AIAIAI’s niche DJ headphones are too elite for a 29% off Black Friday deal, but we live

Now then. You’ve got your Black Friday headphones deals that appeal to almost anyone looking for cans – and then you’ve got your alternative, niche, user-specific deals that pique the ears of the select few who know what they’re (not) looking at. 

And this particular offering – despite being one of the best Black Friday deals I’ve seen – belongs in the latter camp.

The product is the AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ XE and, provided you can see past the name (yes, it’s a bit of a mouthful) this 30% off deal is well-worth a try for this money, in my opinion. 

Why? I’ll get on to that. First, let me tell you that right now and until November 28, they’re just $98 (down from $139) at pro audio and musical instrument retailer, Sweetwater, or £85 (down from £120) at Thomann in the UK (although you’ll have to pay around £10 in shipping). 

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Today’s top Black Friday AIAIAI DJ headphones deal US

AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ XE headphones: was $139 now $98 at Sweetwater
We covered Danish firm AIAIAI’s “headphones aimed at DJs” not long after their release in July this year. Yes, squint and they could indeed be mistaken for your beloved Sennheiser HD 25 in low lighting, my turntablist friend. And mixing desk masters often operate under cover of darkness, don’t they? So perhaps this is a deal especially worthy of your attention, especially with this never-seen-’til-now 29% off… View Deal

Today’s top Black Friday AIAIAI DJ headphones deal UK

AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ XE headphones: was £120 now £85 at Thomann
I featured AIAIAI’s “headphones aimed at DJs” not long after their release in July this year – and at 29% off, we’ve never seen any discount on them to date, let alone one this generous. Again, squint and they might just as well be your beloved Sennheiser HD 25 in low lighting, my turntablist friend. And mixing desk masters often operate under cover of darkness, don’t they? So perhaps this is a deal especially worthy of your attention… View Deal

Some details, then. As I proclaimed in a summer missive entitled I miss my Sennheiser HD 25 – but squint and these DJ on-ears could be them, it’s as if Danish firm AIAIAI has presented a fix for my ageing cheap DJ cans with the TMA-2 DJ XE.

The product they (probably) seek to emulate? The Sennheiser HD 25. These cans got passed around in music-making circles and were seen draped around the necks of the professional and everyday listener alike from their 1988 debut onward – including the subsequent Bluetooth-enabled option, the excellent Sennheiser HD 250BT, which finally came along in January 2021. 

When cutting my teeth as an audio journo several years ago, Sennheiser’s cheap HD 25 on-ears were handed to me so I might at least look clued up in the audio game. I wore them everywhere. I managed to nab myself the 75th anniversary pair in 2020, while working for TechRadar’s sister publication, What Hi-Fi? 

Alas, if you’re anything like me, your headphones have joined you through hell and high water over the years – and nothing lasts forever (even cold November rain). Yes, we’d all love a new pair of either the wireless HD 250BT or the HD 25, but here in the UK that is not so easy – Sennheiser’s UK website hides the HD 25 away and the 250BT are listed as “phased out”. 

Enter then, Danish firm AIAIAI’s 2023-issue “headphones aimed at DJs”, which could quite easily be mistaken for my beloved HD 25 in low lighting – and that’s the setting disc jockeys tend to operate in, isn’t it? 

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).

The TMA-2 DJ XE also feature signature bio-diaphragm drivers, on-ear foam cushions covered in PU leather for “enhanced isolation and punchy sound representation” and a “modular headphone system”, which allows for interchangeable ear pads, cables and speaker units. 

Could they make our way into a roundup containing only the best cheap headphones we’ve tested? It’s possible. The company’s TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ didn’t pull up any trees, but the TMA-2 Ninja Tune Edition prove there’s plenty of talent there – and at this discounted price, I think I might give the TMA-2 DJ XE a whirl, you know… 

Not looking for headphones this Black Friday? Give our Black Friday earbuds deals a spin – and remember to enjoy the music. 

Follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings, and hot Black Friday deals!

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