Pioneer HDJ-S7 Review

The DJ is the life of the party, and Pioneer wants to pay their dues. The Pioneer HDJ-S7’s boast simplicity, mobility, but more than anything, warmth. These headphones which house a high-definition 40-mm driver, have the ability to be that pair that you keep on for hours at a time and thanks to their surprising comfort, the party won’t ever have to end. 

First Look

It is clean and simple, all-white finish. It comes with a wound 2.5-to-3.5 mm cable, a straight 2.5-to-3.5 mm cable, a screw-on ¼ inch adapter, and a sleek Pioneer DJ carrying case. Based on these alone, the Pioneer HDJ-S7’s are ideal for someone constantly on the move. But more than that, how do they sound?

First Listen

To fully realize these 40-ohm headphones, I grabbed the IFI Hip-DAC. 

The first thing that struck me was the soundstage. Pioneer did a great job of keeping it wide, however, the instruments don’t retain their spatial positioning too accurately, though that is to be expected with on-ear headphones. Where there was loss in spatial positioning, they made up for it with clarity. Despite the lack of real space, the instrumentation was crystal clear without jumbling or clashing. 

Lows

The lows swelled nicely and were intense when they needed to be. They lacked punch, yet they held the mixes together nicely. 

Mids 

A nice and defined thickness that really pushed the vocals out into the mix, without taking away their sparkle. Instruments were clear without distracting from the focal point of the song. 

Highs

Crisp and shimmery, cutting through the mix with ease, and never in a way that is bothersome or distracting. 

In Conclusion

The Pioneer HDJ-S7’s were awesome, and having grown up on Pioneer’s DJ equipment I am somewhat proud. Without sacrificing the customer’s wallet, they made a nice pair of headphones that sound heavenly. That being said, I have my reservations about the low-end, and its lack of punch – I could hear it fighting to be let loose, to no avail. Even so, the low-end held the songs together in a way that listening was very enjoyable.

As far as application, I’d say this is a DJ’s dream – good space for mixing multiple tracks at once, portable and light, not to mention the carrying case for your travels. As far as listening goes, I would recommend them as well. Though it lacked a true sense of space, its frequency response was very accurate, and not a single time did the song sound cluttered and become unenjoyable or unfamiliar. 

 I RECOMMEND IF… 

You are a DJ, you are new to listening, or you are trying to save money on a solid and durable pair of headphones. 

Consider the HDJ-S7 approved. And if you can swing it, throwing in the iFi hip-dac will provide you oodles of warmth. Click on the link to check out the review.

The Pioneer HDJ-S7 is available from audio46

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