AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 Review – Wireless Headphones for DJs and Audiophiles?

In the last four or so years, AlphaTheta has become a reliable producer of DJ equipment. Their DJ gear and headphones are industry standard items and the company’s newest headphone, the HDJ-F10 looks to expand the company’s assumed use case. Instead, these new Bluetooth headphones look to offer three things simultaneously: 1) a great DJ headphone, 2) a Bluetooth headphone that, along with the SonicLink transmitter for DJ mixers, can do ultra-low latency monitoring, and 3) a headphone that can be used as your main driver for daily listening as well. It’s an ambitious release from the brand formerly known as Pioneer DJ, whose HDJ-X10 headphones were a popular contender in its own time. At $389, is the AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 right for you? We’ll get into that in this review. 

What’s in the Box:

• 1.6 m straight cable 
• 6.3 mm stereo standard plug adapter
• USB-C charging cable 
• Pair of spare ear pads
• Carrying pouch
• Quick Start Guide 

Build:

The AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 immediately feels substantial when removed from the box. Weighing in at 356 grams, the HDJ-F10 is heavy but not overwhelmingly so. This weight is reasonable given its strong design, using hard plastic and metal, as well as textured fabrics and leather for the headband and earpads. Notably, AlphaTheta has put these headphones through rigorous testing – including the U.S. Military Standard MIL-STD-810H Shock Test – to ensure that these headphones can withstand all types of use cases. 

Overall, I didn’t find the headphone to feel particularly heavy, but clamping force is quite tight. This allows for strong isolation for DJ’s as well as a secure fit for live sets. The ear pads are very soft and comfortable, which helps alleviate this tight fit. That said, it’s worth trying first if you have a head on the larger side. Otherwise, it’s a solid-feeling and robust headphone that you’ll never worry about taking on the go. 

Design:

The AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 may appear to be an update of the HDJ-X10 headphones, but it’s actually quite different in more ways than one. First, it uses a 40mm dynamic driver to power its sound. This driver incorporates a PEEK-PU-PEEK composite film diaphragm to help capture every detail, even in the lowest and highest of frequencies. There’s also a bass-reflex duct and air chamber which aims to increase sound isolation and improve the presentation of bass frequencies. AlphaTheta applies all of this tech in the service of making a headphone great for use with DJ gear and regular playback alike who want to feel the pulse of bass on a clear and visceral level.

Bluetooth:

Another way the HDJ-F10 expands on the HDJ-X10 headphones is in its wireless capabilities. There are two ways to use this headphone wirelessly. The first is through standard Bluetooth. Using Bluetooth 5.2, the AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 is only compatible with AAC and SBC. That means higher resolution codecs like aptX or LDAC are not included in the package. The other way is to use it with a SonicLink transmitter, the HP-TX01 (which is capable of SonicLink). This transmitter eschews those codecs, offering its own direct connection, and allows for ultra-low latency monitoring and is fully intended to be used with DJ Gear. Simply plug your deck or device with a 3.5mm jack output into the transmitter, and it will directly connect to the headphones with a clear and strong connection.

Battery:

Given the multiple wireless transmission types, there are also different lengths for the battery life as well. When used in standard Bluetooth mode, and with noise cancellation activated, you can get up to 30 hours of playback from the headphones. With noise cancellation deactivated, you can add even more listening time. When used with a SonicLink transmitter or the HP-TX01 specifically, you only get up to 9 hours of playback. One caveat is that these headphones work through wired connection as well, but users of SonicLink will want to keep that reduced battery life in mind. 

Sound Impressions:

Low End:

Considering the AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 is geared towards DJ’s, it should come as no surprise that bass is the guiding light of the frequency response. Low tones are tight and punchy with a good sense of control. Even though the bass is elevated, there isn’t much bleed into higher frequencies. Likewise, I didn’t find much in the way of midbass bloat, with the headphone instead focusing on lower frequencies. This will help DJ’s stay on beat during performances and mixes and keep listeners engaged when listening to the headphone. To be clear, this is a bass-lover’s headphone and I think it does that approach just right. 

Midrange:

The midrange is present and musical, though it isn’t as detailed or lively as the bass. On electronic tracks, mids have a nice sense of control and precision that makes synths and other instruments come to life. However on vocal and acoustic tracks, the midrange is a little bit less coherent, resulting in a less textured sound than the low and high ends. There is enough presence and musicality to keep the midrange enjoyable, but with acoustic and midrange-forward tracks, I found a little to be desired.  

Top End:

Given the strong bass and mixed mids, AlphaTheta takes an interesting approach to balancing out the top end. I said the HDJ-F10 is a bass-lover’s headphone and to an extent it’s also a v-shaped headphone. The top end isn’t anymore forward than the mids, but it makes up for it in a smooth and detailed presentation. Things are much clearer up top than they are in the midrange. That helps solidify this as a fun and musical headphone for enjoyers of electronic or hip-hop music, and definitely DJ’s who need to keep an ear out for their track’s dynamic qualities. 

Soundstage:

The HDJ-F10 has an intimate but engaging soundstage. With the tight fit and isolating earpads, you get a sense of the constraints of the soundstage, but because of accurate imaging and sound placement, you can still get a sense of the left-right soundfield. I also noticed that music still has a sense of space even without the sheer width of other soundstages. For a closed-back, noise cancelling, wireless headphone, the soundstage is ultimately pretty good and will have enough nooks and crannies to keep listeners engaged. 

Final Thoughts:

In my opinion, this new wireless headphone from AlphaTheta is not the most ideal for those who want a more balanced “audiophile” approach or the highest quality Bluetooth codecs. For that, there are several other options in this price range that might better fit the bill. 

That said, the HDJ-F10 is a great option for a few types of users. The first is a bass-head who wants a dynamic, clear, and punchy low end without bloat or bleed. The second would be an electronic music listener. This headphone handled house and dance tracks very well, and I found myself liking those genres the best. Finally, those looking for a piece of DJ that packs in great noise cancelling, stays planted on your head, and can connect wirelessly to your DJ gear through SonicLink will find these to be excellent for current and future use. In that case, it would even be an upgrade over the popular HDJ-X10 headphones. It all comes down to what you need your headphones to do. So keep that in mind when deciding if this is the right headset for you.

The AlphaTheta HDJ-F10 is available at Audio46.