PIONEER HRM-7 REVIEW

The Pioneer HRM-7 is what seems to be Pioneers first entry into the professional studio realm. Previously Pioneer has been very involved in providing almost everything a DJ needs to be successful and has earned a great reputation for strong performing gear. I myself have had the Pioneer HDJ 2000, when I lost them on a plane my headphone journey began. Lets dig into what the Pioneer HRM-7 has to offer the curious, the casual listener, and the professional. I have yet to read any detailed reviews covering the sonic attributes of this unpopular headphone so I hope to provide some valuable insight while not being too long-winded.
 
UPDATED 9/5/2015( I am totally sorry I misinformed people about certain aspects like leakage and the connector type. I only wanted to provide a quick run down of the sonic aspects of this headphone since I couldn't find any prior to buying this headphone. But it turns out that many people have read this review with questions unanswered or answered incorrectly as a result.) Please browse over sections like isolation, accessories, fit etc for better details.
 

 

RATINGS: For its price or class +(POOR) ++- (OKAY doesnt mean bad) +++++(AMAZING)
BASS SPEED	++++
BASS TEXTURE	+++-
BASS EXTENSION	+++++
BASS CONTROL	+++++
BASS IMPACT	++-
BASS QUANTITY (+) = light, (+++++)=bass canon	++-
MID RANGE QUANTITY (+) = recessed, (+++++)=too full	+++
MID RANGE BALANCE	++++
MID RANGE TONALITY	++++
TREBLE QUANTITY (+) =dark, (+++++)=extremely bright	++++
TREBLE EXTENSION	++++-
TREBLE QUALITY	++++-
SOUND STAGE	++++-
IMAGING	++++-
SOUND SEPARATION	++++-
OVERALL SPEED	+++-
DESIGN	+++-
COMFORT	+++-
BUILD	++++-

 

TO THE CURIOUS and CASUAL LISTENER

This headphone is what I would call polarizing in its balance. Not everyone is going to put it on and appreciate what it does right away. I just recommend you keep reading further to understand what this headphone has to offer and if it suits your needs. This headphone is a budget friendly device that can provide a high fidelity experience at the cost of musicality that most consumers consider to sound natural. 
 

TO THE PROFESSIONAL

This headphone is recommended for you with some caveats. Those being that you already understand how to under and over compensate when things are not balanced as flat as your average monitors, or over mix bass etc when listening for balance. Overall I find this headphone an exceptional value for you if you can't stretch for an open back that provides the same qualities. So let's get to it...
 

BASS

The bass of this headphone is very well controlled. It is one of the stand out features of this headphone. Its tightness exceeds that of its former closed back DJ cousins and offers a considerable amount of insight in regards to textures. However this is the first headphone with bass as tight as this that did not take well to eq boosting. It is a very stubborn bass that sounds a bit trapped like it needs to let loose a little bit in bloat to sound natural. There is a quick decay for a headphone of this price and it is almost dry sounding but fairly true to source. I have had the HE-400S here and just as an example, I found this bass to dig deeper, faster, and tighter but with a very similar punch and attack. This headphone is absolutely not for the bass head. It is quite neutral and doesn't add much warmth. It is also without much mid bass hump either, though that will be a smidgen more than the sub bass. Some may prefer this however, as you will find me saying throughout, I hope a true modder gets a hold of this thing and cuts some ports or something to let it flow. I suspect they will be greatly rewarded. I really did not expect the bass to be this lean, undercooked, and tough but maybe more burn in will let the bottom roast become more tender. I have found though, that in a similar fashion to the more pricey and open HE-560 (not comparing just referring) that the bass may be enjoyable on the right song where the bass was mixed in excess.  Compared to other headphones like the Yamaha HPH Mt220 this bass is less in quantity, faster in speed, less in impact, tighter in composure, and similar or better in texture. Extension is supreme, I promise I have heard as low or lower with this headphone as any other. 
 

MIDS

I usually like to combine tonality/ timbre here because it has so much to do with how the midrange is done. I find the music to play effortlessly in this band section with a slight lean towards being reserved yet present and realistic. The midrange doesn't sound as carved out as it does like it is soaring by a kite string under the ever present treble lift that I will describe later. The midrange does not sound hazy, grainy, or distorted, but is of a very realistic quality that is smooth but reserved without sounding hard. The lower mids don't seem out of balance in this kind of headphone. I could wish for more but it wouldn't sound right. It would end up sounding like a dip in the middle mids. Instead the middle mids seem to be in linear balance with the lower mids and have no breaks in sweeps. I would simply say the midrange section is flat and neutral with a realistic tone. Voices aren't bad. I honestly haven't studied them much through this headphone... just don't expect to be all buttered up in your hammock with lemonade while Otis Redding whistles and sings. Actually skip the whistling all together for reasons below.
Update: Vocals sound pretty good through these headphones, the "S" on certain songs can sound a bit splashy at times as well as cymbals but I find vocals to have good projection and overall don't sound too thin. They have a pure and clean sound to them but female vocals sound pretty good.
 

