Headphones

 
DJcityTV’s Mojaxx loves Pioneer DJ’s HDJ-2000 headphones and wears them at all his gigs (except for when he’s reviewing another model, of course).
 
No product is perfect, though, and there were a few things about the HDJ-2000 that he wanted to fix. Thankfully, Pioneer addressed most of these issues in their latest iteration of the product: the HDJ-2000MK2.
 
Watch this week’s episode of Tips & Tricks to learn about the new features and why Mojaxx loves the HDJ-2000MK2 so much.
 
Related: Philips A5-PRO Headphones Reviewed

 
For this week’s “Tips & Tricks” episode, DJcityTV’s Mojaxx reviews Philips’ A5-PRO headphones, which were designed by trance legend Armin van Buuren. Watch above to find out if the company’s first attempt at DJ headphones was a success or not.
 
Related: Review: V-Moda Crossfade M-100

 
The V-MODA Crossfade M-100 headphones have won various awards and are the preferred model for many famous DJs, but do they live up to the reputation? DJcityTV’s Mojaxx finds out in this week’s episode of “Tips & Tricks.”
 
Related: AIAIAI TMA-2 Headphones Review

 
AIAIAI’s TMA-1 headphones have proved popular with DJs in recent years, thanks to their stylish design and excellent isolation. Today, the company looks expand its reach with the TMA-2, a new modular system that enables buyers to customize their headphones.
 
DJcityTV’s Mojaxx has been secretly testing the new series over the last two weeks and you can now watch his review in the video above.
 
Customize your own pair of headphones on AIAIAI’s new website.
 
Related: Budget Earplugs for DJs

Audeze EL-8 Open-Back headphone (Audeze)
 
Two weekends ago, headphone maker Audeze had an estimated $250,000 worth of product stolen from their warehouse in Costa Mesa, California.
 
The company is known for their handmade, high-end products that retail between $700 and close to $2,000 apiece.
 
Soon after, Audeze posted on their Facebook page that customers “should be very concerned if their headphones do not have a serial number, or the seller refuses to give you the serial number before purchase.”
 
Furthermore, the company advises customers to verify the serial number on their website before purchasing its headphones from an unauthorized dealer.
 
They’re also offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thieves. If you have any information, contact their investigation team at security@audeze.com.
 
This article was written with contributions from Nappy.
 
Related: NFL Bans Players from Wearing Beats by Dre Headphones

 
Monster, the co-designer of the original Beats by Dre headphones, is suing Beats Electronics and its co-founders Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, USA Today reports.
 
A lawsuit filed in Northern California this week says that Lee and Monster invented the technology behind the Beats By Dre headphones. Furthermore, the suit alleges that Dre and Iovine conspired to cut out Monster and its CEO Noel Lee’s involvement, and committed fraud in the process.
 
HTC invested $300 million in Beats in 2011 before Beats and Monster’s five-year manufacturing and distribution deal ended. In 2013, Iovine and Dre bought back the entirety of Beats, a year before Apple acquired the company for $3 billion.
 
The suit claims that Beats used its “change of control rights” to fraudulently get the headphones away from Monster. “Had the partnership expired on its own terms, there would have been no transfer of Monster’s ‘Beats By Dr. Dre’ product line.”
 
HTC and Beats board member Paul Wachter are among the defendants listed in the suit.
 
USA Today writes: “After severing ties with Monster, Beats was purchased by Apple for $3 billion. But as the Beats co-founders made millions, Monster lost millions from its investment in the rise of Beats, the suit charges. Had Lee retained his original 5% interest in Beats, his total stake in the Beats-Apple deal would have been worth over $100 million, the suit alleges.”
 
Monster and Lee are asking for punitive damages.
 
Related: NFL Bans Players from Wearing Beats by Dre Headphones

 
The NFL has prohibited its players from wearing Beats by Dre headphones at games, practices, post-game interviews and any other league event where cameras are present.
 
Back in March, the NFL signed a long-term deal with rival headphones maker Bose which allows the company to put its logo on headphones worn by coaches.
 
“The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on-field or during interviews unless authorized by the league. These policies date back to the early 1990s and continue today,” an NFL spokesperson said. “They are the NFL’s policies — not one of the league’s sponsors, Bose in this case. Bose is not involved in the enforcement of our policies. This is true for others on-field.”
 
According to Re/code, Beats by Dre dominates the premium headphone market with a 61 percent share, compared to Bose’s 22.
 
Over the last year, players such as Colin Kaepernick and Richard Sherman have signed endorsement deals with Beats by Dre and been featured in high-profile commercials.
 

 

 
Related: Apple’s CEO Tim Cook Explains Beats by Dre Acquisition

 
Rival headphones manufacturer Bose is suing Beats by Dre for alleged copyright infringement, according to multiple sources. The lawsuit claims that Beats has infringed on five patents relating to active noise reduction (ANR) — its noise-cancelling technology.
 
“ANR is a technique to reduce unwanted noise by introducing a second sound source that destructively interferes with the unwanted noise,” explained Bose’s lawyer in documents filed with Delaware District Court.
 
The lawsuit comes two months after Apple announced it was buying Beats for $3 billion.
 
According to court documents, Bose was granted the rights to the inventions over a nine-year period ranging from 2004 to 2013. BBC News writes that “the company originally developed the technology for the US Air Force and US Army, before launching its first noise-cancelling headphones for consumers in 2000.”
 
Other headphone makers such as JVC, Sennheiser, and Sony use a similar feature but Bose’s director of public relations Carolyn Cinotti told BBC that “we don’t license our technology to other headphone manufacturers.”
 
Related: Beats by Dre President Defends Headphone Quality

The quality of Beats by Dre’s ubiquitous headphones is a contentious topic in the DJ and producer communities. While there’s plenty of high-profile artists that can be seen sporting the headphones on a regular basis, others claim they lack quality.
 
During a recent visit to the UK, Beats president Luke Wood spoke exclusively with BBC Newsbeat to respond to comments that the headphones are too bass heavy:
 
“We didn’t go to build a reference headphone, something you build in the studio that is really a technical tool to hear when you are recording.”
 
He added, “If you look at Dre’s pedigree, Jimmy’s [Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine] pedigree, even my pedigree, we are all recording engineers.”
 

“What we did is build a headphone for playback. What does it sound like right when it is finished? And that is what we’ve accomplished.”

 
Wood also addressed rumors about the sockets on Apple products being changed to only take Beats by Dre headphones and what it’s like working with Dr. Dre:
 

“Having a chance to meet him, I can honestly say the only other artist that I feel the same way, that I have been fortunate to meet, is George Harrison.”

 
Read the full interview here.
 
Related: Beats by Dre Headphones Banned at World Cup

Beats by Dre’s headphones have been banned from the 2014 World Cup due to a licensing agreement between FIFA (the championship’s organizer) and Beats’ rival, Sony Electronics.

Soccer players are required to take off Beats headphones when they’re in World Cup stadiums for official matches and media events. Ironically, many of the sport’s biggest stars are fans of the company’s ubiquitous headphones and have been seen using them on a regular basis.

Some of the players were even featured in a recent short-film produced by Beats which has been seen by over 15 million people on YouTube.

Could the ban actually help strengthen Beats’ brand though? Former Apple and Google executive Ellen Petry told Reuters that it’s a possibility:

“When fans see World Cup athletes wearing Beats in their downtime, by choice, it has as much impact as seeing them lace their Adidas (boots) or sip a sponsored beverage. Maybe more, actually — Beats isn’t a sponsor, so the message is more authentic and credible.”

Related: Apple Confirms Purchase of Beats for $3 Billion