Pioneer DJ HDJ-S7 DJ Headphones Review

While Pioneer DJ has always been highly praised for their controllers, mixers, and other DJ-exclusive equipment, for some, the jury may still be out when it comes to their headphone speakers as well as some of their other ancillary items.

And while this isn’t a review of the company as a whole (or even a review of their headphones as a whole) I can say with confidence that, as far as the HDJ-S7 are concerned, their quality has yet to truly be matched by any other DJ company out there.

The Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 is a set of on-ear headphones that offer a slimmer and more compact listening experience compared to their larger and full-size HDJ-X10 headphones.

Here, the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 makes a point of being lighter and more comfortable to wear while still retaining much (though not all) of the same richness and intensity as the X10 and others in the X series.

Are the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 Headphones Any Good?

The Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 headphones are a serious contender for the top spot of headphones available for someone looking for quality at a “reasonable” price. The Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 may not quite compare to the more impressive options in the Pioneer DJ line, but that’s like comparing diet coke to coke instead of the other diet sodas on the market. It’s gonna lose, sure, but only because it’s being compared to a bigger version of itself.

Read this next: 12 Best DJ Headphones – Top Picks for All Budgets

Pioneer DJ HDJ-S7 First Impressions

When first getting the Pioneer DJ HDJ-S7 from Pioneer DJ, I have to say that I was excited. As a fan of many of their X series models (the X5, X7, and X10), I’ve known for a while that Pioneer DJ’s headphones are impressive.

I knew that the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 would be a slight bit of a step-down, but that was because it wasn’t part of the X series at all, but the S series. This meant they’d be taking more from their previous HDJ-C70 headphones.

As it turns out, while the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 did indeed borrow heavily from the C70, they also made a point to build as much off of it as possible. Because of that, the Pioneer DJ HDJ-S7 is more of a “spiritual successor” than a continuation of the C70.

Both are “on-ear headphones” rather than “over-ear headphones”, sure, but outside of that, these are pretty much two completely different beasts.

Out Of The Box

The first thing you’re going to get fresh out of the box is a pair of lightweight all-black headphones that are almost completely plastic. The reason I mention that they’re almost completely plastic is that they ARE almost completely plastic.

Seriously. as you play with these, the first thing you’re going to wonder is if they are some half-and-half material or something because of how durable and real they feel in your hands.

Nope. Just plastic.

The on-ear headphones have two ear cups that both have a 45-degree swivel turn to them. I was personally expecting them to be more in line with the earlier C70, as those didn’t swivel at all. Instead, not only do these swivel, but they give you a ton of range, greatly reducing the chance of the headband snapping.

I’m pretty careful myself, but I know a lot of DJs that aren’t. This feature is going to save a lot of people a lot of money on replacements and stress.

Design

From a visual standpoint, the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 is definitely on the more professional side of things. Depending on what you’re looking for, there are headphones that are more understated and professional, and there are headphones that are flashy and in your face.

These are much more of the former, to the point that I’d imagine some would find them potentially boring.

They certainly aren’t what you’d see most performing DJs using when on stage, but rather in a studio.

Long story short, these things prioritize functionality and professionalism over loud and over-the-top. If you’re someone that has an issue with that, you’ll probably find these annoying.

I am not one of those people so these felt right at home for me.

Read this next: Pioneer DJ HDJ CUE1 Headphones review: Vibrant DJ Wear

A Deeper Look

Outside of its looks and build, the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 isn’t too bad to listen to either. While it isn’t going to hit the sound quality of any of the X series members, it is something you can use when putting tracks together while you’re in the studio.

The struggle, unfortunately, is primarily in the fact that the headphones are on-ear rather than over-ear. Because of that, there’s more than a bit of ambient sound that can sneak in.

This makes outside DJing a bit more difficult than it’d otherwise need to be.

Sound Isolation

Now, I don’t want to mislead you into thinking these things are just super porous and letting everything from the outside flood into your ears.

That’s not what I’m saying here. What’s happening is that especially when compared to the X-series headphones, the fact that these are on-ear headphones means that your ears are less protected against the different sounds in the environment.

This isn’t too much of a problem when working in your studio, however, if you’re outperforming, having a crowd of people yelling and dancing while you’re trying to perform can be a bit distracting.

This does become a problem for the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 over time. That’s because you’re going to have to constantly crank the speakers up to their higher volumes to hear properly.

This not only can lead to ear fatigue, but you also run the risk of wearing out your headphones.

Overall, I don’t want to paint the sound isolation as “bad” so much as just “worse” when compared to Pioneer DJ’s more impressive headphones. In most settings, I didn’t really have an issue playing them at a moderate level and still getting the job done.

If it’s going to be something reasonable, there shouldn’t be an issue. Otherwise, consider looking at something like the X10 instead.

Sound Quality

The sound quality is more than a bit better than the sound isolation. Again, while not on the level of the more impressive X-series, the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 offers more than enough quality to handle most gigs.

It offers a strong emphasis on bass while the mids are very much clear and upfront. Even the highs are reasonable most of the time, rarely ever getting shrill or wearing out unless pressed to their absolute limit.

Still, while I’d love to give their sound a glowing review, it isn’t perfect.

The longer the highs are in play, and the higher you go, the more the sound will get distorted. It may have the “Hi-Res Audio” listed as a perk, however, the truth is that you’ll want to keep them in a more reasonable and less extreme range of sound.

Overall Performance

What We Like:

• Super Professional Appearance
• Impressive Build
• Ear Cups Can Swivel
• Sound Is Very Good All The Way Around
• Super Compact

What We Do Not Like:

• Less Sound Isolation
• Sound Warps At Extended High Sounds

Read this next: Pioneer DJ HDJ-X10 In-Depth Review

Pioneer DJ HDJ S7: The Verdict

The Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 makes a point of being the proper kid brother to the HDJ-X series. And with that label, there are some things it’s simply going to lack when comparisons are being made. Here the sound is good but not “as” good. The build is great but not “quite as” great.

You have solid ear protection but not “complete” ear protection.

The Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 makes a point of producing an exceptional set of compact headphone speakers that are great in virtually any setting. It doesn’t quite hit all the highs they were planning, and the X10 is the ideal alternative.

However, I’d say that they got pretty close.

Ultimately, in terms of a verdict, I’d say that the Pioneer DJ HDJ S7 is great for intermediate DJs that want some quality headphones that do what they need during a performance. I’d honestly say that, if you’re spending most of your time at the producer studio, these are a definite must-buy.

On the flip side, if you plan to do a lot of performances in front of large crowds, I’d instead put this on a short list of serious considerations.