Dance Floor Workhorse Built For DJs

Let me state the obvious: Not all professional headphones are created equal.

I've owned this pair of cans for 2 years, but it wasn't until I bought the AKG K240 Studio headphones, that I realized the MDR-V700DJ's capabilities. Sony markets these MDR-V700DJ headphones to, well, aspiring DJs, and not without good reasons. You think it's the look that makes DJ Tiesto, Armin van Buuren and Sasha use these cans? First and foremost, it's loud, that's because they have a low impedance of 24 ohms. (in layman terms: the lower the number, the louder your headphones are.) You know dance floors are deafeningly loud, so the headphones must be loud enough to fight against the PA systems. That's reason #1.

Now, I ain't no expert, but the MDR-V700DJ seems to have an extended low-end and mid-high frequency response, with a minor cut in the muddy medium range. That highlights the kick drum, thus helps the DJ beatmatching. And that's why your dance records sound punchier on these headphones.

That's reason #2, and precisely why it shouldn't be used as studio monitor headphones, although it's quite tempting to produce dance music with these cans. If you do, the final product may come out flabby and muddy -- the exact opposite of what you may think. That's because the MDR-V700DJ's boosted frequency response makes you think there's plenty of bass, when there's not enough. Besides, the MDR-V700DJ doesn't give you "space" when mastering, everything sounds tight and clamped. So, don't believe the M-Audio advertisement, that "making beats on a laptop with DJ headphones = cool". To be fair though, these headphones are for "DJ Remix Use", as clearly written on the box. I consider these shortcomings quite beneficial for DJs.

Sound quality aside, Sony have done several little things to make a DJ's life a bit easier: Coiled cord lets the DJ move around easier; Rugged construction heavy gauged cord withstands abuses night in and night out (the outer shell is partially made of aluminium); Swivel reversible earcups allows single-sided monitoring/cueing in different ways: swinging one side behind your ears (the quickest way); clamped between shoulder and ear (the stereotype "cool DJ" pose); flipping one earcup outwards (very effective way).

All that being said, the comfort factor leaves a lot to be desired. The pads' leather is too hard. The headphones are pretty heavy at 300 grams, and very tight. They give me minor headache in an hour, and after a 4-hour set, my ears are literally sore. On the other hand, Technics' RP-DJ1200 (another excellent pair of DJ cans) scores big in this area (major props to its pads). How Armin and Tiesto manage to do 10-hour marathon sets with these headphones really boggles me. If comfort is your major concern, you may want to go for the Technics RP-DJ1200, no one should call you a wimp for doing that.

Knowing the MDR-V700DJ's strength and weaknesses, will I buy another pair if mine are stolen? You bet. Until Sony address the weight and pad issues of these cans, they'll be permanently in my DJ arsenal.