Pioneer HDJ-CUE1BT Review | Trusted Reviews

Design

• Cool customisation
• Solid build
• Foldable finesse

Don’t be fooled by the black pair sent to me by Pioneer. They’re also available in bright red or white with silver housings – and that’s just the beginning…

A big part of the HDJ-CUE1BT’s appeal is the kaleidoscope of five brightly coloured polyurethane leather ear pads and coiled cables, allowing you to customise to your heart’s content in a similar fashion to the Dyson OnTrac.

They’re sold separately, of course, so whether you’re feeling orange, yellow, green, blue, or pink, an HDJ-CUE1 accessory pack will set you back £27.

Focusing on what’s in front of us, the HDJ-CUE1BT feel promising. They’re considerately designed with a mix of solid yet flexible plastic and soft polyurethane leather, some neat ‘Pioneer DJ’ branding, and plenty of exposed screws for repairs.

You’ll find one button for powering on/off, Bluetooth pairing, taking calls, play/pause, and skipping tracks, with a separate volume rocker located above.

Underneath, there’s an aux cable port for wired listening and, disappointingly, a micro-USB port for charging. USB-C would have provided faster charging and generally seems more durable, but given this model has been knocking around since 2020, we roll.

Cups and pads are split by a perforated ring, and overall build quality leaves you confident the HDJ-CUE1BT can go the distance – whether that’s a six-hour DJ set or a cross-country train journey. On-ear controls are intuitively placed on the left side and work instantaneously without lag.

Although foldable to a compact form, at 250 grams without the cable, they’re a tad heavy for DJ headphones, especially when Sennheiser’s HD 250BT weigh precisely half that. The lack of a carry case or bag is also mildly grating.

A final note on passive isolation, too. It’s good. Maybe too good, because if anything, the HDJ-CUE1BT can feel a little tight on the head and leave you feeling a bit fatigued after long listening sessions.

Features

• Wired or wireless listening
• Detachable coiled cable
• DJ-savvy DNA

As alluded to, the HDJ-CUE1BT do something many DJ headphones can’t – wireless Bluetooth listening alongside a wired connection for mixers, controllers, and instruments, as well as mainstream devices like laptops and smartphones.

To that end, you get a decent Bluetooth 5.0 version with SBC and AAC codecs, alongside a robust, detachable 1.2m coiled cable (a favourite in the DJ booth) with an extended 1.8m length.

This puts them in the bracket of everyday-use lifestyle headphones – Pioneer simply recommends “DJ play is wired, outside is wireless” – especially with a claimed 30 hours of playback time. More on this later.

Driver-wise, they’re 40mm dome type. Par for the course for a balance of bass response and clarity, but also bigger than those found on many more expensive and illustrious models, like the Marshall Monitor III A.N.C. or Sony WH-1000XM5.

Aside from the foldable design, which flicks the cups inward to nestle nearly under the headband, the cups also rotate 90 degrees.

Pioneer calls this ‘Flexible Monitoring Style’, and it is a mainstay on DJ headphones when needing to cue tracks with one ear while keeping tabs on what’s blaring out of your speakers with the other.

A built-in mic means you can take calls, too. In testing, I found them to be crystal clear even in windy conditions, but strangely very quiet on calls. Plus, you’re only reliant on passive noise isolation. Fine for the odd chinwag at home, a stretch for on-the-move business calls.

Pioneer has perfected the plug, pair, and play experience on the HDJ-CUE1BT. It’s simple, faff-free, and wholly effective.

When switched on and in Bluetooth mode, you’re greeted with a swooshy start-up sound, and away you go.

In wired mode (with the headphones switched off to preserve battery life, if preferred), all Bluetooth, volume, and microphone functions are disabled. This is to avoid accidental operation when DJing, and will likely split opinion.

It’s a real shame the HDJ-CUE1BT aren’t USB-C chargeable, but the USB-A/micro-USB connection stands up regardless and worked just fine either charging off the mains or devices like a laptop or desktop computer. That said, there’s no playback while charging.

Lastly, the HDJ-CUE1BT are an ANC- and app-free zone. Either would be a luxury; neither feels essential, and they’re hardly a poorer prospect for the omission, especially at this price point.

Battery life

• Working-week battery life
• Micro-USB charging
• No fast charging

Pioneer’s stated 30-hour playtime is pretty accurate and got me through the majority of the working week on a single charge. This bodes well for long-haul flights, albeit without ANC. Sennheiser’s HD 250BT can only muster 25 hours.

USB-C woes well documented, the HDJ-CUE1BT take an excruciating 150 minutes to charge from empty to full via that micro-USB connection, and fast charging isn’t supported either.

Sound Quality

• Natural sound reproduction
• Solid frequency separation
• Surprising spaciousness

Pioneer states the HDJ-CUE1BT features high-quality sound, where you’ll hear the richness of your music when DJing or just listening to a favourite track. They also inherit “specialist sound” from its pro-level HDJ-X5 DJ headphones.

With no companion app, you’re arguably restricted where EQ and sound personalisation options are concerned. This may be true of everyday Bluetooth listening, leaving you at the mercy of whatever your playback device offers.

For wired DJ sessions, the only EQ filtering you want to do will be on the mixer or controller itself – to present the track in its very best form.

So, how do they sound? Pretty decent. Noticeable frequency separation and a natural sound with a lean to the low end is what most DJs will look for from their headphones, and the HDJ-CUE1BT hold up well.

The 40mm drivers offer plenty of power and poise in the low frequencies, especially where bass and kick drums are concerned. Mids and highs are conveyed with just enough clarity, although overall, you’re left a little wanting on big drops and soaring crescendos.

The Streets’ You Think You’ve Been Buried is nice and punchy on percussion, vocals are crystal clear and impactful, and the synthy sitar elements are just the right side of prominent.

Girl I Love You by Massive Attack – a bass-laden beast for any pair of headphones to handle – doesn’t creak under the pressure, either. Pioneer has every right to dust its shoulder off here. Horace Andy will be pleased.

Most impressive is the spaciousness and realism. This is going to sound strange, but BBC Radio 4 dramas felt so present I turned around on multiple occasions thinking someone had stepped into the room. Although perhaps I should seek professional help for this.

Should you buy it?