The Pioneer HDJ-2000 is a stylish headphone, befitting its price tag. but how does it perform?
If you’re serious about success as a DJ or already at the pinnacle of your career, you’ll already know that you can’t consider yourself a professional without a high quality set-up – and that includes professional headphones.
Some feel they’re probably the least important piece of the puzzle but on the contrary, they could be the difference between a good set and a perfect set. After all if you can’t properly hear what you’re doing in a club, you can hardly be expected to perform to your best.
And in just about every sense – looks, comfort and clarity – you can’t get much better than the Pioneer HDJ-2000s. Well at least, not among the Pioneer range, as they’re at the top!
But away from the marketing, how well do they shape up in the real world? Let’s take a closer look…
Appearance and build
I think with their clean metal lines and understated black leather, they look awesome, as with most Pioneer headphones. Enough said.
Pioneer has clearly designed this model for the gigging DJ…
Build-wise, Pioneer has clearly designed this model for the gigging DJ. The HDJ-2000s can be folded up to a compact size, and have a coiled lead that’s removable for transportation via a mini XLR. To make moving them around that much easier, they also come with a pretty stylish carrying bag.
Luckily, the foldability does not mean that Pioneer has sacrificed build strength, thanks a solid metal frame that is well and truly gig-proof. However to make it super strong, the earpads don’t quite swivel all the way. It’s probably not a major issue, but for the DJ who prefers “on-shoulder” style it could be annoying.
They have the usual 1/8″ mini TRS plug that converts into a 1/4″ plug via a screw-on adaptor.
In use
It seems evident that comfort and clarity were Pioneer’s priorities when creating the HDJ-2000 headphones.
The first thing you notice when putting them on is the comfort, thanks to protein leather-covered pads and low-rebound urethane-foam (or to you and me, “memory-foam”). This actually means the longer you wear them the comfier they get!
This is a very pleasant feature, especially after a long night of DJing, to alleviate that issue where sometimes you can feel like you’ve been punched in the ears after a few hours.
The detachable cord and carry bag make for easier transportation.
The pads create a tight seal around your ears, so despite how loud the speakers are you can precisely control your mixing; this is a common but necessary feature.
And now to the sound – and oh do they perform! Crystal-clear audio is produced from the deepest bass to the highest treble, thanks to the 50mm dome driver units and high-flux magnets. The construction of the headphones means you don’t get any resonance and there is high responsiveness, especially in deep bass tones.
Unbelievably too, there is no distortion, even when the volume is at its highest – and that’s no mean feat as they’re capable of managing and sustaining a frightening 3,500 mW, so you’ll croak before they do!
Apparently they also have a 1.5mm voice coil and a 38 micrometers diaphragm. In all honesty I don’t know what effect that has, but in comparison to the models lower down the range the performance is impressive.
Conclusion
OK, let’s level: they’re pretty expensive. But in my view, you really are getting your money’s-worth.
They look great, sound amazingly clear and are compact yet robust.
What’s more, I’ve listened to worse-sounding headphones for a bigger price tag. I don’t think you could ask for more: They look great, sound amazingly clear and are compact yet robust.
Sure you can certainly DJ with headphones that don’t pack in all of these pro features, but if you want the best, then for me the Pioneer HDJ-2000 headphones are right up there.
Summary
We like:
- Great looking
- Excellent sound
- Really comfortable
We don’t like:
- Limited earpad swivel
- Expensive
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Product details:
Weight: 0.39lb (0.29 kg)
Price: US$244
Buy from: Amazon.com
What do you think?
Is it worth spending this much on headphones? Do you own these or a similar high.end pair? Or are you quite happy with a mode a third or less of the price? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Tags: hdj-2000, headphones, high-end headphones, pioneer, pro headphones
If you don’t want to spend as much money, buy the sennheiser hd 25′s!
[ link ]the Hd 25s although decent headphones dont even compare to the HDJ2000.
the HD25s are from what i remember the limited use i had of them are all plastic construction…dont have a proper swiveling, and are on the ear headphones oppose to around the ear.
These alone make the HD25s in a lower class…price wise and quality wise over the HDJ2000.
