Designed by DJs for DJs, Aiaiai’s TMA-1 rugged headphones have the entire bass and sensitivity needed to be heard in a club, without the overt branding. And for non-turntablists, they work all right on the road too.

The Price

$250

The Verdict

The Danish headphone specialists AIAIAI (pronounced eye eye eye) is taking over established DJ headphones equivalent to Sennheiser’s HD25-SP with these stripped-down, ruggedized and club-tuned ‘cans.

It’s a refreshing reboot of a standard headset design, with an easy nylon headband supporting the two ear cups, which move on oversized notches to adjust the top size. The ear cushions pop off to show metal drivers and there are more padded cushions within the box, for spares. The thick cable is usually removable with 3mm jacks at each end, so the phones won’t be wrenched off your head when someone stands for your lead. We all know the way that feels.

The whole assembly has been coated in a matte black finish that both protects and provides an irresistibly tactile feel. You understand how the backs of HTC cellphones feel? It’s a similar stuff, and boy does it feel goooood. The company’s logo is subtly indented on the within the band; it’s the very antithesis of the showy Beats brand.

These headphones have clearly been tuned for use in a noisy club as they’re so much more sensitive than regular ‘phones and louder even than my Sennheisers. It’s also an obvious benefit for anyone that has an extremely noisy commute to work, or just enjoys their music with volume.

The bass is emphasized to make drums and basslines stand out for less complicated mixing and it gives the phones a warm tone. But don’t worry, it doesn’t swamp the vocals or other mid-range frequencies. It’s punchy and precise, while guitars and percussion sound equally snappy and rhythmic.

There’s a sense of space within the mid-range that permits strings and vocals to soar while the bass bounces along. What it doesn’t have is the type of splashy treble that plenty of lightweight headphones are likely to, so it is able to sounds a bit reserved if that’s what you’re used to. The Sennheisers, as an example, have a far more attacking high-end. At low volume levels, I’d prefer a marginally more bite within the treble.

It’s actually a more natural balance that you just’re getting here though and there’s no loss of detail, just a less pronounced hit from the cymbals. On the up side, it permits you to turn the quantity way without any brittle treble frequencies to spoil the performance, just an excellent more open and spacious sound field.

It’s ideal for DJs that must hear the beat over a noisy sound PA system, however it’s also good news whenever you take heed to rock and dance music in a noisy workplace and wish the amount. [ Aiaiai ]

High output


Strong bass


Light on treble

Source

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