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Sony MDR-Z1000
MSRP $499.99
NEW! The Sony MDR-Z1000 headphones are a high-end response from the world's top audio R&D leaders to all the low-tier, cloudy-sounding 'monitoring class' headphones crowding the market. Employing new proprietary Sony Liquid Crystal polymer drivers, the Z1000 tonal presentation is highly developed, timbrally accurate and deeply revealing of any nuance or subtlety in the recording mix. Audiophiles wanting to experience being "in the room" with the producers and engineers during first play-back should listen!
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Product Features:
- Detachable headphone cables for easy replacement if needed
- New Sony Liquid Crystal Polymer driver engineering delivers pristine tone
- 50mm HD drivers accurately reproduce frequencies up to 80,000kHz (!)
- Great isolation / noise-blocking/ listening privacy from sealed-back earcups
- Cool all-black professional look and great build quality from audio research leaders
What's In The Box:
- 3 meter detachable cord
- 1.2 meter detachable cord
- Sony carrying /storage pouch
- Full-size 1/4" stereo plug adapter
- Owner's manual
Applications:
Leave to the bottomless R&D well over at Sony Electronics to offer the amazing Sony MDR-Z1000 headphones, amongst the best-sounding monitoring OR personal use 'portable' headphones we've heard in a long time. Sure, the MDR-Z1000 are ostensibly geared for professional users and analytical engineering applications -- and they excel at those demanding tasks -- but audiophiles seeking outstanding timbal clarity [aka "transparency"] and a deeply engaging tone that gets to the heart of your favorite music should also get some ear time. Wonderfully taut, deeply rounded bass response without excess commingles beautifully into juicy low-mids and fully developed vocal midranges that sound true and natural. We find the sound a perfect amalgam between the expansive, airy AKG K701 tone and the mellow warmth of the Sennheiser HD650 -- a wonderful combination! A tribute to Sony's new 'Liquid Crystal Polymer' driver engineering, the highs & upper treble resolution remains accurately detailed but avoids unpleasant edges or etching even with very 'dry' violin or string recordings, making the MDR-Z1000 imminently listenable for extended work or jam sessions. Classical afficionados seeking blissful listening privacy (and wanting to avoid 'leaky' open-back cans) will love the 'room sound' cues and expansive dimensionality of the Z1000 soundstage image while rockers and jazz fans will find the clear definition of instrumental body and focused rhythmic pace equally scintillating. Top-shelf headphones that sound superb with anything you throw at them and one of our new HeadRoom faves in the category!
The Sony MDR-Z1000 headphones look utilitarian and very 'pro use' durable on the outside with a simple matte grey-black color scheme and oval circumaural earcups that will fully surround the ears on most wearers; some HeadRoomers found the earpads rested gently on the outer part of their earlobes. The earcup padding feels deep and luxuriant with well-made leather coverings. The monitoring seal was very effective for most of our testers with excellent isolation ability and protection from ambient noise intrusion. By the same token, audio 'leakage' from the headphones to the outside was nearly non-existent except at very loud listening volumes (ed.- not recommended!), so definitely a good choice for any close-mic work or studio recording jobs. Solid metal swiveling earcup bails are beefily-built for long-life product durability and attractively swoop into the headband for easy fit adjustments. There's no folding or collapsibility features on the MDR-Z1000 but Sony handily provides a storage/travel soft case within the package. Detachable headphone cable allows for quick upgrade or replacement and the Z1000 box also includes two headphone cords in different lengths for use as desired.
Specifications:
- Driver Type: Dynamic
- Weight: 270 grams w/o cord
- Isolation: -12dB ~ 18dB
- Impedance @ 1kHz: 24 Ohms
- Detachable Cable: Yes
- Cord Length: 3 meters
- Cord Type: Straight Left-Side
- Coupler Size: Large
- Ear Coupler Type: Full-Size
- Acoustic Seal: Closed
- Headphone Type: Full Size
- Manufacturer Warranty: 1 Year
- Sensitivity: 108dB
Average Rating
Posted by paulgato from UK on 2011-11-23
Recommend Product: Yes
Pros: neat, comfortable, tight sound, easily driven
Cons: Bass slightly overblown, expensive
The good...
1. Overall design is excellent. For me they fit around my ears rather than over. In other words, I have to fit my ears into them the way you would fit feet into (oversized) slippers. The back of my outer ear fits behind the pad rather than within its circumference. The advantage of this is they feel very secure and there is only one position they will fit so sound balance is always as the makers intended. The disadvantage would be that if your ears were larger than mine your ear would not fit inside. They are 'closed', but unlike many pads made of synthetic material, the real leather, whilst hotter than the the velour used in many open 'phones, does not make you sweat. The compact size and understated design means you could leave these in your car, or wherever, without too much worry. They don't look any different to Sony 'phones costing a 5th as much, although they are more robust.
2. Cable. The Z1000 have two cables provided, including a shorter one with 3.5mm angled stereo jack for portable use. The 7520 has only one curly cable, which is light and flexible enough that it is OK for most purposes and doesn't pull too much when extended moderately. But the genius is that the cable is attached to the 'phones via a standard (locking) 3.5mm plug and socket. So, to be clear, you can take the cable out, flip it end to end, plug it in and the cans work fine. This mean you can use any standard 3.5mm male to male cable you like, either to change the sound characteristics subtly (people do this, but why..?) or to suit your application, so for example, using a portable device you may want a very short, light cable with a straight plug at the 'phones end and a compact angled plug at the player end to reduce risk of damage to the socket. Or if you run over the cable with the wheels of your swivel chair you can bin the cable, grab any old standard cable and carry on working. ALL headphones should be connected this way and I don't know why they're not.
3. Sound quality. They are very well balanced and from treble down to bass there is no band missing or exagerated in my opinion, except possibly the low bass. Sound stage is not great but they give an integrated and 'tight' sound. Not at all wishy-washy or indistinct. My hearing tops out at around 15kHz these days so I can't comment on the very top treble but I'd trust these cans to be accurate. Even at high volume there is no hint of harshness, and yet detail is all there, if not right in your face.
4. These are 24 ohms impedance I believe. In practice they are very easy to drive to high volume and pretty good quality, even with an mp3 player, computer or mobile phone.
The bad...
Not much. Just the lower bass really. On many tracks the bass sounds overblown, muddy and overwhelming. On many tracks - even tracks with loads of mega bass - it sounds fine. Really good in fact. So, I'm prepared to believe the problem is more that these cans reveal poorly mixed tracks where poorly recorded bass is pumped up in the mix to give some kind of 'bassy' response from cheap speakers. If this is the case I'll be content and keep them even though it makes a lot of music almost unlistenable to, as I am wanting an analytical tool as much as something to enjoy music on.
One other thing: they are described as 'closed back' but in fact they are ported and have the small port on the back just behind the head band. I'm told, and therefore believe, that you can't use them outside so easily because of wind noise affecting these ports. I tried covering the ports with insulating tape, which would solve the wind noise problem, but it also stops the bass 'breathing' so well. They still sound good like that but the bass is resrticted. That might be a work-around if you had to use these on location (or on your bike). The insulating tape leaves no mark at all and is easily applied and removed.
Overall, very good headphones but probably better used as studio monitors than for listening to your CD collection, whether at home or on the street because of the heavy bass.
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