The Z7 has a special kind of magic, to me it sounds like no other handphone. I paid the full $800 and would gladly buy these again and again.

Very good review. Totally agreed with all the comments. At the end of the day, if you're listening for hours this is it. I have 3 pairs, HD650, Audioquest NightOwl, and this MDR-Z7 which I like and listen to most of the time. You can use this song by Midnight Oil "Wedding Cake Island" to test and compare for your preferred taste.

I just fund them today for 320USD. Been listening for 2 hours with a demo and I loved the sound of it and I own an Audiotecnica MSR7. The player I used was the Phone with Quad DAC LG V20 and spotify with 320kbps quality music. It drived the Z7 like a baby and I was really impressed with the overall sound separation and total audio experience. I did not find the high frequencies lacking although a little less pronounced then my MSR7 but I fund the Z7 more relaxing to listen to. I listened to Miles David Now What, some mixed pop music, some classical music and new age, some disco music. Overall I loved it and the built quality is impressive compared to my Audiotecnica. Was retail price 55,900 yen in Japan but had a discount on it of 40% so came down to 35,900 (roughly 320USD) as it was the last pair they had. Been listening tonight for an hour straight to different genre of music and I prefer this sound signiture to my Audiotecnica which can make you tired with so much highs especially listening to female singers and strings compositions. I saw also some mode to even improve further the sound balance of the Z7 and I look forward to experiment with them.

I disagree ... I auditioned so many headphones for months because I wanted to replace my momentums and MDR 1a , and the only one that caught my attention every time was the z7 The treble is not as bad as you are saying at all, infact i think it's perfect and if you wanted more ,tweaking the eq does give you more without dropping any quality ... The bass.... Is crazy ... Clean and punchy and really does give the headphones its own atmosphere which translates to a very very very large sound stage ... Easy to drive ... Very open sounding for a closed back ...

That tune you recommended "lights on" is fantastic. Not really my thing at all as I'm a 4 to the floor dance guy, but its a fantastic mix. Thanks.

You said the sound stage is wide at the start of the review and than you said the sound stage is very narrow in the middle of the review.

I love these headphones, they've become my favorite pair and I've had some really nice headphones. I think the bass is fantastic with plenty of punch and good depth so I don't see what all the fuss is about. They're definitely not for people that like a bright or analytical sound but if warmth is your thing the Z7 is one of the best I've heard and I like more than my beloved HD600 which is crazy if you knew how much I like my 600. Love your reviews even when I don't agree so keep them coming.

Great Review! MDR-Z7 was my first pair of nice headphones (I have a soft spot for Sony too). I just picked up the ATH-AD1000x after watching your review on it!

Please do a full review of the MDR-1A. I have them and would like to hear your input on how they compare to other premium headphones. Keep up the great work!

Is there any differences when using z7 with or without headphone amp? It is because my experience in Sony Store (i'm from hk) is that without amp, treble roll off is serious when I used my nwz-a17 walkman to drive it. Seems nwz-a17 doesn't have enough power to drive it efficiently. Then i tried using nwz-a17 (line out) --> pha-3 --> z7, treble becomes more apparent. Though i agree its sound is quite its own kind.

It's getting harder and harder to find a headphone that doesn't screw up the stringed instruments, it gets so frustrating... My XBA-4's (now dead) did a decent job of dealing with strings, except it somewhat over did them a little. On that note, I'm looking for a new earphone to replace my XBA-4's, I'm looking at a fairly high end market (around $500AUD, can go to $600AUD). I've been told the Earsonics SM64 and the Audiofly AF 180's are quite good. I'm looking for a similar sound signature with a little more bass impact, but preferably very tight and punchy. I'd also like highs that are not as sibilant as the XBA-4's but are still quite detailed and present. The mids aren't as important but I don't want them lost either. What would suit my tastes?

Great review. My main phones are Senn 650's, so when I was about halfway through, the way you described the bass was exactly what I needed (but didn't want) to hear. Good review though. Thanks!

