These ‘world first’ wireless DJ headphones ditch Bluetooth for a custom ‘ultra-low latency’ connection
Even some of the best wireless headphones have a flaw that isn't obvious to music fans, but that can be a deal-breaker for music makers and DJs: latency. That's the delay between the audio being sent and it arriving in your ears, and while a little latency isn't usually a problem for music listening, it can be a real problem for anyone who needs to have perfect timing – such as a DJ matching beats as they're mixing records together. That's why AIAIAI is launching a brand new pair of headphones specifically for DJs that promise wire-free convenience without the latency (via DJMag).
AIAIAI says that its new TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones are a "world's first". You can use them as normal Bluetooth headphones or as cabled headphones, but when it's time to fill the dance floor you can use their special wireless mode instead. Their dedicated transmitter plugs into the headphone port of your mixer, controller or other audio equipment, and it transmits the signal directly to your headphones using an "ultra-low latency" tech that's different to Bluetooth.
TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones: key specs and pricing
The new headphones promise 25 hours of wireless listening, high sound isolation for even the noisiest DJ booth, and exceptional comfort. And like other TMA headphones, they're modular, making it easy to customize them, upgrade them, or replace worn-out bits such as ear cushions. AIAIA promises a suitably bassy sound too, thanks to a 40mm bio-cellulose diaphragm tuned for big bass in loud venues.
These aren't AIAIAI's first low-latency headphones. We reviewed their TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones in 2022, and found that they delivered exactly what the firm promised in terms of an effectively zero latency connection. However, we also found that they had a very high noise floor using the W-Link connection: that could be because it uses the 2.4GHz frequency band, which is increasingly crowded. Hopefully that's been addressed in these newer headphones, although given that they're made for use in already loud environments it's less of a concern than with studio headphones.
The AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones will be available in early 2025. UK DJ sites are already offering pre-orders for £249 (about AU$480); the US price is expected to be around $300.
