headphones for DJing
Jul 10, 2005 at 6:55 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 15

b-sides

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i have a freind whos about to get into mixing and scratching, hes planning to buy a deck and everything. he needs a good set of phones and is right now looking at the pioneer HDJ1000s after i steered him clear of those awful sony ones. i dunno much about dj headphones, only a couple brands like numark and technics. i also know that sennheiser has a decent line of dj phones. does anyone have any recommendations that i can give him?
 
Jul 10, 2005 at 8:38 PM Post #2 of 15
i bought my sennheiser hd280's a couple years ago for my own dj setup after some dj's on a different forum recommended them over the sonys and some pioneers, and i'm very satisfied with them. the swiveling cups are convenient when mixing and fold up to save space. i remember one of the advantages of the hd280 someone mentioned to me before i bought it was that it isolates well enough that it would be good for mixing in a loud environment like a party or a club. there are a couple annoyances though...the tight grip of the headphones when i first started to use them would frustrate me, especially since i have glasses (works great now that it's stretched), and the coiled cord (not a big deal). i haven't really looked at any new offerings from other brands in a long time, so there might be something else that tops the 280s in its price range right now.
 
Jul 10, 2005 at 9:20 PM Post #3 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by b-sides
i have a freind whos about to get into mixing and scratching, hes planning to buy a deck and everything. he needs a good set of phones and is right now looking at the pioneer HDJ1000s after i steered him clear of those awful sony ones. i dunno much about dj headphones, only a couple brands like numark and technics. i also know that sennheiser has a decent line of dj phones. does anyone have any recommendations that i can give him?


I have the Senn HD 25-1. Just what you need (IMO). The split head band fits securely on the head, one phone can be twisted away DJ style and they're really hard wearing. I've had mine for years, suffered all kinds of abuse and they're stll "as new". I've seen them used buy a lot of professional sound people in the field too.

ZT
 
Jul 10, 2005 at 11:05 PM Post #5 of 15
Howdy B-Sides,
As far as DJing goes there are two major things one should look for; (imho) a closed can for isolation and some sort of rotatable/repositioning system for the earcups should you want to use them on ear at a time.

I must admit that spinning was not my thing, production however is - But during my short lived affair with decks, 2 out of 3 dj's i chilled with were using the Technics RP-DJ1200A cans and totally swore by them. They can also be driven by portable players and can handle some pretty sick volume levels. And, here's a big one, they're BOMBPROOF. Even the wacky mechanism that pivots the earcup around is made of metal.

They're not terribly expensive ~$130 USD on audiocubes but they're also not terribly pretty - but you're friend should be getting enough tail that even the headphones won't hold him back.
 
Jul 10, 2005 at 11:16 PM Post #6 of 15
The Pioneer HDJ-1000 is another neat option - a bit flashier but still very functional. These have an even weirder device that flops the earcups around - some swear by it, and some say its a little fragile. I believe these cans are completely plastic.

Also there is the Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700 - with I have used, but not in a real world DJ environment, thus i cannot comment on their practical DJ use. They are BEAUTIFUL headphones - I bought a pair while in Japan last november, but before moving on in my journey, I returned them as they hurt my ears for prolonged periods of use (re. I have big ears). The earcups can be flipped 180 degrees. Build quality of these is excellent - and I must re-iterate, they are drop dead gorgeous headphones.
 
Jul 10, 2005 at 11:43 PM Post #7 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by phosfiend
I must admit that spinning was not my thing, production however is - But during my short lived affair with decks, 2 out of 3 dj's i chilled with were using the Technics RP-DJ1200A cans and totally swore by them. They can also be driven by portable players and can handle some pretty sick volume levels. And, here's a big one, they're BOMBPROOF. Even the wacky mechanism that pivots the earcup around is made of metal.


