Hi there! Any opinions on why djs prefer headphones over iems???
I am a dj my self the last 5 years and i would say that if you give me headphones and iems with exact the same techs and price i choose headphones just because i can put them in and out very easy and fast when i beatmatch/mix.
p.s. i'm talking about djs who use their ears and not theis eyes to mix
Given the choice with same specs, I would choose traditional headphones cause the fit is solid. I tend to push my muffs up, resting on my head. I'm more of a "Party Rock DJ", so my blends can be long at times and during the gig I somtimes like silience in my cue, I use Sony MDR-V700DJ. Headphones are much more comfortable for consecutive hours (2 - 4 hour sets). I mix by ear since in the 80s we didn't have much choice.
However, I do feel for Celeb DJs and Turntablist IEMs are a "cleaner" look for the audience and can be removed from the ear rather quickly to showcase their showmanship. Usually those guys have high-end IEMs (dual or quad drivers) like professional vocalist/instrumentalist to help with frequency response and noise cancellation. Also, the venues they perform are likely to have robust monitors/wedges as well.