[Sp12er3]

Just got my m7 in yesterday. A bit of context before I share some initial impressions. I've been a long-time fan of the a3's and had the z5 for a week before both were stolen. I didn't have enough time on the z5 to remember in detail how they sounded, so my comparison will be with the A3 (from memory). I've been saving up for the z1r for a while but haven't pulled the trigger as I've been sidetracked with headphones and earbuds for some time. My listening tastes are almost exclusively classical music (mostly piano and violin concerti and the occasional orchestra piece. The m7's were an impulse buy and sort of a sub-conscience decision to fill the hole left by my a3 and z5. @gerelmx1986 pushed me over the edge with his picture showing the oppo ha2 with his m7's plugged in, listening to Paganini. (I love the ha2 and Paganini.)

Some quick observations after a couple of hours on them.

• The m7's are really light. I wasn't expecting them to be so light in weight. They are really comfortable, more so than the a3 or z5.
• The bass is stronger on the A3 than the M7. But the bass is much more controlled with the M7.
• both have the typical slight treble roll off I associate with the sony house sound.
• the drop off in the lower brilliance range (6k to 8k) is slightly more pronounced with the m7, and because of this, I have a really hard time hearing the concert hall ambiance. This also makes for a warmer, almost darker, sound with the m7 compared to the a3.
• the m7 is much stronger with technicality. no contest compared to the a3.

I like the m7 a lot, but can't really recommend them broadly. The main reason is the price. The m7 price point is flooded with competitors I'd recommend over the m7 -- the lz a7 and isn est50 are clear winners in the $300 to $500 market.

For clear upgrade over the A3/ Z5, the Z1R is clearly the one. After getting the Z1R my A3 is relegated to be a beater all rounder movie watching when i'm out and about but i dont want to risk bringing my IER-Z1R out, for me the A3 is just outclassed in everything music playback related. the A3 is still pretty fantastic for gaming and movie watching, and they are overall easier to drive than the Z1R, so I've been plugging them to my bro's PS5's Dualsense port whenever I need the privacy. PLaystation's H/O is much improved from DS4 days, they just still have over 5 ohm OuZ so i cant use my sensitive Audio Technica IEMs on them.
sad to hear you got your Sonys stolen, had a brush with something similar myself, a thief barge into the house at the dead of the night, made out with laptop bags and other easy to carry valuables, but left a case with my A3 inside alone. I guess i'm lucky that my thief aint an audiophile, I could see some sign of it being rummaged around, but I wonder why they decide to just leave it I guess the image that headset: cheap stuff is way more prevalent still.

 

[maricius]

I'm still on my M7 after 2 years and I haven't felt the urge to upgrade yet! I've recently picked up Shanling UP5 which pushes the soundstaging and spacing even further as well as adding some sparkle and clarity to the upper mids as well as tightening the the bass. I'm currently just saving for a better 4.4mm cable.

Previously not a cable believer, it might just be that I find the stock Sony cables lousy rather than finding the aftermarket 3.5mm SPC one I'm using to be good. I'm also really enjoying the clear FAD E tips over the stock Sony hybrids (though the hybrids are pretty damn good too).

I've also gotten to compare the M7 to the Blessing 2 pretty extensively. I have to say the B2 is a bit better on the detail retrieval and neutrality. I'd say the M7 keeps up or is perhaps a bit better in soundstage and imaging though is a bit fuzzier on higher frequency instrument placement. However for the music I enjoy, the B2 was a bit thin in the lower midrange and a bit cold in the bass so I decided to stick to the M7. Basically the B2 is slightly better objectively but different enough that you'd pick one or the other depending on sound sig and music choice.

The ThieAudio Clairvoyance seems to be interesting but I think I'll wait another 3 years and enjoy the M7. I'm sure the gap with the new bang for bucks/TOTLs be noticeable by then.

 

[surfgeorge]

I'm still on my M7 after 2 years and I haven't felt the urge to upgrade yet! I've recently picked up Shanling UP5 which pushes the soundstaging and spacing even further as well as adding some sparkle and clarity to the upper mids as well as tightening the the bass. I'm currently just saving for a better 4.4mm cable.

