Pioneer's HDJ-X10, HDJ-X7 and HDJ-X5 are the three new models in the company's HDJ-X DJ headphone line. I received a pair of the top-the-line HDJ-X10 headphones that are designed for professional DJs to use at clubs and festivals. They are finished in either a black or silver metallic design that shines under club and stage lighting.
They come in a compact, zippered canvas carrying case with two detachable cables made using 4-core twisted-structure wire, said to improve stereo channel separation. Both the 1.2-m coiled and 1.6-m straight cables have custom mini-XLR connectors that lock securely in place in the left ear cup.
The HDJ-X10s have a frequency response of 5Hz to 40kHz from their 32-ohm, 50-mm drivers. With 106dB sensitivity and max 3.5watts input power handling, I found them to have excellent and "tight" sounding bass due to their bass reflex chamber design.
A big issue for live DJs as well as in the recording studio, is how well headphones fit and seal on your noggin! I can report that my pair of HDJ-X10s not only seal out external sounds well, but also are very comfortable to wear during long studio sessions. I thought they sealed better on my head compared to the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones and I liked that the circumaural cups are not too big. They are stylish and just the right diameter to cover my ears.
The HDJ-X10s were a little louder and more flattering of the sound than most other headphones in my collection. They are more open in the "top and bottom"--just a nicer, overall listening experience. The HDJ-X10's ear cups swivel almost all the way around for one-ear listening and the spring-loaded auto-return swivel action is a nice feature.
With a two-year warranty and replacement parts available, the HDJ-X10 sells for $349 MSRP, the HDJ-X7 is $199, and the HDJ-X5 is $99.
pioneerdj.com/en-us/product/headphones/hdj-x10/
Barry Rudolph is a recording engineer/mixer who has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs and more. Barry has his own futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. barryrudolph.com
