MDR-Z7M2 Headphones | Extreme Comfort & High-Res Audio
MDR-Z7M2 Headphones | Extreme Comfort & High-Res Audio
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The lowest price for Sony MDR-Z7M2 Headphones right now is $472.01 at eBay.com.au.
The all-time low was $151.94 on 10 Mar 2026 — today's price is 211% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 2 Oct 2026.
Sony MDR-Z7M2 Headphones
MDR-Z7M2 Headphones | Extreme Comfort & High-Res Audio
MDR-Z7M2 Headphones | Extreme Comfort & High-Res Audio
Last updated at 02/10/2026 20:11:49
SONY MDR-Z7M2 High-Resolution Professional Stereo Headphones Tested Japan
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
originally posted on bestbuy.com
After exhaustive research I purchased the Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones for a home office setup for late night listening to music and to watch Netflix. I needed close back headphones to be able to listen at any volume level I wanted and not disturb the wife while sleeping. These headphones are built well and are comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions. As a reference I consider myself an audiophile. I have a very elaborate home theater downstairs and although this office setup project was not about an all out what is the best I can get for my office, the end result I am very happy with.Out of the box I would say these headphones are fairly good. After the first few hours of listening with them I definitely felt there was untapped potential. But I was not ... MoreAfter exhaustive research I purchased the Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones for a home office setup for late night listening to music and to watch Netflix. I needed close back headphones to be able to listen at any volume level I wanted and not disturb the wife while sleeping. These headphones are built well and are comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions. As a reference I consider myself an audiophile. I have a very elaborate home theater downstairs and although this office setup project was not about an all out what is the best I can get for my office, the end result I am very happy with.Out of the box I would say these headphones are fairly good. After the first few hours of listening with them I definitely felt there was untapped potential. But I was not happy with them as is. So I let them burn-in 24/7 for 7 or so days, listening to them now and then during the burn-n process. The burn-in helped a bit but did not change the way I felt about them. I listen to just about all genres of music via Tidal and sometimes YouTube (if the recording is decent). Now I started tinkering with EQ (APO Peace version), trying different amps and DACs on hand, with some hardware offering better results than others. Then I changed the pads to deeper sheepskin pads and filtered the headphone cups. At this point the headphones have vastly improved. Then noticing the vibrations throughout the headphone and to some extent the cabling I added vibration dampening material to the exterior of the headphone and BAM this was the finishing touch. The end results after all the minor tweaks and mods these headphones are stunning.Let me give an idea of the stark difference when I first got these headphones to what they are now. If I was at a Magnolia store and heard them stock I would not of purchased them for $600. If I listened to the headphones with how they sound now and the price was $1200, I would of asked how much the amp and DAC attached was and purchased it all on the spot. Anyone can duplicate what I did with these headphones,For full impression review, pic of my setup and for tweaks and mods I did, see my two posts on Head-Fi.org here (page 136 under name cdacosta): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-mdr-z7m2-headphone-thread.886123/page-136I find these headphones great for all genres of music and fantastic for movies. I know most reviews do not mention any tweaking or mods someone might have done to improve performance on a product. For these headphones the performance difference is so much I felt that not mentioning them would be misleading. In summary, if the Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones are affordable and you do not mind a little modding that is reversible you will be rewarded with sonic reproduction that is stunning and will have you smiling and grooving to whatever you like listening to.