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The assembly process is VERY easy, as everything is well made and snaps together firmly. The headband slides through slots in the driver cups, while the ear pads clip on with 4 small pegs. Plug the headband cable into each driver cup and you are ready to go. Open up the bags and see what’s inside. In the box But not so much detail that you obsess, and definitely not too much to burn your ears out (hence the giant 3k earbuzz omission, and my personal ‘hate zone’, which is a known quantity at this point :D). The speakers are obviously wired in series - a low voltage input from my laptop or piano results in one speaker being too quiet The midrange gains warmth from the lower frequencies and gradually tapers off as the frequencies rise. This gives a nice vocal presence, with plenty of weight, and avoids any unpleasant harshness. It’s a smooth sound signature with a more relaxed upper end that makes the TMA-2 MOVE Wireless easy to listen to for long periods. There’s certainly a technical difference in the audio quality between streaming via Bluetooth or 2.4GHz, but this depends entirely on the source material. A ‘normal’ quality stream via Spotify won’t sound all too different between modes as the source is already compressed, but a FLAC file will (in theory) exhibit better dynamics as they won’t be ‘crushed’ by the compression process of streaming via Bluetooth.
Although, admittedly, as an iPhone user, I would only use AAC (as it’s the default Apple codec). And, of course, the Bluetooth connection is secondary to AIAIAI’s W+ Link tech, which supports “uncompressed and stable 16bit connection from larger bandwidth and dual antennas”. The TMA-2 modular concept is great, and although it’s not possible to get a true sense of which components will best suit you, the product descriptions for the two review configurations are pretty accurate. Overall, they are great for recording, DJing and general listening, though there are more suitable studio headphones for mixing and mastering. While some hard-core electronica listeners may yearn for a bit more sub-bass foundation, the low end stays tight and controlled and deftly avoids any sense of muddiness or distortion. The TMA-2 MOVE Wireless are far from thin sounding and do a great job delivering a fun and powerful sound, without being unnaturally bass-boosted. MidrangeResponsible, long-lasting design is one of AIAIAI’s core principles. They achieve this by using their famed modular concept, allowing you to easily repair and upgrade your TMA-2 headphones, and favour sustainable materials. In addition to reducing their carbon footprint and impact on the environment, this approach also greatly extends the lifespan of their products.
Regarding sound quality improvement, the ability to support lossless CD-quality wireless transmission is fairly moot, as even the lowly AAC Bluetooth sounds quite good these days, and headphones that support higher resolution codecs such as LDAC are becoming common. Not to mention, the elevated noise floor introduced by the W+ Link is undeniably a sonic trade-off. It's not often that you come across a for-profit business that simultaneously leads its industry in both technological innovation and poverty reduction. But, seems to me, that's what Freddy and the rest of the crew at Danish firm AIAIAI are all about. Could they make our way into a roundup containing only the best cheap headphoneswe've tested? It's possible. The company's TMA-2 Studio Wireless+didn't pull up any trees, but the TMA-2 Ninja Tune Editionprove 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…Overall, the sound is neutral with decent separation, with subdued extremes in the sub-bass and upper treble range. This doesn’t make for as exciting a listen as Sony’s flagship headphones, but can be good for those seeking a more clinical monitoring of their audio. You can always swap out the drivers if you’d prefer a different profile. 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. While this is more than is necessary for most end-user media consumption, content creators will appreciate the closer to real-time performance. The DJ preset consists of a S02 speaker driver with on-ear PU leather pads and a rugged H02 headband. We were sent the DJ preset alongside the range-topping HD wireless presets to review by AIAIAI. And we’re grateful to have received both pairs as it allowed us to swap between the individual parts to find what suited us best. The HD Wireless included the S05 speaker drivers, which sound far superior to the S02 units and massively changed how we approached this review. Our Impressions
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. 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).
Video Review
The Wireless + headband does not connect to the X-01 transmitter. So they are not wireless. At all. The larger over-ear pads are more expensive but excel in comfort, offering better sound isolation than on-ear variants. Aimed more for longer listening sessions, these cups are available in either PU Leather or Alcantara. Producers will especially enjoy the Alcantara over ears which instantly turns the TMA-2’s into the most comfortable headphone we have ever tested.
By using this material in our products we have contributed to recycled [sic] over 25 billion plastic bottles. Compared to making what’s called virgin fiber, making REPREVE offsets using new petroleum, emitting fewer greenhouse gases and conserving water and energy in the process.” – AIAIAI I attempted to measure the frequency response of both pad types, but the smaller, on-ear nature of the E10 pads and the stiff silicone ears on the EARS device likely skew the measurements. It all works far better with over-ear pads which make a superior seal. However, the dissimilar sound signature lines are indicative of the real-life sound difference between the two pad types. Comparison of the frequency response graph between the E04 and E10 ear pads as measured on a miniDSP EARS measurement fixture. Bass AIAIAI offer four choices of ear cups made with memory foam that clip neatly onto any speaker unit via four ball joints. The on-ear pads will feel very familiar to anybody that has worn Sennheiser HD-25’s headphones before. Available in either PU leather or microfibre, these pads are comfortable and offer decent isolation. It’s all an unpretentious and ingenious design that, at first glance, doesn’t jump out. The only branding is the debossed AIAIAI name on the top of the band, and it would be easy to assume they are just another pair of inexpensive generic Bluetooth headsets.
Modular wireless headphones that offer an alternative to Bluetooth
Only upon close inspection and handling, do you become aware that the Studio Wireless+ follow the general idea that ‘simple is elegant.’ XO1 W+ Link transmitter 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...".
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