Pioneer has one more trick up their sleeve for NAMM 2015: a complete update to their top-of-the-line DJ headphones, the HDJ-2000MK2s. The update comes alongside their entry into the studio monitoring headphone world, the HRM-7s. Read on for details on the new cans!
Name: HDJ-2000MK2 DJ headphones
Manufacturer: Pioneer
Available: March 2015
Price: Street price $349
In A Nutshell: A serious upgrade for Pioneer’s top-of-the-line DJ headphones in sound quality, isolation, and comfort/design
Sound Quality + Isolation
Pioneer has taken a serious crack at bridging the gap between DJ headphone and audiophile community with these headphones. They write that the HDJ-2000MK2s:
[… use] large 50 mm drivers that can clearly and efficiently reproduce a wide spectrum of frequencies. The large drivers, combined with copper-clad aluminum wire (CCAW) voice coils, rare-earth magnets and 38?m-thick diaphragms, generate sounds with great accuracy and control with increased output in the lower bass region.
Frequency Range: 5 Hz to 30,000 Hz
Impedance: 32 ?
Max Input: 3,500 mW
Output Sound Level: 107 dB
Driver Unit: ?50 mm domes
At the same time, the company has taken a second look at isolation – which has always left a bit to be desired on Pioneer’s headphones compared to similar offerings from V-Moda and Sennheiser. The new MK2s incorporate..
Pioneer’s innovative sound-isolation chamber as part of its bass reflex port, which isolates low and mid frequencies in the 300 Hz to 1,600 Hz by as much as seven decibels compared to the original model, resulting in more defined mid-bass/mid-range response.
Look and Feel
There’s been a great stylistic update to the HDJ-2000 line with this generation, clearly reflecting a lot of the smoother, more minimal aesthetics that well-designed consumer electronics are incorporating in this decade. The comparison above is pretty clear – the branding has taken a backseat to the sleek form itself.
[… it] incorporates large ultra-comfortable low-resilience urethane memory foam ear pads to create a tight seal around the ears and significantly reduce external sounds. The urethane memory pads are finished in long-lasting protein leather for great feel and extended comfort.
The HDJ-2000MK2 features a flexible headband and hinges made of strong yet lightweight magnesium alloy to withstand the rigors of extended professional use. Each earpiece swivels up to 90 degrees and can be flipped around 180 degrees for one ear listening applications. In addition, the headphones feature a quick connect single-sided cable for ease of use and convenience.
The new models include a curled cord and straight cord, a L-plug connector, a protective carrying case, and come in both Black and Silver colors. They’re expected to be released in March of 2015 for a relatively pricey $349 – we’ll be trying them out during NAMM and see if they’re worth the cash!
More NAMM 2015 news and articles:
- Rane’s TTM57 MKII + MP2015 Rotary Mixer
- Denon DJ Announces DS1 Serato Soundcard, HP2000, and MC4000
- Launchpad Pro is Novation’s Answer to Ableton Push
- Numark announces NS7 III, Mixtrack Pro III, and Mixtrack III
- Arturia’s Audiofuse Audio Interface
- Serato DJ Club Kit = Support for DJM 850/900NXS, Xone:DB2/DB4/K1
- Akai Releases Timbre Wolf and Tom Cat
- Apple Updates Logic Pro to 10.1
- USB Chroma Cables Now Include Purple, Need Your Input
- Korg Puts A Kaoss Pad Into A DJ Controller
- Reloop RP-8000 Straight Turntable, RMX-60 Mixer
- HRM-7: Pioneer Gets In The Studio Headphone Game
- Moog Relaunches Three Modular Synths
- Splice Takes On Audio Plugin/VST Managment
- NAMM 2015 Predicitons for New DJ and Producer Gear
- Bitwig Studio 1.2 Update
Are these on ear headphones or over ear?