Love your reviews man! Keep me coming! :)

I went to a local audio store yesterday and tried the Sony mdr Z7. I also tried the $1000 grado (forget what it was called), wasn't impressed at all with the grado, very weak sound without the clarity you'd expect from such a price to compensate, and the soundstage wasn't that wide. The $80 grados I think were nice and worth it, very clear. On to the MDR Z7, first I must say after getting off the highway my ears were unfortunately popped a little and not at 100% at the time, but over all I would agree that there's no justification AT ALL for the price tag. They were a nice sounding headphone, they had a moderately large but not hugely wide soundstage, the highs were decently crisp, the mids were just.. there, not much detail but quite clear, the bass was SLIGHTLY elevated, probably about as much bass as I had heard from the Pioneer HDJ 2000's though I haven't heard those in a while. Overall the Z7 is a really laidback headphone even with the slight boost in bass, I just think overall I would say the Z7 is laid back, is quite clear but doesn't spark any fires. Therefore, not worth the price. You can probably get about as much clarity with a headphone that sparks about as much fire out of a $300 headphone, maybe even something like the Audio Technica M50 or Shure 840's. I would probably buy a pair of MAudio HDH50's any day before buying the Z7 and spark more fires even if it does give up a LITTLE width in the soundstage

How these can be compared to Audioquest NightHawks?

thanks bro ciao from italy

i've been binging on your videos lachlan - :D NOTICE ME SENPAI!!!!

Is it weird that I really really love this headphone since it's so laidback and calming? :p

I know this is an old video but i hope you see my comment :) Have you ever thought of doing a video where you explain the terms you are using to describe the sounds? Like when you say the bass is punchy what does that even mean. Like maybe give examples in the video of the broader understanding of what each term might mean. Great videos so far !

I can see why you may be confused about the sound of these. These are ported flow headphones, not open back or closed, which was first introduced in Sony's MDR-EX IEM's(600-1000's). The weird tonal imbalance is directly related to this design, similar to that of a dual-reflex bandpass enclosure. Where as it's a lot less noticeable with the IEMs because the sound is then ported through a tube into the ear canal making the direction of sound much more evident. The biggest problem you also have is that your glasses may also be pushing the drivers farther away making the direction of noise travel off centered from your ears. To me the treble sounds nothing like what you describe so i can only assume your head shape and other contributing factors is causing that issue. Sony has had this problem with several high end Cans in the past most notably the Sa-5000's and the super rare Qualia 010's which were stated to be extremely directional in sound. Difference between these and the Qualia's is that the Qualia's came in multiple size pads so that the direction was optimized for the user. These, you just have to make do. You can easily understand this reasoning just by looking at how angled the ear pads are compared to most other headphones. These make it so the drivers are pointing slightly forward of the air space in front of there ear in order to let the bass roll away from the ear adding depth, but to far forward and it will also lose depth in the mids and highs.

Nice review on the Z7, sounds like the headphones sound signature is right up my alley. Would like to try it sometime or if I find a really good price maybe eventually snatch a pair late this year. I was disappointed with my last purchase from Sony, the MA900, so hopefully this headphone fits my preferences.

Well put, Lachlan. Enjoyed watching.

Love these Sony videos, I got the DJing ones, comfortable but can hurt my ears for long period

Great review. Thank you, just the review I needed!

You had me at thick, looking for a high quality warm headphones this helped a lot :D

Hey guys, anyone notice the jazz transition music that plays at 1:00 is the same that plays in BO3 Shadows of Evil !!

"Pulsing turbulent bass line." Beautiful.

Stupid question time. Because of the dual-entry cables, are there markings to indicate the left and right earcups, or do you not need them? You have reviewed numerous Sony products on this channel, Lach, and I don't remember any of them being a home run in all categories. Correct me if I'm wrong. They seem to be a very hit or miss company when it comes to headphones and the like. Maybe it's because they are not audio-focused, and have their fingers in a million other pies. The Z7 is a strange beast among flagship headphones. It's closed-back, and does not aim for the typical "audiophile" sound. I wish there was a way for me to try it out regardless. A marvelous review as usual! I can always count on you to consistently deliver the best headphone and tech reviews on the Internet. You're my hero!

