djcity
I have been looking for a new pair of headphones. Through careful consideration I havve narrowed the list down to three of the best sounding and most durable headphones I could find. The fourth pair of headphones I have not been able to tesy yet but when I do, I will update and post my findings. The three headphones that made it to the top of my list are....
Pioneer HDJ 2000's
Sennheiser HD 25's
Beats by Dre Pro's
Not yet tested are the AiAiAi TMA - 1's
This is what I came up with...
I went to Chuck Levins (Washington Music Center) and had an opportunity to do a SIDE BY SIDE BY SIDE DIRECT COMPARISON of the Sennheiser HD 25's against the Pioneer HDJ 2000's vs beats By Dre Pro's. here is my in depth summary of all three cans...
Sennheiser HD 25.....
Excellent isolation and excellent sound. They press on the ears rather tightly but not uncomfortably so. I was quite impressed with the sound quality. Very impressed is more like it. They really sound amazing especially for such a small can.
I was not impressed with the build or the design. I'm not talking about sex appeal but the actual design of the headphone. I did not like that the cable is run through a groove in the headband. Too easy to be pulled out. I did not like the exposed cable around the can itself. Again, too easy to be pulled or to get caught in something. I see the weak spot in their design. The can itself has a little swivel room and thats a good thing but it can snap the arm or the bracket holding the can to the arm. I also found them to be kinds flimsy feeling. Too many things moving around between the swing of the arm, the swing of the headbands and the exposed cable.
Pioneer HDJ 2000's...
The worst sounding of the three. By themselves they sound good but in comparison, they do not even come close to the Sennheiser's or the Beats By Dre Pro's.
The design is very good though. Isolation is good but not as good as either of the other two headphones As far as durability, they seem durable enough but the headband is made of plastic and prone to breakage. The swivel has the very nice touch of snapping back into position but it's the actual swivel that concerns me. Although it is made of alloy, it still has many parts held together with screws. screws do come loose after a time and I can see test headphones going the same was as the 1000's. They are more durable than most headphones out there but not as durable as pioneer would have you believe.
Beats By Dre Pro's...
Best isolation of the three tested. I was VERY surprised to find the Beat's Pro's to have the best sound of the three as well (To MY ear). They are very bass heavy though and I can see some people not liking that amount of bass. When I tried the Beats Pro's in a club atmosphere, I was unimpressed at that time. I later found out that the mixers headphone output had "issues". I did not do a side by side comparison that night but today's testing has changed my mind on the Beats Pro's.
My opinion about the construction remains the same. BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!!! I don't think the Beats Pro's will ever break. They could get run over by a car and survive.
I do not like that the can itself does not swivel left to right in place. They are fixed in place. The swinging arms are just o.k. not great, not bad, just o.k. They are useful but the downside of them is that the can itself has no side to side wiggle so swinging the arm up takes the other can slightly off the ear. There really is no "cueing out one side from your shoulder with the Beats Pros again due to the lack of side to side wiggle. The Senns and the Beats were somewhat close in sound quality but for my ear and style of music, The beats by Dre Pro's edge out over the Sennheiser HD 25's
Well, thats my direct comparison of the three headphones. I was able to use and test all three headphones. I was able to test them on various mixers and with various music all with the same results.
Best...
Beats By Dre Pro's
Second best...
Sennheiser HD 25's
Last place...
Pioneer HDJ 2000's
I am now VERY interested in thhe AIAIAI TMA - 1's
from what I have read about them they have a little more bass than the Sennheiser HD 25's and do not have the weaknesses the Sennheiser HD 25's have. Unfortunately, The only way I have to test these out is to purchase them so again....
if anyone has EXPERIENCE with the AIAIAI TMA 1's please post about them. If anyone has done a side by side comparison of the Sennheiser HD 25's vs the AIAIAI TMA 1's...please post your findings.
Pioneer HDJ 2000's
Sennheiser HD 25's
Beats by Dre Pro's
Not yet tested are the AiAiAi TMA - 1's
This is what I came up with...