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I purchased both the MDR-Z7M2, and another less expensive brand, here at Best Buy over the holidays, in order to try out and compare the two models. The MDR-Z7M2 were also on sale for $599.98.The MDR-Z7M2 are a great pair of headphones. I especially loved the fact the they fit completely over your ears, helping w/blocking out external sound, and are "very" comfortable to wear. The physical build quality is excellent as well.The sound quality is excellent, but do tend to take a little more power to drive due their Impedance of 56 ohm, vs. the 36 on the pair that I stayed with. The frequency range are 4 to 100,000 Hz on the MDR-Z7M2, while the other pair which I stayed with, are 5 to 50,000 Hz. I would listen for a while w/my other pair, at a set volume, and when I ... MoreI purchased both the MDR-Z7M2, and another less expensive brand, here at Best Buy over the holidays, in order to try out and compare the two models. The MDR-Z7M2 were also on sale for $599.98.The MDR-Z7M2 are a great pair of headphones. I especially loved the fact the they fit completely over your ears, helping w/blocking out external sound, and are "very" comfortable to wear. The physical build quality is excellent as well.The sound quality is excellent, but do tend to take a little more power to drive due their Impedance of 56 ohm, vs. the 36 on the pair that I stayed with. The frequency range are 4 to 100,000 Hz on the MDR-Z7M2, while the other pair which I stayed with, are 5 to 50,000 Hz. I would listen for a while w/my other pair, at a set volume, and when I switch, I had to increase the volume in order to compensate, w/the MDR-Z7M2.The other pair's sound quality is excellent as well, and were not cheap by any means.The MDR-Z7M2 are a little bigger than the other pair, more for just sitting down and comfortably listening too, while the other pair, though not small, but are lighter, to allow walking and listening to a portable digital player if I so wished.It was a very hard decision between the two models, but I had to to go w/the best price.In the future, should the price drop on the MDR-Z7M2 to say $299.98, I'll reconsider them. Once again, I paid $599.98 for them, on sale, while they're now back up to $899.98, The other pair that I stayed with were $249.99.Everyone's hearing is different, as is the type of music they enjoy listening to.If you have the money, and can afford the MDR-Z7M2's price tag, then by all means, I would recommend them highly.Finally, the MDR-Z7M2 are "wired headphones only". Wired headphones are going to give you the very best music quality vs. to what wireless can provide. Being wired, the MDR-Z7M2 don't ever need batteries, nor do they need to be recharged. Also too, the MDR-Z7M2 have no noise reduction built in either, which will surely kill music quality as well. I have a pair of Bose headphones, which have noise reduction, which I only use when I travel on a flight.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
The first thing i noticed out of the box is the annoying fancy 3.5mm Y cable they make you use. When i actually listened to music on these with my turnatable setup i thought i plugged them in wrong because the treble was completely missing. To make sure the cable wasnt defunct, i plugged them into my PC which has a dedicated DAC and it sounded much better. I did some research and found out the amp i'm using with my turntable must be low quality, although the amp sounds fine with other headphones.Listening to music on my PC i only found a difference when listening to 96khz 24 bit FLAC files, played through my dedicated DAC, and it sounded AMAZING with these headphones. Great and immersive soundstage, completely even and smooth tones, everything just sounded so warm ... MoreThe first thing i noticed out of the box is the annoying fancy 3.5mm Y cable they make you use. When i actually listened to music on these with my turnatable setup i thought i plugged them in wrong because the treble was completely missing. To make sure the cable wasnt defunct, i plugged them into my PC which has a dedicated DAC and it sounded much better. I did some research and found out the amp i'm using with my turntable must be low quality, although the amp sounds fine with other headphones.Listening to music on my PC i only found a difference when listening to 96khz 24 bit FLAC files, played through my dedicated DAC, and it sounded AMAZING with these headphones. Great and immersive soundstage, completely even and smooth tones, everything just sounded so warm and encompassing. My biggest issue is how hard it is to find ultra high quality music files, since streaming services often don't provide them. I also did not want to drop hundreds more on a new amp for my vinyl setup, so i ended up returning these simply because they weren't worth the money to listen to such a limited amount of music. An alternative is to cancel my streaming services and buy all my music in FLAC if i can, but that would be very expensive.In short, These are really nice headphones, but you need EVERY component of your whole setup to be just as nice or nothing will sound right, and I can't invest in all the other equipment at this time.
