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-- Here's my REAL opinion of the so-called "DJ" headphones!
Here's my REAL opinion of the so-called "DJ" headphones!
I've heard a pair of Sony MDR-V700DJ's, and though the bass is boomy and rather sloppy I didn't think the sound is quite as crappy as "ranters" like Gluegun had made them out to be. 
(And that comes from a person who loves his AKG K240DF's and Grado SR-60's and Sony MDR-V6's and MDR-E888LP's and sometimes his Sennheiser 590's. 
) I also tried the V700's little brother, the MDR-V500DJ - which I was less satisfied with; the bass doesn't go deep at all, and the highs are screechy and lack detail both at once.
I haven't heard any other brands of so-called "DJ" headphones, but if they sound similar to the Sony MDR-V700DJ's, then I can't recommend any of them for serious music listening. In fact, I can only recommend them as music-listening cans for people like the "dumb-bass'n'treble" type of listener that I used to be before I bought a pair of Sony MDR-V6's 11 years ago. 
So leave ALL of those so-called "DJ" headphones to working DJs; otherwise, those "DJ" cans will sound mediocre at best - and often like CRAP. 
If you agree or disagree with my opinion of those so-called "DJ" headphones, please share your opinion by responding to this thread. (And don't go saying that the Beyerdynamic DT250's or the Sony V6's/7506's are DJ cans; they are meant for recording or mastering, not spinning - and they don't claim to be "DJ" headphones.)
ShadySlim 
what do you think of the Technics RP-DJ 1200 as a DJ headphone?
Is it better or worse than the Sony's/Pioneers?
yo dono bout u but i have a pair of mdr v700 and i'm pretty satisfied...
dosent soud THAT bad...
i havent tried somthing else (at that level) so i cant say if somthing is better or worse...
He's saying he disagrees, strongly, with the "DJ Sound" you all seem to like. Most DJ headphones have this type of sound, this boomy midbass and no deep extension and no detail in a lot of other parts of the sound, etc. etc. However, not all of them have this type of sound. Some IXOS cans, for example, are made for DJs and supposedly sound different than anything. For the "DJ" camp of DJ headphones, listen to stuff from Technics, IXOS, Pioneer, Sony (which you have all already heard) and Stanton. For the "Audiophile" or "Recording Enineer" camp of DJ headphones, listen to stuff by Beyerdynamic (DT250-80), Sony (MDRV6 and 7506), and Sennheiser (HD25). Also, some of the professional stuff by AKG and Beyerdynamic could be used in DJ applications too. HOWEVER, if you look closely, at the Sony MDR-V6, for example, it has *all* of the features that you DJ's need, just like many headphones that are actively marketed at you all--except for the fact that it sounds better, and is more versatile and cheaper. And, if you look even harder, at, say, the Sennheiser HD25, that audiophile headphone is actually marketed at you all as well--and I know from past posts that many of you do think it is the best thing since sliced bread.
I'd actually say that the (Sony) V700DJ's (the one I had listened to recently, as opposed to most samples of that model) have "overtight" bass; that is, there is a sharp response peak in a small portion of the mid-bass while the rest of the bass range is flat or even a bit recessed. Most so-called "DJ" headphones are like that. Even so, they're hardly accurate in the bass.
As for "boomy" bass, that's EXACTLY what I'd describe my Koss UR-30's! The ENTIRE bass/lower-mid range is over-boosted, with reeeeeeally recessed upper mids! Blech.
So both bass-boost extremes are not so good, after all. 
Also, there are two other examples of bad sound, as well:
One is the muddy, lifeless sound with very little bass or treble, as typified by the Sony MDR-V600's and many very cheap closed headphones. The other example of bad sound is the overly bright, screechy sound typical of most of the Sony Street Style's and some of the headphones packaged with portable audio crap.
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| Originally posted by Dj-2TaLL yo dono bout u but i have a pair of mdr v700 and i'm pretty satisfied... dosent soud THAT bad... i havent tried somthing else (at that level) so i cant say if somthing is better or worse... |
Haven't you realized? people here have stopped caring. They don't care about theory. If someone here asks, what headphones should I get, you answer that question and why to them, but no one's hearing our preaching man. So why bother? If you're just doing this to rant and blow off steam, fine, but even *I* have stopped reading what you said.
I CARE! And If I can find the 7506 or V6 not v600 then ill buy em!
Youve convinced me!
yo...
got a bit carried away...
sorry to mislead you but i have v500s...
that dosn't change my satisfaction though...
By the way, guess what? I went to Best Buy today, and you know what? Next to the Sony MDR-V600'and the Sony MDR-V700DJ's, guess what I found. A whoooooole lot of Koss UR-20's. The UR-20's cost $35, the V600's $100, and the V700's $140. Now, if only we can get Joe Schmoe to realize that the UR-20's sound about the same as the other two...
Dj-2TaLL, I said I didn't care much for the Sony MDR-V500DJ's. Sure, they have some bass - but that bass doesn't go deep at all. That particular model has almost no response below 60Hz. And they're not as sensitive as Sony's 104dB/mW rating would indicate. In fact, I had to turn up the volume of my audio equipment to just about as high of a setting as I would most el-cheapo Walkman headphones in order to hear much sound. And even the Sony MDR-V700DJ's barely reached 20Hz, which the Sony MDR-V6's reproduced with ease.