[…] Pioneer’s HDJ-2000MK2 Headphones […]
I own a set of hdj-2000 got them from best buy on sale for 150.00 They are great headphones. Price?! Audeze LCD-3 cost 1999.99 and Hifiman HE-400i cost 499.99 HD800 cost 1599.99 so 349.99 is cheap for headphones that sound great and are made of metal. HD800 are pure plastic and don’t sound as good to me and yes I have heard them. Thinking my headphones for my computer will be the HE-400i but will listen to them and the HJD-2000 MK2 first. I use my original hdj-2000 for my galaxy note 4 for portable use so looking for headphones for my computer. Which has a Schiit Modi 2 Uber dac and Magni 2 Uber headphone amp.
I have been using a pair of HDJ-2000’s for about a year and a half now, and they’ve performed really well. They’re loud, clear, and tough. I’m interested in seeing how much better the sound is supposed to be on the MKII’s.
They changed the metal frame to something less durable… no thank you. Quite honestly, audiophile headphones make very little difference in the DJ booth, so this a step backward for Pioneer over ear headphones. Buy the old ones quick.
this is awesome news, i’ve had my hjd 2000s since released back in 2011, still going strong. lots of scratches, dropped x number of times and even got wet a few times. only problem i ever had was the isolation, since if it is any better on the mk2 its good enough reason to buy them. and 350$ for another 3 to 4 years sounds good to me. and might even manage 100$ if i sell my current ones
keep it simple and save your money… HD25-II <3
I’m just getting started and not looking to spend $350 on headphones. Primarily weddings and parties, not club atmosphere. Any recommendations? Thanks
Technics RP-DJ1200. About $125 (maybe less if you shop around) and will do you great if you are looking for a cheaper version of these.
If you want on the ear cans that you wear on your head most of the time (instead of around the neck) the Pioneer HDJ-C70’s are amazing. They are similar to the Sennheiser HD25’s that a lot of people swear by but are actually better for DJs (the Sennheisers are used by DJs but are made for a wider-audience, the HDJ-C70’s are specifically for DJs and the slight design differences are noticeable) and cheaper. You can find them for less than $200.
Yeah, used headphones with new ear covers, or anything in the Sony MDR-700 quality range.
pfft, fuck paying $350 for a pair of headphones! headphones are the one part of a dj’s equipment that you can expect to have to replace every year or 2. get superlux, they are 1/10th the price, and are highly rated.
Only a mug/fanboy would pay this much money, just because its pioneer. some people seem to think that if they drape themselves in pioneer gear it makes them pro, in reality it means you bought the most expensive because you don’t know enough about equipment to make a smart decision.
That’s actually not true. I’ve been using my hdj 2000s for almost 5 years now and that makes the money you pay for it more than worth. Why would you want to change your headphones every year, just buy a really good one and use it for years.
because even if i did actually get a new set every year i could get 8 years of headphones out of it and still have change left over, plus i’d have 8 sets of shit hot headphones and you would have 1 set of worn headphones. You assume i buy new headphones because my superlux arent up to the job and need replaced, not true, i buy new headphones because i like new headphones.
I know i’m banging on a bit about superlux, but they are actually very good, the technical data and tests show it, and the build quality shows it. so theres really no need to invest the price of a reasonably decent mixer on them. A lot of people reckon that the research and development of tweaking the sound slightly costs a shitload of money and is very difficult, but thats not the case, it would have taken an engineer about a hour max to calculate the port size an shape to get the desired effect. you really are paying for the logo.
A professional invests in his equipment. Btw, a truly decent modern mixer (even 10 months ago) is about $750 (sale) to $1,100. Again, this assumes you are a professional and not the new jack hobbyist turned “I’ll dj for $50 and free drinks” type.
I thought the same thing, but I’ve had my HDJ 2000 MK1s for about 5 years now. I use them DAILY. I am honestly shocked at the build quality. I’ve never, ever, ever, had a pair of cans last this long. I usually try to avoid pioneer’s overpriced gear but the mk1s were certainly worth it for me. I’ll probably replace the ear pads in the next year or two.
These look great. The original HDJ-2000s were of a great design. It really packs everything a DJ headphone should. Style, sound and quality (granted you don’t have the fake ones). I’m glad they kept the original design, and just improved it. Compared to the 2015 competitors, it seems that Pioneer has addressed the two gripes I had, sound and isolation. Compared to the V-Moda M-100s and Senns HD8s, the HDJ-2000s fall short in these two points. It seems like the 2000MK2s have fixed these two gripes, but it remains to be seen.
