dog can bring some air into the mix. So with Z7 you get the cymbal's "bang" but with AD you get the real "clash" with all the jangly harmonics up there. The Z7s have more personality than the ADs (and that personality is 'bass') while the ADs seem like they try to do all things correctly if politely.
 
MDR-Z7 v TH-900s - Sub Bass\Bass is about the same but less controlled on the Z7s, tighter on the 900s. The bump on the Z7 leading into the mids is very apparent compared to the 900s. The 900s mid-range drops back fairly fast while the Z7 mids are forward and not as detailed or clear in comparison. And on the top end the 900s are just sharper and extend all the way up there so you get pierce & air in the music.
 
This was all listening with Gungnir, Ragnarok & or GS-X mk2. 
 
The TH-900s are not anywhere in a similar price range BTW unless the cost has dropped sharply. IMO TH-900s easily best the Z7s. The ADs will depend on your tastes but I think they are geared toward listeners wanting the flatter experience.

 
Agreed completely. Your description of the cymbal's sound on the AD is exactly what I'm hearing on my CD3000's, HD800's and to a lesser extent, the D7000's but not on the Z7.