Even some of the best wireless headphones have a drawback that may not be obvious to music fans, but can be a dealbreaker 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 when listening to music, it can be a real problem for anyone who needs perfect timing, like a DJ -matching. beats while they are mixing records. That’s why AIAIAI is launching a brand new headset specifically for DJs that promise wireless convenience without the latency (via DJMag).
AIAIAI says its new TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones are a “world first.” You can use them as normal Bluetooth headphones or as wired headphones, but when it’s time to fill the dance floor you can use the special wireless mode instead. Their special transmitter plugs into the headphone port of your mixer, controller or other audio equipment and sends the signal directly to your headphones using an “ultra-low latency” technology different from Bluetooth.
TMA-2 DJ wireless headphones: key specs and prices
The new headphones promise 25 hours of wireless listening pleasure, high noise isolation for even the noisiest DJ booth and exceptional comfort. And like other TMA headphones, they’re modular, making it easy to customize, upgrade, or replace worn parts like ear pads. AIAIA also promises a suitably bassy sound, thanks to a 40mm bio-cellulose diaphragm tuned for powerful bass in loud venues.
These aren’t AIAIAI’s first low-latency headphones. We reviewed their 2022 TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones and found that they delivered exactly what the company promised in terms of an effective, zero-latency connection. However, we also found that they had a very high noise floor when using the W-Link connection: that could be because it uses the 2.4GHz frequency band, which is becoming increasingly crowded. Hopefully this has been addressed in these newer headphones, although as they are made for use in already loud environments this is 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.