I went to Chuck Levins (Washington Music Center) and had an opportunity to do a SIDE BY SIDE BY SIDE DIRECT COMPARISON of the Sennheiser HD 25's against the Pioneer HDJ 2000's vs beats By Dre Pro's. here is my in depth summary of all three cans...
Sennheiser HD 25.....
Excellent isolation and excellent sound. They press on the ears rather tightly but not uncomfortably so. I was quite impressed with the sound quality. Very impressed is more like it. They really sound amazing especially for such a small can.
I was not impressed with the build or the design. I'm not talking about sex appeal but the actual design of the headphone. I did not like that the cable is run through a groove in the headband. Too easy to be pulled out. I did not like the exposed cable around the can itself. Again, too easy to be pulled or to get caught in something. I see the weak spot in their design. The can itself has a little swivel room and thats a good thing but it can snap the arm or the bracket holding the can to the arm. I also found them to be kinds flimsy feeling. Too many things moving around between the swing of the arm, the swing of the headbands and the exposed cable.
Pioneer HDJ 2000's...
The worst sounding of the three. By themselves they sound good but in comparison, they do not even come close to the Sennheiser's or the Beats By Dre Pro's.
The design is very good though. Isolation is good but not as good as either of the other two headphones As far as durability, they seem durable enough but the headband is made of plastic and prone to breakage. The swivel has the very nice touch of snapping back into position but it's the actual swivel that concerns me. Although it is made of alloy, it still has many parts held together with screws. screws do come loose after a time and I can see test headphones going the same was as the 1000's. They are more durable than most headphones out there but not as durable as pioneer would have you believe.
Beats By Dre Pro's...
Best isolation of the three tested. I was VERY surprised to find the Beat's Pro's to have the best sound of the three as well (To MY ear). They are very bass heavy though and I can see some people not liking that amount of bass. When I tried the Beats Pro's in a club atmosphere, I was unimpressed at that time. I later found out that the mixers headphone output had "issues". I did not do a side by side comparison that night but today's testing has changed my mind on the Beats Pro's.
My opinion about the construction remains the same. BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!!! I don't think the Beats Pro's will ever break. They could get run over by a car and survive.
I do not like that the can itself does not swivel left to right in place. They are fixed in place. The swinging arms are just o.k. not great, not bad, just o.k. They are useful but the downside of them is that the can itself has no side to side wiggle so swinging the arm up takes the other can slightly off the ear. There really is no "cueing out one side from your shoulder with the Beats Pros again due to the lack of side to side wiggle. The Senns and the Beats were somewhat close in sound quality but for my ear and style of music, The beats by Dre Pro's edge out over the Sennheiser HD 25's
Well, thats my direct comparison of the three headphones. I was able to use and test all three headphones. I was able to test them on various mixers and with various music all with the same results.
Best...
Beats By Dre Pro's
Second best...
Sennheiser HD 25's
Last place...
Pioneer HDJ 2000's
I am now VERY interested in thhe AIAIAI TMA - 1's
from what I have read about them they have a little more bass than the Sennheiser HD 25's and do not have the weaknesses the Sennheiser HD 25's have. Unfortunately, The only way I have to test these out is to purchase them so again....
if anyone has EXPERIENCE with the AIAIAI TMA 1's please post about them. If anyone has done a side by side comparison of the Sennheiser HD 25's vs the AIAIAI TMA 1's...please post your findings.
Posted Sun 03 Apr 11 @ 5:19 pm
Rob Kalmar
I can attest that the 'Beats' headphones are built like a tank. They can actually be hit by a train & survive. My stepson however did not.
Posted Sun 03 Apr 11 @ 7:13 pm
djcity
djrobinhamilton wrote :
I can attest that the 'Beats' headphones are built like a tank. They can actually be hit by a train & survive. My stepson however did not.
Huh?!?
What?!?
Posted Sun 03 Apr 11 @ 7:34 pm
Rob Kalmar
Last April 13th he was walking the tracks wearing his ipod taking the shortcut, which I don't recommend to anyone & also pass it along to your kids & family.
The 'Beats' headphones survived intact after the train hit him. In fact it wasn't until my exes dog got a hold of them & chewed the cord that they were destroyed.