The only headphones i know that can compare to the HDJ2k are the Ultrasone Pro DJ headphones
[ link ]Some people (myself included) prefer over-ear headphones, as opposed to on-ear headphones like the Sennheisers; I’m a long-time Sony MDR-V700 user and am keen to check these out as they look quite similar fit-wise
Many of my friends love the HD-25′s but I just don’t like the way they sit on my head… can’t really explain it!
[ link ]Much love for the Sennheiser HD-25 from here too! for noisy club/bar situations I use drummer headphones for proper isolation.
[ link ]2 thumbs up for the HD25 here.
almost 6 years of dj-ing at home and on location. 1x earpads replaced and since last week one of the pads on the headband fell of.
This piece of kit has the highest ROI and lowest TCO of all dj gear I own !!
Both headphones go extremely loud without distortion. If you haven’t used one before … always turn down the HP volume completely on the mixer, some people use cheapo HP and have to crank the volume knob to the max. If you do this with an HD25 or the HDJ2000 you start your dj set with a constant beep in your ears.
Pioneer looks better though … but pure for the looks I’d go for a monster.
[ link ]Great headphones. Love them!
[ link ]It should be noted that some people have been experiencing issues with the HDJ-2000′s build quality, with headbands snapping and other parts coming loose. I don’t own a pair myself (I luvs me my HD 25s), so I can’t really say if those claims are substantiated or not, but I’ve seen several posts on forums, as well as heard friends mention it.
[ link ]I’ve had these headphones since August of last year and they’re great. I love it and it really does a great job. The only cons that I can think of for the units are price and the fact that it’s not noise cancelling (specially for that price). Other than that, great headphones. As for a backup workhorse, my inexpensive but highly reliable Sennheiser HD201 has been in my arsenal for years.
[ link ]250 is alot of wad for head phones d like to test them myself and see
[ link ]Good headphones but not so strong as they say .
[ link ]I have one pair broken in the same place as Sony V700 .
I likes what I sees.
Build strength is a major deal with me…as I went through three pairs of DJ headphones in my past:
Sony MDR-V700DJ – Lasted 6 months
Stanton DJ Pro 3000 – Lasted 2 months
Denon DJ DN-HP1000 – Lasted 3 weeks
This is why I went back to my old pair of Sony MDR-V6 headphones and come down so harshly on most of the DJ headphones out there. I’ll have a look at the Pioneer ones, but I’ll find a store where I can hold them in my hands and see if they can last years rather than weeks or months.
[ link ]Bought a pair of these last spring,to upgrade/replace my Sony MDR V700′s. The HDJ 2000′s are on point, no fatigue issues when playing long sets. Plenty of noise canceling in loud spaces. Overall the sound quality is crystal clear and precise. They are a bit pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for. No build quality issues that I have seen, in fact, I didn’t see any posts about quality when looking for a new pair. The key is to make sure you guy them from an approved seller. There are plenty of fakes floating around, which could be the reason for the possible build quality issues. Check the video below
http://youtu.be/YoJ1R28RzfE
[ link ]I’m an unfortunate member of the camp that picked up a pair of these (for very near the full retail price, i.e. within the discount competition of various retail outlets), and they ended up being fakes. Really, really good fakes; most people wouldn’t have noticed. I have a lot of gear experience, so I noticed that little things were “off” about them: very slightly skewed lettering, poor milling around the joints, the mini XLR wouldn’t come out smoothly, not true memory foam, etc. They actually sounded really good, but build quality was suspect. Look online for tutorials describing how to tell fakes from reals.
This applies to HDJ-1000s and HDJ-500s, too.
[ link ]I once got my headphones lost by a DJ friend, who bought me some replacements (MDR-700s). They too were fakes as it turned out. There’s a lot of it around.
[ link ]i did a review on this on my channel also i will mention you guys on ym next videos
for free dont worry lol http://www.youtube.com/digitalbeatsmx
[ link ]These things are damn near bulletproof! One of the best purchases I’ve ever made (topping even Traktor Scratch Pro 2!).
[ link ]If you prefer your headphones over-ear, look no further!
