I just want to point out that the pads are indeed removable. the mounting system is exactly the same as the Z1r. it's just that the z7m2 has a single screw inside the cup under each pad that needs to be undone. then u can remove them the exact same way u do on a z1r
I have been using the original Z7 for the past 3 years now and I love it. I finnally pulled the trigger in buying the Z7 M2 last week. At first use I honest do not notice any difference or improvement over my old one but after like 20hrs of use the beast finnally woke up. So much improvement over my old Z7 especially with the bass, spatial involvement, and bringing the fine details to the front. I can now pick up fine details on same songs that I heard over 100 times before on my Z7. I can't go back to the Z7...I just can't!!!
@@18yearsoldnot I like mine. they are smooth. I didn't like them at first but they are not fatiguing and super comfortable to wear for many hours. I don't recommend Z7m2 for analytic listening purposes though.
If the Z7M2 is literally giving you 1/3rd of the performance of the Z1R for 1/3rd of the price, then there’s no way that it’s worth the asking price, considering that diminishing returns are a very real thing in the world of audio.
Well if you asked the average person to compare them, they would probably have a hard time telling the difference. So the m7 is only 1/3 of the z1r if you already value the tiny differences that much more than the average person.
@@very7962 your source is going to differ regardless, also they are saying you can get it very close to the z1r. Doesn't mean it doesn't sound good without eq just that if you want it close to the z1r you can do it via eq.
Hey Josh great review! So good that I am considering buying these, I found a pair used for $555 CAD but one point you didn’t really elaborate on in this video is when you said they’re great headphones but you can get the same sound signature at a much cheaper cost… I’m just curious what other headphones you might recommend, are there better performing closed backs than these for cheaper or did you just mean these are great but there are v-shaped headphones that come close to the same performance as these for cheaper?
Lovely, I was searching for this video for a long time. Was hunting for a pair of Sonys for the last month(s), now got a brand new pair for cheap since the amazon algorithm messed up on the price for a few hours:D But I was worried about the Z7M2 being good enough. So I‘m very interested on the video (just started watching). Currently running DT1990 Pros with an SMSL THX-AAA 888 and an SMSL SU-8.
Thats a great setup you have right now. I had the same headphones and switched to the HD800S to go with the SMSL 888 and SU-8. Thinking of adding the ATH 2000x or ADX5000 though. I have the DT1770s for when i want to close the world out and love those too. Curious how the Sonys compare
@@jross1798 Yeah it truly is. Have built myself a custom balanced 4-pin XLR cable with screwable 3.5mm plugs for the Z1R and am running them fully balanced. I have to say, this is the most impressive listening experience I've ever had. The 1990's sound like a cheap pair of headphones in comparison, the amount of details I retreived from songs I thought I knew every aspect of is insane. You can hear every breath of the musicians in the Scheherazade, the width of the stage is incredible, it's even wider than the 1990's even though they are closed backs. And no matter what genre of music you throw at them, it sounds perfect. I absolutely love these! Their sound is fast, precise, smooth, clean, neutral, balanced and simply perfect.
@@TechEtrix i came from some older sony 1a and thought the dt 1990 pro would be an upgrade and man was i let down. the dt1990pro sounds terrible in comparison to the sony 1a as far as trap beats and hip hop. the volume and sub bass that the sonys can crank up without distrotion is incrieaidble where the dt1990s have none of it and distort very early. for me anyways the 1990s were terrible and now im in the market for some new sonys that can have at least the same sub bass as the sony 1a's. also the sony 1a when the sub bass is cranked up the vocals still sound super smooth and natural where the 1990 pros the bass ruins the vocals so bad it sounds as if the person is speaking directly into a fan.
Something about the original z7s is that they were more mid focused, lower mid though. It gave them are really unique sound that is great for more electronic and such music. Very syrupy. I had to pull them out and give them a listen. I have quite a few more expensive or more detail headphones, but most just do not say chill like the original z7s.
3:45 oh but Josh, it's removable, you remove it the same way you do with the Z1R I think? or maybe liekt he Z7, you need to find a small screw on the lower inner side of the pads, pop that off and you can turn it like the Z1R.
thanks for the review, just watched it to the end and yes I think I'm lucky that I found my Z7M1 at a good price, from your and Z's review too I think it fit me way better than the Z7M2. the vocal of the Z7M1 is actually quite forward, it has a glossy, more euphonic tone to it and that's what most important to me. the combination of the plentiful mid bass and forward mids make it one fit be best relaxing gear I ever have. you need to hear it, Josh, it's nearer to the Z1R than the Z7M2 is.
