[Hawaiibadboy]

  Paper is good for bass but how can treble or mids be tested? I look at the graphs too and am thankful for people like Tyll at innerfidelity but when I looked at the graph for the z7; to me they sound much better than the graphs imply.

 
 
The paper is fun but useful. If you can feel it or claim to it should cause a visual that can be captured.
That's just for sub-bass
 
I was talking about the other part of what we do which is exact same track, exact same setting, exact same hardware.
 
Any deviation is noted and it's exact parameters are shared. I was thinking more of a zero can ref that is agreed upon by members (just a few members ) and using all the exacts...comparing every other can after it to it. Using avg consumer equip like an ipod classic and a a common amp (?) makes those settings and hardware repeatable and the debate can at least center around a unified comparison.
 
just my slightly more than 2 cents

 
Seeing folks talk about female vocals without the track or with the track but no mention of settings or visa versa is frustrating. Take that out and make an accepted criteria.

 

[gr8soundz]

   
 
The paper is fun but useful. If you can feel it or claim to it should cause a visual that can be captured.
That's just for sub-bass
 
I was talking about the other part of what we do which is exact same track, exact same setting, exact same hardware.
 
Any deviation is noted and it's exact parameters are shared. I was thinking more of a zero can ref that is agreed upon by members (just a few members ) and using all the exacts...comparing every other can after it to it. Using avg consumer equip like an ipod classic and a a common amp (?) makes those settings and hardware repeatable and the debate can at least center around a unified comparison.
 
just my slightly more than 2 cents

 
Seeing folks talk about female vocals without the track or with the track but no mention of settings or visa versa is frustrating. Take that out and make an accepted criteria.

 
That's exactly what I was thinking about. I looked at the bass thread a few times when I had the yamaha pro500s; wasn't aware that other parameters were tested with that precision. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Currawong]

@gordie OT, but the Benchmark DAC1 tends to emphasise the regions you find irritating. One of my most vivid experiences was when a friend of mine had a load of Stax gear and a DAC1 and had a vintage Nakamichi Dragon DAC pass through his office. When we switched to the Nakamichi (a vintage DAC that uses PCM1704s) the difference was apparent, with all the glare that we were used to from the DAC1 gone. The 4070s though are one of the greatest headphones for vocals IMO. When I tried them they brought tears to me eyes -- a very rare experience.
 
Anyhow, back to the Sonys...

 

[dweaver]

  Congrats! How is is the noise isolation say next to the K545s?

I would say the isolation level is somewhat similar between the two. But the K545 is slightly better. To test I sat in my computer room with no music playing. The K545 blocked out just a smidge more sound especially the upper frequencies. But the differences are very small. The bigger sound of the Z7 makes that all go away once the music starts though

 

[Skooter]

Who here is hopefully waiting for Sony to put the 70mm LCP+aluminum drivers to MDR MA900 chassis..... and call it MDR MA1000?

Based on the impressions here I think the new 70mm LCP/Aluminum is being hindered by closed type design...   driver of that needs a lot of breathing room!

70mm LCP+Aluminum needs MDR MA900 chassis.  Even better if Sony can make the whole MA900 frame all magnesium and drop the weight (sans cable) to just 190 grams.

I have an extra MA 900 frame and am considering adding the Z7 drivers to it. One challenge is the cups obviously differ. And the ports differ. And the MA900 has the nonwoven fibre focusing gizmo inside.

Fitting the new 70mm driver is unlikely to be plug and play. Does anyone have a view here?

And the Z7 is very comfortable. Industrial engineering is fantastic.

Maybe the more appropriate approach is to modify the z7 with semi open cups for a start. Could be a nice 3d printing project as a team could print a bunch of cups for testing. Jude (?) alluded to this modifying in his recent video.

 

[nick n]

searched to no avail and this may be a longshot, has anyone got ( or had ) both the Z7 and the JVC/Victor HP-DX700 or 1000 to roughly compare them
 
EDIT : At least there's one anyhow.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/728006/sonys-new-flagship-2014-mdr-z7/2445#post_10990430

 

[miceblue]

Pardon me waltzing into the thread so suddenly, but can anyone provide some insight as to how Sony might actually get the 4-100,000 Hz specification?

Evidently from Tyll's measurements of the Z7, there's a tremendous amount of bass and treble roll-off at 30 Hz and 10 kHz....so why even bother mentioning it has a frequency response of 4-10,000 Hz? Are they measuring 4-100,000 Hz ± 100 dB or something? >.>

 

[hekeli]

Pardon me waltzing into the thread so suddenly, but can anyone provide some insight as to how Sony might actually get the 4-100,000 Hz specification?

 
Are you seriously asking or trolling? Everyone knows or should know on this century that headphone hz specifications are complete marketing fluff, like the famous PMPO speaker wattages.

 

[thatBeatsguy]

   
Are you seriously asking or trolling? Everyone knows or should know on this century that headphone hz specifications are complete marketing fluff, like the famous PMPO speaker wattages.

Trolling, of course. No need to get worked up. Besides, he posted about it in the Animu thread.

 

[miceblue]

Pardon me waltzing into the thread so suddenly, but can anyone provide some insight as to how Sony might actually get the 4-100,000 Hz specification?

Are you seriously asking or trolling? Everyone knows or should know on this century that headphone hz specifications are complete marketing fluff, like the famous PMPO speaker wattages.

While true, it is a legitimate question. I'm wondering how manufacturers get these numbers.

 

[thatBeatsguy]

While true, it is a legitimate question. I'm wondering how manufacturers get these numbers.

I'm guessing their measuring equipment has a +/- 100 dB range, and they probably factored in thhe frequencies which are blatantly inaudible. Just cuz.

 

[hekeli]

More expensive in the line, better the hz. If competitor is better, add even more. Simple. 

 
Well it's not funny since laughably even some "review" sites cite the figures as some sort of truth, so it's not helping generally.

 

[daerron]

Sadly heard last week that Sony is closing up shop in my country (South Africa). Guess I'll never get a chance to own the Z7 without going the import route. When things are going this badly with a major electronics company it just goes to show how important product launches like these become.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  The pricing of this headphone is what agitates me more than anything.
 
I know this headphone isn't terrible at all. I just hate the pricing of this headphone to no end.

 
I'm sure after the initial rush the price will steadily drop, and settle somewhere lower then list price.
 
With that said, I did pay list price, and don't feel slighted in the least....

 

[x838nwy]

Pardon me waltzing into the thread so suddenly, but can anyone provide some insight as to how Sony might actually get the 4-100,000 Hz specification?

Evidently from Tyll's measurements of the Z7, there's a tremendous amount of bass and treble roll-off at 30 Hz and 10 kHz....so why even bother mentioning it has a frequency response of 4-10,000 Hz? Are they measuring 4-100,000 Hz ± 100 dB or something? >.>

 
3 possibilities:
 
a.) vivid, vivid imagination
b.) going all the way to -100dB or some such crap. which is  a little silly - if one extends one's definition of "response" far enough one can probably get it to respond to the orbit of Venus or something.
c.) magic. specifically awesome unicorn magic.
 
But yes, unless they're trying to cover sperm whales all the way up to fruit bats as customers, the frequency response seems a bit pointless.
Oh, and I got a listen yesterday. It was a ZX1->PHA-3->Z7 demo rig. It was a nice sound, but I had a slight problem with the bass. It was there but quite a bit loose. But I think I will get a pair, they're really comfy, well built and imo, its failings are really not all that great a deal in comparison to it's rather smooth and quite open sound. As long as you don't think they're something like a modern day Qualia's they're pretty good.
 
just my $0.02...