Allen & Heath Announces XD-53 DJ Headphones
Allen & Heath has premiered their XD-53 professional monitoring headphones. A&H claims that these new cans were designed for use with their Xone DJ mixers, but from the specs it looks like they’re more for advertising the Xone brand name. Like every other DJ headphones worth their salt, the XD-53’s incorporate a circumaural isolation design, providing high level isolation from ambient noise. Nothing new here…
Comprising 53mm diameter drivers, which Allen & Heath incorrectly claims are the largest drivers currently available, these headphones offer high power neodymium magnet design, 1500 mW of power handling, and high SPL capacity. They also have rotating earpieces for easy one-ear monitoring, a coiled cable with convenient one-side exit, and a folding design for compact portability. Again, nothing new here…
The Future: It’s sad that the brilliant Andy Rigby Jones, Head of the Xone department at Allen & Heath, couldn’t lend his genius to re-engineer, instead of just re-brand the Audio-Technica ATH-Pro700’s, and take the DJ headphone concept to the next level. Just upping the driver size is not going to impress DJs. It’s like the stupid battle between Schick and Gillette over how many more blades they can cram into their razors. DJ headphones are loud enough. What DJs want is a pair of phones that won’t break after just a handful of real world gigs. The tired swivel joint design desperately needs an upgrade. Instead of a vanity product, it would be much more beneficial to the industry for a concern like Allen & Heath to innovate and not replicate.
The Allen & Heath XD-53 headphones will cost $299 / £122 / €180 and be available sometime this Spring. More information on the Allen & Heath XD-53 headphones when they decide to update their site.
