Denon AH-D7100 Test
About 5 years ago Denon produced anything of a splash using the AH-D1000 over-ear headphones. Now as part of its exhaustive 2012-2013 product line, the Japanese audio brand is creating a comeback with the AH-D7100. Priced at around ?¨º600, it's competing straight with such prestigious items as the Sennheiser HD 700 and HD 800. Estimated area for error: zero!
Style: Bold Yet Comfortable5/5
An eternal struggle exists on the planet of headphone design and style: that among mobility and sound high quality. Mobility requires minimalism for the intense with straightforward, unobstructive, ever thinner, ever lighter styles. Sound high quality requires the opposite?alarge, voluptuous bodies, noble materials and generously thick, soft foam padding for greater isolation and comfort.
Weighing in at 365 g and proudly displaying its lush opulence, the Denon AH-D7100 clearly falls within the latter category. Even though the plastic headband might be a frustrating choice provided the price tag range, Denon nonetheless allowed itself the extravagance of using African mahogany around the ear cups. It's tough to say how that affects the sound, but visually it only goes so far, because the plastic-encased headband (coated with high-quality, imitation sandblasted aluminium paint) covers the mahogany practically entirely, generating it only visible from the side. Denon ah d7100 2But there is a purpose for this: the ball-and-socket system inside the ear cups makes them further flexible and capable of quickly fitting to the shape on the wearer's head. They say you can not have your cake and eat it also...
It really is difficult to find fault with the assembly and comfort, that are pretty significantly irreproachable. The AH-D7100 had been designed to become listened to for hours on end even though relaxing within your favourite armchair. The only other annoyance will be that Denon employed imitation leather around the ear pads as an alternative to real leather. It really is high-quality imitation leather, but imitation leather all of the identical. Again, a shame given the price variety.
The Denon AH-D7100 comes with a soft touch carrying pouch, a braided detachable 1/4" cable plus a second cable using a combo connector and integrated remote and microphone (see inset below), at the same time as a stand to set the headphones on if you are not employing them. The full package!
Audio: Bass But Not Overkill
Denon made new 50mm "Nano Fibre" drivers specially for the occasion which might be attached to a ribbon of polypropylene. It really is an original option of components, but a single that pays off. In this cost range, you might count on the frequency response to be classical- or jazz-oriented. But surprisingly, it really is far from it. As proof of the AH-D7100's versatility, the curve includes a slight, but quite agreeable overall V configuration, falling subtly down for the 300 Hz mark ahead of climbing back up more than the rest of the spectrum.
Voices and string instruments are reproduced using a good quality that's difficult to rival, and we just like the touch of brilliance in the high-end; it provides the sound room to "breathe". The low-end isn't overly prominent?ainstead it kind of slides in together with the rest on the spectrum while increasing progressively. In Denon's marketing they say the AH-D7100 includes a five Hz cut-off frequency (at -3 dB, -6 dB?), and we have to admit it does give extraordinary sub-bass that's capable of "rumbling" your head without making it feel like you have a wall of bass coming at you.
The soundstage is quite wide, specifically for closed headphones. Sources are nicely positioned in space along with the centre soundstage is well maintained, with voices generally coming in the front (i.e. it feels like the singer is in front of you, not inside your head). That said, the sound's halo does feel quite close. However the distortion is kept at a bare minimum, and to that we say yes!