Pioneer SE Master 1 Headphones

Limitied to 1000 Headphones Worldwide

Philosophy

Pioneer’s history in quality audio equipment began 80 years ago, with the vision of ‘delivering the joy of music to people far and wide’. In 1937, we produced the A-8, the first dynamic speaker to be produced in Japan, and we have been committed to high fidelity sound reproduction ever since. Whether we are making home speakers, car speakers or headphones, our focus is always on the pure, faithful reproduction of sound.

We have been developing and producing ground breaking headphones for more than half a century, starting with the SE-1 headphones in 1960. Now we are writing the next chapter in our long history of technical supremacy and purity in sound design.

THE FLAGSHIP SE-MASTER1 CONTINUES OUR LEGACY.

Technology

Meticulous attention to even the finest detail was given to the production of the SE-MASTER1. Each unit is assembled by a master craftsman at the Tohoku Pioneer Plant in Japan; the birthplace of many iconic speaker models. We pour our advanced technological know-how into every step of the journey-from design to production and quality control- so your headphones deliver excellence without compromise.

THE INDUSTRY’S FIRST ALUMINUM DIAPHRAGM WITH CERAMIC COATING
The lightweight, 25μ-thick aluminum diaphragm is treated with a ceramic coating to add rigidity, enhance its natural performance, and deliver excellent sound quality. The result is high resolution sound across all frequencies with minimum noise

RIGID DIAPHRAGM EDGES ELIMINATE DISTORTION
The diaphragm’s edges are ribbed and made with a sturdy poly-ether-ether-ketone(PEEK) film to deliver a smooth sound and reduce distortion.

OPTIMUM SOUND QUALITY ACHIEVED USING COMPUTER AIDED ENGINEERING
Our specialists used computer aided engineering(CAE) to select, prototype and test the best materials for the diaphragm and magnetic circuits, ensuring superb sound characteristics and clarity.

SUPERIOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PLAYBACK
The SE-MASTER1s are capable of reproducing high-resolution audio of up to 85,000Hz, more than double the minimum requirement for high-res headphones(40,000Hz). So you can experience every unadulterated detail of your high-res music.

FULL BASKET SYSTEM DELIVERS AN ENERGETIC, LOW-RESONANCE SOUND
Originally developed for car speakers, the full basket system reduces resonance while delivering an energetic sound. The speaker unit is firmly secured using aluminum and the base is finished with ASA resin, which adds excellent weather resistance.

FLOATING STRUCTURE FOR LOW DISTORTION AND CLEAR SOUND SEPARATION
Rubber is inserted in the links between the base, housing and hanger parts to prevent vibrations and interference. Inherited from our speaker ranges, this floating structure also improves separation between left and right to deliver an enhanced sound stage.

ALUMINUM HOUSING ENSURES TIGHT BASS AND CLEAR MID AND HIGH FREQUENCIES
3.5mm-thick aluminum alloy housing minimizes resonance from the driver units to produce an accurate sound with a clearly defined, tight bass and high-res mids and highs.

LIGHTWEIGHT BUILD AND NATURAL FIT
The headband and hanger parts use a super duralumin alloy to achieve a light, natural fit that lets you forget everything but the music you’re immersed in.

CUSHION FOR ADDED STABILITY
The wide, suede-feel head cushion can be adjusted to 14 different positions, giving you excellent comfort and stability.

SNUG FITTING, SOFT EAR PADS FOR EXTRA COMFORT
Innovative three dimensional ear pads adapt to fit your contours thanks to a proprietary design using two thicknesses of memory foam- thin at the front and thick at the back. The ear cups are covered with a soft leather-type material for extra comfort.

INTERCHANGEABLE TENSION RODS TO ELIMINATE WEARER FATIGUE
The SE-MASTER1s feature the industry’s first detachable lateral pressure rods, enabling you to choose your preferred headband tension. Simply change the tension rod to achieve strong or weak lateral pressure and enjoy superb sound isolation and comfortable wear over long periods.

DETACHABLE, ROBUST, TANGLE FREE CORD
The robust cord uses a detachable MMCX type connector so you can replace the cord as needed. The cord is cloth-wrapped between the plug and the branch, and coated with lead-free PVC from the branch to the ear cup- to reduce touch noise, increase strength, and eliminate tangles.

Air Studios

AIR Studios approved Monitor Reference Headphones. AIR Studios in London is world-famous for its matchless music production facilities and is the recording studio of choice for many iconic artists.

The SE-MASTER1s are the first headphones ever to be named AIR Studios Monitor Reference Headphones, a rare honor that we wear with pride.

PUTTING THE SE-MASTER1 TO THE TEST WITH AIR STUDIOS

AIR Studio’s technical director Tim Vine-Lott was integral in the tuning of the SE-MASTER1s. Tim’s discerning ears helped us to compare the headphones to premium reference speaker systems and identify the adjustments needed to ensure the headphones delivered the same sound quality. This process of fine-tuning was repeated until the headphones met AIR Studio’s high standard, delivering faithful reproduction of all sound sources – from the most subtle highs to the deepest bass.

TIM VINE-LOTT – AIR Studios Technical Director

I’ve tuned many audio products in the past, but tuning the SE-MASTER1s was an interesting and challenging experience, completely different to working with amplifiers and speakers. Headphones have none of the adjustable electric circuits you’d find in amplifiers or speaker systems, and the smallest change could have unexpected effects on sound quality- e.g. if we slightly altered the size of the hole controlling the backpressure of the driver units. But , working with Pioneer’s engineers, we were able to achieve the best sound quality. I really hope everyone will enjoy the wonderful sound of the SE-MASTER1.

As technical director at AIR Studios, Tim Vine-Lott has been involved in producing countless albums for artists and soundtracks for films. Responsible for granting AIR Studio Certification to audio visual products that pass strict standards, he works with Pioneer in tuning our amplifiers, speakers and now headphones.

Specification

• Type – Open-air dynamic stereo headphones (Closed-front, open-back)
• Driver – 50 mm (neodymium magnet)
• Sensitivity – 94 dB
• Frequency response – 5 Hz to 85 000 Hz
• Maximum input power – 1500 mW
• Impedance – 45 Ω
• Cable – 3.0 m OFC litz wire
• Plug – 6.3 mm standard stereo plug (gold plated)
• Weight – 460 g (without cable, tension rod)
• Accessories – Tesion rod A:1.6 mm (product sold with rod A in place) Tension rod B: 2.0 mm