Many of the rules of what constitutes a good pair of headphones go out of the window when it comes to choosing a pair for DJing.
Headphones should reproduce the sound accurately, right? They should be really comfortable worn for long times. They should envelope you in quality sound, getting you as close to the real thing as possible. Nothing else truly matters, does it?
Erm, well it turns out that for DJing, none of the above is really important. DJs have specific needs when it comes to headphones, and it pays to bear them in mind when you’re choosing your next pair…
Good DJ headphones should…
- Let you use them on one ear only – One basic way of using your DJ headphones is to listen to the monitor speaker in one ear and the incoming track in the other, allowing you to beatmatch manually with accuracy. If you can’t comfortably get your headphones on one ear only, you’ll struggle with this. Look for earcups that swivel, twist or otherwise move out of the way
- Are comfortable… but round your neck, not on your head – DJs don’t tend to wear their headphones all the time. They use them to cue in a track, then whip them off their ears, wearing them round their necks for much of the time. Thus if a pair of headphones scratches, chafes or otherwise annoys you when they’re round your neck, you won’t get on with them… however comfortable they feel on your head
- Have a coiled cable – Unlike “leisure” headphones where a coiled cable would look strange, it’s pretty essential in good DJ headphones. The reason is that you spend most of your time stood right in front of your gear (so want the cable to behave itself and stay nicely coiled, rather than get under your feet), but sometimes you want to move away from the gear (to get your drink, to take a request, to dig through your bag at the back of the booth) and thus will be thankful for the extra reach that a long (coiled) cable gives you
- Have coloured sound – As a DJ, you’re not interested in audiophile sound, or true reproduction across the audio spectrum, or any of that stuff. You need to be able to tell elements apart for easy beatmatching. Punchy bass, and clear mids and highs with really good definition. are much better than a smooth, sophisticated sound which – although it might be preferable after a couple of hours’ home listening – is not going to help you tell your kick drums and bassline apart from your snares in a noisy DJ booth
- Be sensitive – Or to put it in a simpler way, “go loud”. A lot of modern DJ gear, especially digital controllers, suffers from low headphone output volume, mainly due to USB power. That means your headphones need sensitive drivers to deliver the most volume. Otherwise, you may find that even with the volume on your unit turned up to full, you just can’t get the things loud enough. It will never be apparent when practising at home, only when you play your first gig in a truly loud environment
- Be durable – A DJ booth is a pretty extreme environment, and getting your gear to and from the gig also exposes it to much risk of damage. Sitting on your gear bag, other stuff being put on top of it, dropping it, people spilling drinks, your headphones getting accidentally yanked onto the floor and trodden on, sweat, heat, smoke, dust… it’s no surprise that DJs go through headphones at a rate of knots. Durable is good: Look for strong hinges, detachable / replaceable parts, metal rather than plastic build…
- Be portable – Do they come with a decent carrying bag? How do they fold away? Do they fold up in one direction, or two (ie “flat”)? Headphones are an awkward shape, and they’re more useful to the space-sensitive DJ when you can fold them up properly and tuck them safely away. Especially if you’re flying and have a hand luggage size allowance, having headphones you can properly tuck into your bag without the risk of damage can make all the difference. (Of course, you could always just keep them round your neck at all times…)
Finally…
The golden rule is to try before you buy, or read the reviews keeping in mind the points above. Especially when it comes to comfort, though, nothing beats actually trying them. And while you’ll pay a lot for headphones with all of these qualities, at least you can try and get some with as many as possible while staying within whatever your budget is.
What do you look for in a pair of DJ headphones? Do you agree with our list, or are there things you think we’re missing? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Now go to:
Review & Video: Numark Red Wave DJ Headphones
Review & Video: Reloop RHP-20 Headphones
Review: Allen & Heath Xone XD-40 DJ Headphones
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Tags: choosing dj headphones, dj headphones, headphones
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Which headphones meet most of this criteria?
[ link ]As some of these criteria are personal taste, there’s no “right” answer to that.
[ link ]I think the HD 25, HDJ-1000-K or HDJ-2000. Well, HDJ 1000-K and 2000 are the same, the different thing is the construction, price and weight.
[ link ]Not sure about point 4 because you need to do a very good eqing and gain of both tracks so very precise headphones will help you massively on that instead of correcting things while on the main sound system.
Also, when preparing tracks at home it will help you to found failing tracks that need some rework or tweaking.