| General | |
| Product Type | Headphones - wired - 3.5 mm jack |
| Weight | 340 g |
| Colour | Black |
| Recommended Use | Professional audio, portable electronics |
SONY MDR-Z7M2 High-Resolution Professional Stereo Headphones Tested Japan
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
After exhaustive research I purchased the Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones for a home office setup for late night listening to music and to watch Netflix. I needed close back headphones to be able to listen at any volume level I wanted and not disturb the wife while sleeping. These headphones are built well and are comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions. As a reference I consider myself an audiophile. I have a very elaborate home theater downstairs and although this office setup project was not about an all out what is the best I can get for my office, the end result I am very happy with.Out of the box I would say these headphones are fairly good. After the first few hours of listening with them I definitely felt there was untapped potential. But I was not ... MoreAfter exhaustive research I purchased the Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones for a home office setup for late night listening to music and to watch Netflix. I needed close back headphones to be able to listen at any volume level I wanted and not disturb the wife while sleeping. These headphones are built well and are comfortable to wear for extended listening sessions. As a reference I consider myself an audiophile. I have a very elaborate home theater downstairs and although this office setup project was not about an all out what is the best I can get for my office, the end result I am very happy with.Out of the box I would say these headphones are fairly good. After the first few hours of listening with them I definitely felt there was untapped potential. But I was not happy with them as is. So I let them burn-in 24/7 for 7 or so days, listening to them now and then during the burn-n process. The burn-in helped a bit but did not change the way I felt about them. I listen to just about all genres of music via Tidal and sometimes YouTube (if the recording is decent). Now I started tinkering with EQ (APO Peace version), trying different amps and DACs on hand, with some hardware offering better results than others. Then I changed the pads to deeper sheepskin pads and filtered the headphone cups. At this point the headphones have vastly improved. Then noticing the vibrations throughout the headphone and to some extent the cabling I added vibration dampening material to the exterior of the headphone and BAM this was the finishing touch. The end results after all the minor tweaks and mods these headphones are stunning.Let me give an idea of the stark difference when I first got these headphones to what they are now. If I was at a Magnolia store and heard them stock I would not of purchased them for $600. If I listened to the headphones with how they sound now and the price was $1200, I would of asked how much the amp and DAC attached was and purchased it all on the spot. Anyone can duplicate what I did with these headphones,For full impression review, pic of my setup and for tweaks and mods I did, see my two posts on Head-Fi.org here (page 136 under name cdacosta): https://www.head-fi.org/threads/sony-mdr-z7m2-headphone-thread.886123/page-136I find these headphones great for all genres of music and fantastic for movies. I know most reviews do not mention any tweaking or mods someone might have done to improve performance on a product. For these headphones the performance difference is so much I felt that not mentioning them would be misleading. In summary, if the Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones are affordable and you do not mind a little modding that is reversible you will be rewarded with sonic reproduction that is stunning and will have you smiling and grooving to whatever you like listening to.
I purchased both the MDR-Z7M2, and another less expensive brand, here at Best Buy over the holidays, in order to try out and compare the two models. The MDR-Z7M2 were also on sale for $599.98.The MDR-Z7M2 are a great pair of headphones. I especially loved the fact the they fit completely over your ears, helping w/blocking out external sound, and are "very" comfortable to wear. The physical build quality is excellent as well.The sound quality is excellent, but do tend to take a little more power to drive due their Impedance of 56 ohm, vs. the 36 on the pair that I stayed with. The frequency range are 4 to 100,000 Hz on the MDR-Z7M2, while the other pair which I stayed with, are 5 to 50,000 Hz. I would listen for a while w/my other pair, at a set volume, and when I ... MoreI purchased both the MDR-Z7M2, and another less expensive brand, here at Best Buy over the holidays, in order to try out and compare the two models. The MDR-Z7M2 were also on sale for $599.98.The MDR-Z7M2 are a great pair of headphones. I especially loved the fact the they fit completely over your ears, helping w/blocking out external sound, and are "very" comfortable to wear. The physical build quality is excellent as well.The sound quality is excellent, but do tend to take a little more power to drive due their Impedance of 56 ohm, vs. the 36 on the pair that I stayed with. The frequency range are 4 to 100,000 Hz on the MDR-Z7M2, while the other pair which I stayed with, are 5 to 50,000 Hz. I would listen for a while w/my other pair, at a set volume, and when I switch, I had to increase the volume in order to compensate, w/the MDR-Z7M2.The other pair's sound quality is excellent as well, and were not cheap by any means.The MDR-Z7M2 are a little bigger than the other pair, more for just sitting down and comfortably listening too, while the other pair, though not small, but are lighter, to allow walking and listening to a portable digital player if I so wished.It was a very hard decision between the two models, but I had to to go w/the best price.In the future, should the price drop on the MDR-Z7M2 to say $299.98, I'll reconsider them. Once again, I paid $599.98 for them, on sale, while they're now back up to $899.98, The other pair that I stayed with were $249.99.Everyone's hearing is different, as is the type of music they enjoy listening to.If you have the money, and can afford the MDR-Z7M2's price tag, then by all means, I would recommend them highly.Finally, the MDR-Z7M2 are "wired headphones only". Wired headphones are going to give you the very best music quality vs. to what wireless can provide. Being wired, the MDR-Z7M2 don't ever need batteries, nor do they need to be recharged. Also too, the MDR-Z7M2 have no noise reduction built in either, which will surely kill music quality as well. I have a pair of Bose headphones, which have noise reduction, which I only use when I travel on a flight.
