Guest blog by Michael.
Over the last two or three decades, headphones have gone through a lot of changes. From the orange foam Walkman original headphones, we’re perhaps unaware of just how much headphones have evolved; we’ve had in ear, over the ear, wired, wireless, Bluetooth, around-the-head, over-the-head and more besides. We’ve also seen a lot of different brand names surface; some have prospered and some have disappeared into oblivion.
Pioneer is a well-known brand and they’ve been making headphones for more than twenty years so it was to Pioneer that I looked when I wanted to upgrade the free (and frankly awful) headphones supplied with my new smartphone. Not wanting to break the bank, I decided to try out the Pioneer SE-MJ532 stereo compact headphones. They are firmly positioned at an entry price point which appealed instantly. On opening the packaging the first thing I thought was they both looked and felt like a much better quality pair of headphones than their price suggested. I’d chosen the white version as I thought they looked quite attractive with a funky brushed-metal look exterior but the black version is also pretty cool.
Obviously, they are easy to set up so I set about checking out the features. I particularly like the way these headphones can fold up and become easier to transport whilst not in use. The head band is lightweight and fully adjustable so will fit most sizes of head, I imagine! They are a corded design, which you would expect at this price point.
So, general overview complete, it is time for the all-important test: how do they sound? Well, I was genuinely impressed. They were surprisingly open and supplied a good level of bass. They are relatively easy to drive and most smartphones will get a good volume level out of these, while the closed-back design will reduce the amount of sound leaking out if you are planning on using them for your daily commute.
I like to listen to music spanning all genres and threw everything from Ed Sheeran to Katy Perry at them; they coped well with the crisp folky acoustics and also did a pretty good job with the bass of the upbeat pop vocals.
Overall: excellent value for money, lightweight and compact. Good with most types of music and good bass from the 40mm drivers.
If you want Bluetooth connectivity, then obviously these headphones won’t be for you and if you want an even higher quality of sound you might want to look at spending more but for everyday use these headphones will knock spots off the free models that come with most smartphones. As with all audio purchases I’d always urge you to pop into your local store (ideally with your smartphone / audio device) and listen and compare.
You can order these headphones online, use our Click & Collect service to collect from your local store in as little as one hour* or find your nearest shop and ask about a demo.
* selected locations, T&Cs apply
