Allen & Heath Xone:XD-53 Professional Monitoring Headphones

Allen & Heath Xone:XD-53 Professional Monitoring Headphones
Customer Ratings: 5 stars
List Price: $299.00
Sale Price: $171.00
Today's Bonus: 43% Off
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  • Excellent sound reproduction;53mm diameter drivers;High power neodymium magnet design
  • High SPL capacity;Rotating earpieces for easy one-ear monitoring;Adjustable metal-reinforced headband
  • Folding design for compact portability; Long listening comfort; Carry pouch included
  • OFC [Oxygen-free Copper] wire cables; 3.5mm [1/8"] connector with 6.3mm [1/4"] jack adapter; Type: Closed-back Dynamic (circumaural isolation design);
  • Frequency Response: 5 - 33,000 Hz; Maximum Input Power: 3,500 mW; Sensitivity: 105 dB/mW at 1 kHz; Impedance: 36 ohms; Weight: 320 g; Cable: 1.2 m (Coiled)/Max. 3.0 m (OFC)

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My title basically says it all. This pair of headphones is absolutely PERFECT if you listen to a lot of electronic music (what they're designed for.) The build quality is notable, I can see this pair of headphones lasting me years and years, although ive only had them a mere 4 months or so. The bass is thunderous, mids are right where they need to be, highs too. They are perfect for dj's, as well as the average home listener that strives for flawless sound quality... Really the only reason i am writing this review is coz i read a thousand reviews of so many different types of headphones trying to find the right pair, and if your in the same position... your search is over. I am listening to them right now with a huge, satisfactory smile on my face!

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I have DJ for over 10 years. Since then I have used the Sony MDR V700. My DJ friends totally disagree with this post. But I find that I've spent more money on Sony headphones in the last 10 years changing them every 6-12months. I have waited 2 months to come to the conclusion that the new Allen & Heath XD-53 are by far the closest to having a CLUB inside your head. The level of MIDS this thing has is insane, BASS is intense, Trebble is harmonic. There are really no words to describe what a huge improvement on accuracy of my style of mixing. But above all the simple fact that my entire ear sinks inside the ear cup without hurting them after doing a 24Hours Straight Set, Really? I strongly believe that Sony needs to Step up the Game if they want me back as a costumer because. I refuse to keep paying $80 every 6 months. I used to have to take breaks in between sets after 6 hours of music search only to start practicing the selections I have chosen on that night.

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These headphones are fantastic. Let's start by noting the obvious-these are DJ headphones. Even though the sound quality is excellent, I would not recommend these for non-DJ purposes simply because the comfort is not the greatest. This is because they are meant to isolate well for DJing, and are therefore not the most comfortable after wearing for long periods of time.

For the audiophiles reading this, other headphones near the same price category that I've tested/owned are: Ultrasone DJ 1 Pro, Audio Technica ATH-M50, Byer Dyanmic DT770, Sony MDR-V700.

If you are a DJ looking at these headphones, you should buy these immediately.

Here are pros and cons and below is in depth descriptions and comparisons to other headphones listed above.

Cons:

The only possible con for me is that they don't have a detachable cable. I don't mind this, but it does mean that if you mess up and somehow pull the cable out of the end attached to the headphones, they will need fixing.

Pros:

Great sound quality.

Very sexy.

Great size (earcups and headband)

Fold up and swivel nicely like the ATH-M50.

Perfect amount of headband pressure/resistance.

Powerful drivers 53mm great upfront sound stage for DJing/isolation.

Isolation is great.

Just the right amount of padding on the top of the head.

Have audio technica drivers/sound = thumping accurate bass and great balance.

Audio technica drivers paried with allen & heath build quality for $158 = a steal.

You can pump as much bass and clarity out of them as you want with an equalizer.

Perfect cable length.

come with a regular 1/8" jack but 1/4" adapter included, so easy to use with MP3 player.

I purchased the Ultrasone DJ 1 Pro's before this and sent them back because I thought they were a joke as DJ headphones... They have a great sound stage, but they are massive, don't swivel all the way, don't isolate that well, don't have the comfiest padding, don't feel very sturdy, and have a strange cable setup-more on this in a sec. There were many things I didn't like about them as DJ headphones. For home use or non-electronic music, I would recommend the non-DJ version of them (just a different appearance).

The AT ATH-M50s are a great set of cans, go look at the reviews for them here on amazon, there are almost 400 reviews and they have a 5 star rating. That's because Audio Technica knows what they are doing. Unfortunately, the price of those have increased significantly since they are now quite popular, so it's hard to recommend them for the current price they sell for when you could pay a little more money for a lot more quality.

