Tyll has his Z7 measurements up.

Surprisingly good distortion up top, I wonder how they accomplished that with a metal driver. Every metal-coated driver I've heard thus far has had some upper midrange/treble issues of some sort (Ultrasone, anyone?)

Little bit worried about the distortion in the mids.  At least it's more even than say the HE400.

Got my first (single ended) Z7 experience.
Setup: F2k-> Sony UDA-1-> Z7

First impression:
Comfort: Grade A
Built: Sturdy. Considerably good for home use.
Look: Sexy black. Likey.

Sound:
Is this MDR-1R on steroid? That house sound is instantly recognized. Soundstage isn't really particularly wide. Quite intimate, and on some tracks I found the positioning rather awkward. Maybe I haven't get used to it?
Bass is plentiful and slow. Decay is there. So is this purposefully to create the "air", I wonder?  :)p3On some tracks when particularly loud, there's some distortions (?) I think.
Dark sounding. Treble is (suppressed?) to mask certain flaws on songs, reminding me of the HD650 veil (not necessary true, just reminding me). Less transparent to my ears as a result.
Vocals are smooth. But Livingston Taylor's whistle is clear and sharp (a little bit piercing ala Beyerdynamic T70 sharp). Fun.

Hopefully can try and compare the balanced mode on PHA-3 soon.

Some rough subjective impressions:

First impressions / Mini-Review:

Comfort – 8.5/10
These are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn. Almost perfect clamping pressure, large ear cavity, plush pads, and very well designed cable hang. This would have been a perfect 10 was it not for very slightly too much clamping pressure (being picky here) and the stock cable being a bit unwieldy. I’ve worn these headphones for a 6-7 hour session without any fatigue. Very nice in regards to comfort.

Presentation/Build – 8/10
Solid build and presentation overall. Nothing extravagant, but simple yet elegant. I like how they included a couple of cables even though one of them is deemed useless unless you buy into their Sony universe series of products (balanced cable). If you’re handy, you can re-terminate the cable with a 4-Pin XLR. Both cables are well made but a build unwieldy. I’d hope for something slightly shorter and more flexible. Moving on to the build, I’d say really nice. I like how all stress areas (this is key) are metal and not plastic. These are very much a home listening product, but being a semi-closed headphone, some are bound to travel or even be crazy enough to walk around with them.  Construction is solid, looks are sleek and unadulterated.

Sound leakage/isolation – 7/10
Wanted to add this section because I’m sure some are wondering. These actually isolate pretty well. They have enough clamp and a decent vacuum that I was unable to hear much around me. Not as good as the better full-sized headphones (Paradox, Mad Dog, just to name a few) but I’d say better than the Denon/Fostex series. Leakage wise, these do leak but not as much as one would think. Being semi-closed, I’d say they are fine for an office but not for bedroom listening if you don’t want to bother a significant other.

Sound (for the money) – 8/10
Here were my first impressions I shared with someone that was interested. I know his tastes pretty well, and I share most of his thoughts on a lot of gear. We both don’t have time nor money to be throwing on mediocre:

“I know you wanted me to let you know if I think you'll like them. Here are my initial thoughts.

Setup: Wyrd > GO450 > Z7

Pros:

+Ease of presentation - Not much wrong in terms of their presentation. Nice, polite sounding headphone without much in terms of tonal oddities. I would a good sound for laid-back listening and/or office droning.

+Ability to sound fairly open while being able to isolate outside noise. These have an airy, light sound to them which is missing with many closed headphones. I think this quality ties in to the polite and "light" sound that I'm hearing. Staging quality is also good, center image is present, placement is good but width is lacking compared to the Slants. They also do a surprisingly good job at isolating noise. Leakage is better than I thought, it being semi-open. I would say similar in leakage and isolation to the Mad Dog and Momentum. Again, good for the office space.

+Overall tonal balance is acceptable. I haven't done the mods, but even without the mods... these don't do much wrong in terms of annoying me.

+Comfortable - Very much so. One of the most comfortable headphones I've worn... soft pads, soft headband. They do have a clamp, but I suspect with some wear they will stretch out a bit.

Cons:

-Lack of slam and impact. I want to say these have that same "limp-dick" type bass the Oppo's have but that's not exactly it. I think what it really is a lack of texture.

-Somewhat mid-fi sounding lacking refinement even compared to the HD600. On initial listening, I got the impression there was a slight veil that isn't bothersome, but expected better for the price and a supposed flagship spot.

-They could stand a bit more invo lvement: an engaging presence that pulls you in. So far I can't say for sure, but they sound a bit flat. I'd like more sub-bass and low bass extension and more involving treble (not enough sparkle or pop... too relaxed).

-Extension isn't the best, similar to the MA900 in that way.

(Value): I'd say overall, a good buy at $500ish via PriceJapan. That's what I paid. Bottom line though, Slants put the smack down on these headphones. Other than comfort, the Z7 are definitely a step or two down. The Slants are just more refined, better balanced, and more fun.”

I still feel the same way for the most part. I will say that in comparison to other closed headphones that I’ve kept as my reference, these are somewhat dark. They aren’t extremely lacking like the older Audezes, but they do have a warm presence that may not be appreciated. These aren't perfect and I'm really eager to see what the mods do.

More to come when I get my pair back from Marv…