PIONEER SE-MASTER1 HEADPHONES
Pioneer’s SE-Master1 Headphones, each one of which is handmade by a single craftsman in Tendo, Japan, who also individually inscribes a serial number on each one, have a unique side-force tensioning device not previously found on headphones. The Pioneer SE-Master 1s have unique detachable lateral pressure rods that enable users to choose their preferred headband tension, with one rod providing a side-force of 42mN and the other a side-force of 69mN to ensure the headphones are comfortable to wear for very long periods of time. So far as we’re aware, this tensioning system is a first for Pioneer, because no other headphones have ever been fitted with a device that performs a similar function.
In another first for Pioneer, the SE-Master1 also use newly developed 50mm driver units with 25μm-thick aluminium diaphragms that have been finished with a special ceramic coating known as PCC (Parker Ceramic Coating). ‘ Parker Ceramic Coating is a special surface treatment that pushes the performance of aluminium diaphragms to a much higher level, which is especially advantageous for high frequency reproduction,’ said Maska Leung, of Pioneer Asia. ‘ The SE-Master1s are the first headphones in the world to benefit from Parker Ceramic Coating. They also benefit from using a poly-etherether-ketone (PEEK) material for the diaphragm suspension that helps reduce distortion and achieve a smoother sound quality.’
The diaphragms are supported in an aluminium alloy fitting that has a floating structure and a full basket system with rubber inserts fitted to the links between the base, housing and hanger parts to prevent vibration. A soft Japanese-made leather-like material is used for the ear cushions, inside which are two thicknesses of memory foam—thin at the front and thick at the back—to ensure comfort and stability. So far as comfort is concerned, the ear cups of the SE-Master1 can be adjusted to 14 different positions.
Pioneer says the frequency range of the SE-Master1 headphones extends from 5Hz to 85kHz, the nominal impedance is 45 and the sensitivity is 94dBSPL. ‘ The stunning sound quality of the SE-Master1s is the result of the combined efforts of Pioneer’s very best engineers and more than five years of intensive research, development, measuring and testing,’ Leung told Australian Hi-Fi Magazine. ‘ We poured our advanced technological know-how into every step of the development journey—from design to production to quality control—so your headphones deliver excellence without compromise.’ As with all Pioneer products, the Pioneer SE-Master1 Headphones are distributed by Powermove.