A buddy of mine has those Technics cans just for recreational listening and they're really nice. Bass-heavy, but otherwise surprisingly balanced and great just to enjoy. They also seem to isolate pretty well and they're comfy. They look well made. Worth the price. That lucky jackass got em for $70 shipped too!

The HD 280 seems like it could be good for spinning with some caveats. Great isolation, but the bass doesn't really slam, so that may make it hard to hear the beat in a club environment. The headband tends to develop cracks, but it seems mostly an annoyance. The cracks certainly don't render them useless.
 
Jul 11, 2005 at 12:11 AM Post #8 of 15
I second the HD 25-1 recommandation. Durable, user-replacable parts, good isolation, efficiency, and they have a powerful sound with extremely tight bass.
 
Jul 11, 2005 at 1:57 AM Post #10 of 15
My brother uses the Sony V6s to mix his trance stuff...the cups don't swivel, but are easily repositioned to behind the ear on one side for monitoring. And they have great bass response that goes fast and deep.
 
Jul 11, 2005 at 11:10 PM Post #11 of 15
i saw quit few ppl using HD-433 for djing
 
Jul 12, 2005 at 12:22 AM Post #12 of 15
The top headphone for DJing is perhaps the Sennheiser HD-25-1, but the HD-25 SP will do as well. They provide great isolation, high efficiency, and very high headroom. With these, all the parts are user replaceable, the headband, the cable, etc. The only bad thing about these headphones is the short cable stock cable it comes with. You will need an extension cable. I personally use the HD25-1 for DJing. I have two pairs.

The other one I recommend is the MDR-V6. Fiarly good isolation and great sound. They are practically indestructible. I still use mine from 15 years ago and no matter what abuse it comes to them, they seem to be able to take it. They are kind of high pitched, so my ears get tired quicker though. That's the only negative of these great headphones.

DJ headphones you should avoid: MDR-V700DJ (cheap plastic, it breaks), Stanton and Numark headphones. I had a stanton headphone that broke 5 times. I sent it 5 times for repair and I got tired of it. Ditched the sucker for being no good.
 
Jul 12, 2005 at 3:31 AM Post #13 of 15
Quote:

Originally Posted by psyco1
Senn also markets the hd 215 for dj'ing.


I found that the 215's swivel cups aren't all that easy to swivel. Maybe they will loosen up over time.
 
Jul 14, 2005 at 1:58 AM Post #14 of 15
I switched over to some Senny 280 pro's a couple of years ago after people talked them up on forums like this one. They seemed to be ok for that time and an improvement sonically over my Sony MDR-700's. However, about 3 weeks ago I was playing a set with some mates and they blew the bottom end. To me they never seemed to handle the bass levels of the house and tech that I played and would distort a bit too easily at volume. In the end I they bass just gave out completely. So I ended up switching back to the old Sony's for the time being and they are working fine. Most of my mates who play have used the Senny 25's for a long time. I don't mind the weight saving but to me they feel a bit light duty when you crank them and they don't isolate enough. I have to play a gig on the weekend and will be looking at the 215's , noting that they seem to be the one of models that Sennheiser promote on their site with the specific description of suiting DJ use.
 
Jul 19, 2005 at 8:50 PM Post #15 of 15
i would definitely reccommend the technics for practical traveling DJ use. i borrowed them from a friend i was touring with when i left my silver sony's at home. after that, i conveniently forgot them for the rest of the tour. i still am using the sony's until they conk out, but i will most certainly be buying the technics afterward.

i like the technics because they are far less bulky than the sony's. the cmaller cushions irked me in the shop, but in real world use these are much more comfortable than the sony's. i can bop my head around all over the place with the technics and it hardly feels like i've got them on. and they don't budge at all.

with the sony's, despite the grip being very tight, the bulky weight still cause them to shift while i'm playing. i often waste time taking them off and on in between records, while with the technics i keep them on all the time.

i also had the HD280's which i found to be awful for DJ'ing but great for monitoring. i've tried the pioneers and did not find them that great either. my vote is for technics.
 

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