I tried these in a retail restore, it seems like the bass is not that strong, however, the sound surround field is pretty good. I prefer to use my XBA-40 with zx2. I kind of feel like it doesn't worth the price. It's pretty good if you love the female vocal sound, but it's not as passionate as my XBA-40. I am considering to but a pair of new earphone, so I am looking for opinions. Thanks

Z7 vs Z5? If I had to choose one of both - counting ONLY sound quality? What would you recommend. Thanks :)

Love your videos man.

Hi Lachlanlikesathing, very comprehensive and detailed review about the Z7, my respect, may I ask you something still? I have got a Sony mdr-xb 1000 headphone, which has also got a 70mm driver. I use it for monitoring electronic music. It may not have an audiophile sound, but it has a phenomenal deep base and lets me hear all the basslines and beats down to the really lowest frequency - and that’s why it is a useful tool for me and I love it. I have not yet found another headphone posing such deep bass. Unfortunately, I recently had a fracture of my cheekbone and eye socket on one side of my face, since, the mdr-xb 1000 causes pain. The ear-pads only swing vertically, not sideways - and press unevenly on the front side of my face. The back side of my face, behind my ears, gets only very little pressure from the ear pads. In your video I saw that the Z7s ear pads also swing sideways, this would maybe balance the pressure and might reduce the pressure at the front of my face. So I’m finally searching for some headphones with the same deep bass sound as the mdr-xb 1000 and additionally sideways swinging ear pads and think about buying the Z7. What do you think about it, have you once listened to the mdr-xb 1000 and are you able to make a comparison between them? I would prefer the Z7 having exactly the same sound as the mdr-xb 1000 especially in the bass. Alternatively an in-ear headphone would come in question, maybe the Sony xba-z5 or the xba-h3, but I don’t suspect an in-ear headphone to reach such deep base as my mdr-xb 1000 or what would you say? ..longing for your answer and assessment.. ..so long - best regards..

Thank you, guy, for review and advises.

I Really like your reviews and channel maybe you can make a video with nice sounding cans and amps with low budget or best portable audiophile grade cans/amps

great review ! I bought it at Hong Kong also

Too bad you don't recommend those Sony's, they look absolutely gorgeous. Those K712 Pro's behind you look even better though.. :)

Hey Lachlan, can you review the Blue Mo-Fi headphones, because as far as I concern that headphones is on of the best headphones right now on the market and I would like to know your opinion about it.

And that both the headphones which sound better

What DAC and Amplifier did you use when you review the headphone?

cheapest z7 right now on amazon is 540$ - and mdr1a can be had for 199$.....

The treble is no where as rolled off as you've said it is

Have you ever listened to the Sony MDR XB500? Would this headset be an improvement to that headset, or is the treble worse?

Try getting your hands on the Technics EAH-T700 headphone.

Hello Lachlanlikeathing, answer this question please: would you recommand this Sony Mdr-z7 now for 450 US Dolar? Or have you found another pair of headphone that is better? I just need a good High Res Headphone for at home.

Well done, again! While I'm still interesting in how this can compared to the Alpha dog, since both of them are closed phone at similar price. So, is it possible for you to compare the two?

It's a question to you also. You've started your reviews with Sennheiser Momentum. What's about Momentum M2? Are you interested in reviewing that headphones?

no, the mdr-xb1000 are too big to be protable XD. im glad to see these have vents. that means exceptional bass response..maybe. im really looking into extreme bass. i coming from the mdr-xb1000 and based on how your describing the mids and highs of these, it kinda sounds like the mdr xb1000's (they kind of sound tiny canny). Have you heard the mdr-xb1000's? With alot of audio editing and powering the XBs with fiio e12 i got them to suck ear drums lol. im looking at these because these looks more ridged for less vibration causing less bass loss. all my interest arose from when i realized they brought back 70mm drivers... thanks if you get a chance