Moral of the story, don't wear headphones of ANY kind, don't walk on train tracks, & keep wires away from puppies.
The 'Beats' headphones survived intact after the train hit him. In fact it wasn't until my exes dog got a hold of them & chewed the cord that they were destroyed.
Moral of the story, don't wear headphones of ANY kind, don't walk on train tracks, & keep wires away from puppies.
Posted Sun 03 Apr 11 @ 9:50 pm
CRashster
I have the Sennheiser 280s. They aren't built like a tank, but I enjoy using them. And I don't walk down train tracks.
Posted Sun 03 Apr 11 @ 10:39 pm
djcity
DAMN...
I'm sorry to hear that. Hit by a train.... Damn.
I'm sorry to hear that. Hit by a train.... Damn.
Posted Mon 04 Apr 11 @ 4:40 am
kradcliffe
I have both the HD-25 and DJM-2000
I prefer to use the Pioneer for my gigs as they are more robust. The sound is not perfect but when used in a club with a powerful system it doesn't matter too much. Bear in mind these "DJ" headphones are not meant to be audiophile quality.
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
I prefer to use the Pioneer for my gigs as they are more robust. The sound is not perfect but when used in a club with a powerful system it doesn't matter too much. Bear in mind these "DJ" headphones are not meant to be audiophile quality.
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
Posted Mon 04 Apr 11 @ 6:47 am
djcity
kradcliffe wrote :
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
Maybe thats why I found them to feel real flimsy. I have heard of people saying they had theres for 6, 7, 8 years. Maybe they were built better back then.
Posted Mon 04 Apr 11 @ 12:54 pm
kradcliffe
They sure were .....
I gave my first pair I had used for 6 years to my son & bought a new pair to DJ with. The build quality of the new ones is nowhere near as good as the original ones.
I ended up binning the new ones as the pins that plug in to the cans kept disconnecting and cutting the music off and they literally fell apart.
Andrew still uses the original pair all the time (they are now 10 years old) and I have the Pioneers.
Keith
I gave my first pair I had used for 6 years to my son & bought a new pair to DJ with. The build quality of the new ones is nowhere near as good as the original ones.
I ended up binning the new ones as the pins that plug in to the cans kept disconnecting and cutting the music off and they literally fell apart.
Andrew still uses the original pair all the time (they are now 10 years old) and I have the Pioneers.
Keith
Posted Mon 04 Apr 11 @ 1:45 pm
djcity
Quote :
Asking DJs what headphones to get is like asking the IT guy what laptop to get. You'll just hear a bunch of different answers and it'll just delay your purchase even longer...
Asking DJs what headphones to get is like asking the IT guy what laptop to get. You'll just hear a bunch of different answers and it'll just delay your purchase even longer...
Agreed!
Headphones and Mixer are the two most personal components of a DJ.
I had crossed the Beats off my list but the direct comparison put them solidly back on that list.
I may just go ahead and get both the beats and the AiAiAi's. I have not made up my mind yet. I still have my denon's (Glued and duck-taped up) and my Sony 700's (Glued up only) so it's not a real big rush. I just wanted the honest opinion of my fellow DJ's on their choice of phones and why they choose them.
I am a Hip Hop, R&B Reggae DJ. I am primarily a club DJ. For me, to my ear, the beats sounded best for what I do. I have not heard the AiAiAi's yet but look forward to hearing them.
I thank everyone for their input and I know this thread will continue to receive input.
Posted Mon 04 Apr 11 @ 4:24 pm
livinloudzx3
Allen and Heath user hear.
Love em.
Love em.
Posted Mon 04 Apr 11 @ 11:10 pm
djgibbsy
I have a set of beats and to be honest they are the best piece of equipment i use not only is there great sound out of them so much so that you can hear silence which is weird i know...
They are just great and when im in a club i use them to protect my ears too stops the old ringing in the ears once you have stopped playing....
Well worth the money.... I would buy another pair in the moring if i had too... The only hang up i have with them is that they are battery operated and if you are in a bit of a hurry to pack up and u forget to switch them off bye bye battery... In general tho in the studio beats the battery life is second to none...
