[MaceHane2]

Yes, I had attached the cable (and they were properly attached!) as I wanted to hear what it sounded like straight from an iPhone 6+.
I stood in front of a mirror and moved my head side to side, slowly, and the was a click sound on the left. The cable was
not moving or touching the ear cup.
 
I can't help but feel that there's a "reason" these have suddenly appeared on Amazon UK at this price.
 
The click sound would have had me return them even if they had come sealed and obviously been new. I'm just glad that I hadn't as planned ordered the PHA-3 amp last night from a different european Amazon @ circa £530.
Right now I don't think I'm going to be ordering Z7 in the very near term; perhaps leave it a while ....
 
Now I'm also slightly concerned about the Beyer T5p that I ordered from Amazon France! Wanted a pair of these for a long while. and
the price has always been prohibitive (as well as being a little concerned about thin cables that cannot be removed) but seeing them on Amazon France for 620 euro's made me take the plunge.
We'll see.
 
Have to say though, the Z7's look and feel absolutely fabulous! Such a shame that so many folks out there think the ear cups are plastic!
They looked amazing and they felt like they were built to still feel amazing in twenty years. The comfort on-head was the cherry on the cake.
 
Maybe I'll get a pair again at some point ...

 

[dL.]

If you have the cable attached, then I think the clicking noise is coming from the cable itself. Try wiggling the cable right before there's the rubber seal to protect it from breaking and you should notice it makes a sound. If the other side doesn't make it, simply wiggle it more to break it in and you should hear it on both sides.

dL

 

[Mink]

 
Yes, I had attached the cable (and they were properly attached!) as I wanted to hear what it sounded like straight from an iPhone 6+.
I stood in front of a mirror and moved my head side to side, slowly, and the was a click sound on the left. The cable was
not moving or touching the ear cup.
 
I can't help but feel that there's a "reason" these have suddenly appeared on Amazon UK at this price.
 
The click sound would have had me return them even if they had come sealed and obviously been new. I'm just glad that I hadn't as planned ordered the PHA-3 amp last night from a different european Amazon @ circa £530.
Right now I don't think I'm going to be ordering Z7 in the very near term; perhaps leave it a while ....
 
Now I'm also slightly concerned about the Beyer T5p that I ordered from Amazon France! Wanted a pair of these for a long while. and
the price has always been prohibitive (as well as being a little concerned about thin cables that cannot be removed) but seeing them on Amazon France for 620 euro's made me take the plunge.
We'll see.
 
Have to say though, the Z7's look and feel absolutely fabulous! Such a shame that so many folks out there think the ear cups are plastic!
They looked amazing and they felt like they were built to still feel amazing in twenty years. The comfort on-head was the cherry on the cake.
 
 

 
I thought so too in the beginning, but they are definitely metal. Just lick them

 

[Mink]

The 70's albums of 10CC sound amazing with the Z7s! With these albums (Sheet Music, How Dare You, Original Soundtrack) they beat the D5000s and A900Xs by a pretty large margin.
Soundstage, bass, layering, depth and timbre is spot on.

 

[cheznous]

Wallet is not going to like it but you guys feedbacks about Kimber Kable got me ordering them, will have to wait a bit as they come from Japan... You could add a must have is a good amp, the 70 ohm and 100+ dB sensitivity plus the fact you can get them loud on a good smartphone doesn't reflect the need for those to be properly driven. I am really happy about the PHA-3 by the way (except for the fact that PHA-3 AC has not battery)

I note you have the UK PHA 3. May I ask do you use the ZX1 and if so does the supplied cable work without the NW10.
I also note on mine that on optical input the high res light doesn't come on.

 

[Jodet]

 

Wallet is not going to like it but you guys feedbacks about Kimber Kable got me ordering them, will have to wait a bit as they come from Japan... You could add a must have is a good amp, the 70 ohm and 100+ dB sensitivity plus the fact you can get them loud on a good smartphone doesn't reflect the need for those to be properly driven. I am really happy about the PHA-3 by the way (except for the fact that PHA-3 AC has not battery)

I note you have the UK PHA 3. May I ask do you use the ZX1 and if so does the supplied cable work without the NW10.
I also note on mine that on optical input the high res light doesn't come on.

 
May I ask where in Japan you ordered them from and what cost?

 

[MaceHane2]

Probably the only negative aspect to these (if I were trying to "see" any negatives), were the cables.
Without getting the PHA-3, is the cable to plug into the silly "balanced connectors" on the amp ever likely to be used?
Surely it would have been better to enclose that cable with the amp for those who decide to buy it for its standout feature - the balanced connection?
So effectively one is left with just the single cable, and it's more than a little awkward to my eyes. A nice, second shorter (1.2m) cable would have been great, and they could have more easily been used in places other than home.
Or am I missing something very simple here with regard to the cables?
 
Also, what are you guys using, amp-wise, to drive your Z7's?
I'm kinda wondering what are possibly the best options amp-wise (besides the PHA-3) to drive these well, and have good synergy with them; at different price points all the way up to Hugo perhaps. I suppose I am really meaning, portable-sized amps.
Because of course the sad thing in europe is that the damn PHA-3 doesn't come with a battery!
 
I think if it came with a nice quality shorter cable as mentioned above, these would be 'phones that whilst not being hugely portable (no folding down in any way), would still certainly be "take-out-able"!

 

[dL.]