grate review, thx

hi Lachlan, do you ever foresee sony producing a bass cannon line of headphones as a new product line. I have been seeking some designated bass heavy music headphones for my old school uk grime, dirty south rap, and even chopped and screwed jams. I had been looking at the mdr xb line but i find that they are priced far out of reach for a single genre oriented listening experience that i cannot justify such a purchase. Im wondering this because the reason the mdr xb line is so expensive currently is due to their discontinued status though they were still high priced when they werent discontinued. Through further research and various bass cannon threads, i have been lead to the JVC ha-sz2000s with proper pads as my go to...i was just wondering if sony has put that product line of bass cannons on a stand still considering their competitors do not produce bass cannons as it is and they are not directly interested in producing those kind of headphones...sice its obvious that they are currently interested in keeping their name relevant amongst the ATH flagships, Fostex, Hifi man etc...if this is infact the case that they have put their bass cannon line on a standstill or as a back burner product line among others im just going to pull the trigger on the JVCs...but i have that lingering thought that Sony has a plan B on their bass cannons and are currently back at the drawing board implementing a new line of bass cannons....though i havent seen any evidence in recent tech trade shows etc of these in their product lines for 2015

I LOVE the HD650. Is the MDR-Z7 the superior headphone in terms of soundquality, kind of like an improved HD650? Or can their different sound signatures not be compared at all?

I love bass and I could buy these for $400 atm, should I?

What is the current replacement of MA800?

I had tried these headphones for about an hour or so during my time at Singapore, I will have to agree on you on the headphone sound signature. The bass in my opinion was all over the place and the vocals particularly the females were the highlight of the headphones though sometimes it felt bloated... The build quality screams flagship it is one of the most beautiful headphones I've seen from Sony and I got to commend them for that. Can you replace the earpads on the Z7?

Hi Lachlan, how would you compare these to beyerdynamic t5p / t5p second generation?

Are these good for monitoring while mixing?

how do these sound compared to psb m4u2? is the bass similar to the sony 950 headphones? nice headphones

Lachlan! Have you tried the Final Audio Design Pandora VI? Same price category with the beauty to match!

Hey lachlan , im going to buy my first headphone , so would you recommend me to buy Ath m50x or ath m40x or sony mdr 1r ? Thankyou

How does it compare to Mdr1a? Huge differences?

how does z5 sound wiht pha-3 and upgrade cable? would you suggest to get upgrade balance cable for z5 or just use stock balance cable. thx

Since i can't wait for the T51p review, i'll ask here :P The price of the T51p is around 180/190 euros here. Do they worth it? I have the HiFiMAN RE-400 and the Urbanites and while i do like them, i don't love them either. I just need something *better*. Are there any on-ears or IEMs that come close to the sound of the HD600/650? I'm listening to classical music when i'm walking, so i need something with good high frequency responce, warm but tight bass and good isolation. I wasn't expecting to say something like that, but comfortability is not the main concern in this case. I would love to hear any suggestions

any review of Headset with Headphone 7.1 DTS Surround Sound?....would be fun to compare a 7.1 the 300US

First I want to say thanks for all the great reviews great job. I notice you review a lots of headphones so I have a question. I'm looking for a great gaming headphones mainly to hear footsteps with a wide soundstage. I have read a lots of reviews but can't decide on anything but since you listen to these headphones I will really appreciate your help. Any recommendations? Oh anything under $300 I already have a Fiio E17 amp (Ps4 system) thank you.

Can you do a review for the Sony XB MDR 950 AP?

Hey, will you do a Grado review anytime soon?

can you do the paper test on them?

wait do you listen to the sound track from dark reign the future of war? (wondering because it was on your screen)

Good mods out there for it

Lachlan! Could you review the Oppo PM-3 when they come out?

hey hello there. how can you compare this to ATH W1000X ?

Hi. I wanna buy those mdr z7 but i dont know if it worth it for my. Now i have hd600, hd700, monolith m1060, hifiman he400i, msr7 and mdr1a. But you say that mdr1a sounds very close to z7. Taking into acount all the heaphones that i have, Do you think if the mdr z7 worth it for me? I mean, Does the mdrZ7 surpass to some of my top headphones? Thank you.

What amplifier do you have on your desk?

How do you compare to R70x??