The first thing i noticed out of the box is the annoying fancy 3.5mm Y cable they make you use. When i actually listened to music on these with my turnatable setup i thought i plugged them in wrong because the treble was completely missing. To make sure the cable wasnt defunct, i plugged them into my PC which has a dedicated DAC and it sounded much better. I did some research and found out the amp i'm using with my turntable must be low quality, although the amp sounds fine with other headphones.Listening to music on my PC i only found a difference when listening to 96khz 24 bit FLAC files, played through my dedicated DAC, and it sounded AMAZING with these headphones. Great and immersive soundstage, completely even and smooth tones, everything just sounded so warm ... MoreThe first thing i noticed out of the box is the annoying fancy 3.5mm Y cable they make you use. When i actually listened to music on these with my turnatable setup i thought i plugged them in wrong because the treble was completely missing. To make sure the cable wasnt defunct, i plugged them into my PC which has a dedicated DAC and it sounded much better. I did some research and found out the amp i'm using with my turntable must be low quality, although the amp sounds fine with other headphones.Listening to music on my PC i only found a difference when listening to 96khz 24 bit FLAC files, played through my dedicated DAC, and it sounded AMAZING with these headphones. Great and immersive soundstage, completely even and smooth tones, everything just sounded so warm and encompassing. My biggest issue is how hard it is to find ultra high quality music files, since streaming services often don't provide them. I also did not want to drop hundreds more on a new amp for my vinyl setup, so i ended up returning these simply because they weren't worth the money to listen to such a limited amount of music. An alternative is to cancel my streaming services and buy all my music in FLAC if i can, but that would be very expensive.In short, These are really nice headphones, but you need EVERY component of your whole setup to be just as nice or nothing will sound right, and I can't invest in all the other equipment at this time.
These headphones are absolutely amazing! Coming from a pair of Bose "Quiet Comfort" headphones, this is definitely a step up, especially when compared to the Bose being wired in. For whatever reason, the Bose didn't sound as good wired as they did over Bluetooth. That said, even when playing over Bluetooth, they still don't match the Sony headphones.With my current setup, I have all the clarity I was looking for, though I could stand a tad more bass if I'm to be perfectly honest (just being greedy). I don't feel this is the fault of the headphones, just the fact that I'm using lower quality equipment to feed these (to be remedied in the future). I think if I got a better headphone amp that had the balanced output, things could get even better. Still, an hour or ... MoreThese headphones are absolutely amazing! Coming from a pair of Bose "Quiet Comfort" headphones, this is definitely a step up, especially when compared to the Bose being wired in. For whatever reason, the Bose didn't sound as good wired as they did over Bluetooth. That said, even when playing over Bluetooth, they still don't match the Sony headphones.With my current setup, I have all the clarity I was looking for, though I could stand a tad more bass if I'm to be perfectly honest (just being greedy). I don't feel this is the fault of the headphones, just the fact that I'm using lower quality equipment to feed these (to be remedied in the future). I think if I got a better headphone amp that had the balanced output, things could get even better. Still, an hour or two with these just seem to make my troubles disappear.The only thing of note that I could say "against" these is that they are rather large, so that is something to be considered. I wouldn't say I'm a "small" guy, but I'm certainly not on the large side either. These headphones sit perfectly on my head, but at the smallest setting.Speaking of fit, I usually get sore from headphones after a couple of hours of use, but these are so dang comfortable, I don't have this issue at all. I think the fact that they are so large actually helps disperse the weight/pressure of the headphones very well/evenly across your head so you don't really have any pressure points, and the ear cups are very soft also.I don't have a ton of hours with these yet, but the hand full of hours I've put into them have been very pleasant. I bought them on sale, and don't regret this purchase at all.Current Setup:AudioQuest Dragonfly Red → Rolls "Sonic Exciter" (Basically bass/treble boost, but helps tremendously) → Schiit Magni 2 headphone amp.Music I Typically Listen To:Christian Rock and Metal (Fit for a King/August Burns Red/Disciple/Relent)Christian Rap/Hip Hop (Bizzle/KJ-52/Andy Mineo/Tedashii)Contemporary Christian (We Are Messengers/Chris Tomlin/Matty Mullins/Mercy Me)
