I’m a big fan of Pioneer’s DJ headphone line-up. Fast, punchy and usually well balanced, their cans make for a super fun listen. So, I was excited to see them finally get into the Bluetooth game. Will the X5BT be as pleasing to the ears as their wired models? Let’s find out in this Pioneer HDJ-X5BT-W Headphones Review.
FIT
Great sound isolation with these bad girls. Who the hell needs noise-cancelling headphones with cans like these. The fit is quite firm, but remains comfortable to wear for long periods of use. And the earpads are not extremely plush, but they’re large and really snug.
DESIGN
Okay, my little DJ’s. These earcups will certainly get the job done. You can flip them every which way, just like the rest of Pioneer’s DJ range. And the cups have textured plastic that allow you to easily get a grip, even when you’re sweating buckets at the turntable.
What I also love about the X5BT is that they’re super easy to use. No annoying touchpad controls. Just 3 elegantly designed buttons that allow you to play/pause, skip back and forth, and control volume. You won’t be able to activate Siri from these controls. But hey, we all know she’s not playing with a full deck.
Call clarity is great. No muffled voices or gurgling sounds. You can have long and intimate chats with your tour manager.
The battery life runs a little less than other headphones in this price range. But if you really apply yourself to plugging a cable into the headphones a couple of times a week, you should be fine. The X5BT takes 3 hours to recharge. Just enough time to enjoy a blunt and a few episodes of The Crown. If you do happen to run out of juice, the headphones do come with a cable for you to listen in passive mode.
You won’t get the latest Bluetooth 5 compatibility with these cans. But even with Bluetooth 4.2, there was an impressive amount of clarity. With respect to codecs, the X5BT supports SBC, AAC, aptX and low latency aptX. So, you can watch your videos without any lag.
And if you need a little pizazz in your life, may I suggest getting these cans in red or white?
Sound
Lows
Super punchy and detailed, the bass on these puppies has tons of impact, but doesn’t dominate the mix. Pop music sounds really tight. And listening to rock, the low end has enough warmth to give you that satisfying meaty feel. Even listening to some acoustic double bass slaps, there was enough clarity to make the instrument sound realistic and complete. Golf clap.
Mids
Yes. The midrange is even and present, giving full attention to the low mids and avoiding any harsh upper mids. The result is a really full-bodied feel that covers the full spectrum of sound in this range. To test out clarity, I played a few acoustic guitar tracks. Wow. Guitar strums were really clean and well separated. In fact, I was surprised to hear no hint of muddiness in the lower midrange. And listening to cellos, the sound felt super smooth and decently detailed for a wireless headphone. It lacks the clarity of pricier models, like the Audio-Technica M50xBT. But that factor doesn’t significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the sound.
Highs
Listening to string solos in this range, the instrument had a pleasing smoothness, though it was a tad lacking in detail. But this is to be expected with a wireless headphone. And for the price, I can’t say I’m that disappointed. The good news is that these cans won’t pierce your ears out. Even listening to extremely high registers was easy on the ears. Indeed, this is a fatigue free headphone that you can use for long listening sessions.
Soundstage
You’ll get a spacious feel from the X5BT. The sense of dimension is pretty good too. I definitely felt a good amount of depth and height. But in terms of width, instrument placement was slightly less than accurate.
SUMMARY
I’m sold. A speedy, clean and well-balanced sound that works well across all genres. Add great sound isolation and solid build quality, and you’ve got yourself a winner for under $150. It’s a good bang for your buck.
Bluetooth 5 would have been nice.
You can find these sexy cans for the best price at:
Audio 46: Pioneer HDJ-X5BT Headphones
Amazon: Pioneer HDJ-X5BT Headphones
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