SonyMDR-Z7M2 Hi-Res Stereo Overhead Headphones Headphone (MDRZ7M2) Black

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?

I bought these as a lark for a special night of music thinking I would return them but they sounded so incredible I couldn't bring myself to let go of them. They're very comfortable, not too heavy, reasonably sturdy, but more than anything is the sound. Oh and they are also good on airplane to block sound and help you sleep better.

At $399 I can’t say it’s bad but still you have to know what you are buying. I bought this as a complement for my HD800s, focusing on delivering warmer, popper vocals as would expect from a mid end closed back headphone. Also this one is more comfortable for long time listening.

I have the original MDRz7 and these are a good upgrade. They managed to make the sound more transparent in the mids and highs compared to the last version. I had the top of the line Z1's but I returned them because they were hard on my ears. I also returned the Focal clears and Mr Speakers Ether C. I currently own Hifiman HE6SE which I drive off my SET tube amps and the Edition xx which I use with my Aurender Flow dac but lately I've been using the Sony MDRz7 mark 1 because I like the stronger bass even though the highs were slightly veiled compared to both my Hifiman phones I own, so I tried these MDRz7-M2 and they really improved the upper frequencies now comparable the Edition XX phones but with much more Bass that was too excessive and loose making the phones vibrate annoyingly on my ears. I discovered that this was caused by the new pads which I don't like so I swapped them out with the Z7 mark 1 pads and the bass is much tighter and better and I am happy now. I also own the Audeze LCD-XC and they are good however they cant be played as loud as the Sony nor is the sound-stage as wide. the Audeze cost $1200 and are heavy so the Sony's are a bargain especially when you swap out the pads, which I recommend doing. I enjoy the Sony's the most out of all my headphones.

Fit and finish on this was nice, after that everything else was bad. Sound seemed muffled and not clear at all. Tried with different sources and dedicated amps, stilll sub par compared to its competition that cost half the price. Maybe I just got a bad one, but for this price it is enough for me to stay away from these and others in the Sony brand.

I was in need of closed back headphones and although I had tried the Focal Stella's and loved them $3000 was not in my budget.I have owned plenty of sony Headphones and build quality was always an issue but these are built wonderfully.The sound seems to get better the longer I use them .With the 70mm drivers I thought the bass might be bloated or slow and that was not the case .Easily my favorite Headphones and definitely worth the price except now I rarely pick up my Sennheisers or Grados .The pads are replaceable you just have to remove a screw then twist

I find myself going to the Sony the most for the sound they provide. They have a comfortable fit to my face. I listen mostly to smooth jazz and vocals. These do a good job with both.

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.