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REPREVE® is one of the leading, most trusted, branded performance fiber made from recycled material (including plastic bottles). The material is ultra soft to touch while having the ability to prevent excessive warmth making them the perfect choice… The AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ XE headphones are an expansion of the Danish audio specialist's TMA-2 DJ headphone line, targeted at DJs. And like my HD 25, the wired TMA-2 DJ XE on-ears don't weigh much at 168g (the HD 25 came in at 140g, without cables).
A massive 80-hour battery life is possible if connected via Bluetooth, but this diminishes to just 16 hours on the 2.4GHz band. This, coupled with the 30-hour battery life of the wireless transmitter, means you’ll be charging two devices every few days if you use the latter technology. If memory serves me, the first time I came across AIAIAI gear was circa 2010 when I spotted Ross "HudMo" Birchard sporting some of the earliest generation TMAs. Instantly, I thought to myself, "R.I.P. HD25 mk2...".
We tested this with our Apple Mac Mini (M1) as well as a synthesizer and dedicated media player, and found the solution did work but at the expense of lowering the ‘maximum’ volume available. Even with the source devices outputting their maximum level, the final volume in the headphones wasn’t very loud. There shouldn’t be any issues while listening at low-to-moderate volume levels, but those that enjoy listening at louder volumes will have to deal with a bit of noise. While I don’t consider the tuning to be truly neutral, they are reasonably balanced and clear. Most at home with modern pop or electronic music, the design partnership with a DJ and EDM musician, may be inferred from the sound signature of the Studio Wireless+. Although, there is less sub-bass than I would expect from a solely EDM-focused tuning. With that said, two of the components in the box are unique to this TMA-2 configuration: the H10 headband and the X01 transmitter. You’ll need both of these for the Studio Wireless+ flagship feature (2.4GHz transmission; more on this later) to function. You can buy both of these components as a pair, but they’re not sold separately.
Like the bass region, the midrange seems dialed just above neutral, which yields a balance between easy listening and detailed presentation. As the frequencies rise, the forwardness seems to recede, avoiding any sort of shoutiness or harshness to the upper midrange. Treble Using a H05 or H06 headband, the TMA-2 can easily become a Bluetooth headset. These headbands allow the user to listen to audio or make phone calls wirelessly, ideal for when travelling to a gig. Bluetooth is still too laggy for wireless DJ use, but the traditional audio cables can still connect to the speaker units’ bottom. This allows the DJ to use the cable connection for DJ’ing and then the Bluetooth connection when travelling. The H10 headband is bulkier than other TMA-2 offerings, likely due to it housing the wireless tech and the larger battery needed to power it. We also found it rather stiff around our (admittedly large) head which, combined with its size, made for a clamping sensation that was fatiguing after a short while. I also greatly appreciate the practical and elegant design and implementation inherent to AIAIAI’s products.Since hitting the scene in 2006, Danish company AIAIAI have become one of the leading names in premium audio gear. Their TMA-2 Modular Headphone System has made serious waves, with renowned artists such as Kaytranada, Bonobo and Charlotte de Witte favouring them above all others. As an AIAIAI headphone user, you’re in excellent company. This can be mitigated by turning the source device volume up to the maximum (or the highest level that does not cause audible distortion) and reducing the headphone volume – thus improving signal-to-noise and reducing the hiss. Still, it is never truly inaudible in silent sections within or between songs. While Bluetooth supports a bandwidth range from 320-990 kbps depending on the codec used (AAC and SBC are at the bottom of this range), W+ Link supports up to 1500 kbps. That said, swap the S02 for the far superior S05 units and our opinion of the TMA-2 changes instantly. Now we have a well built, versatile that sounds as good as it looks! We strongly advise DJ’s take the time to head to a local store to listen to the difference between the speaker units before making a choice. The flatter S04 and S05 units being head and shoulders above the other units offered by AIAIAI. I definitely think that the mention that this is a PLAYER monitoring can, not so much an ENGINEERING can might be a really pertinent addition. They couldn’t be more different needs – and I think the audiophile community misses this point a LOT.
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