Headphones what are you using?

[Paul Jones]

Hello All,

The age old question of what headphones are best for DJ use? I have had loads over the last (nearly) 30 years. From cheap & cheerful to £150 +.

I currently am using the Pioneer HDJ 1500 which for the last 2 years have been fantastic. Last night they failed, well a weak plastic did! I can get the replacement bits, which for the 4 pieces of plastic the size of 4 postage stamps & a lovely cost of over £60. The parts will fix them but I feel I'm not solving the design flaw. I love the HDJ's they feel weighty, well made & until now have been great.
I'm angling towards a pair of the Sennheiser HD 25 Plus's. But am not sure I will get on with the on ear design as apposed to the over ears of the HDJ's.
What's everyone else using??

Thanks

[Nakatomi]

Still using Sennheiser HD-215 here. I bought them way back before I started DJing again. My son came along & he used to play with them. They're toddler proof ! And thus far, me proof too. Best money I've ever spent on cans ever.

[musicology]

I use Bose. Really light and comfy. Don't know the model tho'.

[fullcontact68]

I used and loved the Sennheiser HD-205's.

But recently they failed on me, I'm guessing the drivers went, sound quality really dropped. Did sound really poor / distorted.

Made the mistake of buying a cheap alternative, (Skullcandy, very plasticy, poor sound quality, poor fit for DJ use).

I've Just invested in the 215's.

[Nakatomi]

Before I bought the 215s I'd been through many a pair over the years. Mostly cheap but also Pioneer, Technics & Audiotechnica. All cheap (not cheap!!) plastic JUNK.

My best headphones before these were Sennheiser HD414. Oh how I miss them. I didn't lose or break them... They went through a couple of foam earpads... No how I came to part ways from these... They got nicked from a club :devil:

[ThomasPM]

Hello All,

The age old question of what headphones are best for DJ use? I have had loads over the last (nearly) 30 years. From cheap & cheerful to £150 +.

I currently am using the Pioneer HDJ 1500 which for the last 2 years have been fantastic. Last night they failed, well a weak plastic did! I can get the replacement bits, which for the 4 pieces of plastic the size of 4 postage stamps & a lovely cost of over £60. The parts will fix them but I feel I'm not solving the design flaw. I love the HDJ's they feel weighty, well made & until now have been great.
I'm angling towards a pair of the Sennheiser HD 25 Plus's. But am not sure I will get on with the on ear design as apposed to the over ears of the HDJ's.
What's everyone else using??

Thanks

Hello Paul

Can you claim under warranty? My HDJs have just fallen apart too at less than a year old so im trying to claim under warranty although i am still waiting for a reply from the supplier,If i dont hear anything soon ill contact pioneer direct.

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[yourdj]

We had a discussion on the HDA and took in our headphones on a meeting.
The unanimous favourite was Sennhiser 25's. Even they call them the 'industry standard'
They have quite an impressive range.

I am still using my Marshal Majors, but will move to them when they are caput.

http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/dj-headphones

18125

[TONYTIGER]

We had a discussion on the HDA and took in our headphones on a meeting.
The unanimous favourite was Sennhiser 25's. Even they call them the 'industry standard'
They have quite an impressive range.

I am still using my Marshal Majors, but will move to them when they are caput.

http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/dj-headphones

18125

Yes you are right,been using them for many years and all the parts are readily available,why use anything else.

[Daryll]

Never use them

[Paul Jones]

Hello Paul

Can you claim under warranty? My HDJs have just fallen apart too at less than a year old so im trying to claim under warranty although i am still waiting for a reply from the supplier,If i dont hear anything soon ill contact pioneer direct.

181221812318124

Hi Thomas,

Mine are over 2 years old. So didn't think I stood a chance with a claim. I might send them an email & see how I get on. I'm not sure what there customer service is like, that said I have spent over £2K with them in the last couple of years & probably a lot more over the last 30!!!!

Thanks.

[Paul Jones]

Never use them

Can I ask how you manage to DJ without using headphones? Just a question, it's just I really couldn't.

[Daryll]

Well I will try to be as true as possible , yes I do beat match and any hot cues are done at home , ok I do use headphones at home , but I have never found a use for them "live" if you know what i mean , that's not to say I dont have a pair plugged in when i do a gig , I have some sennheiser phones , cant remember what model , I have found that by not using them , I can interact with the clients with out the need to take off?put on the phones , I fully understand that a lot of DJ`s use them to great effect , cueing up tracks etc , but not for me , just my personal style , and the fact that most of the gigs I do follow a well rehearsed format ( a lot of people do not like to listen to music that they do not know) , plus I use the Ultramixer software , which is very visual , so I can "see" whats going on , maybe if I did a gig that was "out of my comfort zone" ,ie , music that I was not familiar with I would use headphones , I hope this goes some way to answering your question , in fact I was waiting for some one to ask....;) ;)

Cheers

Daryll

[Benny Smyth]

HDJ2000. Great pair of headphones, and going strong three years later.

Couple of years is a decent life for a pair of headphones. The 1500 retail at about 140 notes and assuming you have used them on average once a week over the last two years, they've cost you about £1.35 a gig. I'd say you got your money's worth out of them.

[ukpartydj]

HD25 had them for years, somebody told me American audio £25 headphones were good so when the cable went on my hd25s I got some... Absolutely terrible. Even worse than my pioneer headphones which are most definitely style over substance. People say beats are a waste of money.... Hmmm poineer aren't far behind.

All I can say is why dies literally everybody use hd25s? TV, football, DJs, only real pros that don't are being paid to wear others I reckon :)

[Nakatomi]

I don't wear headphones all night long - just when I'm preparing tracks or mixing a transition - and even then not all the time - so they don't prove a problem with interaction.

What I love about the HD215 - comfy & very snug. They're also fairly closed but are brilliant at rejecting extraneous noises (like Grease songs, Proud Mary etc)

[ppentertainments]

Can I ask how you manage to DJ without using headphones? Just a question, it's just I really couldn't.
I only really use mine for likes of Living on a Prayer and other long intros.

Could do without if needed and did for years

[musicology]

I only really use mine for likes of Living on a Prayer and other long intros.

Could do without if needed and did for years

That's where Hot Cues come in handy.

[ppentertainments]

That's where Hot Cues come in handy.
That just makes things boring ;););)

[Paul Jones]

Well everyone I went with the "so called " Industry Standard, the Sennheiser HD 25 Plus, I paid £140 inc delivery & was told it was the best price anyone could do. Time will tell if I've made the right choice.
I've also bought a dedicated hard case off eBay to keep them in.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread.

[Shaun]

Sennheiser HD 25 for years. Had to replace the cable and pads recently, apart from that they've been rock solid.