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Pioneer HDJ2000 headphones review

The moment you open up the box of a pair of HDJ-2000 Pioneer headphones feels almost magical, and it better would, as the first thing you can say about these headphones is that they're definitely not cheap. Pioneer really put the price mark far above most other DJ headphone offerings on the market, around 300€'s including VAT in Europe, or 350$ in the US. This is over twice the price of a very decent pair of Technics headphones (like the rock solid DJ1200A I’ve owned for a while now). The question is, do these headphones really deliver your money's worth, or does Pioneer believe their reputation and brand name will be enough to sell you a product on par with the competition at a much greater price? Let me put things this way: I put my bank account in the red buying these headphones, but after having tried them out at home have never regretted that move. These headphones are by far the best ones I’ve ever tried, and while I still use my Technics for listening to music on the road, I would have a hard time returning to mix with them, certainly for long sets.

The box introduces the product very well, sporting a very solid and luxurious feel. The first thing you will notice when unpacking these headphones is how beautiful and well built they really are. A big problem that Pioneer's previous model of headphones (the HDJ-1000) had is that they were known to break fairly easily because of the plastic joints used. With the 2000's this problem is no more. The construction feels very sturdy but light, and the plastic that was used in the 1000's has been almost entirely replaced with magnesium alloy and aluminum, giving them a very solid feel while remaining very light. The use of these more expensive materials certainly justifies in part the high price tag of these babies. Design-wise the product in general and certainly the aluminum caps on the side are really gorgeous, and perfectly match other Pioneer Pro DJ hardware like the CDJ-1000. The look of headphones might not be their most important feature, but for the style-conscious of you, this is definitely a plus. Shape-wise they look a bit unconventional, slightly wider than regular headphones, but this special construction actually greatly increase comfort by lowering pressure on the side of your head, making it easy to wear these for hours in a row without discomfort. The problem I always have with my Technics is that they'll start hurting my ears after about 30 minutes of use. This is because the pads are pressing down against your ear, which means you will have to start adjusting them regularly in order to find a position that's a bit less painful every now and then. The HDJ-2000's don't suffer from this problem as the pads are built to be larger than your ears and completely enclose them. They're also built from a material called memory-foam, which will adjust to the shape of your head, and provide great isolation without pressing down on your ears. These features are for me the most important things about these headphones, and probably make it worth the cost on their own, certainly for DJ's who are used to playing sets of several hours in a row.

If you're still left doubting whether these headphones are worth their asking price, all you should really do it is press play. These cans only really start to shine once you turn up the volume, and turn it up loud! The sound is crisp, in a completely different category than most of the 'phones I’ve had the chance of trying. Basses are loud and don't distort, even at very high volumes (which means your ears don't start to bleed even when you're playing in a very loud place), mid-s are snappy and clear, and highs are crisp, certainly one of the best sounds I’ve heard for a while. They have been optimized for DJ use too, so the frequencies that are important for beat matching (hi-hats and kicks) are the ones that come out best. In addition, the caps isolate quite well from external sound. They're not the best sound isolation I’ve ever heard, probably because of the soft and cushiony materials used, but still a lot better than most DJing headphones on the market.

A few of the other notable plus points are the MONO/STEREO switch and the mini XLR cable. The MONO/STEREO switch allows you to switch between, you guessed it, mono and stereo on the fly. Switching to mono makes it easier to beat match in certain situations, so this switch can really come in handy. Just like the AKG Studio Headphones, the new Pioneer HDJ-2000's come with a chord that uses a mini XLR connection to the headphones. What this means is that you can replace the chord if it or the connector would ever become damaged. And this is one of the only gripes I have with these headphones, the cable and accessories. Don't get me wrong, the headphones themselves are great, and I don't regret buying them for a second, not even at that price. But for 300€'s, Pioneer could at least have included a good carrying bag and some quality cable. The pouch that comes with it does not seem to offer much protection, and if you invest in these I would definitely invest in a good UDG headphone bag to go with them. The cable that is included doesn't feel as solid as it should be either and doesn't really match the quality of the headphones. Luckily because of the mini XLR, if anything ever happens to it I'll be able to get it replaced.

To sum things up, while these headphones are definitely not cheap and might not be within reach of everybody, the great built, extreme comfort and amazing sound quality mean you will get you're money's worth. You can mix with these headphones for hours and hours in a row without discomfort or pain and can turn them as loud as you want without distortion. The only things I would have appreciated would have been better in-the-box accessories like a better carrying bag and chord, but besides these details: great job Pioneer.

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