A first time first! Keep it up JV! Currently rocking Monolith M560 v1, (larger ear pads), run by JDS Labs Atom/OL, do you recommend upgrading cans, am I really missing a significant amount of sound quality?
many thanks for adding this one,. Will you try on the OG Z7 maybe? not many did that one in, and I'd love to hear your opinion on the OG compared to its much younger siblings. on many people I trust been saying, the Z7M1 is closer in tuning to the Z1R, its more open as the Sony engineer put bigger port on the Z7M1, it also isolate less than M2. to note, I've tried the Z1R and bought the M1 afterwards, definitely has similar tuning, but on one fortunate thing, the Z7M1 doesn't have the sibilance I can hear on the Z1R on some of my Jpop. on that, I'm glad but still looking up to find a good deal on a used Z1R every now and then, as man, i love that gear on every other of its aspect.
Great review of the z7mk2. My experience with Sony headphones is that they require a lot of burn in time. I'm talking about 100 hours onwards. From experience, my Z1R sounded very different from new out of box and after 100 odd hours. It is like having, a blended whisky vs a 20 year old aged.
@@DrinkWater713 No but right off the bat I can say, burning in tames the treble, and more airy mids. Fresh out the box, the highs can get too harsh and almost piercing with certain genre of songs.
Never heard a hifi Sony headphone before but I can easily recommend the Aeon closed at a similar price. Ether CX is more expensive but also highly recommended after at least 200 hrs continuous burn-in, bassheads need not apply.
Another great review. You really got it down really well with presentation, information, and video/sound. I am looking for a closed back headphone. Right now, I have the Beyerdynamic 770 and their 1770, the Z7M2 and the more expensive Focal Celestee are the main closed back headphones I am considering. I also appreciate the other headphones you mentioned in this video as well.
I have these headphones. They need to be hooked up to a Denon receiver in order to sound awesome. The rich warmth from the Denon fills out the vocals nicely and tames the highs.
Im using these on the ZX500 Series Walkman with the 4,4mm Balanced Cable _but_ (and i made the same experience with the XBA Z5) i tried it on the Sony Xperia 1 II. It is Hi-Res Audio certified with DAC and everything and and it is an absolute pleasure to listen to music using that phone. There is almost no difference to the ZX500 Series. There are some very very suttle differences but they are so small. When you are not at home at an perfect quiet environment like in an Office or somewhere, you will never ever hear any difference. So if you own that smartphone and thinking about getting the headphones and worry about an AMP/DAC/Walkman/Whatever, dont worry. Just get the Headphones, use it with that phone and upgrade to an Amp later on. The difference are so microscopic, its almost not worth upgrading. Only upgrade when you have the money and feel like, there is no pressure
I have a Sony Walkman compact disc player ( Model D-E 221 with bass boost) . Are these headphones overkill for this, and do I need extra components for this disc player to work at optimum, or am I good to go as is?
Hell yeah! A while ago I posted it would be cool if you reviewed these! and you did, so cool Joshua. I pretty much agree with everything you said in your review which is one of the reasons you remain one of my fav headphone reviewers out there on youtube. You always seem to go in deep with every aspect of a headphone wether it be sound or build. As for the original Z7 I owned those aswell for about a year and you are not missing much, unless you REALLY enjoy bass. Those were great for bassheads but thats about the only point in which they shined. Overall I am thoroughly impressed with this headphone and I feel like they fit my niche perfectly of having the detail (which to me is never fatiguing or sharp at all) having DAT bass still and overall presenting a fairly detailed and rich music experience. Over the past 10 years of delving into headphones I feel like these do everything I want in terms of sound and they have that incredible build quality and comfort to go with them. Pairing this with the IFI ZEN dac/amp I have no complaints anymore, I feel like I found my happy place in personal audio... for now.
it will be a lie if i dont expect smth in return, after all these hard work and learning experience processes its like a doctor you know for example, they studied really hard so that they can live better life
Pretty spot on review, but I don't fine it has as much bass. In Australia RRP is $1299.95. When it went on sale last year it was $450.00. So, for the money I got a pretty good deal. BUT..... I find it need a proper DAC to doing it justice. Vocal was nice. But with different DAC it could sound very different. Just want to mention that you do need more power to push these to sound nice. Thank you for the review.