Previously not a cable believer, it might just be that I find the stock Sony cables lousy rather than finding the aftermarket 3.5mm SPC one I'm using to be good. I'm also really enjoying the clear FAD E tips over the stock Sony hybrids (though the hybrids are pretty damn good too).

I've also gotten to compare the M7 to the Blessing 2 pretty extensively. I have to say the B2 is a bit better on the detail retrieval and neutrality. I'd say the M7 keeps up or is perhaps a bit better in soundstage and imaging though is a bit fuzzier on higher frequency instrument placement. However for the music I enjoy, the B2 was a bit thin in the lower midrange and a bit cold in the bass so I decided to stick to the M7. Basically the B2 is slightly better objectively but different enough that you'd pick one or the other depending on sound sig and music choice.

The ThieAudio Clairvoyance seems to be interesting but I think I'll wait another 3 years and enjoy the M7. I'm sure the gap with the new bang for bucks/TOTLs be noticeable by then.

Thanks for sharing! There's really not that much information available on the M7, which should be a very good IEM for the money.

I have the M9 and used to have the Blessing 2, and frankly I'm surprised that the B2 came out on top in terms of detail.
The M9 is has much better detail, imaging and stage. I found the B2 good but not really special in these aspects.
Additionally the B2 appeared grainy at times, which has also been reported by other reviewers.
I have sold the B2 and replaced it with the Moondrop Variations, which I find to be much improved in bass quality and quantity, separation, stage, detail, smoothness and treble, except that the lower mids are even thinner and more recessed.

Back to the Sonys - I have tried the Final Audio Type E tips and liked them, but the Spiral Dot ++ were better and the best so far is the Moondrop Spring tip. I'd really give those a try. They make the M9 more open and spacious, more energetic, spacious and improve separation. They also seal very well which gives the bass a slam and extension I have not heard before.

The M9 is also surprisingly demanding in terms of source or lets say it really scales well.
On the CHORD Hugo 2 I run similar volume settings as with my Focal Clear full size headphones.
A better cable also improves the sound further, I am now using the CEMA PS from Aliexpress and it again improves stage size, clarity and separation. Really good cable even if it's not cheap. And on request they make it with special connectors that perfectly fit the M9/M7.

Hope that helps - keep us posted!

 

[maricius]

Thanks for sharing! There's really not that much information available on the M7, which should be a very good IEM for the money.

I have the M9 and used to have the Blessing 2, and frankly I'm surprised that the B2 came out on top in terms of detail.
The M9 is has much better detail, imaging and stage. I found the B2 good but not really special in these aspects.
Additionally the B2 appeared grainy at times, which has also been reported by other reviewers.
I have sold the B2 and replaced it with the Moondrop Variations, which I find to be much improved in bass quality and quantity, separation, stage, detail, smoothness and treble, except that the lower mids are even thinner and more recessed.

Back to the Sonys - I have tried the Final Audio Type E tips and liked them, but the Spiral Dot ++ were better and the best so far is the Moondrop Spring tip. I'd really give those a try. They make the M9 more open and spacious, more energetic, spacious and improve separation. They also seal very well which gives the bass a slam and extension I have not heard before.

The M9 is also surprisingly demanding in terms of source or lets say it really scales well.
On the CHORD Hugo 2 I run similar volume settings as with my Focal Clear full size headphones.
A better cable also improves the sound further, I am now using the CEMA PS from Aliexpress and it again improves stage size, clarity and separation. Really good cable even if it's not cheap. And on request they make it with special connectors that perfectly fit the M9/M7.

Hope that helps - keep us posted!

I think I remember what you mean by a grainy aspect to the B2 sound. I believe I was still using the Sony hybrids at that time and there was something slightly off with the timbre with the B2 despite what I found to be better clarity in the upper midrange over the M7! It's actually the lower mid suckout which I didn't enjoy on my demo of the Campfire Andro and found that the B2 was doing okay in but still a touch thin for my tastes. I'd add that the B2 seemed to have a wider stage while the M7 had a deeper stage and yes clearer imaging except in the higher frequencies. I'm unsure if how the B2 would compare now with FAD E tips or these new tips I've just tried.

