Sony MDR-Z7M2 Hi-Res Headphones

These are the sweetest sounding closed back headphones I have ever had. The sound stage is deep and wide, the entire frequency range is handled well. If you have a headphone amp with a balanced connection the sound is even better. I have other headphones in my collection that are double the price, these ones are on par. They pair wonderfully with my I-Fi Zen can in 3D mode. They are quite easy to drive though and will sound great with any half decent amp. Warning: listening to music with these on is highly addictive!

J’adore ce casque! Il est génial. Le son est excellent. Il n’y a aucun bruit de structure, c’est ce qui me déplaît le plus sur les casques de piètre qualité.

They look and feel very well built, and are quite light for size.
The soundstage is very good for closed headphones.

The bass packs a punch, it’s fast and dynamic. The mids feel a bit lagged compared to the other frequencies and perhaps because of the excess of bass is that I feel that they lack a bit of clarity.

I would like to hear a little more information on the treble, don’t get me wrong, the sound in general is very good, especially for long time listening, they have a relaxed sound that will allow you to listen to them for hours and in a very dynamic way that you will undoubtedly enjoy.

But if you are looking for excessive detail in your music with a lot of information, these are not the right headphones for you.

That said, they are my favorite headphones for listening to Trance and House music.

Best headphones ive ever owned. And i have bought and reviewed quite a few.

My previous favorite headphones were the sony mdr-1am2 which were lighter and more portable than these mdr-z7m2 but the sound signsture is better on the z7m2. The z7m2 are WAY more comfortable but heavier, however they have good solid clamp over your ears so they stay in place and the cushions so soft, you forget you are wearing them. The 1am2s can work well with cell phones and are loud (16ohm) but these z7m2 are quiet on cell phones due to needing more power to drive them (56ohms).

Both headphones are considered closed back. The z7m2 leaks more aound than the 1am2s, but significantly less than an open back headphone like the hifiman sundara whoch is an open back headphone.

Sony shoots for a neutral response. Meaning bass is flat, mids are flat, and treble is flat. A speaker will perform a certain way based on the housing its in. So far, these z7m2 are my absolute favorite and with a 70mm speaker/driver, its one of the biggest on the market. The highs are crystal clear, the bass can thump, and the mids are nice and warm. On the comparison side, the hifiman sundara are extremely bright (8khz is blown up by like 8db) and lack bass. However both headphones you can add bass with an EQ if you are in the mood to shake/vibrate your head. In fact, all 3 headphones I have mentioned can handle extra bass if you were so inclined. Some brands of headphones lack bass and you cannot eq more as the speaker itself will make mechanical noise, headphones like sennheisers in the same price group, audio-technica, and other cheap off brands. They just have no bass to begin with and you cant eq more. The Sonys are just, eargasm to me.

There are multiple kinds of headphone users. “Audiophiles” who are snobs and honestly HATE neutral reaponse. These people prefer smooth mids and ultra bright ear shattering highs while completely lacking bass. Reminds me of old people shaking a cane saying “turn the darn bass down.” If you were to look at a graph, the bass has serious roll off (negative, below center) while mids are flat and highs slightly above neutral flat. Like most sennheisers, audio-technica, hifiman, etc.

Then you have those who want purity. Also a bit snobby (i can admit im a neutral snob) I want headphones to give me accurate representations of the music, how the person who created it wanted us to hear…. Which means flat bass (not lacking but not too much) flat mids and most importantly flat highs. If you were to look at a graph of frequency and reaponse the line will be as flat as possible. Sennheiser hd800s break the mold and end up in this catagory, but also are extremely expensive. Also Sony’s lineup so far (1am2, z7m2). I want to get my hands on the z1r, but thats a long time from now if ever.

V shaped people. They want heavy bass, flat mids, and harsh highs. The heavy bass requires harsh highs in order to overcome single speaker issues. A speaker playing heavy bass cannot produce accurate highs. It just can’t. Thus the V shape. Not many headphones are V shape. Sony have xtrabass headphones and while the bass on a graph would be above the neutral flat line, the highs roll off and are lacking. Some of the more expensive xtrabass could fit the V shape ideal. Bass heads love these headphones. Similar to beats headphones by dr.dre….

Then the mid lovers. No bass, no highs, but amazing mids. Aka the vocalist. Very rare, generally these people dont like music as a whole, and prefer heavy vocal music where the voice is the key feature. Also those who like podcasts. I dont have any examples of this because I dont have any that fit the bill in my headphone arsenal.

So which are you?

The MDR-Z7M2 headphones are a departure from everything else I’ve had so far. The build quality is very good. I do like the slightly U shaped sound with punchy bass and clear highs. The sound stage is wide and instruments can be easily perceived.
Mostly, I use an iPhone with a lightning to USB 3 camera adapter cable to a DragonFly cobalt. MQA masters sound beautiful and clear.
Sound quality perception is a very personal experience. Price point aside, I absolutely love the sound and would definitely recommend these headphones.