Hercules HDP DJ45

“Listen Easy & become a DJ” – the French manufacturer Hercules isn’t over doing it with this slogan that’s emblazoned on the packaging, because the HDP DJ45 truly live up to it. With a weight of 334 grams, including the spiral cable which can be extended to over two metres but cannot be replaced, they feel quite light. These headphones benefit from robust plastic construction. They come with luxuriously padded, leatherette covered ear pads; these surround the ear and cushion the pressure from the headband, and they can be replaced when they become worn.

The manufacturer doesn’t use imitation leather for the headband, at least on the inside, and it is covered with a porous fabric, probably to prevent sweating. The large round ear cups sit perfectly on your ears thanks to the eight-stage extendable, snap-in headband extensions, which are supported by three joints. The link between the headband and earpiece suspension tilts around the x-axis, allowing the cups to fold into the headband in a space-saving and secure manner. A further directly connected Y-joint moves the earpiece outwards by 90 degrees, and a spring snaps it back in again when released. The cups pivot almost 180 degrees around the x-axis in the suspension, which allows them to be aligned with the ear and completely folded into the band.

Design and workmanship

These headphones feel quite high quality and robust. You don’t get the impression that you have to handle them with kid gloves. All joints seem to be prepared for the long period of use and rough operation that they might experience during a DJ set.

When it comes to looks, Hercules doesn’t rely on ostentatious branding or colourful gimmicks. The HDP DJ45 is stylishly presented in matt black. I find the shape of the hinges and the cups, whose upper edge is decorated with a striking relief, particularly aesthetically pleasing. Only a small white and red company logo stands out from the surface. This could have been more stylish, but does not reduce the overall visual impression.

Wearing comfort

Thanks to extendable extensions and joints, the earpieces align themselves optimally with the ear and nothing wobbles. The driver opening also offers enough space to enclose the ear. The ear cups fit really comfortably due to the very soft plastic, so you don’t feel any annoying pressure. The same applies to the headband, despite its flat lining, offering optimal wearing conditions for long sets in the DJ booth. Those who prefer single-ear monitoring can simply twist an earpiece away with the flexible bracket and clamp it behind their ear – it will hold. The alternative is to hold an earpiece in your hand and this works well thanks to the joint rotating around the y-axis, but only on the right hand side. On the left, the rotation mechanism prevents this movement, forcing the headphones to always try to return to their original position.

Sound

The 50 millimetre dynamic drivers give the HDP DJ45 an above average frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hertz. In addition, their maximum nominal load of 2,000 mW prepares them perfectly for the tough daily routine in the DJ booth. However, their sensitivity of 95 decibels is disappointing, especially as it doesn’t pull out the impedance of 62.45 ohms (averaged). But all this is only in theory; in practice, they mastered my test songs with no problems.

“Protection” by Massive Attack revealed a feeling for deep basses, which boom out of the drivers with lots of punch. The highs that emerged in the vocals sounded crystal clear. The frequency range in between was discreetly restrained, making you want a bit more. Depeche Mode’s “Fly On The Windscreen” presents the kind of detailed stereophony that you would expect from more expensive models. You will quickly get used to this transparent sound image when relaxing and listening to albums at home, especially since its good spatial reproduction simulates the atmosphere of a concert hall. With “Sordid Affair” by Röyksopp and “Empire State Of Mind” by Jay Z & Alicia Keys, they also prove their suitability for club tracks, which is their main focus. These headphones transmit the transients necessary for DJs to mix loudly without distortion. In terms of volume, although the data doesn’t shout at you, the performance surprises as they give a decent playback without losing power. Even at painfully loud levels, the drivers rise to the challenge of a precise and undistorted performance. The headphones also shield the signal quite well, so that not much of the sound diffuses to the outside, and little noise contaminates the sound.