Bass like you never knew...

I own these cans and also the Sony MDR-Z700 (Japanese version of the US MDR-V700) of which I also wrote a review. So I'll make comparisons with them but I'll try to keep it as objective as I can to help you guys. Now back to the RPDJ1200s.

SOUND QUALITY:

The Technics have incredible bass. I'm not talking about thumping headache bass. I'm talking about definition. You know when the bass is so low that you can't really make out the notes? Well with these headphones it's like a bottomless pit of bass definition. I don't think the human ear can process the lowest lows these cans can give you. Trust me, I've tried. I've looked through libraries of bass-loving music and the RPDJ1200s can make out every sound with no problem. Compared to the Sony's, there is a definite and huge difference in the bass department - the Technics win hands down. If you love bassy music, then these are the headphones for you. You will make out bass notes that you never knew were there. I dare you to try.

The Technics are not lacking in the highs and mids either. Although the sound in these areas aren't jaw-dropping, they are acceptable. But the bass is where it's as with these cans. After all, these were made for bass-loving DJs.

So to sum it up: Bass is out of this world. I have yet to experience a set of headphones that can deliver the quality of bass sounds that these headphones can. I've tried the whole line of Sennheiser's, a few Sony headphones, and some other lesser known brands. The Technics are champions of bass. As for the highs and mids, it's not lacking, but it's not stupendous - you won't be using these to record an album although they wouldn't be bad at it, unless it's a bass album.

These cans also are the loudest headphones I've tried. I don't mean annoying noisy. I mean that you can keep pumping up the volume and, unlike most other cans, you won't get any distortion. Most "normal" cans will start to break down in sound if you keep increasing the volume. The Technics do not. They retain all the detail and brilliance in an unbiased fashion. These cans were made for the working DJ and the good people at Technics accomodated for the loud club atmosphere. You will go deaf before you hear these cans give off any distortion. Believe me, I tried.

NOISE SUPRESSION:

These headphones rest on your ears. Rather than the ones that completely cover your ears and seal off an area around your ears, these cans rest on your ears and use generous padding to seal an area ON your ears. This makes for excellent noise supression compared to circumaural (around the ear) headphones. Compared to my Sony's which are circumaural, the Technics deliver a slightly better seal, although the Sony's are really really good at that compared to other name brand headphones. These are also better at keeping the noise in your head and not outside of the headphones. This is good when you want to listen to music in a library or on the bus etc... I guess the logic in this is that circumaural cans use less padding and don't really contour to the shape of your skull. The on-your-ear cans however, have a lot of padding which conform to the shape of your ear and make a direct seal. But this is just my opinion and I've tested it.

COMFORT:

The ear pads are covered in a fake leather material. They are very plush as they rest ON your ears and not AROUND them. So compared to circumaural earphones, these have much more substantial padding of greater width and thickness. The sound area (the area where the sound resonates between your ear and the phones) is tighter as well but this does not detract from the sound. In fact it probably enhances the bass somehow.

Like most headphones, you will experience headphone fatigue. After extensive testing and use, I'd say you could get a good 30 minutes before your ears start hurting or sweating. By the way, these headphones are "sweat-proof" according to the manufacturers and I believe them. No cracking or any signs of wear due to perspiration or general abuse. The results are similar to my Sony's.

DURABILITY:

These things are built like a tank. I've dropped it on the hard wood floor, piled books on top of them, and just neglected them but they still shine like new. There are the minor scratches here and there but nothing compared to the abuse I've dealt to these cans. I'd say they are a tad more durable than the Sony's as they feel more robust and sturdy. You will definitely see and feel the quality. Oh and I've owned these for a good year now and use it on my desktop while the Sony's go on the laptop but both get used extensively.

FUNCTIONALITY:

These cans were made for DJs so they have the spinning and rotating earcups. Unlike most DJ cans though, the earcups rotate forward and backwards (if you're facing forward) about 90 degrees each way and have a locking mechanism on each ear for those moments when you want to do that cool one eared thing that DJs do. Like my Sony's, the wire is very long and coiled so when you're doing a DJ gig you have freedom of movement. The plug is gold plated so there is no problems with distortion due to connection and if you buy the item new, it comes with a stereo plug adapter and a pleather carrying case as well.

As for all the rotations and stuff, it gets pretty confusing so I'll save you guys the trouble. But if you're a DJ then these will serve you well.

LOOKS:

These don't look as good as my Sony's in my opinion. But they don't look as bad as the Sennheiser HD280s. They are basically at the top 10% in looks compared to all other headphones so you don't have to worry there. In my opinion the Sony's are the best looking headphones out there so that gives you a reference as to what I'm saying.

CONCLUSION:

These being on-the-ear headphones, they provide a slightly different headphone experience compared to the traditional circumaural (around-the-ear) headphones. For one, they give excellent, AND I MEAN EXCELLENT, bass response and definition. They also have great noise suppression and decent comfort. However they do get hot as they're on your ears and not around them. So they act like earmuffs too and can make things sweaty.

In all honesty I prefer my Sony's to these Technics for these reasons in no particular order:

1. Better looks - but the Technics look good too.
2. More listener friendly mids and highs - the Technics are for bass junkies but the Sony's are more for the general music lovers.
3. The Sony's don't get your ears as sweaty.

You can get a new pair of RPDJ1200s for about $100 US. You may also want to consider the RPDH1200 which are the circumaural variant of the RPDJs and also look slightly better and retain most of the original features (the RPDHs are a newer model).


*** UPDATE ***

Just a quick update that might prove helpful.

The Sony MDR-V700 "speaker" diameter is 2.5 inches compared to these Technics 1.25 inch "speaker" diameter. What I mean by "speaker" area is that area on each earcup within the earpads that creates a seal between your ear and each earcup.

One nice thing about the Technics that also gives hint to the quality of the ear to headphone seal, is that when wearing the headphones, if you push against your ear on the earcups, you will actually feel a suction on your ear as the pads re-inflate.

And finally, here is my advice on what music these Technics RPDJ1200s are best suited for:

(In order of suitability.)

1. Techno, trance, jungle, and all music along those lines - you will not believe your ears and the songs will take on a whole new life.
2. Bass-heavy hip-hop and R&B - these were made for bassheads period.
3. Drum-heavy rock music - if you're a drummer and you can actually appreciate each hit, then these headphones will actually help you better distinguish the drums from the guitars and bass. Like I previously mentioned, these cans don't fuse all bass and drums together. On the contrary they separate and define each and in almost all cases, that is a good thing.