The Pioneer HDJ-1500 delivers all the necessary bells and whistles in a premium looking chassis, but are these the right headphones for all of your DJ needs?
Pioneer HDJ-1500 Review
Similar to the rest of the Pioneer pack, the HDJ-1500 features an oval-shaped headband, rather than a standard semi-circle. The flexible headband is attached to the earcups with a durable hangar made of a magnesium alloy. This hangar allows the earcups to swivel left-to-right at 90 degrees and up-and-down in a full 180 degree rotation. The ear cushions are made of a polyurethane leather finish and they feel like they’re stuffed with memory foam which makes for supreme passive noise isolation and comfort, especially since they take form to your ears. The earpads are designed to rest on top of your ears, but are large enough they still fit over-the-ear as well. Comfort is definitely a necessity for the hardworking DJ, the top of the headband also features a pad – made and stuffed with the same materials as the super comfy ear cushions. The overall build is sturdy and snug, not too tight, but you know it’s on your head.
The exterior of the headphone is simple, but still polished – though not as sexy as the HDJ-700. the 1500s feature hard grade silicone -like ear cups with a shiny chrome plating covering the 50mm drivers.
The Pioneer HDJ-1500 come with a just as sharp looking carry case made of a plush leather fabric on the outside and a soft fleece-like fabric on the inside. One detachable cable with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack is included.
As a professional mixer and masher of different tunes, DJs require headphones that will allow them to hear music the same way it’ll come through the club speakers, and that being said, the Pioneers will do that for them. Like the rest of the Pioneer family, the HDJ-1500 is a reference headphone – meaning clear and accurate sound without added bass or the like. They’ll hear the music the way it was recorded.
With a frequency response range of 5 to 30,000 Hertz, which is impressive in the lower registers – especially for a headphone in this price range. The Pioneer HDJ-1500 surpasses its competitors – like the warmer Audio Technica M50x, which only has the ability to stoop as low as 15 Hertz and as high as 28,000. In the 1500s the bass response is natural and accurate, as is the rest of the mids and highs. Treble claps, snare kicks, and the like are precise without being too blunt. The mids are shimmery and high-pitched female vocals are lush and clear. Instrumentals are precise while synths are salient without becoming too fuzzy. Hearing the minute details in the background sound almost just as detailed and clear as the elements in the forefront, like vocals and mids is another beautiful feature. Oh, and one more thing, these cans get super loud. Comprised of a durable frame, pretty great sound isolation, powerful volume, and overall clear and accurate audio across the entire spectrum, I can say these cans were built with all the fixins for an out-and-about DJ – and def worth the price tag of $159.
On that note, who else is ready to jump on the 1’s and 2’s?
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