[Bill-P]

Probably better just fill it with a piece of BAF wadding or acoustic foam to dampen the inner standing waves, without decreasing the calculated acoustic chamber size like the too thick rubber damping does.
http://www.qtasystems.co.uk/articles/how-to-damping.htm

 
The problem with using anything that fills in the space in the inner chamber for the Z7 is that... the amount of air inside the chamber will be reduced, and then bass will suffer.
 
I'm still trying out different things with my Z7 in order to bring it up to snuff with my other gears.
 
It's really close, and yet so far away. Both my ATH-ES10 and HE-560 are still ahead of the Z7 in key areas... such as soundstage depth, transient edges, transparency, and imaging. The HE-560 is nonwithstanding, but I'd think the Z7 should be able to catch up to the ES10, which is an on-ear headphone using 53mm drivers.

 

[purk]

   
The problem with using anything that fills in the space in the inner chamber for the Z7 is that... the amount of air inside the chamber will be reduced, and then bass will suffer.
 
I'm still trying out different things with my Z7 in order to bring it up to snuff with my other gears.
 
It's really close, and yet so far away. Both my ATH-ES10 and HE-560 are still ahead of the Z7 in key areas... such as soundstage depth, transient edges, transparency, and imaging. The HE-560 is nonwithstanding, but I'd think the Z7 should be able to catch up to the ES10, which is an on-ear headphone using 53mm drivers.

It is time to try a different cable.

 

[grizzlybeast]

So my z7 is gone now. Do I miss it? Not really. Was it better than the mh40. In many ways yes. But I had more fun with the MH40 tbh

 

[mangler]

Agree on this.  Seems the more volume I add the better everything sounds.  First time I've experienced that with a headphone. 

Totally agree too.

 

[satish89]

 
Agree on this.  Seems the more volume I add the better everything sounds.  First time I've experienced that with a headphone. 

 
I also concur - I found my Triple.Fi 10 behaved similarly, and seems like it was tuned to be enjoyed when blasted, with a minimally fatiguing signature. The effect is more prevalent in the Z7 to my ears though. Though it is somewhat helped with the addition of the PHA-3.
 
I think my impressions of the Z7 are so positive because I'm yet to try anything else in it's price bracket, and so this is the first time I'm hearing anything in this realm of quality. Previously my best headphones were probably my XBA-H3, which have a similar signature to the Z7 but the bass is not as defined and lacks the same extension, as well as a smaller sound stage and slightly less presence in the treble section. But that's comparing IEMs to a full size over ear headphone so it's kind of apples and oranges I guess. H3 still holds it's own considering its portability - it has the same speaker like quality to its signature. And it's been a while since they had any ear time - the Z7 gets full attention when I'm at home and the Triple.Fi gets used for commutes to and from work where isolation is paramount.
 
All that said, as I only get crazy prices from Sony, I doubt I'll feel tempted to grab anything else in the Z7's territory for quite some time. 

 

[Bill-P]

  It is time to try a different cable.

I already did. Got the stock HE-560 cable lying around, so I rigged a replacement. The difference is still not enough to make up for what it's missing from the other 2 headphones that I have. In fact, it's marginally better than the stock cable.
 
I love its tonal balance, but the Z7 is just not as technically inclined as the other 2 headphones for the time being, which is why I'm still trying to mod to push it...

 

[purk]

I already did. Got the stock HE-560 cable lying around, so I rigged a replacement. The difference is still not enough to make up for what it's missing from the other 2 headphones that I have. In fact, it's marginally better than the stock cable.

I love its tonal balance, but the Z7 is just not as technically inclined as the other 2 headphones for the time being, which is why I'm still trying to mod to push it...

Was it a good quality silver cable? I don't think a stock hifiman will be that much better myself. Have u tried running it balanced? The improvements I hear are substantial actually. You will never be able to mod the z7 to sound as good as a reference level headphones such as the HD800 imo as it was not tuned that way from the beginning.

 

[MacedonianHero]

I am a big fan of the Z7s, but if classical is your main music source, I'd look into say the BeoPlay H6s instead. But if you're a rock, metal or jazz guy (like me), the Z7s really rock!

 

[Kermy]

  I am a big fan of the Z7s, but if classical is your main music source, I'd look into say the BeoPlay H6s instead. But if you're a rock, metal or jazz guy (like me), the Z7s really rock!

What if you're a fan of classical and jazz? 

 

 

[MacedonianHero]

 
What if you're a fan of classical and jazz? 

 

 
Simple...SR-009s. 

 

[Bill-P]

Was it a good quality silver cable? I don't think a stock hifiman will be that much better myself. Have u tried running it balanced? The improvements I hear are substantial actually. You will never be able to mod the z7 to sound as good as a reference level headphones such as the HD800 imo as it was not tuned that way from the beginning.

I'd hope so:
http://hifiman.com/Products/?pid=205
 
And yeah, I have tried to run it balanced. More impact, but still not as clean/clear.
 
I'm not asking for HD800 clarity, but at least it should be up to par with something like the Denon D5000/D7000, which are in the same price range. And still, I believe the Z7's drivers to be very capable. Sony simply mucked it up when they used the enclosure they did, and made the ear pads the way it is.
 
The Z7 would have been a worthy successor to the R10 if they had just gotten the enclosure right. I mean... its measurements look suspiciously similar to the R10. The R10 just sounds cleaner because it doesn't have to deal with enclosure resonance, poor damping factor, and the likes.

 

[Lorspeaker]

maybe a padchange......some velor to absorb the bouncing waves...lol..as if i know the "science"...more like a hunch. 

​

 

[gerelmx1986]

I can say My MDR-1R sound very nice with my walkman A17, the XBA-H3 don't unless I eq those which i am in the process of tuning due the crappy 5-band EQ from sony, impressive its 2015 and still with a 5 band EQ

 

[davidmolliere]

I have read so many (not so good) things about the Z7 and I was intrigued so I got a listen for an hour or so, right out of the ZX1 it was a mixed bag just as I had read, very warm overall, it lacked air and treble energy and bass was interesting as in deep and layered but fuzzy/messy. I had to push the ZX1 on very high volume and had a hunch it couldn't really drive those 70mm drivers.
 
I decided to come back to the store with my FiiO E18, not expecting the warm source to improve the already warm signature but... that second listen was nothing like from the ZX1, more air, bass way more defined and articulate and that's more suprising, trebles have way more sparkle to them. I'd say the sound is more balanced and less warm overall. Soundstage is also greatly improved. The laid back sound and the great comfort (a weak point of the Pandora Hope VI, unluckiky), I decided to get them.
 
As I don't have a better amp (no big need with Pandora Hope and IE800), I can't test the hypothesis but I think it needs a proper source. I am curious to know how the PHA-3 balanced would sound with those. I tested out a more analytical source with the Dragonfly on my MacBook, and wasn't disappointed, the analytical ESS Sabre really pairs well with the Z7 and it has not trouble driving them. Food for thoughts to get the PHA-3 and run this balanced.

 

[qsk78]

  Food for thoughts to get the PHA-3 and run this balanced.

Yes.  Sound really nice together.