ProsRidiculous large sound range, up to 4Hz to 100KHzMusic is as about as neutral is as possible with a single driverSturdy, aluminum constructionComfortable ear pads block out noise for extended listeningHeadband provides grip without being excessiveSturdy cords feel durableCords have texture which reduces unwanted noise from movementCords screw into headset with metal connectorsHeadset side of cords are plated red and white to indicate left and rightCord attachments are angled to curve naturally over your shouldersLarge drivers reproduce sounds preciselyMobile listening is reasonable even if with loss of fidelityConsNo carrying case or standNo shorter cord with 1/8” end to allow mobile listeningNo compatibility for Surround sound ... MoreProsRidiculous large sound range, up to 4Hz to 100KHzMusic is as about as neutral is as possible with a single driverSturdy, aluminum constructionComfortable ear pads block out noise for extended listeningHeadband provides grip without being excessiveSturdy cords feel durableCords have texture which reduces unwanted noise from movementCords screw into headset with metal connectorsHeadset side of cords are plated red and white to indicate left and rightCord attachments are angled to curve naturally over your shouldersLarge drivers reproduce sounds preciselyMobile listening is reasonable even if with loss of fidelityConsNo carrying case or standNo shorter cord with 1/8” end to allow mobile listeningNo compatibility for Surround sound formatsNo high res wireless optionNo active noise canceling optionPoor quality, or highly process recordings are easy to spotHi-res audio is hard to findMost people rarely go beyond a slight upgrade in the quality of their headphones. At most they might purchase headphones that can produce heavy, punchy bass giving the impression they produce good quality audio. Then you have those who are often buying new headphones in search of that perfect set to faithfully reproduce the music as intended. The Sony MDR-Z7M2 is targeted at those whose priority is clean, precise sound reproduction but their budget can’t quite afford the much more expensive Sony Z1R headphones.DesignAt first glance the MDR-Z7M2 headphones look different than most headphones. There are no flashy designs or highly polished surfaces. They are very understated in semigloss textured black throughout with only a touch of dark gray on the slider. Strangely at this price point there is no case or stand included nor is there any mini stereo jack cable to allow listening to other mobile devices. The first indication of the difference is how large they are. The earpiece contains a 2.76” driver which there is no way to hide. The design is over the ear with a thick, soft earpad made of synthetic leather. Upon closer inspection the differences become apparent. To start, two cords included in the box. One is a 3-meter-long cable with a mini stereo jack and adapter for full size stereo jack. The other cable is 1.2-meter-long with an l-shaped stereo connector in a size you don’t often see intended to match with Sony’s Hi-Res Walkman portal player. The cables have a ribbed design which reduces cord noise from movement. All connections are gold plated with the modular cables having heavy screw in connections to attach firmly to each earpiece directly.Once you pick up the headphones you begin to realize something is different. There is no plastic in the design. Even most headphones that claim to be premium and cost several hundred dollars are still primarily plastic but not these. The earpiece, slider, and headband are all aluminum-alloy and sturdy. The choice of aluminum-alloy gives them a quality, sturdy, but helps keep them relatively light. They are light enough to where you might suspect they are plastic until you feel the coldness of the metal and realize otherwise. With a padded headband and earpieces and the over the ear the design they are intended for long hours of listening without discomfort. The band creates a modest amount of pressure to hold the headphones against your head securely and block out most external sounds. It seems Sony put some work into finding just the right amount of force to keep things secure without creating discomfort. The headband is also sufficiently wide enough to distribute the slight weight bump so as not to create a painful pressure point on your head either.From end to end Sony has taken measures to preserve the sound and prevent distortion. The cords are silver-coated oxygen-free cables designed to minimize resistance and signal-transmission loss. Sony claims they reduce sound degradation producing finer detail and smoother treble. In Sony’s own words the diaphragm is made of an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer to give a more consistent and precise sound across the entire frequency range. Material-specific resonance is canceled and delivers natural sound with low coloration. The driver is made of a neodymium magnet which is 200% larger than the previous MDR-Z7 to establish more driving power and a fast response to high resolution signals and has a range of 4Hz to 100KHz. This means it produces sounds above and below the audible range as the highest frequencies even the best ears can hear is around 20KHz.PerformanceIf the price doesn’t turn you away, then that means you are more interested in performance than costs. First, these headphones don’t have any sort of processing in them. No surround sound processing, or anything Dolby including THX. It’s all about a simple, high quality speaker. They are first and foremost, designed for listening to music and preferably Hi-Res music. That is where they shine. Sound