Answer this question: What are the best DJ headphones? I expect that there will be a lot of names coming back, but I guarantee that there would be one name that dominates — Sennheiser HD25. And while Pioneer does have an enviable track record with their headphone range, the on-ear HD25 offerings just keep sitting pretty at the top of the headphone food chain. So the new HDJ-C70 DJ headphones appear to be very much in the “if you can’t beat ’em join ’em” vein.

The usual comprehensive words from Pioneer:

Crystal clear: the on-ear HDJ-C70 headphones for pro-DJs deliver pristine sound in every monitoring position

4^th September 2014: Pioneer’s range of professional DJ monitoring headphones boasts a new addition with the launch of the on-ear HDJ-C70s. The HDJ-C70s are packed with high-quality audio components to deliver a superb, true sound across the frequencies, even at high volumes.

The lightweight headphones are built for comfort in the booth, and feature a flexible headband and rotatable housings to support every style of monitoring. An innovative sound-isolation chamber, inherited from the HDJ-1500s, eliminates background noise to enable accurate monitoring in even the liveliest of clubs.

The HDJ-C70 monitoring headphones are available from October 2014 at £159 including VAT.

Find out more http://www.pioneer.eu/uk/newsroom/news/HDJ-C70/page.html

Or watch our promo video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k_FNwwuoP4&feature=youtu.be

KEY FEATURES OF THE HDJ-C70s

1. Superb sound design features newly-developed 40mm aperture driver units
   The HDJ-C70s are fine-tuned for pro-DJ monitoring. Newly-developed 40mm aperture driver units and neodymium magnets deliver outstanding resolution, accurately reproducing deep bass notes and clear low to medium frequencies. Copper-clad aluminium wire voice coils and a 2,000 mW input capacity eliminate distortion, even with the volume cranked up.

2. Exclusive[1] soundproofing component delivers excellent sound isolation
   An innovative sound-isolation chamber on the bass reflex port eliminates background noise from inside and outside the booth.Plus, the ear pads use soft leather-type materials for a snug fit to enhance sound insulation.

3. Designed for ultimate comfort and to support various monitoring styles
   The HDJ-C70s feature a lightweight, flexible polyamide resin headband and snug-fitting, urethane ear pads to ensure comfort even during prolonged use. Both ear cups can be rotated by 90-degrees in either direction and have rubber grips around the outside – so one-ear monitoring is comfortable and easy whether the headphones are on DJ’s head or round their shoulders.

4. Replaceable parts and a carry case for excellent durability and portability
   All the components of the HDJ-C70s are built with the rigours of frequent use in mind. The headphones come with two detachable, anti-tangle cords (one straight and one curled) and a handy carry pouch. Plus the headband, housing, head cushion and insert-style ear pads can be replaced to extend the headphones’ lifespan when necessary. 

MAIN SPECIFICATIONS

Form	Fully enclosed dynamic stereo headphones
Frequency range	7 ～ 32,000 Hz
Impedance	40 Ω
Output sound pressure level	100 dB
Maximum output sound pressure level	120 dB
Maximum input	2,000 mW
Unit aperture	φ 40 mm dynamic type (tentative)
Connection cord	1.6 m stereo cable, 1.0 m curled cable (3.0 m when extended)
Plug	φ 3.5 mm stereo mini plug (tentative)
Weight	195 g (not including cord)
Accessories	φ 6.3 mm stereo adapter plug (screw-type), carry case, screwdriver for cord replacement

The HDJ-C70 — not the HD25 but…

This is most definitely a case of Pioneer DJ’s top headphone boffins sat around a table, and doing a complete teardown of the iconic Sennheisers and saying “we can do better than that”. And glossy pictures aside, these are a solid attempt at emulating and bettering the HD25. Everything appears to be user-serviceable — from the cords to the cups, a good deal of thought was gone into making these as good as the original, but with a Pioneer DJ logo on it, something that always helps.

Pioneer DJ aren’t alone in this crowded HD25 homage club, and I can see the TMA DNA in the HDJ-c7os too. But on face value, these new cans from Pioneer DJ look really good, and when factoring the price, they’re going to do very well from this. Should I start writing my HDJ-C70 white edition story now?

Summing up, the Pioneer DJ HDJ-C70 headphones will cost $239/£159 and be available in October. I would expect to see every single workstation at BPM equipped with these. And I’d also expect to see a few pairs go missing too.

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