Okay, so, imagine a scenario, where you would be working as a programmer at an office. You are wearing a closed headphone all day, for about 6 hours a day. You will be listening through your Macbook Pro Retina 15" with a portable amp. What would you choose? The MDR-Z7 or the Oppo PM-3? (They're the same price in my country) Or is there any other closed headphones in this price range? :) Thanks a lot, by the way, for your videos. I've been a loyal sub for what seems like forever now but I don't think I've properly expressed my gratitude for what you do. Your insight truly helps. :)

damn, time to make friends with the staff at the sony shop.

So the dt 770 80 ohms are better for gaming ?

How much break in time would be needed....also has the hi end response improved?

would you ever review the MEElectronics M6 Pro?

can you review the sony MDR-7520

Dang too expensive for me...I'm thinking of getting another pair of headphones, and I have been looking at the PSB M4U 1. Lachlan, have you tested these headphones out or do you plan to review them?

Did u try the pha3 sonys amplifier?

I agree on the pricing, they are overpriced and 450 USD max would be a fair pricing. Having said that, I don't agree about the closed-in sound or lack of air. Once you get used to their sound signature I find them very spacious sounding, they have a similar openness as my Denon D5000s even if they are less sparkly. But they really excell at naturalness, intstrument timbre is spot on. You have to give them a chance, it took me a while to appreciate them, but now I love them.

I think the Z7's design is quite weird. With all those ports, why not just make an open flagship instead? We probably might have gotten a sound that can potentially be the MA1000 instead of this... _thing_. But yeah, I completely agree with the price being the real stinger of the Z7. If the Z7 wasn't a flagship and were price at around the ~$400 mark, I think it'll still be a niche product as few people crave for very dark and bassy headphones at those price bracket; at $400 and up, people tend to gravitate to technically-capable headphones. I dunno, perhaps they were chasing after the Denon/Fostex/HiFiMAN sound with such bassy headphones?

Did you ever try Whitigir's mods for Z7?

Hey lach I'm stuck right now. I'm looking for a pair of over ear portable headphones, and I'm stuck between the Beyerdynamic T51P and the sennheisser momentum v2. What would recommend.

the problem with Sony it's always the same....."THE PRICE", I don't know if they know it. personally I don't think their new strategy will change things. but they still the best.

Hey Lachlan, I was curious, how do you like the Z7's with Modest Mouse? This is probably my closest to strings or country music i listen to- which i feel like is where you believed these lacked.

ah so confused I really love the design of this headphone but I hesitate to buy it after watching your review it's still around $600 here

Hey can u review Ttpod t2 or t1e?

z7 or r70x

I'm new to headphones, Can laptop drive headphone like z7? or it need some extra equipment to boost the z7?

Lachlan If you would you buy bose qc25 or sony mdr z7

Out of my price range...

Twigs is the absolute best!

I'm guessing you bought these for 25% off?

I don't know Lachlan. I really think the question of product being a "hit or miss" is very different from the company's point of view and the consumer's point of view. I am sure a lot of discerning headphone enthusiasts will be disappointed by the way Sony is approaching their audio products, but I think Sony knows what they are doing. If they really wanted to produce high fidelity headphones, I am sure they can do it. They have already did it countless of times in the past, with EX1000, SA5000, CD3000, and even R10. I know Sony as a company is not in the best financial state, however I honestly think the reason why they are not producing hi-fi products is not because they can't, but because they don't want to. People need to remember that this is a niche hobby. Not many people invest over $100 on a pair of headphones, and there are some people out there that do not even know the term "audiophile." What I do know, is the fact that Beats are dominating in the headphone industry, and in order to compete with them, it is not the sound quality that matters the most, but how it is marketed. Let's be realistic, Beats will always be the best headphone company. Sennheiser, AKG, Beyerdynamic, and all those well regarded headphone makers will never become more popular than Beats, and more people will continue to praise and buy Beats headphones. No matter how terrible the sound or price to performance ratio of Sony MDR Z7 may be, I fully believe that Z7 will attract more overall buyers than Sennheiser HD800, because while Sennheiser invests in the sound quality of their headphones, Sony invests in the advertisements and marketing schemes.

Are the sennhiser hd 598 worst than the sony mdr z7?

Are these headphones good for $200? I can get it through my job at that price

Lach, are you still using your MA900s ?

it was a beats by dre 1st edition remake and a miss