Designing a pair of headphones is not as important as actually being able to test them out and use them. Many times, a good looking design will look good on paper and on store shelves, but after hours of cueing and monitoring they can cause headaches and annoyances that are irreconcilable; and that DJ must look for a new solution to mix his music. When you add bells and whistles to a pair of headphones, you are actually just adding weight, or something that might break off in the future. When asked about what headphones I use to DJ with, my answer is the Sennheiser HD-25 II’s, and my reason is simple: they won’t break.
Yes, I am not going to woo the audiences over with my expensive taste in earphones, since these tend to not look very trendy or expensive. Mine are in the traditionally black color, so they don’t seem as playful either. Often times, the earcups actually give me a small headache when on for too long so they must be moved around once in a while. I put up with all of this because their design is so simple and durable that I don’t have to baby them or worry about them getting stepped on. I know they will last.
http://www.djbooth.net/index/dj-equipment/entry/video-sol-republic-master-tracks-headphones-unboxing