Why You Can Trust CNET Philips A5 Pro review: DJ headphones with a rich soul
The A5 Pro offers DJ-friendly features like swiveling ear cups, detachable cables and replaceable ear pads, but their rich clarity and open imaging will earn the favor of discerning listeners, too.
Philips teamed up with musician Armin van Buuren to design its flagship headphone for DJs, and after several years of prototyping and testing, the A5 Pro over-ear DJ headphones are available to purchase for $300 (£250; AU$450).
Philips A5 Pro
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
An arsenal of features like swiveling ear cups, powerful 50mm drivers, and detachable ear cushions all give the A5 Pros an advantage for DJs, but the box also includes accessories that you can swap in to make the headphones work with portable audio devices and home audio systems.
Design and features
The hallmark of the A5 Pros is that they're built like a tank, so DJs don't have to worry about them breaking as they tumble around in a gear bag, and that also means they can easily handle your daily commute. The core of the headband is made of aluminum and alloy steel with a little extra width to smooth out any irritating pain points.
These cans have a serious heft to them that also adds to a perceived feeling of invulnerability, but some may balk at the fact that they actually weigh 405 grams. They certainly feel a lot heavier than the V-Moda M100 DJ headphones, if you're doing a back and forth comparison, but I've been wearing the A5s all day at work for several weeks now and haven't noticed a difference. Whether you're a DJ or not, it's important to take frequent breaks when you're listening to any pair of headphones.
If you've ever broken a pair of headphones in your life, you're probably aware that the ear pads and the headphone cord jack are always the first parts to degrade. In response, Philips generously provides two detachable cords (a straight one with a single button/microphone for smartphone controls and a simple coiled version for DJs) and two additional sizes of ear pads that install in seconds using a simple "twist and click" retention system.
The replacement ear pads also come in varying widths and materials (leather and memory foam) that you can tune to your preferred sound profile.
Another cool feature is that the headset has open ports on both sides so you can plug the cable into either the right or left ear cup, and the jacks themselves have a locking mechanism that prevents the jack from getting yanked out of your ear while you're listening to music.
The ear cups also swivel 90 degrees for DJs that want to keep an open ear while mixing into the next song. When you're not using them, the sides of the headband fold down into the ear cups for more convenient, compact travel, which frequent travelers will appreciate as much as busy DJs.
The box also includes more accessories, such as a ballistic nylon carrying case and a quarter-inch adapter that lets you use the headphones with receivers and mixers.
The elongated leather ear cups and extra padding beneath the headband help increase the overall comfort level, but expect them to fit a little tighter than non-DJ headphones -- it's a deliberate move to increase the noise-isolation qualities within the headset. That being said, I never felt that they squeezed too hard around my ears, even after several hours of use.
Performance
While audiophile-grade studio headphones strive to reproduce the most natural tones possible, DJ headphones adhere to a different sound signature, usually unique to the manufacturer's idea of what DJs like to hear.
In most DJ-classified headphones I've tested, that means a heavy sub-bass boost, but Philips takes a different approach with the A5 Pro that draws more detail while keeping the bass punchy without overpowering the rest of the mixes.
Some listeners might be into the booming bass of the V-Moda M-100, but I much prefer the controlled clarity of the A5s that do a better job of bringing forward the midrange and treble details. Its highly dynamic textures are perfectly suited for both electric and acoustic instruments, while the open soundstage separates the instruments and gives the impression of a personal, private performance from the artist.
There's no question that the 50mm drivers are well-equipped to handle a wide cross-section of music genres. I paired the headphones with a HifiMan EF2 USB DAC routed through my MacBook Air, and the closed-seal design of the ear pads offers a very good balance between the treble and mids while keeping music (and other noises) from leaking through.
Straight out the box, the headphones have a smooth, undistorted sound with a colorful timbre that that permeates throughout the overall presentation, whether you're listening to jazz, rock, hip-hop or classical.
Conclusion
Philips succeeds in bringing DJs a headphone that performs just as well in a home setting as it does in a club. A solid build structure means there's no worrying about whether or not they'll be able to survive the abuse of everyday travel, and Philips includes plenty of accessories so you can tune the sound to your own preference, even if you're only listening at work.
While you may not think of Philips as the first brand to check out for DJ headphones, the A5 Pro's sonic versatility deserves your attention as a solid crossover headphone .