production is clean, precise, and as neutral as is possible. Of course, neutral isn’t possible with a single drive but that is the closest description. You could maybe say the are ever so slightly warm but that seems to not do them justice to some of the crisp highs they can reproduce without harshness. Overall, there is no inbuilt coloring of the tones and it seems Sony was really trying for neutral. Of course, with a good equalizer you can adjust to your heart’s content, but you don’t have to adjust against any inbuilt changes. Highest as crisp and smooth as the original source and bass is reproduced without distortion or being overbearing. Even mid-tones are faithfully reproduced or at least more evident than on any previous headphones. It’s hard to fault the quality of the sound produced. The size of the drivers means that if you like hard hitting bass it might seem a little smoother than you expect but even then, it is in a pleasing way.Even without hi-res audio you can still hear more nuances just from lossless compressed audio. When listening to Moonlight Sonata Opus 27, No. 2 you can hear subtle sounds in the room that are lost otherwise. Besides hearing more of the range of the piano you hear more detail, such as the pianist moving in their chair or sliding their arm across the piano. It’s hard to say what they did without first seeing in person, but the point is it is detail rarely heard. You can hear more of the reverberation of the guitar strings in some music, sometimes the pick against the strings, or even the breath control as a musician playing a woodwind instrument. Of course, this all depends on where the microphone was originally placed, how high of quality was the recording, and if there is any post processing but if it is there these headphones do a nice job of reproducing it. Therein lies maybe the biggest downside an audiophile might encounter. If the source music is hi-fi or any form of lossless, you can hear every detail and the experience has more depth. If there is compression, or heavy post processing then the music loses depth and almost feels flat. It might mean if you are a fan of rock, classic or otherwise, you might find yourself looking to find more acoustic versions to feel the depth more. This isn’t the fault of the headphones but more the fact that they are able to expose some of those shortcomings in the recording.Final ThoughtsThe Sony MDR-Z7M2 are a great set of headphones for those not satisfied with the sound quality of what are normally called quality headphones but that also need to be more mindful of the extreme prices that can come from such an endeavor. The MDR-Z7M2 headphones are by no means cheap, but in a category where prices can easily ready 5 digits these are well placed and provide a good value for the category. If you the type unsatisfied with the sound quality of the normal “premium” headphones, are willing to spend extra without hitting the stratosphere in prices, and don’t care about all the extra sound processing modes and wireless features but just want precise sound the Sony MDR-Z7M2 warranty serious consideration.
Sony - MDR-Z7M2 Over-the-Ear Headphones - BlackThe Sony MDR-Z7M2 is a revision to the older MDR-Z7 that is still available for purchase. Both sit very high on the list of audiophile headphones in the Sony product line. I did not have the pleasure of getting to hear the original MDR-Z7 so I will limit myself to my personnel experience with the MDR-M2 revision.For its size the closed back MDR-Z7M2 headphone felt very lite to me when I first picked them up. According to the Sony website the MDR-Z7M2 is a claimed 12.0 oz which is just slightly heavier than the MDR-Z7 at 11.82 oz. They felt very comfortable to me but within my first hour with them I thought Sony could have added a bit wider padding for the top headband. It didn’t take long before I completely forgot ... MoreSony - MDR-Z7M2 Over-the-Ear Headphones - BlackThe Sony MDR-Z7M2 is a revision to the older MDR-Z7 that is still available for purchase. Both sit very high on the list of audiophile headphones in the Sony product line. I did not have the pleasure of getting to hear the original MDR-Z7 so I will limit myself to my personnel experience with the MDR-M2 revision.For its size the closed back MDR-Z7M2 headphone felt very lite to me when I first picked them up. According to the Sony website the MDR-Z7M2 is a claimed 12.0 oz which is just slightly heavier than the MDR-Z7 at 11.82 oz. They felt very comfortable to me but within my first hour with them I thought Sony could have added a bit wider padding for the top headband. It didn’t take long before I completely forgot about headband and felt it wasn’t an issue after many hours of use. The very soft thick ear padding and room for my ears added up to some of the most confrontable headphones I have worn. The clamping pressure was just right for me with a mostly average head size and I got very good isolation with the design of the ear pads. I wear glasses most of the time and they never affected the seal around my ears. With pads this thick and pliable I think they will be fine for most users. The ear pad adjusters feel like they’re made of aluminum but I am not sure of that. They have numbers positions and a very nice click for each adjustment position. The headphones seem to be