You know wat they say once u go dre you never go away.. Lol
They are just great and when im in a club i use them to protect my ears too stops the old ringing in the ears once you have stopped playing....
Well worth the money.... I would buy another pair in the moring if i had too... The only hang up i have with them is that they are battery operated and if you are in a bit of a hurry to pack up and u forget to switch them off bye bye battery... In general tho in the studio beats the battery life is second to none...
You know wat they say once u go dre you never go away.. Lol
Posted Mon 04 Jul 11 @ 2:00 am
djgibbsy
kradcliffe wrote :
I have both the HD-25 and DJM-2000
I prefer to use the Pioneer for my gigs as they are more robust. The sound is not perfect but when used in a club with a powerful system it doesn't matter too much. Bear in mind these "DJ" headphones are not meant to be audiophile quality.
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
I prefer to use the Pioneer for my gigs as they are more robust. The sound is not perfect but when used in a club with a powerful system it doesn't matter too much. Bear in mind these "DJ" headphones are not meant to be audiophile quality.
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
Ireland finally got something right lol
Posted Mon 04 Jul 11 @ 2:03 am
djcity
Updated post to include AIAIAI TMA-1
I had an opportunity to do a SIDE BY SIDE BY SIDE DIRECT COMPARISON of the Sennheiser HD 25's against the Pioneer HDJ 2000's vs beats By Dre Pro's. I also wound up purchasing a pair of AIAIAI TMA-1's. Here is my in depth summary of the cans...
Sennheiser HD 25.....
Excellent isolation and excellent sound. They press on the ears rather tightly but not uncomfortably so. I was quite impressed with the sound quality. Very impressed is more like it. They really sound amazing especially for such a small can.
I was not impressed with the build or the design. I'm not talking about sex appeal but the actual design of the headphone. I did not like that the cable is run through a groove in the headband. Too easy to be pulled out. I did not like the exposed cable around the can itself. Again, too easy to be pulled or to get caught in something. I see the weak spot in their design. The can itself has a little swivel room and thats a good thing but it can snap the arm or the bracket holding the can to the arm. I also found them to be kinds flimsy feeling. Too many things moving around between the swing of the arm, the swing of the headbands and the exposed cable.
Pioneer HDJ 2000's...
The worst sounding of the bunch. By themselves they sound good but in comparison, they do not even come close to the Sennheiser's, the AIAIAI TMA-1's or the Beats By Dre Pro's.
The design is very good though. Isolation is good but not as good as the other headphones. As far as durability, they seem durable enough but the headband is made of plastic and prone to breakage. The swivel has the very nice touch of snapping back into position but it's the actual swivel that concerns me. Although it is made of alloy, it still has many parts held together with screws. screws do come loose after a time and I can see test headphones going the same was as the 1000's. They are more durable than most headphones out there but not as durable as pioneer would have you believe.
Beats By Dre Pro's...
Best isolation of the headphones tested. I was VERY surprised to find the Beat's Pro's to have the best sound of the bunch as well (To MY ear). They are very bass heavy though and I can see some people not liking that amount of bass. When I tried the Beats Pro's in a club atmosphere, I was unimpressed at that time. I later found out that the mixers headphone output had "issues". I did not do a side by side comparison that night but today's testing has changed my mind on the Beats Pro's.
My opinion about the construction remains the same. BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!!! I don't think the Beats Pro's will ever break. They could get run over by a car and survive.
I do not like that the can itself does not swivel left to right in place. They are fixed in place. The swinging arms are just o.k. not great, not bad, just o.k. They are useful but the downside of them is that the can itself has no side to side wiggle so swinging the arm up takes the other can slightly off the ear. There really is no "cueing out one side from your shoulder with the Beats Pros again due to the lack of side to side wiggle.
AIAIAI TMA-1's
I own them as well as the Beats by Dre Pro's.
The AIAIAI TMA-1's are a direct competition to the Sennheiser HD 25's. The design is quite similar with small but totally worth it differences. The AIAIAI's do not swing like the Senn's but they are flexable so they don't need to. The headband is a one piece design and the cable is not exposed like it is on the Senn's.
