[Headphone4Life]

I love the Z7 and at this point its my perfect hp but that's not to say its a technically better than more expensive orthos or dynamics. I'm sure the 560, TH900 and others are at a technically better level but I know I won't like them as much as the Z7 because of the treble.

For me the Z7 has everything I want in a hp. Great bass that's not in your face, warm detailed mids and highs and a fantastic soundstage and not just for a closed (well simi closed) hp. I can see why some may not like it but I can't see why some would straight up hate them.

 

[Hi 5]

My Sony Z7's should be arriving any day now

 
I'm pretty excited, I'll try and keep my expectations to a reasonable level.
 
Luckily I'm still a Hi-Fi Headphone Newb and pretty easy going.
 
I have a feeling it will blend nicely with the Fiio X3ii
 

 

[raulromanjr]

I think that guy needs to learn some things:

• the headband design of the MDR-Z7 is a positive feature to some, if not most MDR-Z7 owners. It is not worth to fill so much space in a review with his opinion about it. It does its job and it does it well, to hold the cups together on one's noggin. I find it pretty and well engineered.
• The sound is not slow anywhere not in the bass, not in the mids and not in the treble. The sound is pure magic, a magic that we are missing in a lot of the so called High End gear. They (Sony)did this sound on purpose and no they do not have a problem with any different sounding headphone. If you don't want to take off a headphone, then it does everything right, nothing wrong.
• The price maybe MidFi, but the value you get is whatever you consider it to be, for me it is endgame.

He is still debating with himself that he lost his precious, Gollum.....

Agree he spent way too much time on the headband. One I find to be quite good.
But I did find that his seemingly bipolar feelings on the Z7 mirror the love/hate opinions found on this thread. Some love the Z7 while others find it less than stellar.

 

[rcoleman1]

I love the Z7 and at this point its my perfect hp but that's not to say its a technically better than more expensive orthos or dynamics. I'm sure the 560, TH900 and others are at a technically better level but I know I won't like them as much as the Z7 because of the treble.

For me the Z7 has everything I want in a hp. Great bass that's not in your face, warm detailed mids and highs and a fantastic soundstage and not just for a closed (well simi closed) hp. I can see why some may not like it but I can't see why some would straight up hate them.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I love my Z7s...closed back, easy to drive for portables and home use, well built and not bad to look at. Sony did a great job on these IMHO.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  I couldn't have said it better myself. I love my Z7s...closed back, easy to drive for portables and home use, well built and not bad to look at. Sony did a great job on these IMHO.

I loved the Z7 also, not a stellar headphone, but very good indeed. The sub-bass miss is what really made me move it. For my breadth of listening I just have to have better sub-bass reach. With a 70mm driver design and a great enclosure, Sony could have nailed the sub-bass better without a doubt.

 

[eaglex3]

 
I loved the Z7 also, not a stellar headphone, but very good indeed. The sub-bass miss is what really made me move it. For my breadth of listening I just have to have better sub-bass reach. With a 70mm driver design and a great enclosure, Sony could have nailed the sub-bass better without a doubt.

 
I totally agree, coming from owning the HD800, LCD2.2, HD650 and a range of other headphones I plan on keeping my Z7 as I was not satisfied with the sound signature of the others I have owned. 
 
The Z7 is quite unique in the way it sounds and for some reason my ears love it.

 

[Headphone4Life]

I loved the Z7 also, not a stellar headphone, but very good indeed. The sub-bass miss is what really made me move it. For my breadth of listening I just have to have better sub-bass reach. With a 70mm driver design and a great enclosure, Sony could have nailed the sub-bass better without a doubt.

I think the sub-bass is really good on the Z7, better than my HE-400 and much better than my HD600. I listen to quite a bit of electronic music with a lot of sub-bass and the Z7 sounds great. Each person hears things different and I think they do sub-bass as good or better than anything I've heard.

 

[joey99]

the Z7 out shines anything I've had or listened to before for my favourite live studio female acoustic vocals. 
Comfort is a huge thing for me with headphones  .. hifiman or foxtex just can't compare in comfort at all ..not even close.
I think the only headphone that I've tried that is on par with comfort is the shure 1840 .. it's even lighter and less clamping. Sound on the shures are also awesome.
 
like these ones:
Christina Perry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ullaTrrryA
Dido
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zy482-_dA

Savannah Outen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgI2IiLd_Gc
 
They all sound so immersive and amazing to me. A lot of the time, I have to take off my Z7s to check if my speakers are not on as they sound so real or the sound is coming fro somewhere else.
 
BTW I use the O2+ODAC and Kimber cables for these.

 

[Headphone4Life]

They all sound so immersive and amazing to me. A lot of the time, I have to take off my Z7s to check if my speakers are not on as they sound so real or the sound is coming fro somewhere else.