Here's a hidden gem about the XD-53s... They are Allen & Health build quality but the actual audio drivers in them are made by Audio Technica. So if you've heard the ATH-M50s before, these are fairly similar except that they are much more powerful (45 vs 53mm drivers) and have better all around sound quality. I and many others think the M50s are a little recessed in the mids, but the XD-53s are very clear in the low mid and hi's, and they have more bass since they are DJ headphones. The bass is proper though, it is punchy and not boomy or muddy. If you are a basshead, you would love these simply because the bass shakes your head properly. You can feel them moving in your hands when the bass hits.

This info about audio technica is something I learned after i bought the DJ 1 pros. I like the up front/in your face sound of audio technica drivers, they are great for electronic music and definitely for DJing since the upfront is louder in your face and makes it easier to keep the volume relatively low. The isolation on the XD-53s combined with these audio technica drivers make them a for sure winner in sound and build quality and isolation for DJ headphones. They have a metal headband adjustment instead of plastic, which is what lots of people complained about for the MDR-V700s.

I'd say the sound clarity is on par with the DT770s in that the highs and mids are distinguishable and not recessed at all. They sound just right.

I've heard a few people complain about the size of the XD-53s, saying they don't stay on their head well. This does not have anything to do with the actual size of the headband or earcups, but more so the amount of resistance or pressure that the headband puts on your head. For example, the ATH-M50s really clamp and put a lot of pressure on your head beause the headband is tight. On the XD-53s, it's looser, which I like because it makes them more comfortable in that sense, and makes them less sweaty and easier to take on and off easily. If you have a very small head, I'd recommend trying them at a store first. My head is not big by any means, i'd say average, and these are fine. I think it's a matter of how hard you headbang while wearing these on your head during a mix. I have had zero problems though and I think those users were over exaggerating a lot or not fully used to different headphone styles. The DJ 1 Pros were way looser/bigger and fell off my head all the time.

These headphones swivel in the same way as the ath-m50s, so they pretty much swivel all the way every direction; great for DJ headphones when you frantically realize the song is ending and you have to throw your cans up to one ear to quickly mix into another song.

The cable on these is perfect... The ultrasone Dj 1 pros had like 2 feet of straight cable between where the coil ended and the jack was, and I thought this was stupid and got in the way. The cable length is perfect in every way for DJing or using with portable player (if you don't mind coiled while walking). These also come standard with a regular 1/8" headphone jack. The ultrasones came with two different cables, one was coiled with a 1/4" jack and one was straight with a 1/8" jack. Unfortunately, the 1/8" cable was so short, that it wouldn't even reach from the headphones to the mp3 player in my pocket and I am 5'8". And then the coiled cable had a non removable 1/4" jack, so I had to use a giant adapter just to hook it into an mp3 player or regular laptop jack... very annoying and pointless.

Not sure what else to say about these other than the fact that these are the ultimate DJ headphones. DJ veterans will swear by the Sony MDR-V700, but that means they haven't tried these. The price really isn't bad for what you get, especially given the two companies involved in making these headphones. The price is actually really amazing for this. These cost the same as the ATh-M50s now and sound better and have features aimed at DJs. Some people say Allen & Heath makes good mixers and not headphones, well the sound quality is audio technica and the build quality is what the mixers are known for from Allen & heath so it would make more sense that these are an ultimate pair of headphones.

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The sound quality is amazing and they are really quite comfortable. I've been using the same pair of Technics RP-DJ1200's for years, they were starting to fall apart and my only complaint with them was that they literally bolted onto your head so tight that after a couple hours, you'd start to get a headache. Plus I wear glasses, so the super tight fit was just too much.

The XD-53's have a much bigger earcup, so they are more comfortable, but even at the smallest sizing, they things are still massive. I take a LARGE hat, I've got a pretty big head, but seriously, if you nod your head to the beat while you're mixing, the headphones fly off and tumble down your face (they did that FOUR times during my last set, and almost broke my glasses). Who did they build the protypes off of? Andre the Giant? Whereas the Technics were too tight you could literally do aerobics while wearing those things the XD-53's are just too bloody loose. I can't ever imagine a smaller female DJ wearing these things, they'd never stay up. I wanted to get the matching headphones to complement my Xone controller and now I'm a little frustrated I did. Sound quality is AMAZING. Fit is GARBAGE.

If you have an impossibly sized giant cranium, your ship has come in. But WARNING Do NOT buy these without trying them on at a store first.

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These headphones are great. Awesome clarity. Good sound isolation. The highs and mids are awesome, and of course the drivers are about the biggest out there (not the biggest, although they advertise them as...). Seriously, don't pass up on them especially with the last two being on sale right now. Only complaint is that the headphone jack cord does not disconnect from the headphone itself.

Great headphones.

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