made with this same material and it all blends together very well. I would have to try and scratch them to know if they are truly made of aluminum so please forgive me if don’t go that far. The overall build quality is very good as one would expect from a true audiophile headphone made by a world leader in audio. As I write this review I have about six different headphones around me and I rate the Sony as the easiest to wear for hours at a time. This is a critical feature for headphones in this class.The overall packaging presents itself very well but you do not get any type of travel case. In the package you get an almost 10’ long stereo cable and a shorter 4’ balanced-connection cable. This seems like an odd choice since the longer stereo cable would be mostly used on a portable device where the shorter balanced cables would be the choice for newer or high-end audio devices that can support balance cables. There is some that say balanced connections sound better but I don’t have any way to prove that. However, it wouldn’t have hurt to have included a shorter stereo cable for those that want one.Sony rates these headphones at 56 ohms. This should allow you to drive them with most cell phones. They sounded very good on my Galaxy S8 but they really came to life on my ifi micro portable headphone amp. Which brings me to the audio quality of these headphones. On my S8 they could be driven but I did need to use most of my available volume. The mids seemed to suffer which was not a problem on my ifi headphone amp. On my ifi headphone amplifier they were very good. I never thought there was any part of the music I was missing or that I couldn’t pick out. I was especially pleased with them at mid to low volume levels. I could listen to them for hours without any fatigue or discomfort. I will say that on the bass they are not overpowering but they seemed very accurate to me. If the song asked for it, I could hear it. They are very well balanced and if you do need more bass it can be had with a touch of equalization. I also want to mention that I listen to mostly FLAC audio files streamed from my NAS. In most of my recent headphone purchases I have been going for open back headphone to try and improve the sound stage of the music I listen to. The MDR-Z7M2 have a very natural sounding sound stage for a closed back design. Not quite as large as some open back designs but very good in their own way. The MDR-Z7M2 have replaced my current go to headphones. Its actually not really a fair fight. I do wish they came with a case and shorter stereo cable. There is always something else you want but they got the most important parts right. I expect to get many hours of pleasure listening to my favorite music again and hearing parts other headphone left out.
The Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones are a decent pair of headphones that bring a lot of comfort but maybe not the best sound.The good: They offer Hi-Res audio, which if you have music or movies saved on hi-res file formats like FLAC or ALAC, you get to hear them without any loss from file compression.They do a great job of cancelling outside noise, even without having active noise cancellation. These are massive cans, but also very lightweight. The will encompass even the largest of ears. They have big vents, but have very little noise bleed.Two cables are included: a 4 foot, balanced cable with standard plug; and a 10 foot stereo cable with mini plug. The cables screw into the headphones for a secure connection.The bad: No wireless mode. Algorithms like aptx make ... MoreThe Sony MDR-Z7M2 headphones are a decent pair of headphones that bring a lot of comfort but maybe not the best sound.The good: They offer Hi-Res audio, which if you have music or movies saved on hi-res file formats like FLAC or ALAC, you get to hear them without any loss from file compression.They do a great job of cancelling outside noise, even without having active noise cancellation. These are massive cans, but also very lightweight. The will encompass even the largest of ears. They have big vents, but have very little noise bleed.Two cables are included: a 4 foot, balanced cable with standard plug; and a 10 foot stereo cable with mini plug. The cables screw into the headphones for a secure connection.The bad: No wireless mode. Algorithms like aptx make wireless headphones almost as good as wired, but there is no wireless option on these.There is no case included for the headphones, although you can use the box that they came in.It seems like the shorter cable should be the one that fits your phone headphone jack and the longer one should be the one to fit into a receiver or amp, but it is the opposite.With the marketing of the Fibonnaci patterned grill, silver coated oxygen free cable, and 70 mm drivers, I expected a fuller sound stage. I found the sound to be somewhat flat sounding. Not completely flat, mind you, but I was expecting more. The bass seems to be a bit muted as well as the highs and vocals. What comes through the most is the mid-range, which surprised me. Music with lots of layers or with big orchestras seemed as if all the parts were recorded on one track and kind of stepped on each other with these headphones.Overall, these are pretty good headphones with pretty good sound, but I wouldn’t say that they’re great.