Muddy headphones will make everything looks the same even if they’re not and fake the reality of the sound (let you believe that the bass is heavy on this track).
[ link ]Fair points. I trust my monitor speakers / booth monitors for that stuff though, but I see where you’re coming from.
[ link ]I just can’t stand coiled cables. They’re heavy and get tangled everywhere. Also weight of the headphones is important. Many big headphones are too heawy for my taste. And I don’t really like loose swiweling headphones either. HD 25 with straight cable ftw!
[ link ]Just goes to show, it’s SO important to “try before you buy”, because we’re all different.
[ link ]Have used my Ultrasone Dj 1 PRO for 6 years now.
Amazing sound and perfect for djing..
I do alot of mixing in my headphones…no boothspeakers.
Base, hit snares…u can hear them..
Ultrasoner DJ 1 PRO
http://www.ultrasone.com/index.php/en/products/dj-1-pro.html
Dj Steve
[ link ]Great headphones. Not too many in my area. When my old Sony V6′s (not 600′s) finally crapped out, I picked up the Ultrasone DJ 1 PROs because my local shop was out of Sony 700′s. I’ve been using these for 3 years now and I’ve picked up another pair as a backup.
[ link ]Ultrasone’s have built in hearing protection elements. They dramaticly reduce sound pressure levels (SPLs) and greatly reduce the levels of electro magnetic radiation involved with DJ headphones. These joint are a huge reason why I’m able to keep spining in clubs.
[ link ]Who made this list? Ask most professional dj’s what cans they prefer and the answer is PLASTIC, NON COILED, LIGHTWEIGHT Sennheiser HD25′s
[ link ]Steady now, if there’s one thing I know it’s that most DJs are different. Having booked hundreds of pro DJs in my career as a promoter as well as DJing with most of them, that wasn’t my experience – although the HD25s do have plenty of fans, it’s true.
[ link ]I use Technics 1200/1210 models. Have done so for about 10 years. The Sennheiser HD25s are great, but don’t suit my style or head shape, or the fact that I wear glasses. My first pair of Technics lasted for about 8 years before I had to replace them. That’s the main reason I continue to use that brand.
[ link ]detatchable cable is a must for me – I’ve been through so many pairs and its always been an issue with the cable.
[ link ]I agree.
[ link ]My advice is that you can cut corners on many things, cost-wise, EXCEPT on your headphones. Spend whatever you can. An expensive pair that lasts you a year or more is preferable to having to replace a cheap pair every 6 months. Believe me, the cost soon racks up.
Just don’t lose them!
[ link ]My HDJ-2000s arrive in three weeks! Can’t wait!
[ link ]One thing Phil forgot to mention is good isolation. Isolated headphones let you mix with less volume and so protect your hearing.
[ link ]+1
[ link ]+10!
[ link ]+1
[ link ]Dj has been my only occupation for the last 12 years and i have to say i have yet to come across a pair that lasts for long, 2 years seems to be the average life span when taking to other dj´s as well. For sound the closest so far have been AiAIAI TMA-1 but too much low, lows. Standing next to subs hour after hour andraising the volume in the phones as the hours go by.
Before AiAIAI i used Beyerdynamic DT 1350, probably mechanically the best phones i´ve ever used, the “problem” being they are so flat that the clear, LOUD mids feel like having razors in the ears after a while. I´ve giving up finding a pair that has both the sound & the mechanical strength and will look into getting an e.q of some kind and go for the most mechanical sturdy phones. The earlier Sony´s, Akg;s, Pioneers was to much plastic and swirvels in all direction and simply don´t last long. It´s not as i´m violent with them, but 25 hours a week wear´s stuff down, especially plastic.. /casca.dj
[ link ]Once every 2 years? You did well. As soon as I hit 12 months with a pair that’s still working, usually someone steals them.
[ link ]Sennheiser HD 25-C II FTW!!!!!!
http://www.intermusic-pro.com/upload/productos/hd-25_c-II_kit.jpg
[ link ]me too…Why use anything else?
Best of all they’re so light .
[ link ]@ Toby & @ Phil:
[ link ]I have a pair of Senhiser HD450 that I bought in 1982 they still has not broke! I have used them untill three years ago as my DJ Headphones. Only has had to change cable two times because I jumped on it. And the textile material that is nearest the ear is changed one time. I also have a Pair of Denon HP1000 that I have used for the past three years without any problems what so ever!
My recepy is to buy quality, it pais in the end!