BTW I use the O2+ODAC and Kimber cables for these.

For the first few days I thought either my hearing or one of the drivers was sounded off to me but its just how good the imaging is on them. My other hp's and iem's don't throw sounds or have the 3D presentation of the Z7 and that was messing me up at first. Now when I listen to my HD600 or HE-400 they actually sound more closed in than the Z7 and I think its because of how good of a 3D presentation they have.

 

[pietcux]

For the first few days I thought either my hearing or one of the drivers was sounded off to me but its just how good the imaging is on them. My other hp's and iem's don't throw sounds or have the 3D presentation of the Z7 and that was messing me up at first. Now when I listen to my HD600 or HE-400 they actually sound more closed in than the Z7 and I think its because of how good of a 3D presentation they have.

The Z7 is a very special headphone to me. There was a lot of engineering used to make it shine that way. Sony did not make this for the experts, they made it for music lovers. I might see myself shooting a backup pair some day, lol.

 

[RedJohn456]

The Z7 is a very special headphone to me. There was a lot of engineering used to make it shine that way. Sony did not make this for the experts, they made it for music lovers. I might see myself shooting a backup pair some day, lol.

I know from before that you're a fan of the EX1000, so its very telling that you like the Z7, given the pedigree of the EX1000. I auditioned the Z7 awhile back, however it was out of my phone and in a crowded mall. I am looking for a closed back over ear for home use and this is near the top along with Shure 1540 and Zmf Vibro/blackwood.

 

[dweaver]

I know from before that you're a fan of the EX1000, so its very telling that you like the Z7, given the pedigree of the EX1000. I auditioned the Z7 awhile back, however it was out of my phone and in a crowded mall. I am looking for a closed back over ear for home use and this is near the top along with Shure 1540 and Zmf Vibro/blackwood.

I have owned and sold the 1540 and vastly prefer the Z7 over it. The Z7 is a perfect fit for you since you enjoy the Z5 so much. I think that Sony did an amazing job creating two equally impressive products considering the vast difference between the technologies.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

 
I know from before that you're a fan of the EX1000, so its very telling that you like the Z7, given the pedigree of the EX1000. I auditioned the Z7 awhile back, however it was out of my phone and in a crowded mall. I am looking for a closed back over ear for home use and this is near the top along with Shure 1540 and Zmf Vibro/blackwood.

 
Well, I never auditioned the Shure, but I did audition the Vibros and Blackwoods.  The Z7 are lighter, more comfortable, and isolate less then the ZMFs.  And that's no insult to the ZMF, there were not overweight, nor uncomfortable.  Its just the Z7 really might be the best headphone for marathon listening sessions.  The Vibro has more bass then the Z7, but loses a bit in the sub-bass region.  The Blackwood has about the same amount of bass as the Z7, and also loses a bit in sub-bass.  I think both ZMFs are just slightly superior in the mids making them more lush in vocals, but lose a bit in soundstage.  All ZMFs have a dark signature, but that's not a bad thing.  I miss their darkness, and wish sometimes I had them instead.  But that would mean giving up the Z7, and I'm not willing to part with them.
 
That said, I'm super interested in the new ZMF Omni.....

 

[Headphone4Life]

Every time I listen to the Z7 it puts a smile on my face, literally and figuratively.

I've had a chance to listen to some pretty nice hp's like the HD800, HE-500, LCD2 and a few others and I think the Z7 can hold its own against them for the most part. Again not to say its a technically better hp just a better signature imo and for all but the HD800 I think it has better imaging and soundstage than the others. Their dynamics are really good and now listening to the HD600 after the Z7 it sound a bit thin which I never thought before. How some reviews say the Z7 sounds thin and more directly the mids, I will never understand.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  the Z7 out shines anything I've had or listened to before for my favourite live studio female acoustic vocals. 
Comfort is a huge thing for me with headphones  .. hifiman or foxtex just can't compare in comfort at all ..not even close.
I think the only headphone that I've tried that is on par with comfort is the shure 1840 .. it's even lighter and less clamping. Sound on the shures are also awesome.
 
like these ones:
Christina Perry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ullaTrrryA
Dido
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3zy482-_dA

Savannah Outen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgI2IiLd_Gc
 
They all sound so immersive and amazing to me. A lot of the time, I have to take off my Z7s to check if my speakers are not on as they sound so real or the sound is coming fro somewhere else.
 
BTW I use the O2+ODAC and Kimber cables for these.

Not even close? Not to be argumentative, but comfort is always an important consideration of mine and I can assure you that the TH 900 and the 560 while perhaps less so than the Z7 are very comfortable. The Z7 has adequate/okay sub-bass performance, but it is not a strength of the Z7 by either subjective, or objective measures. Beyond that, over-all the Z7 is quite a lovely headphone and very worth owning. Frankly. I wish I had kept it.