In the box is the over the ear headphones, two cords, (a balanced connection headphone cable with a L-shaped balanced standard plug and a headphone cable with a stereo mini plug) and one unimatch plug adaptor. (There is also an instruction manual and warranty pamphlet.)The first thing that I noticed is the comfort of the headphones. The oversized ear muff fit perfectly around my ears but there is a warning in the pamphlet that states that the earpads may be damaged or deteriorate with long-term use or storage.The next thing that I noticed about the headphones is the cords. I love how the cords twist into the ear piece instead of just plugging them in. This to me makes the cord less likely to come out, more secure. I also love the stereo cord has a small piece of ... MoreIn the box is the over the ear headphones, two cords, (a balanced connection headphone cable with a L-shaped balanced standard plug and a headphone cable with a stereo mini plug) and one unimatch plug adaptor. (There is also an instruction manual and warranty pamphlet.)The first thing that I noticed is the comfort of the headphones. The oversized ear muff fit perfectly around my ears but there is a warning in the pamphlet that states that the earpads may be damaged or deteriorate with long-term use or storage.The next thing that I noticed about the headphones is the cords. I love how the cords twist into the ear piece instead of just plugging them in. This to me makes the cord less likely to come out, more secure. I also love the stereo cord has a small piece of extender on the plug for those types of devices that have cases that may get in the way of the plug. Also I like that the stereo plug has a snug fit that you can tell if the plug is all the way in or not. Another thing that I would like to point out is the the specific type of cord. In the operating instructions pamphlet it does state that you can only use the supplied cords and earpads, so you definitely can’t buy a generic cord or earpad for these headphones if one is damaged, deteriorated, broken or lost.The sound is the next thing that I noticed. No apps, no equalizer, just plain plug and play. I do love the incredible sounds that come out of these headphones. I am hearing impaired and I don’t normally wear aids when listening to over the ear headphones and I must say that I will never have to wear them with these headphones. I attempted to listen to the headphones with the volume turned completely up on my iPad (hince my iPhone no longer has a headphone jack) and I definitely had to turn it down because it was so loud. If you like bass then you will definitely need to use your music player’s equalizer but television/movie apps needed no adjustment. You can definitely watch a movie in high quality sound with these headphones. Also, there is a disclaimer to not use the unit while walking, driving or cycling; doing so may cause traffic accidents. Do not use at a dangerous place unless the surrounding sound can be heard. I definitely agree with the disclaimer, you can’t hear anything around you and I tested different types of sound and the person next to you may be able to hear what you are listening to if you are listening at the highest volume.Another disclaimer that I would like to point out from the operating manual is that the product does have magnets which may interfere with pacemakers, defibrillators and programmable shunt valves or other medical devices. Do not put this product close to these medical devices and the person who use any of these medical devices.In my opinion, these are great headphones, I love the simplicity of the plug and play. No connecting via bluetooth, battery life or apps to deal with. The comfortability is also a huge plus for me as well and after about two hours, the earpads were still very comfortable to me. The headphones are really starting to get better sound, comfort with time.My only con for these headphone is there is no carrying case. My previous Sony headphones came with a case and a special slot for the additional cords but this one has a big bulky box that would be hard to carry in a daily tote or backpack.
The only thing I can say is top notch! These headphones are very comfortable and encase your ears in an unparalleled wall of sound. I was very happy with this purchase just unboxing. They are substantial and deliberate and are clearly designed for someone who is of that same mindset. The cords are protected, until use, by a plastic wrap that shows the attention to detail by Sony. The sound is crystal clear. The highs and lows are beyond that of a novice listener and even give a professional a run for their money. I was more impressed with the solid build that anything. They are sturdy and have a "meat" to them. If you are looking for dainty listening this ain't it. If you are looking for that quality sound you know you deserve, these are it!!!
Right up front I a big fan of Sony Japanese domestic market audio products. These headphones are very mid friendly making them very good for vocals, strings and upper bass. These definitely favor blues, classic rock, soul, acoustic, singer song writer music. I find them very good for the bulk of my music library. They would not be a good choice for someone looking for strong sub-bass or high end treble. So K-pop or Jazz fans may find the Z7M2 a little lacking. Pairing of equipment is extremely important with the Z7 as well my favorite DAC/Amp pairings were the Oppo HA1 and HA2 SE, the Chord Mojo and the XDuoo XD05 Balanced with Burson V5i OpAmps.
| General | |
| Product Type | Headphones - wired - 3.5 mm jack |
| Weight | 340 g |
| Colour | Black |
| Recommended Use | Professional audio, portable electronics |