Gluegun, all of the posts in this thread that I had created are based on what I *actually* heard from those Sony DJ cans. (Well, I almost contradicted myself by saying "boomy" in one post regarding the V700DJ's and "overtight" in another.) My second post in this thread clears things up. And when I said the V700DJ's have "overtight" bass, I REALLY mean that the V700DJ's have a very sharp response peak centered around 80Hz - and that peak is almost high enough to f**k up the frequencies near that resonant frequency. IMHO, "overtight" bass is almost as detrimental to accuracy as "boomy" bass.
Ok, let me just ask this question because I'm a little confused here.
Isn't the point of DJ cans to be used by DJs? And aren't DJs using them for beatmatching, and not plain listening? So who gives a damn if they sound good or not for listening? The point is that they don't really NEED to sound good - all you really need to be able to hear is the beat so that you can get a good match going.
Can someone please explain?
Uh, there are certain criteria for *hearing* the beats... Boomy bass alone can't cut the mustard. In fact, very boomy bass actually works against the DJ, causing him to misjudge the timings of his beat-matching! You DJ's actually want tight, controlled bass AND a slight emphasis in the upper mids. The Sony MDR-V700DJ's actually deliver bass that is - if anything - too tight and with too much control, to the point where the headphones start losing it! (That kind of performance is like driving a Cadillac De Ville with a race-car suspension and stock tires -- that combo just doesn't work very well together; you'll get a ride that's waaaaaay too stiff, and handling that's only slightly better than an identical De Ville with the standard suspension.) And that's what I actually heard from them.
so after all these threads...what is the best headphones for beatmatching? I could care less about listenin...i just want a good pair for Djing in the club...what the best? i want v700s but im getting the impression not to!
Phanta, I'll just resay what I typed earlier, with one edit, which I will mark.
Phanta, you're in luck. The ones I have been preaching about for a month do all of that and more. And, since you are going to be pluging them into a high-end mixer, you are going to need something a little more versatile than just a set of headphones that can only really be used in a club. You need headphones that are good at EVERYTHING.
Therefore, for reasons I have talked about all over this thread and others, I'm gonna have to, once more, suggest the Sony MDR-V6's.
Check out Yahoo shopping for info on the cheapest place to order them, with shipping costs included. They should be well under 100 USD.
I swear. I sound like a broken record...but that's okay.
But, anyways, here's why they are good for each use:
1. DJing in a club: They block out a lot of outside noise, and have a very clear, accurate sound, so you know exactly what you are getting. Also, they can be plugged into questionable equipment and still sound great, without distorting at any volumes. What's more, the bass is deep, impacting, and very clear, so you will always know exactly when it is. Finally, they grip your head tightly, so they won't fall off, and the earcups rotate for one-ear monitoring.
2. Use with a high end mixer: In this instance, you would most likely be creating music, editing it, and you need to know EXACTLY what the recording sounds like, so that it will sound good on any equipment. These give you the clarity, accuracy, and detail for this; these are what the recording industry uses, and trusts.
3. Something to beat match with easily: For this, you need bass that you can both hear and feel, and you always know it is there, even with outside noise or if one earcup is off or at low volumes. Perhaps the V6's greatest strength is it's bass; you always get the physical impact, you always hear it, and the bass is VERY tight and accurate. For beatmatching, you are using the bass as basically a clock, and the V6's do not distort the time, like some headphones. Also, if you ever want to decide to give character to your bass, make it sound more than a thump, make it a wham or sound like an instrument (by adding sound in the frequencies 2 khz to 5 kz to the beat, for example), the V6's will let you do this, unlike SOME headphones that are VERY depressed in those frequencies. Plus, since they are so clear, you can always hear the bass, even at low volumes (something that many think you need boomy bass to do; this is not true). And, here's the special thing about them. ****EDIT IS HERE*** If you put a signal of boomy bass into the V6's, that is exactly what you will hear through them. If you put a signal of tight, controlled bass to them, that is what you will hear. If you want to beatmatch with some extra-low bass (lower than the usual 100 HZ, for example), you will be able to hear it to beatmatch with it. For beatmatching, you need HONESTY. Which is what you get with the V6's!!! ***END EDIT***
4. You can pick up a set of Sony MDR-V6's online for $75 plus shipping. Lower if you buy them used, or off of ebay (or you can steal them from your local radio station or TV station, which no doubt uses them. Just kidding, don't steal em, but they probably DO use them.) Look for them in professional music shops, and audio stores, as well; you probably won't find them at Best Buy, because they are Sony's little secret.
Peeeeee-yeeeewwww! They sound like shit!
An update of the so-called "DJ" headphones...
The title of this post represents what I now think of the "DJ" side of the DJ-headphone camp! After being "burned" by the Sony MDR-V700DJs... What a piece of crap! They cost more than the Sony MDR-7506s (a representative of the "studio" side of the DJ-headphone camp) when both headphones are sold at the SAME store, and have larger drivers than the 7506s, as well - but the V700DJs have peaky mid-bass with little (if any) real deep-bass extension (in fact, MUCH less than the 7506s), and the rest of the frequency range is uneven and a bit "honky"! I can't recommend ANY of those headphones that most of you DJs have been talking about!
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