Senhiser HD25 is known to last….. And so is the Denon HD1000….
Again a good post from Phil but:
I do stronly protest about that anything that has with sound what so ever should be coloured at all!
If I want to coulor I will do it myself. And headphones should absolutely not be coloured IMO it is much better to get a pair of studio HP than DJ HP if the DJ HP does not sound as flat as the studio ones. Because you need to hear all frequences good in order to find the beat when there is no bass. Also as stated b4 all does not use booth monitors. Sometimes you need to mix only in HP because the sound bounces. You need to have a very good sound if you must have loud volume otherwise you tire out your ears and that could risk you to get tinnitus!
And at last if you have a good flat sound you can use the same HP when you produces music/mixtapes/mashups that many DJs also do today…..
Otherwise I agre and do think it is a good article
[ link ]Fair enough, each to their own. For me, there is absolutely no way any headphone that exists can cancel out the external sound of a large, noisy club enough for what I call “the audiophile difference” to matter one jot – but I fully accept your viewpoint on this.
For me it’s headphones on, isolate the element I’m using for beatmixing, then that’s it – job done. I for one very much DJ rely on booth monitors (or just listening to the main speakers with a time delay, something I have got VERY used to over the years) rather than headphones for overall level etc. I trust the sound in the club over the sound in my headphones.
Furthermore, as no cue system I have ever come across on any DJ gear has any EQ on it, I think it it definitely worth going for headphones that sound how you want from a flat signal, because it is obviously therefore impossible to colour your headphone sound in a club situation.
[ link ]The DJM 500 has a headphone cue, its the only good thing on it haha
[ link ]Headphone *EQ* not Cue as posted above
[ link ]Denon X1600, X1700, X600 does have Headphone EQ!
[ link ]Cool, shame they don’t appear more in pro DJ boxes. I’ve yet to play a club with one of these systems. I certainly wouldn’t rely on it being there to alter the EQ in my ‘phones.
[ link ]Oh yes I forgot the DNX 1600 has that feature even though I have onel lol the old 1500 had one aswell
[ link ]I’ve had my mdr-v6′s for a few months now and I could not be happier. Portable, great sound, durable, and has a crazy long coiled cable. Love them.
[ link ]I know it isn’t right but I use the numark hf-125 headphones……Now keep in mind that they are one of the cheapest ones on the market….Having said that, I buy several of them at the beginning of each season. I’m pretty hard on headphones so I by the cheaper ones so that replacing them won’t dent my pocket. the sound quality is pretty decent also.
[ link ]You’re not the only person I have hear of who takes this approach!
[ link ]I’ll go with that too. Using T.BONE TDJ-1000 (23,90 € a pair). Very good bass ans sound – not built to last though but they come with a spare pair of earmuffs and these i like to change once in a while. Had a couple of these and they usually last bout 6 – 12 months (4 hours use per day / 7 days a week). I always have at least one spare pair so i can immediately replace them should they break.
Hint: they last a tad longer if u enforce the 2 silver flaps on the clip with some ductape and carefully (very thin wires inside!!!) remove the kink protection on the headphone and glue it in again with superglue (they must have used some cheapo chines glue on there lol).
[ link ]I Have Allen & Heath Zone X-53′s and LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[ link ]after a year with a&h 40s today i bought 53s and firts impressions are <3 <3 <3…
[ link ]will see how'll they do in "trenches"…
Again, I absolutely agree with Phil – but how come he gets the point I’m currently interested in so often?
anyway –
[ link ]it was just on NYE that my last HP broke, and now again I have to chose from so many great models and companies, the choice is getting harder year by year. I never liked the HD 25, coz you get too much pressure on the head, and the last thing I need at the end of an 8-hours-set is a killing headache. So always try before you buy! Metal construction is essential IMO, if you want something to rely on, and at the end of the day the Reloop RHP-20 is exactly my cup of tea, I suppose. It could fold smaller, but – hey!
Look, sound, love of details – I like !!!
Durability is the #1 for me. It’s got to last longer than one year.
[ link ]My headphones? V-Moda Crossfade LPs. Cheap (You can sometimes see ‘em around $80, but usually they’re around $120). VERY durable (made out of almost all metal). Punchy bass without drowning out the highs. And, of course, 100% customizable. Tbh, it’s these headphones that got me into DJing, and I love them to death. More than tough enough (and good sounding enough) for personal use as well. Highly recommended if you’re looking for quality cheap gear, but, of course, I doubt they’d compare to headphones three or four times the cost. Absolutely destroys Beats though
[ link ]I own a pair of Sennheiser’s that aren’t the most expensive on the market but they are comfortable, sound great and with a 12month warranty – even if they do start to leak or creak before a year is out, I can get them replaced under warranty within 12 months. So am now on my 3rd pair for the price of the original 1. They seem to die just under the 12 month mark which works for me!