Hello Joshua. I'm new to your channel: you make great videos. They are very informative and with a lot of detail for a review in order to decide and recommend audio stuff. I'm still very new in the audio world and I'm planning to buy this headphones in the future, but I'm not sure about which DAC&Amp should use in order to take full potential out of the Z7M2. What would you recommend? I was thinking in purchasing a Fiio K5 Pro, because I want to play my music directly from my PC, but I don't know if it is good enough (I have never used balanced headphones). To clarify, I'm not into studio recording, sound editing or anything like that. I just love to listen to music and I want a very good and solid choice for the long run. My target is Hi Res in 24bit/96 kHz and above (...that is if I ever got the chance to grab my music above that resolution anyway). I'm coming from using the Sony MDR-7506 that my father gave me (he bought them in the '90s and I love 'em).
I've been using the Topping A90 with the Zen dac off of my pc and it works perfect. I also us the THX 789 with a lotoo paw s1 off of my Samsung Note 20 Ultra for my work at home station. These cans scale well with more power and they respond well with eq if you do not mind fine tuning with eq. I know some people frown upon the usage of eq but I personally do not mind.
Hey Josh! I checked out that L.M. Styles song in the intro and really enjoy it. Do you have a playlist or two of your favorite tracks (or songs like that) that we can listen to? Thanks man, love your content. 🤙🏼
Knowone mention that these phones are very amp picky. Can you get them loud of most things? Yes, but these differ in that rather than all frequencies getting higher with more volume, proper amplification provides better bass, and clarity.
No Theme Review nailed every aspect of these phones with his three video; Bass vid, Tribble vid, and Mids vid. These headphone scale very well with more powerful amps, though they can run with a portable dac/amp off of a phone and still sound 90% as good.
Thank you for the great review, Josh! How would you compare this to, say, Sennheiser HD 660s (including 600, 650)? It seems to me that we are spoiled with choices here with Sony and Sennheiser offering somewhat similar products at similar price points. We have Z7M2 from Sony and HD 660s (600 & 650) for 500-600 price bracket and Z1R vs HD800s for about 2k price bracket. Which brand would you choose if someone holds a gun to your head and you have to choose one brand for life?
@@markstekelenburg8508 Yeah I get what you mean. You just want to get a decent pair of headphones but after watching hundreds of reviews on youtube - you are more confused than ever before :p I am somewhat in the same situation. I think Joshua did a video about this (I am not sure of the title but it has to do with being an audiophile) and said that if you have a budget of 2k, don't go out and buy Z1R or HD800s (or 820S) when you have not had any previous experience with more affordable headphones "if you want to learn and grow." I think this statement makes so much sense in, not just audio, but in many different fields. I must admit I was planning on skipping all the headphones from 100 to 350 price point and jump start the journey from 400 and above - but I am so glad I watched that particular video. I guess we all want the best headphones and audio system without actually having to learn about them. It's very tempting to just watch some reviews and buy that and we are sorted but it's not that simple if we really want to understand the product and be skilful. I would also suggest to start with something very affordable and experience the headphone for what it offers, then move up from there. I think that's the only way to properly experience and be able to appreciate the high-end headphones. Thank you for your comment.
Would be interesting to know which one you prefer and recommend between the ATH-SR9 and the Z7M2. They both seem to be competing for the 500 dollar home/office closed-back audiophile headphone prize. Note that the ATH-SR9 requires some good burn-in to tame those high-treble frequencies ;) Thanks for your comparison reviews!
I currently have the 1am2's (like 150 dollar sony's) and they have a hole at the top, I think that's for bass response. And yet the sound doesn't really leak out. On that note, you mention these A7M2 being V shaped. I doubt it. Many people have said that about the 1AM2's as well. They aren't. Sony is shooting for a true flat/neutral response. At least from what I have seen. I think the issue here is "enthusiasts" get so caught up in the bullshit labeling of "audiophile" that most audiophile headphones lack proper neutral bass response. I have had so many headphones. The last "enthusiast" review I listened to and too 100% as truth, claimed headphones had great low bass. I got them, and the truth was, at 250hz, it was like 8db too high. Which they thought was bass.... they have no idea what bass is. So immediately if you claim there is increased bass and treble, V flavor, I am guessing its just a flat response. Because boosted treble would literally hurt your ears and result in short listening sessions. So going off my 1AM2 experience, I am going to assume the Z7M2 shoot for the same neutral response but do it better hence the higher price.
Does the 70mm drivers allow it to have good deep bass without it having to distort the driver? I would imagine it would perform better than most 40mm drivers tuned similarity, but don't want to spend the extra money for something that's not good value.