HIGHS

I was expecting this headphone to be slightly dark, dark, or rolled off. That is not the case. The treble has extension, presence, and a nice clear tone. Treble heads might find this headphone to their liking. Producers and professionals will have all of their details and some. Sibilance will make its appearance very easily with these headphones. There are some headphones that I have had that are brighter like the t90. I am also not the best judge of treble but I am certain that this is not a dark headphone.The sibilance revealed by this headphone is song dependent more than most other bright headphones. I find the treble to be of a good quality even though its a bit much for my tastes. It doesn't seem to be just boosted for details because there are details all over this headphone... top to bottom. I have placed a bit of dampening in my cups and still find it a little too bright. The treble brings the overall balance towards the thinner side of things but the tones are wholesome and dense enough to make it sound realistic.
 

SOUNDSTAGE

This headphone shines here for sure. There is a cavernous quality to it but I was also not expecting it to have a sound field this spread out. It doesn't sound distance but very three dimensional as sounds appear almost unnaturally in their purposed locations. The cup reverberations keep it from being the image king of its price... well wait for 199???it is the imaging king of its price and for closed backs the soundstage king as well. I would like to hear the k553 or 550 again to confirm this but I doubt it will be beaten. I really enjoy this part of the headphone and believe that further modding can even better what is here. Its decently wide, deep, and relatively tall with a strong center image. Definitely bigger than the Yamaha HPH MT220, or Focal Spirit Pro. 
Update: The k553 sound stage is easily beaten by the Pioneer Hrm-7. Sound stage heads rejoice! Its a nice size stage and sounds more natural on acoustic music than electronic where its less expected for sounds to image as far out.
 

ISOLATION AND LEAKAGE UPDATE:

As you can read below in the comment section I have neglected to cover this area accurately. Initially I put these on my head and asked my wife if they leaked a lot. She said they sounded fine and couldn't hear much at all. I think it was a wet day with the window open and I wasn't blasting them. If you decide to use these headphones for tracking do not blast the headphones they will spill all of your sound out on to that precious recording. They can be usable at lower volumes for tracking and when at normal listening levels they can pass average standards leakage. I doubt at normal levels your significant other will be bothered much. The beats studios leak more than these, the Yamahas are close as well but I would trust these a bit more If my memory is right. They have ports for their bass design and sound kind of semi- open so some leakage is a result.
 
Isolation isn't that bad to me. I am listening at normal levels right now and cant hear my fingers snap until the music calms down. I can hear typing while the music is soft or off.
 

 

COMFORT/FIT UPDATE

These headphones need softer pads in my opinion but are fairly comfortable. The opening is large enough for big ears to fit snugly inside. I have an average ear size for a male(been told my ear shape is perfect and not big or small) and my ears have plenty of room inside without touching the drivers. I sometimes wish for just a bit more clamp and have to adjust them for a good seal in the back of the ear but this is easily done. I do have a large head and so I placed them on my sons head (11 but short for his age) and they seemed to fit pretty well on him also, even though they look huge on him. Pics may lead you to think these things are small but do not be fooled. They are FULL sized headphones and much bigger than the Pioneer DJ series.
 
Worth mentioning: If you decide to use other pads than the supplied ones you may need to bend the headphones inward. There is not much play in the headphones and it can be tough to get a good seal around the front of the ears if the pads are angled. Another head-fier shows which part to bend HERE
 

PACKAGING AND ACCESSORIES

Nothing fancy and sorry for the crappy pics. The headphones come in a regular box with two cables and extra pads.

 


The cable plug is proprietary and twist locks into the cup jack via a 2.5mm plug. While the cable will most likely be useful for only this headphone. I am pretty sure other cables can be used with this headphone. The provided non coiled cable can be used for jump roping. The coiled cable is just as long when stretched but way less cumbersome. I find the long one useless.
 
Headphone comes with an extra set of pads that are very easy to take off and put back on. I have tried the shure 1540 pads and they do not fit. Alpha dog pads and ZMF pads will fit with a bit of patience.

 

 
 

DURABILITY - Though all plastic I have no fears

 

CONCLUSION

Simply put, this headphone is flat all the way up to the boosted treble but remains natural in tone and avoids stridency. Its technicalities are a very rare find at this price and will prove to be a useful tool for the professional. I only take a half of a star away because of the treble boost. The bass, though less than I like, actually serves its purpose in neutrality.
 
Thanks for reading
 
~ Grizzlybeast