Recording - March 2016 - 48

Samson has established a solid reputation for itself with a variety of
professional headphones at very approachable prices-a quick tour of
the Samson website reveals no fewer than five different headphone
series, from the SR line to specialty models like the Bluetooth RTE 2 and
RTE X. I reviewed the SR850 and SR950 in September 2014, and was
impressed by the great quality they provided for the money.
However, at the time of this writing, there's a sixth Samson headphone
series that's so new that its webpage went live as this review was being
fact checked-the Z Series, a new line of mobile-friendly headphones that
offer a balance of high-quality sound with portability and convenience.
Get some Zs
There are four models in the Z Series: the entry-level Z25 with enhanced
bass response, the affordable Z35 that's tuned flat, the warm-midrange Z45,
and the reference-quality Z55. All four headphones feature tilted-oval closedback earcups that swivel 90º for one-ear use, and generously padded headbands for long-wearing comfort.
Breaking down the series by features:
~ The Z25 is a non-collapsible model with 40 mm drivers, protein leather
earpads, and a permanently attached 8' straight cable with miniplug and
snap-on 1/4" TRS adaptor.
~ The Z35 is a folding model with 40 mm drivers, protein leather
earpads, a permanently attached 8' straight cable with miniplug and
snap-on 1/4" TRS adaptor, and a leatherette carrying pouch.
~ The Z45 is a collapsible model with 40 mm drivers, lambskin
earpads, carrying pouch, and two detachable locking cables-an 8'
straight cable and a straight/coiled cable that stretches from 4' to about
10', each ending in a TRS miniplug and sharing a screw-on gold-plated
1
/4" TRS adaptor.
~ The Z55 is a collapsible model with 45 mm drivers, lambskin
earpads, carrying pouch, and the same two detachable cables (and
adaptor) as the Z45, plus a third cable: a very thin 4' straight cable
with an inline single-button remote control and mic ending in a TRRS
miniplug. Since a lot of mobile listeners do so on their phones, this is a
handy addition that works with almost any smart phone, although I did
miss the Apple-friendly volume buttons present on many such cables.

Samson Z Series: Z35 and Z55
A new series of affordable pro headphones has lots to offer
I was sent production samples of the Z35 and the Z55. Samson assured
me that these were final versions, although they arrived in plain white
boxes without manuals. Doesn't get much hotter off the presses than that,
folks, unless the reviewer makes the mistake of talking about a prototype
as if it's a final shipping product! As of press time, there aren't many published specs, but based on how loud they got when connected to my
MIYO interface, I'd estimate that both models have a very low impedance,
probably under 40Ω. (Samson confirmed that the impedance is 32Ω.) The
Z35 claims a 20 Hz-20 kHz frequency response and the Z55 claims 10
Hz-25 kHz.
In use: the Z35
I was quite surprised by how good the Z35 sounded, even before I
looked at its very reasonable price. This is absolutely not a "let's have
fun bangin' the beats" headphone; it's got clarity, focus, a wide and
spacious soundstage, and a frequency contour that is simultaneously
honest and beautiful.
It didn't matter whether I was listening to pop, rock, EDM, country,
classical, jazz, or experimental music-I was presented with a workable, listenable balance, where individual instruments weren't obtrusive
unless they were mixed that way ("Alan Parsons' Castanets" could practically be a mild swear word). The wide-open soundstage meant that
lead vocals and solo instruments were easy to hear in detail, even without being pushed forward. Bass was full yet tight, with lots of detail,
and highs were clear and clean, never shrill.
48

RECORDING March 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - March 2016