For 300$ What is the best Amp and dac or amp/dac to run this headphone on. Im so happy that you reviewed this headphone i really love them, and I want to buy one of them. I'm and audiophiles beginner and i only have phone (LG G8S (hi-res jack audio) and pc to use as dac/amp. And you are my favorite audiophiles RU-vidr. And I want to buy this one, because i love Sony as an company, so with their products I'm more comfortable.
In China, people replace the driver of z1r with z7r in the earcup of z1r for better highs and more controlled lows. I sold my z1r in that compared to my Susvara and Stax, it sounds so muffled.
Mr. X Interesting info about the driver swaps, but it doesn’t seem very fair to critique the Z1R because it doesn’t sound as clear as headphones that are 2 to 3 times more expensive.
Edwin Ramos good point. But there are also many cheaper and clearer cans such as Sennheiser 800, and Stax limited 300, which has much much better macro and micro details
Mr. X Fair enough. But, those are open headphones, which are almost always going to sound better than equivalent closed back headphones. I own the Focal Elegia, which are very clear sounding and detailed. They use the same driver as the Focal Clear, but the Clear sounds better, simply because it is an open back headphone. As good as my Elegia are, the Z1R are technically better. The way Sony tuned them makes it harder to appreciate their great technical capabilities, though. That being said, the only closed back headphones on the market right now that flat out beat the Z1R in technicalities are the Focal Stellia, the ZMF Verite Closed, and maybe the Sennheiser HD820....which have their own tuning issues and are overpriced.
After that review, I've decided to buy Z7, but not M2, but M1. Funny thing: although they've added this Fibonacci spiral and a bigger driver, they've removed this slight slant of the driver that the Z1R has. Like: "We've given you better hardware, but we're gonna remove this one thing to remove some features of the Z1R."
@@DaBomb5309 They do have the slant and sound significantly different than the Z7 m1. I've owned the Fostex Ebony and I honestly love those cans but the build quality was horrid. These sound similar but with more clarity and 95% of the bass.
sometimes i wonder on what matter you choose the songs you put for the background music on your video, are they some tunes the reviewed gear excel in? or ones you've been jamming on? I know that they're all royalty free music, but just how flexible are you on picking ND choosing the piece?
@@MC-rb5tf they're both aiming for a similar (slightly extreme, i dig 'em however) warm tilt, less colored than my z7's though, I would personally eq the treble down, making it into a dark sounding headphone, ultimate argons, if you will Unfortunately i do not own them as of recent, it was merely a loaner i got for a couple of weeks but i got to play with them for a bit and they satisfy, i would still tilt towards my focals and for vocals however, but then again, the majority of my library consists of game/rpg ost, your case may vary
Hi Josh. Would the updated MDR-1AM2 sound closer to the sound of this with the 4.4mm balanced cable if I listened to my music at home? Thank you in advance. This was really helpful. I’m debating about this or the Z1R. Price isn’t a hinderance, but this seems like the more practical choice. Please let me know. Cheers
This headphones are still listed on Sony websites (different countries) but no retailer has them in stock. One retailer said Sony is not making them anymore, do you have any information about this? Maybe the m3 are coming out soon? Cheers!
Thank you for your review! Could you please confirm whether Z7M2 can be used with Sony NW-ZX507? I am looking for a headphone coming from WH-1000XM4. I am open to your recommendations. I would really appreciate it.
It definitely can. they are very easy to drive. an amp is not a must for these. just a plus. You might not be impressed with the sound quality right off the bat if you are looking for a pair for analytic listening. but they are much better than WH-1000XM4 (I have a pair too) and more comfortable. In fact, I don't use WH-1000xm anymore except when I need noise canceling.
@@slee2054Thank you for your reply. At the time of my question, I was looking for closed back headphones. Currently, I am also interested in IEM's. Perhaps, Sony IER M7, M9, or Z1R would be a good choice. M9 would be the middle ground for comfort and price, I think. Do you own any of these?
@@ecbeljeda it's fantastic for a daily pair. In terms of price-to-value ratio, it's better than Z7m2. base-loaded fun headphones. It's still got much better resolution than WH-1000xm4. Super light and easy to carry and very easy to drive. even a portable device like a smart phone. You don't need a DAC or amp. The only downside I find in these is, if you have big ears, your ears might touch the drivers and can annoy you. Drivers are angled to prevent this. so one side is deeper than the other side for each cup. Unfortunately I have big ears and didn't work out for me.
@@ps3guy22 a coworker at my job won them in a raffle and sold them to me. He thought they only had a balanced connection and never knew the longer 3.5mm cable existed
As soon as you said leave it at the office my brain went, "These are cheap and not good enough for music". Most people don't listen to music at their jobs. To and from maybe but not most people unless it's you and other audio product reviewers.