I have tried them, but were out of my league, too expensive, I had to choose between and a pair of Techinics RP DJ 1200 that are something like 100 euros cheaper. With the money I saved I will buy Yamaha Studio Monitors (but I gotta wait a little).I think headphones are really personal, but these Pioneer HDJ 2000 are really good! I did not know there were fakes around about headphones, I hope there are not fakes for dj controllers!
[ link ]You can get 2 Technics RP-DH1200 DJ Headphones for the price of 1 Pioneer. I don’t see the price justification. I chose to have a second RP-DH1200 as a backup instead of buying a Pioneer for twice the price.
Don’t really see the justification. When researching , various users in several forums indicated issues with the HDJ-2000s breaking.
[ link ]I have a pair of these Pio’s and they’re damn nice…except they do NOT feel durable to me. I swear mine are made out of plastic in the important areas…I don’t feel any metal in them. Yes, I purchased them from a legit/authorized Pioneer dealer. I treat them VERY gently and put them in a safe/secure place in my gig-bag for transport.
Otherwise the sound quality on them is killer, the design is stylish and trendy (typical Pioneer), good frequency response in all ranges, comfy to wear, damn nice set of headphones. I’m very careful with them to ensure they live long and prosper for me.
One thing to consider for other Americans who are eyeing these ears: the AVERAGE price on these headphones in the US is around $360-$380. I got my dealer to price-match them with B&H Photo/Video and Sears for $236, as ALL (and I mean ALL) the other dealers of these HDJ’s were selling them for almost $400! Just something to keep in mind.
Excellent review and very accurate, Phil. These are killer ears and worth every penny in my opinion.
[ link ]Pioneer headphones sounds great (got 3 pairs), but a bottle of rapid grue are a must if you use Pioneer. My HDJ-1000 has been glued together six times………..
[ link ]I’ve had these for a little over a year now. The build is fantastic (of course, it’s metal); there are probably no other cans that will take as much punishment as these. The sound quality is very good, but not the best out there. I’ve used Bose in ears (for personal use) and when I bought the 2000s I didn’t notice any difference really in the sound quality (even though both were great). So, with that it could have been a bit better, unless I am demanding too much. The only real problem I’ve had with these is that the first cord didn’t last but three months. I used to leave the cord connected both into my S4 and 2000s and the wiring eventually shorted out (I believe this was because it was hanging for lengths of time). After getting a new cord, it’s worked great and I’ve become accustomed to wrapping the cord after every use.
Overall: great headphones, almost worth the price, they’ll last you forever.
[ link ]I think this article is missing some comparison to other popular dj headphones. What else is the the reviewer comparing these too?
[ link ]My lovely wife bought me these for Xmas as my trusty Allen and Heath headphones were giving up the ghost after FOUR years of solid usage (If you don’t want to spring for the Pioneers, I’d say the Allen and Heath are the best of the numerous £130 range headphones.)
Put simply, they’ve made my life easier. They’re light to wear which if you’re pulling a four hour set as I do most weeks, makes a difference. The sound quality is outstanding – the clarity they provide means I don’t have to have the headphone level turned up as loudly to hear them properly, which in turn, means I can decrease my monitor volume too in the booth, so they minimise the negative effect on my hearing. They provide excellent reproduction and clarity across all frequencies with good separations between the top, middle and bottom ends.
I didn’t notice that much difference in headphone swivel and they stay in place nicely. I’ve also had a couple of occasions when the booth monitor either wasn’t working or was horrendous to use, and I’ve had to mix the gig in my headphones and it was so easy to do wearing these.
Build-wise they seem pretty tough but it is early days yet in fairness so I can’t comment on how long they will last – however after twice getting a pair of Sonys in the past for both pairs to break at the swivel point in under three months, I can’t see them performing any worse than those cans. . They are very easy to fold and store.
Yes, they are more expensive than most DJ headphones, but I would say the extra outlet is repaid by the quality of the product. Probably the best headphones I’ve ever owned in 20 years of Dj-ing.
[ link ]when reviewing headphones isolation is a factor that should be kept in mind.
[ link ]HD 25 has the best in class isolation ! i haven’t tried the tma 1s but hd 25 does a stellar job in keeping noise out !
Although headphones are normally a matter of personal choice but i think general consensus is hd 25 superior than hdj 2000, hdjs just don’t worth the extra price apart from looks !