The pricing is fine. Much better than the ridiculous $450 of the original 2000s, and better than the overpriced tag of $390 for the Senns HD8s. Like every other headphones, the price will drop sub $300 soon enough to make it more appealing.
I think they have a hit here. IMO the best all-around (for DJs and such) are the V-Moda M-100s. They have quality, style, and amazing sound with a reasonable price tag. The Senns HD8s are good, but they don’t provide the best overall package (great isolation tho). I’m just curious on how the 2000MK2s sound and isolate.
oh my god! fan boy or what! you go on and on about how if anyone disliked their pioneer headphones then they must have been fakes, yet you just said that the sound and isolation of the last model was a gripe you had! has it ever occurred to you that maybe yours were fake too? (unlikely) or that pioneer are really just a normal company subject to the normal things that other companies are subject to, but that their equipment is vastly overpriced?
They are expensive and bad build quality. HDJ-500 HDJ 1000 HDJ 2000 they have very poor designed and the headband breaks after a while.
You probably had fake ones. I’ve owned a pair of HDJ-2000s for almost two year now, and they are rock solid. I have a scratch on them because I dropped them once on concrete, but they didn’t crack or anything. Earpads are still going, sound is still pumping. Great set of headphones.
I can say the same thing of my old trusty HDJ-1500s as well. I can’t say that of my disappointing Sennheisers.
really? fake ones? because pioneer equipment is unbreakable, because its pioneer obviously. you can drop almost any pair of headphones and they wont crack, if you think that makes for a durability test then you obviously take a lot of care in your equipment, not a bad thing. But, just because you have never broken yours, doesnt mean that when somebody elses breaks that they must have been fake. this is exactly the sort of fanboy/religious attitude that keeps pioneer (and apple) in business.
My much cheaper superlux are at least as durable and at least as good as pioneers, they arent magic or anything, they are ridiculously expensive though. they are 10-15 times more expensive than superlux, but they are not 10-15 times as good, in fact they are probably the same, maybe slightly better. but still a rip off.
There were tons of fake HDJ2000’s sold on eBay a few years ago. There was even a picture diagram that showed the differences between the real ones and the fakes. There was a website having a discussion about these and every person that had a complaint about their HDJ2000’s bought theirs on eBay. It is a real thing.
I work and play with a plethora of professional DJs that play out 2-4 nights a week, every week, and not one of them has ever had a pair of 2000’s go break at the band or anything like that. After a couple years of regular club use the ear pads and headband do start to flake off, which requires buying new earpads if you want to (can’t replace the headband) but that is normal with all DJ headphones. Earpads like those are going to wear eventually. It has happened with every old pair of Sennheisers, Sony’s, Technics, and Pioneers I’ve ever seen.
as soon as you mentioned ebay it all made sense, still though the hdj isnt some sort or messiah of headphones, they are good no doubt, but if somebody dislikes their certian sound (or the price) it doesnt make them fake. i seen this commentor crying fake, fake, fake. it seemed ridiculous, but maybe there are more fakes than i imagined. the longevity of the hdj sounds good, but then my £30 superlux headphones have lasted just as long, ive had my 668b for about 4 years and havent treated them with care at all, they are still totally perfect, save for the pads getting small cracks from sweat. the same cannot be said for the hdj1000, so a beefier headband isnt some miracle of design, and certainely not worth the premium pricetag.
Disappointment and too expensive
is the update seriously worth the staggering $350 price point? minor cosmetic changes and supposed improved isolation really validates that high of a MSRP?
Ridiculous “Pioneer tax”
That’s about what I paid for my blue Sennheiser HD25-1 IIs a few years back… Sennheiser HD7s are still $335 retail here and the HD8s are $390. $250-$350 for flagship DJ headphones is pretty typical and isn’t just Pioneer…
Very true…the Sennheiser HD8s releasing at $390 in 2014 (not 2007 like the HDJ-2000s) was a complete rip-off.
If they really improved the sound and isolation from the original 2000s, the price difference is worth it. It’s only $50 more from MSRP of the 2000s.