Probably the only negative aspect to these (if I were trying to "see" any negatives), were the cables.
Without getting the PHA-3, is the cable to plug into the silly "balanced connectors" on the amp ever likely to be used?
Surely it would have been better to enclose that cable with the amp for those who decide to buy it for its standout feature - the balanced connection?
So effectively one is left with just the single cable, and it's more than a little awkward to my eyes. A nice, second shorter (1.2m) cable would have been great, and they could have more easily been used in places other than home.
Or am I missing something very simple here with regard to the cables?

Also, what are you guys using, amp-wise, to drive your Z7's?
I'm kinda wondering what are possibly the best options amp-wise (besides the PHA-3) to drive these well, and have good synergy with them; at different price points all the way up to Hugo perhaps. I suppose I am really meaning, portable-sized amps.
Because of course the sad thing in europe is that the damn PHA-3 doesn't come with a battery!

I think if it came with a nice quality shorter cable as mentioned above, these would be 'phones that whilst not being hugely portable (no folding down in any way), would still certainly be "take-out-able"!

HiFiGuy528 and I both use the Woo Audio WA7+WA7TP combo and they sound great with the Z7!

dL

 

[davidmolliere]

 

I note you have the UK PHA 3. May I ask do you use the ZX1 and if so does the supplied cable work without the NW10.
I also note on mine that on optical input the high res light doesn't come on.

 
I have the european version yes (PHA-3 AC), ordered from sony.fr, note that if I hadn't googled I wouldn't know about the "AC" as it's not indicated anywhere that it's a no-battery version of PHA-3...
 
Anyway, I use the ZX1 with the supplied cable walkman to micro usb cable (the micro usb with the pin thing that seems to be made only to prevent from using it with another AMP/DAC... shame on you Sony btw).
 
What's NW10 ? I don't use anything else than ZX1 to PHA-3 connector when using the ZX1.
Did try optical, and I don't have a source to try it, I can't confirm that. 

 

[davidmolliere]

  May I ask where in Japan you ordered them from and what cost?

 
I ordered them on eBay at 280$ from Emmy Japan/TRS (seller : emyfon) as I couldn't find a store that would ship to France, and Sony doesn't sell this on sony.fr.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

  Probably the only negative aspect to these (if I were trying to "see" any negatives), were the cables.
Without getting the PHA-3, is the cable to plug into the silly "balanced connectors" on the amp ever likely to be used?
Surely it would have been better to enclose that cable with the amp for those who decide to buy it for its standout feature - the balanced connection?
So effectively one is left with just the single cable, and it's more than a little awkward to my eyes. A nice, second shorter (1.2m) cable would have been great, and they could have more easily been used in places other than home.
Or am I missing something very simple here with regard to the cables?
 
Also, what are you guys using, amp-wise, to drive your Z7's?
I'm kinda wondering what are possibly the best options amp-wise (besides the PHA-3) to drive these well, and have good synergy with them; at different price points all the way up to Hugo perhaps. I suppose I am really meaning, portable-sized amps.
Because of course the sad thing in europe is that the damn PHA-3 doesn't come with a battery!
 
I think if it came with a nice quality shorter cable as mentioned above, these would be 'phones that whilst not being hugely portable (no folding down in any way), would still certainly be "take-out-able"!

 
I'm using my HiFi-M8, single ended with the stock cable.  I love the combo so far.  I'm trying to decide my next upgrade path, so upgrade cables for balanced listening are up in the air for me.  I would love the upcoming ZX2 and maybe Kimber Kable combo to work well with the Z7.  We shale see...

 

[Mink]

It always surprises me on this forum that newly bought headphones are updated already after a couple weeks of owning the damn pair!
Modifcations, new cables, alternative earpads, a new amp exclusively for one pair of headphones etc. ??!!
I highly doubt I will replace the stock cables by expensive Kimbers the coming years, liking the sound just as it is, with the headphones plugged in the phones-out of my Marantz PM7200. Simple and good excellent enough for me

 

[dweaver]

I am all stock and very happy so far. If I buy anything it will be something like the Pono so I can try the balanced cables. I even use these just from my LG G3 as often as not and am happy with the output. Its better with one of better sources and amp but not by so large a margin that I feel cheated when just using my phone.

 

[Progreacja]

Hey, all EU people ! Amazon UK is selling Sony MDR-Z7 now for £339.08 (around 455 Euro) I just order a pair, can't wait 

 
I thought somebody might use the promotion as well. 

 

[MaceHane2]

Perhaps, for those Z7 users who want to use it if not out and about, but certainly not "tethered" to the listening room, then the soon-to-be-released PHA-1A might be a compact solution that might partner the Z7 really nicely? It may not be the optimum (which one presumes the PHA-3 to be) but they have to have made it at least with a nod to the Z7 one would think - that it can at least drive them reasonably well and with decent results.
I know the PHA-3 isn't as compact as its two earlier siblings, but when I had it in mind I was thinking that at least with the battery it was easily movable, even if not (for me) of a size that I would take it into town with me when I'm sat in various places reading, writing and stuff. But no battery here dealt with that ...
 
But the PHA-1A looks beautifully compact and so then the only thing that "bothers" me about imagining taking a pair of Z7's out with me, as effectively a pair of portable cans, is the cable, as I've mentioned.
How easy do you guys think it would be to get another cable made that could be able to be attached to the Z7, with its screw-on attachment to the cups? Repeating myself here, but if I could get a nifty 1.2m or so cable, then re-acquiring a Z7 might be on the cards for me, especially as I now wouldn't be getting the PHA-3, which saves me £500.
 
The PHA-1A tempts me though, as it look lovely and even though the Z7 doesn't fold flat or compact down, I would still on occasion be happy to take it out with me as the 1A is so brilliantly compact.
 
Thanks for any thoughts.