Pioneer DJ has cemented itself as a top-of-the-range audio company, with their DJ decks in particular gaining popularity. However, Pioneer has more strings to its bow, this time delivering a pair of Bluetooth-enabled headphones in the form of the HDJ-CUE1 Headphones.
First Impressions
At first glance, I was quite taken aback by how small the earmuffs were. Usually, DJ or studio headphones have particularly large earmuffs that essentially engulf the whole ear like on the OneOdio Monitor 60 Headphones, however, the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 had the complete opposite, with very small earmuffs that feel like they sit on the ear rather than around of over the ear.
As for the stylistic element, the HDJ-CUE1 is a good-looking headset, with an ice-white and silver colourway that strikes a premium look. The overall size of the headset itself was the main thing that caught my attention though, with a thin headband and earmuffs that almost made me check if they were kids’ headphones or not.
I suppose small headphones are better for DJs as they need to be portable and not take up too much space, which fits with Pioneer’s DJ-based products, however, I feel there is a fine line between being portable and being a tad too small.
The foldable element which I noticed right away is a massive plus, along with the spinnable earmuffs and overall portability. Also, to set up the headset only one lead was needed, which is always positive: the fewer leads the better!
Design
The Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1 as I have mentioned already is an all-around small headset. The hole in the earmuffs is also much smaller than usual, which made me expect a slight lack in audio quality, however, I was heavily mistaken.
The portability is sensational with the CUE1, with rotational earmuffs, an extremely lightweight frame and nifty foldability. This combined with the wireless option makes for a really good pair of portable headphones.
This element especially appeals to spontaneous DJ sets for example, as you can quickly plug in or connect the headset through Bluetooth. The spinnable earmuffs also appeal to DJs, as they love to take one earmuff off every now and then, which is extremely easy to do with the CUE1.
You can tell that this headset is built with premium materials, such as the thin but sturdy metal headband and the soft synthetic leather on the earmuffs. The headband is quite hard though, which doesn’t do much for the comfort of the headset.
The same goes for the small earmuffs which are not the most comfortable, especially if you use the CUE1’s for a long period of time, which DJs particularly will be doing. The premium materials and build definitely make up for this though, with the headset being ok in terms of comfortability.
The earmuffs are quite stylish in terms of they are not covered in ugly buttons and plastic bits and bobs. There is a thin volume button which keeps it simple and easy to use, a lovely design element especially since some headphones have the habit of doing too much with buttons.
There is a small USB port on the left earmuff, along with an AUX port and a Bluetooth button that you hold down to connect to the desired device, The small LED flashes to show that it’s connected, which again is all easy to use and doesn’t do too much, which I think everyone can appreciate.
Sound Quality
One area in which the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 thrived was the sound quality. As I said earlier, the small earmuffs made me expect an underwhelming sound, however, I was completely mistaken. The sound quality was extremely good, with a very clear sound and crisp feel to each and every noise.
The bass was sensational, with booming cinematic-like lows that delivered exactly the type of quality that you would expect from a top-of-the-range brand like Pioneer. You can tell the DJing background of Pioneer came into play in creating the sound quality here.
The highs and mids both were crisp, with a clear as day sound that was all balanced delightfully. This really boosted my overall opinion of the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1, as it didn’t exactly blow me away with the build, so exceptional sound quality made the questionable design much less of a big deal.
This headset is for the audiophiles out there that value the pure quality of sound over anything else, as that is what seems to have gotten the most attention on this headset.
I genuinely don’t have any flaws whatsoever with the sound quality, frankly, I can’t think of a pair of headphones that I’ve reviewed so far being better than the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 when it comes to sound quality, so that’s a huge testament to Pioneer.
Other Features
Sometimes headphone quality varies when using the wired or wireless mode, which isn’t really noticeable with the CUE1s. The wireless option thrives just as well, which I’m sure is a big positive for those music lovers who tend to take their headphones everywhere.
This is also another big plus for DJs, as you don’t need to bring lots of wires with your headset, making life much easier. The HDJ-CUE1 has versatility in the sense that people who do music for a living or people who just love music both get a great experience, with elements that work for both types of listeners.
For the price of £90, the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 is definitely worth your money, with such great sound quality that I would expect from headsets that are much more expensive than these.
Conclusion
My opinion on the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 is, as you can probably tell, mixed. It started off not on a great foot, with the small and awkward earmuffs, however, the sound quality really made me realise the worth of these headphones.
I think the price being around £90 shows that maybe they had to skimp slightly on the build so they could put their best sound quality elements in, making it an affordable but high-quality sound experience, at the expense of some comfortability.
I would definitely recommend the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 to anyone who loves music, however, keep in mind that if comfort is a big thing for you, then a headset with bigger earmuffs and softer padding might be better, like the OneOdio Monitor 60 for example.
Overall though, for the reasonable price of around £89, I think the Pioneer HDJ-CUE1 is more than worth the money and is a great option as a portable but professional headset.
| Product Rating |
Design: 3.5 out of 5.0 stars
Comfortability: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Performance: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars
Portability: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall ranking: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars – 4.5-star rating
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