It's been over a month since you posted last video about baby Orpheus. You said you will publish another one as soon as you have a chance to test them. A month is plenty of time to do that. May I know when can I expect an update video on that matter? Thanks
So I bought these and after messing with eq apo I got a sound I like. Issue is to get that thumpy bass I love I have to crank the headphones up way to loud. any idea why this is? I have them running in a hersey. If I have it on low Frequency the bass is muddy and distorted. So I have to put them on high frequency. Then to get that thumpy vibrating bass I have to crank the volume to the point where the highs hurt my ears.
Strongly disagree owning both the Z1r and Elegia, i found that for detail retrieval, comfort, soundstage, technical performance and build quality the Z1r is just miles ahead
@@vincenthusvh I once owned them both until I sold my Z1R. You are right z1r is a more capable headphone but that bass became problematic for me and a hard decision needed to be made. I am not a bass head, and my decision was based on my preference to more even sounding.
I have both the 1AM and the 1AM2. I don’t not find either of them sibilant at all. They are both darker phones and should not have any shrillness up top (although obviously v shaped and tuned more towards the mainstream market). The original 1AM was may gateway drug into audiophile gear and headphones. Still go back to it on occasion although way to closed in and congested for my liking now.
Actually they are removable you just got to keep pulling on them because they're they're like one of those headphones where you feel like your going to break the pad but you just got to keep pulling and they come off trust me
Woo Audio Wes II. Josh introduces it in his video on the Sennheiser HE-60 at around the 5:00 mark: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K_wK-tood0k.html
Unfortunately the Z7R2 are not sold in Italy, and as a newbie audiophile i would like to get some good headphones like these. Can someone tell me some good headphones?
Don’t buy z7m2, if you have a budget around $500, get yourself a pair of hd660s. If you already have DAC/Amp setup, then you can spend a little more money for planars like hifiman ananda, lcd x or a set of entry level stax 3100
They are replaceable. One tiny screw on each cup hidden under/behind the lip of the pad. I've replaced them with Aliexpress lamb skin pads that elevated the clarity and bass. Mids are not recessed if you utilize a decent power amp, however with paw s1 lotoo I get 90% of the performance with my Samsung phone. Ultimately, sound is subjective, what may not be a good fit for Joshua may be a perfect fit for someone else...like me!
@@Leo.SKDXL05 I'm considering these. Do you happen to know how they compare to the Meze 99 Classics (which I have) or to the Sennheiser 600 (which I'm considering)?
@Joshua Valuor the pads are removable. You are BAD reviewer because you should check the mfg page before making such a statement as the pads aren't removable.
Bad is probably too strong a word, but that misinformation is careless and potentially costly for Sony. I would never buy an expensive pair of headphones without replaceable ear pads. Regardless of the quality of the pads, they will wear out. I’m not gonna buy a $500 plus pair of headphones just to have them become paperweights simply because the pads wore out.
@@edwinramos4910 Ok "bad reviewer"was a little ruff but he did provide inaccurate information. Removable pads are important for me no matter the cost of the headphone.
Woo Audio Wes II. Josh introduces it in his video on the Sennheiser HE-60 at around the 5:00 mark: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K_wK-tood0k.html
Woo Audio Wes II. Josh introduces it in his video on the Sennheiser HE-60 at around the 5:00 mark: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K_wK-tood0k.html
Like the Z1R, it didn' t work for me. Wonderful build, but the treble felt harsh. And I disagree on the level of detail. Compared to a Focal Elear / Elex or Elegia, I find it significally less detailed
I bought the Elegia 3 weeks ago, and have grown to love it...after a short period of adjusting to its very neutral sound (coming from the Bowers & Wilkins P9, which is certainly not neutral). I did consider spending more and buying the Z1R, though. Love the look, and the thought of a lush, yet detailed sounding headphone appealed to me. How would you say the 2 compare to each other?
@@edwinramos4910 Both headphones are a very different. The Elegia are clean, fast and incredibly detailed for a closed back. The Z1R have more “weight” to their sound but are slower and sound muddier. Some tracks, in particular old 70s and 80s recordings, sound spectacular, other do not work at all. So there are a hit or miss thing. Try them out if you can find a good deal if they work for you. If not, give AQ Nighthawks or Audeze LCD2 a try. These are also very relaxing and not as expensive. Enjoy 😉
Woo Audio Wes II. Josh introduces it in his video on the Sennheiser HE-60 at around the 5:00 mark: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-K_wK-tood0k.html