The AIAIAI TMA-1's....Great headphones!!! Better isolation than the Sennheiser HD 25's, more bass than the Sennheiser HD 25's, louder than the Sennheiser HD 25's. One piece design. Virtually unbreakable.
The Sennsheiser's, the AIAIAI's and the Beats were somewhat close in sound quality but for my ear and style of music, The beats by Dre Pro's edge out over the Sennheiser HD 25's and the AIAIAI TMA-1's.
Well, thats my direct comparison of the three headphones. I was able to use and test all three headphones. I was able to test them on various mixers and with various music all with the same results.
Best...
Beats By Dre Pro's
Second best...
AIAIAI TMA-1's
Third best...
Sennheiser HD 25's
Last place...
Pioneer HDJ 2000's
I had an opportunity to do a SIDE BY SIDE BY SIDE DIRECT COMPARISON of the Sennheiser HD 25's against the Pioneer HDJ 2000's vs beats By Dre Pro's. I also wound up purchasing a pair of AIAIAI TMA-1's. Here is my in depth summary of the cans...
Sennheiser HD 25.....
Excellent isolation and excellent sound. They press on the ears rather tightly but not uncomfortably so. I was quite impressed with the sound quality. Very impressed is more like it. They really sound amazing especially for such a small can.
I was not impressed with the build or the design. I'm not talking about sex appeal but the actual design of the headphone. I did not like that the cable is run through a groove in the headband. Too easy to be pulled out. I did not like the exposed cable around the can itself. Again, too easy to be pulled or to get caught in something. I see the weak spot in their design. The can itself has a little swivel room and thats a good thing but it can snap the arm or the bracket holding the can to the arm. I also found them to be kinds flimsy feeling. Too many things moving around between the swing of the arm, the swing of the headbands and the exposed cable.
Pioneer HDJ 2000's...
The worst sounding of the bunch. By themselves they sound good but in comparison, they do not even come close to the Sennheiser's, the AIAIAI TMA-1's or the Beats By Dre Pro's.
The design is very good though. Isolation is good but not as good as the other headphones. As far as durability, they seem durable enough but the headband is made of plastic and prone to breakage. The swivel has the very nice touch of snapping back into position but it's the actual swivel that concerns me. Although it is made of alloy, it still has many parts held together with screws. screws do come loose after a time and I can see test headphones going the same was as the 1000's. They are more durable than most headphones out there but not as durable as pioneer would have you believe.
Beats By Dre Pro's...
Best isolation of the headphones tested. I was VERY surprised to find the Beat's Pro's to have the best sound of the bunch as well (To MY ear). They are very bass heavy though and I can see some people not liking that amount of bass. When I tried the Beats Pro's in a club atmosphere, I was unimpressed at that time. I later found out that the mixers headphone output had "issues". I did not do a side by side comparison that night but today's testing has changed my mind on the Beats Pro's.
My opinion about the construction remains the same. BUILT LIKE A TANK!!!!! I don't think the Beats Pro's will ever break. They could get run over by a car and survive.
I do not like that the can itself does not swivel left to right in place. They are fixed in place. The swinging arms are just o.k. not great, not bad, just o.k. They are useful but the downside of them is that the can itself has no side to side wiggle so swinging the arm up takes the other can slightly off the ear. There really is no "cueing out one side from your shoulder with the Beats Pros again due to the lack of side to side wiggle.
AIAIAI TMA-1's
I own them as well as the Beats by Dre Pro's.
The AIAIAI TMA-1's are a direct competition to the Sennheiser HD 25's. The design is quite similar with small but totally worth it differences. The AIAIAI's do not swing like the Senn's but they are flexable so they don't need to. The headband is a one piece design and the cable is not exposed like it is on the Senn's.
The AIAIAI TMA-1's....Great headphones!!! Better isolation than the Sennheiser HD 25's, more bass than the Sennheiser HD 25's, louder than the Sennheiser HD 25's. One piece design. Virtually unbreakable.
The Sennsheiser's, the AIAIAI's and the Beats were somewhat close in sound quality but for my ear and style of music, The beats by Dre Pro's edge out over the Sennheiser HD 25's and the AIAIAI TMA-1's.