Right after writing my post I actually tried the Radius Deep Mount tips which are supposedly similar to the Spiral Dot tips. I didn't enjoy the Spiral Dots at all but it might have been a fit mismatch. These Radius Deep Mounts might just be my new favourites, opening up airy-ing the upper mids and treble while keeping the lower mid warmth. It's also a slightly more intimate stage which pushes bass up a touch and making the overall attack of the M7 a bit more energetic than what I'm normally used to.

These tips might be worth exploring for you guys a swell.

 

[STE333]

Hi, first post on head-fi. On my M7 I use

TANCHJIM T-APB T300B+T3​

These tips eliminate the suction effect and once the pressure balances out, I feel you get the best sound of any tip, but thats a personal opinion. APB stands for air pressure balance, you get a bass pair and a treble pair and you can hear the difference. Highly recommended!

 

[Sam L]

I think there are some of you in this thread that have both the z1r and the m7? I want to hear more why this is the case, but don't be too compelling because my wife won't like me getting the z1r.

 

[gerelmx1986]

I think there are some of you in this thread that have both the z1r and the m7? I want to hear more why this is the case, but don't be too compelling because my wife won't like me getting the z1r.

I have M7 for casual listening (on the Go) and Z1R for critical list ning (at home).

M7 is not as detailed as Z1R but ven sound stag may app ar slightly bigg r than Z1R. At the end M7 lacks the bass of the DD and resolution of Z1R.

 

[STE333]

I use my M7 for commuting, total isolation, paired with Shanling UP5, LDAC 990kbps, Crinacle parametric M7 eq in Poweramp, from a galaxy s10 plus. They sound more like over ears than iems, big, immersive sound on the go.

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

[maricius]

I think there are some of you in this thread that have both the z1r and the m7? I want to hear more why this is the case, but don't be too compelling because my wife won't like me getting the z1r.

They have completely different sound signatures from the last time I tried both side by side. The M7 is a lot closer to neutral. The Z1R objectively has superior, detail retrieval, soundstage size, imaging, and bass punch. However, I did not like its lower midrange. I would not say it has a suck out but it's definitely not on the thicker side which I prefer. The Z1R definitely has a V shaped sound signature.

They were also quite unwieldy and heavy to my ears but I'm 5'4" so YMMV. Overall I did find them very good for live music but a lot more polarizing depending on the genre.

 

[F700]

3.5 years after they have been released, the time finally has come. I have been contemplating the IER-Z1R for many years. When the time for pulling the trigger seemed to be right, something came in-between. Not today. Soon, I finally will get a new pair of those beauties and know if they were worth the wait and live up to their legendary status.

I have a good feeling about it.

 

[Kundi]

3.5 years after they have been released, the time finally has come. I have been contemplating the IER-Z1R for many years. When the time for pulling the trigger seemed to be right, something came in-between. Not today. Soon, I finally will get a new pair of those beauties and know if they were worth the wait and live up to their legendary status.

I have a good feeling about it.

Wasn't there talk about a refresh to this lineup, or is that just the DAPs?

 

[Sam L]

3.5 years after they have been released, the time finally has come. I have been contemplating the IER-Z1R for many years. When the time for pulling the trigger seemed to be right, something came in-between. Not today. Soon, I finally will get a new pair of those beauties and know if they were worth the wait and live up to their legendary status.

I have a good feeling about it.

I know the feeling! I revisit the thought of buying one every year. I almost pulled the trigger a month ago and ended up getting the m7 instead and told my self the n3 I have is a "mini" z1r. I was about to pull the trigger a couple days ago, but told myself the ej07m I have inbound is good enough for me, for now. but I keep coming back to this thread... Even order some various tips I know might help with the z1r fit. I dunno, maybe next year.

 

[F700]

Wasn't there talk about a refresh to this lineup, or is that just the DAPs?

I am not very up-to-date, but I haven’t heard/read anything regarding new TOTL Sony IEMs

 

[gerelmx1986]

Wasn't there talk about a refresh to this lineup, or is that just the DAPs?

Just the walkmans