Sony Hi-Res Headphones MDR-Z7M2

From a personal point of view these are perfect headphones. 1, I’m not an audiophile 2, I’m getting on in years and have used things that make loud bangs for all of my professional life so bearing in mind 1&2 my hearing may be a bit duff, however what I get from these is really great clarity to the point I’m hearing instruments and sounds I’ve not heard before and rediscovering my music collection all over again, so for me they are perfect.

My Beyerdynamic T5P mk2 headphones developed a fault, and seeing how the new Sony MDR-Z7.M2 had just come out I figured I would give them a try.

Compared to lower end headphones like the Sennheiser Momentum 2 or Sony WH-1000-XM2 these are vastly better, Bose Quietcomfort are not in the same game at all. They don’t have as much bass as the XM2, but those headphones have a lot of low-end boom for my taste – good for rock/pop/dance but not great for classical or acoustic. The Sennheiser have the opposite character but overall can manage a wider range of music but without the NC being as good. But of course these headphones cost less than half as much. So what do you get for the extra cash?

Beautiful soundstage broad, rich tones from orchestral – handling cello particularly well, which is always a good test. Nice and clear in upper tones without being tinny and overly bright. The bass stays true to the music without the unnatural boost from lower end headphones like Beats and Sony XM. So if there is bass there, it will play it well, fairly tight but smooth.

Compared to the more expensive Beyerdynamic they do quite well, arguably they are as good but with a different character. Certainly the T5P2 seem to give a greater separation of instruments and clarity of voice, where the Z7M2 is smoother and a bit more natural sounding, allowing appreciation of the music rather than the headphone itself.

Obviously one needs a decent DAC to make user of these, but surprisingly they are much easier to drive with their 70mm units than the 50mm T5P2. For comparison using my LGV30 phone the T5s need a volume level of 70/75 to match the Sony at 50/75. Certainly I often wished for more volume from the Beyer even turned up full, but the Sonys can go too loud for comfort with the phone.

Using a Dragonfly Black DAC the Sony is very easy to drive and the sound is good, though no better than the LGV30 DAC, curiously even the new FiiO Q5 doesn’t seem to bring much extra to the party.

MQA recordings from Tidal certainly shine, but where the Beyer sounds perhaps a little too enthusiastic and dynamic at times, which is exciting but can get tiring after a while, the Sony seems to stay true to the recording rendering a wide range of music with great fidelity.

The build quality seems very good, and the comfort is excellent, even with glasses.

Overall I would say that the Z7M2 is not at all disappointing for the price, though you will need a decent DAC and Hi-Res recordings to get the best from them. I have not been able to test them with the balanced cable from one of the Sony Walkman players. If you are attracted by the high-end DAC in the LG phones then I can confirm that you will be happy with the match.

Cautions:
1. No carry case. (come on Sony this is a premium product!) And not even one I can find for sale.
2. These are semi-closed only. If you turn the volume up loud you will annoy people around you, not to the same extent as open-back headphones or those infernal Apple devices, but still… at reasonable volumes though they are quiet enough. I can use them at the office without bothering people around me.
3. The supplied cable is very long (3 or 4m), so if you plan on using them in a portable setup, you may need to get a shorter one, or get used to coiling a lot of cable.

Overall I am quite impressed with these.

Very very comfortable, but the Focal Elegia is pure magic in comparison when used with proper DAC and amp.

I note that the other reviews are “vine” reviews, I have bought this for my self and this is an absolute honest review- the first on Amazon uk at this time anyhow.
I won’t write and essay only short and brief description.

The good;

1) build quality- really great mostly metal feels solid- like beyerdynamic build
2) cables (China made) excellent- no need for aftermarket cable same as z7
3) comfort- like Z7 really really comfortable
4) sound- this is where this excel- I have a LOT of headphones; this is as detailed and spacious as HD700, or beyerdynamic DT1990, only difference is you WILL NOT GET ear fratigue listening to them for hours, they are like audioquest nighthawks but not as dark (less bass emphasis) but like smooth – good comparison is if HD700 was Cadbury’s dairymilk, These are as smooth as Galaxy (cotton vs silk)
What an improvement on the Z7. Not as good at Z1R, but z1rs’ aren’t three times as better than z7 Mark 2, but the difference is noticeable.
Bass is more controlled, smooth details as good as T5p gen 2 but less bright. If you like long listening sessions and get ear ache from high end sennheiser or beyerdynamic due to brightness, you ll love these.

The bad

Expensive- these should be £400-£500 mark £800 RRP is not justifiable. They are not as good as sennheiser hd800.

No carry case- why? Why? Closed back headphones low impedance- why not provide a nice (leather) carry case? Seriously get your act together SONY- all beyerdynamics at this price comes with carry case- and nice ones too!!
Audioquest nighthawk provide the best accessories cables and Cary case – even extra ear pads!

Packaging- for this cost point- Sony could have made more effort with presentation and packaging- learn from audioquest- they have it spot on, and don’t cost as much! Sad they have stopped making headphone- they made the best headphone under £500 mark- period.
Other than that not much else to criticise these

The ugly

MADE IS THAILAND- the Z7 are made in JAPAN. So how do you justify the cost and lack of carry case? Cables are made in China.

Ear pad- not easily changeable- why? Ear pads should be interchangeable and provide some for the money asked to be paid for these- disappointing!!!!

Conclusion: excellent build quality, sound spot on; weaknesses of Z7 mark one corrected. Trickled technology from their flagship Z1R. These deserve an audition! These make music listening pleasurable and doesn’t lose the details or the pace on some of the brighter rivals. This will give the HD650 a good chase- IMHO these are better than the HD650 detailed as the HD660s / HD700s ; but smooth as silk.

Thank you for reading, hope it helps someone!

Great sound with phone, PC and turntable.
Quality build and materials used.
Super comfortable.
Did lots of research and very happy with purchase.

I wanted better sound quality. So I upgraded. Thanks