Well, thats my direct comparison of the three headphones. I was able to use and test all three headphones. I was able to test them on various mixers and with various music all with the same results.
Best...
Beats By Dre Pro's
Second best...
AIAIAI TMA-1's
Third best...
Sennheiser HD 25's
Last place...
Pioneer HDJ 2000's
Posted Mon 04 Jul 11 @ 8:06 am
apopsisdj
djcity wrote :
Maybe thats why I found them to feel real flimsy. I have heard of people saying they had theres for 6, 7, 8 years. Maybe they were built better back then.
kradcliffe wrote :
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
The HD-25 sound great but the build quality is poor for the money. The ones originally made in Ireland were great but since manufacturing moved to China they've been terrible.
Keith
Maybe thats why I found them to feel real flimsy. I have heard of people saying they had theres for 6, 7, 8 years. Maybe they were built better back then.
I'm sad to hear that. Mine are made in Ireland and i bought them in 2003... Besides the ear pads wear (they are replaceable) and with an an average of 4 nights per week they are still like new... And i have dropped them down to the floor on purpose (with force) several times just to show other dj's or friends how unbreakable they are. Can you believe this ? So much confidence i have to them... I was thinking to buy another pair for backup but now i'm not sure...
Well, that's life.
Posted Mon 04 Jul 11 @ 3:27 pm
pskeens
djcity wrote :
Updated post to include AIAIAI TMA-1
I had an opportunity to do a SIDE BY SIDE BY SIDE DIRECT COMPARISON of the Sennheiser HD 25's against the Pioneer HDJ 2000's vs beats By Dre Pro's. I also wound up purchasing a pair of AIAIAI TMA-1's. Here is my in depth summary of the cans...
I had an opportunity to do a SIDE BY SIDE BY SIDE DIRECT COMPARISON of the Sennheiser HD 25's against the Pioneer HDJ 2000's vs beats By Dre Pro's. I also wound up purchasing a pair of AIAIAI TMA-1's. Here is my in depth summary of the cans...
@ City have you had a chance to listen and review the Audio-Technica ATH-M50's? I am curious to hear your take on them since you have so many other top notch cans. They are the best I have heard especially for Live Recording/Mixing. For remixing and DJ'ing I would like to know what you think of them.
Posted Mon 04 Jul 11 @ 3:54 pm
djcity
My Beats By Dre Pro's are STILL the best headphones I have ever owned. Not a scratch on em. they have been dropped numerous times and still.... NOT EVEN A SCRATCH!!!!
They STILL sound outstanding!!!
I stand by my review and will keep revisiting this thread every few months to report.
They STILL sound outstanding!!!
I stand by my review and will keep revisiting this thread every few months to report.
Posted Wed 14 Sep 11 @ 7:24 pm
Bren F
I went for the Ultrasone DJ-1 pros - they haven't arrived yet but they rank high on sound, comfort and replaceable cables (a must imo).
I avoided the HDJ-2000's based on price verse quality, and the sennheisers based on their cheap appearance.
I'll add my findings once they arrive.
I avoided the HDJ-2000's based on price verse quality, and the sennheisers based on their cheap appearance.
I'll add my findings once they arrive.
Posted Wed 14 Sep 11 @ 7:45 pm
SuperAceMan
djcity wrote :
My Beats By Dre Pro's are STILL the best headphones I have ever owned. Not a scratch on em. they have been dropped numerous times and still.... NOT EVEN A SCRATCH!!!!
They STILL sound outstanding!!!
I stand by my review and will keep revisiting this thread every few months to report.
They STILL sound outstanding!!!
I stand by my review and will keep revisiting this thread every few months to report.
I must agree. This review inspired me to get the same cans and I have never looked back. :)
Posted Wed 14 Sep 11 @ 9:11 pm
jboerlage
The Dr. Dre's were kinda too unnatural for me, huge base indeed. I got the Ultrasone DJ-1 pro's and very happy with them! (and also stylish white :P)
Posted Fri 16 Sep 11 @ 5:53 am