[ link ]hey what do you guys think about earbuds? i just got the shure 215s and seem great quality to me. after about a week of practicing getting them in my ear. they are basically also an earplug, so i won’t go deaf as early without the dramatic isolation. i’m digital, so i don’t really need a long cable, and at 5-6 feet it does the job. and I usually only keep one in at a time so that I can hear the monitors with the other. tell me what you think
[ link ]DJ Tru
Yeah some people really like them. I prefer to take them on and off so they’ve never worked for me.
[ link ]Earbuds as earplugs as hearingprotection dont mean jack if you use only one. You should use in-ear mixing or split cue/master if you want to protect your hearing.
[ link ]I’ve had the same Sony MDR-V700 headphones for 7 years and going strong night after night. Not the cheapest on the market but not the most exspensive by far. Just great sound quality and has all the bells and whistles required for mobile DJ’s in my opinion. Thanks and regards DJ Malarky out.
[ link ]Ultrasone DJ1 Pro DAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
[ link ]This site rules! Quick question mentioned by Phil in Point 1: I know most DJ’s only use 1 ear to monitor their tracks in headphones while using the other ear to listen to the mains for beatmatching. Isn’t this really hard on your ears? I used to wear in-ears for the cover bands I played in, and I did the same thing: 1 in-ear in to hear my mix, 1 in-ear out to hear the ambient sound of the band as a whole. In 3 years time, I lost 30% of my hearing. Alarming! Isn’t the same true with monitoring via headphones while DJing? How the heck does one save their ears?
[ link ]You can either wear specially made earplugs that are designed to let through enough to DJ with while stopping the harm, or just watch the levels (keep the volume in your DJ booth at a manageable level).
[ link ]I’ve been using the same pair for years, the black Sony MDR-V500′s. They retail at about £50 and are heavy-enough-yet-light-enough (DJs will know what I mean about this – you want something that is light enough to wear for prolonged periods, but with enough weight in it to assure you that it cost more than small change to manufacture).
I’ve used them for the last 6 years, and only replaced them once. And that was only because I left them somewhere after a set and couldn’t get them back.
Everyone bangs on about Sennheiser HD-25′s but to be honest, I find them fiddly and awkward to wear. Sure they may be durable enough for prolonged club use night after night, which is fine, but I’ve used my Sonys in bars and clubs with very loud volumes for a very long time and they’ve never let me down.
Ever.
Don’t listen to anyone else about what headphones you should or shouldn’t have. It’s up to you. Find what you like, and stick with it until it gives you a reason not to.
[ link ]Are the Beats headphones overrated?
[ link ]Overpriced more than overrated.
[ link ]Buy a quality pair of headphones and take real good care of them!
[ link ]I bought a pair of Sony headphones three years ago and they’re still in the same condition as when I bought them.
Some idiot ranted at me for wearing my headphones around my neck.. Granted I was in class but his reasoning was that I “thought I looked cool when there was no point and why can’t I just hold them in my hand or in my bag like a normal person.” I was ready to kill..
[ link ]The HD 25′s are very comfortable and deliver good colorful sound. However I also love the new HDJ 1500′s, not as comfortable as the HD 25′s, but they have amazing noise canceling and sound quality.
[ link ]Hi all… I finally took delivery of my new HD25-1 II’s last week after around a two month wait for delivery (over year-end). The noise cancellation and sound quality is superb, however, I was a little disappointed in just how “plasticky” they look, considering how ghastly expensive they were (including import duties, etc. in my country, total cost ended around $430). I’ve consoled myself in the fact that this is probably to reduce the overall weight of the unit though.
The second grievance I have is that the end of the left cable has a break in it, so the left speaker keeps cutting out
Sennheiser make a big deal about the cable being steel and virtually unbreakable, which is also why this seems very peculiar.
Right now, I’m worried these may even be counterfeit as this stage (Sennheiser themselves have a big note about counterfeit products floating around on their main page)… Let’s hope not. Anyway, I’ll be taking them back to the store this weekend and hopefully they can be replaced or repaired.
[ link ]