DJ Headphone Mashup: Pioneer HDJ-700 vs. HDJ-1500

DJ headphones are getting more sophisticated these days and Pioneer is one of the leaders in the DJ headphone market. Two of their most popular models for under $200 are the HDJ-700 and the HDJ-1500. But what are the differences in sound and style? Let’s take a look.

Pioneer HDJ-700

The Pioneer HDJ-700 on-ear DJ headphones have a solid body style with stainless steel headband. Out of the box you can feel that these are designed to work hard and withstand daily use in any dark-lit club or venue. The polyurethane earcups and headband feel soft and comfortable and the overall fit is snug. The special DJ feature on the HDJ-700 is the 60 degree swiveling right earcup. This of course allows you to audition your tracks yet keeps the overall integrity of the headphone design intact. It’s actually quite a cool feature though not one I’m used to on a DJ headphone. The Pioneer HDJ-700 comes with 2 different locking, removable cables (1 coiled and 1 straight).

The sound from the Pioneer HDJ-700 is quite remarkable. The high end is crisp and clear. Perfect for hearing your cues in a high decibel environment. The low frequencies definitely have a kick but aren’t too boomy. And the 40mm drivers can really push the SPL for those intense tracks.

HDJ-700 SPECIFICATIONS

Type – Fully-enclosed, dynamic headphones
Driver Units – 40 mm dome type
Plug – 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack (gold-plated, 2-way, screw-type)
Cord – 1.2 m side mount coil cord (3 m extended length) 1 m straight cord
Included Accessories – 6.3 mm 3P plug adapter (gold-plated, screw-in)
Weight (without cord) – 220 g
Maximum Input Power – 2000 mW
Output Sound Level – 105 dB
Frequency Range – 5 – 28,000 Hz
Impedance – 45 Ω

Pioneer HDJ-1500

The Pioneer HDJ-1500 on-ear headphones are lightweight and a bit more comfortable. The padding on the earpads and headband are a comparable urethane with memory foam combination. The design of this DJ headphone is looser making it very flexible for quick track monitoring. For the HDJ-1500, the earcups flip over 180 degrees on either side. It’s a more familiar style of DJ headphone in that sense.

The sound of the Pioneer HDJ-1500 is also similar to the HDJ-700 with a subtle difference. The HDJ-1500 has a larger 50mm driver which gives you a bit more bass than the 700. The volume capacity is basically the same although I felt like the 700 was more intense. The HDJ-1500 has an impedance of 32 Ohms.

HDJ-1500 SPECIFICATIONS
Type – Fully-enclosed, dynamic headphones
Driver Units – 50 mm dome type
Plug – 3.5 mm stereo mini-jack (gold-plated, 2-way, screw-type)
Cord – 1.2 m side mount coil cord (3 m extended length)
Included Accessories – 6.3 mm standard stereo adapter (gold-plated, screw type) Carrying pouch
Weight (without cord) – 285 g
Maximum Input Power – 3500 mW
Output Sound Level – 108 dB
Frequency Range – 5 – 30,000 Hz
Impedance – 32 Ω

COMPARISON

Both the Pioneer HDJ-700 and HDJ-1500 on-ear headphones are comparable DJ headphones and the differences mainly come down to personal preference. The HDJ-700 feel a bit more solid, have a snug yet comfortable fit and have the side-to-side swivel earcup design that may be preferable. The HDJ-1500 on the other hand has a loose but comfortable fit, a little more bass and a 180 degree flipping earcup design (both sides). When it comes down to choosing my favorite of these two Pioneer DJ headphones, I prefer the HDJ-700 a little bit more because of the solid feel and the interesting swivel earcup but the choice is yours depending on your needs and wants.