Pioneer HDJ-1500 Headphones

I am officially in love, thats it. Its the only love I will ever have. Sorry if I start to gush but my headphone troubles are over. Meet the Pioneer HDJ-1500, the newest member of their professional DJ line of cans. I still can't get over how great they sound, but are they for you? Lets find out.

DESIGN:
There are so many clichés about looks. How they can be deceiving, or don't judge a book by its cover, or how the first impression is all you need. We have seen some great looking headphones that sound awful and vice versa. In this case, plainly stated, these are the BEST looking headphones I have ever seen, touched or dreamt of.



The color combo of silver and black gives these a strong industrial look that screams sturdiness and quality. Strong lines and shapes really set these off, not over the top or loud, but appropriate. My favorite part is actually something most people, especially those that see you wearing them, will never see. Along the top of the well-padded and soft headband is the Pioneer logo in raised red letters. Its simple, but really a spare no expense type of move on the design side.


Going for passive noise-canceling Pioneer added nice large and plush ear pads that both block sound like a charm but also remain comfortable for hours. As you know from past reviews, comfort is where a lot of headphones lose their luster with me. Not here and that is why I loved them so much. The earpieces and headband on the HDJ-1500 are both made of urethane padding which actually has memory foam inside and provides plenty of comfort during short and long performances.


If I had ONE complaint, and its not really a complaint because it services the DJ community, something I am not, it is that the 3.5mm cable doesn't have an in-line control feature. I know that is not important to DJs and they went with the long and coiled reinforced wire that locks into the headset like the big rival Beats Pros do. 
I would have really liked to see an added "consumer" cable that both had the coiled cable for more freedom but also had the in-line track and volume controls... I man can dream.


Also appealing to DJs, the HDJ-1500 features a moving headband and hinges that allows the earpieces to swivels up to 45 degrees and can be flipped around 180 degrees for one ear listening. And they are fairly light for this size of headphone.


HOW DO THEY SOUND?:
Ok, design is well and good, but if they don't deliver on your ears then why bother? And again in simple terms, they deliver. The combination of large 50mm drivers, copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils and 38μm-thick diaphragms will handle ANY sound you throw at it. They have a frequency range of 5 Hz to 30,000 Hz, stellar compared to the Beats Pros that hit 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. 



Everything is crisp. Vocals really excel in that range and the bass, oh my the bass. It hits and is out with such force and precision, like nothing I have ever experienced before. Bass heavy, spoken word, acoustic, anything and everything sounded great. It is as simple as that. And for the price of just around $200 depending on where you look, you WILL NOT do much better than these.



There is one more level to the HDJ line with the 2000s, but I think these are an incredible value and will challenge any DJ headphone, or any set for that matter. Oh and you get a carrying pouch. Would have loved to see there be a stronger protective case thrown in, but for about $50 bucks you can get one from Pioneer.


PROS:
+ Incredible high and low control and crispness
+ Sturdy design and great look
+ Great bang and boom for your buck


CONS:
- No in-line consumer type track and volume controls


GRADE:
A+