Denon AH-MM400 Music Maniac Over-Ear Headphones

I'll cut to the chase here. This is not a good sounding headphone, but if you like the looks I guess you can go get it.

First, the build. Build is actually the best part about this headphone. It is quite well built. The joints that connect the headband and the earcups are quite sturdy, and the braided cable that comes out from the earcups does look like it will last a long time. Looks wise if you like Audio-Technica woodies, then you are definitely going to like this headphone. It's essentially a trimmed-down version of a full-sized AT woodie. The wood feels very nice to the touch and although I'm not at all into woodies, I find myself fondling the wooden earcups all the time. It's a very elegant design that appeals to everyone.

Moving on to sound is where the not-so-good stuff comes out. The MM400 houses a 40mm free edge carbon driver that looks exactly like a smaller, more compact D7100 driver. However the two couldn't have sound anymore different. The D7100 is bold, outgoing and muscular. The bass is quite prodigious on those and the soundstage is pretty good for a closed-back. It's never going to be a studio headphone but hey, they are not designed for that purpose. The MM400 on the other hand is just plain unimpressive. Nothing really stands out. There isn't much to fault but there isn't much to like either. Resolution is mediocre. Soundstage is congested even for a portable headphone. Bass, mids and highs are all very average. They have no memorable qualities. And it's for this reason alone that I can't recommend them. Yes they have the looks, yes they are built well, but at the end of the day it's the sound that matters. And these really fall short in that area.

I have got these recently and I am very happy with my purchase. Denon has not failed me so far and I have used few of their products. I think somebody in Denon knows that the high quality will make people to come back and buy more products from this brand.
 
The packaging is very nice and quite heavy. The headphones itself are quite heavy due to the high quality materials and solid build quality. On the head they don't feel heavy as the padding makes it very comfortable and soft to wear. The packing has very nice box with solid quality feel. There is no carrying case but I am using the box as the storage for these as it feels high class. They come with 2 cables which are not that good, looks like average quality, thin and feels a bit cheap. They both the same length, straight just one has the volume control including mic. This is the only thing really I am not happy with but I like customize my headphones so already found some cable replacements online. BE CAREFUL when you get new cable as the jack input is oval and very unique you need to find something that will fit or plastic jack which you can brush off. I am adding a photo of the input hole. There is also a carrying bag which is from fabric but again very solid and nice to touch.
 
Build quality seems to be very good here, they feel very solid and I am sure they will last. The wooden cups and luxurious design wont make these headphones for external use. Weather would be not friendly to them plus they will attract punks to steal these from you. They look and feel more expensive then they are. Design wise these look better than most of the expensive headphones out there. In terms of design I would like to see them next to MSR7, EL-8 and MP3. 
 
I have nothing to say regarding comfort other than positive. They are supper soft with the pads and headband pad being quite thick. Clamping force is ideal for me, some users complain about it but I have no issues. Comparing to my HP800 these feels like pillows laying on my head where HP800 feels like somebody is pushing hands against my ears. Be careful if your head is bigger or you have bigger ears as then you might have issues with these like ears touching the insides or higher clamping force. If you have these issues before you return them try to put them over nights to something bigger like box or something to strech them then the clamping force will ease up. Same for the pads if they are not comfortable then look for replacements such MSR7 fits as I heard and they should be slightly thicker, more comfortable.
 
Sound isolation is pretty good. They isolate slightly better than HP800 but still less than Sennheiser HD380 or HD25. But definitely recommend these for flights or other noisy travelling if you want to consider them for travel.  
 
Sound quality.... as I expect very impressive. Warm sounding headphones which are fun to listen and don't feel cold and analytical like some German brands Sennheisers, BeyerDynamic, etc. I think they could still be used for monitoring and other sound work but there are definitely other cans for this purpose. These are meant to be for listening to the music and enjoyment. Music sounds nicely soft and warm with good quality punchy bass and nothing is in forward. Bass is slightly boosted but only tinny bit, not overpowering the mids or leaking to them. Mids are very detailed and clear, Treble are crisp and neutral not harsh at all. I really love Denon sound signature their cans are pleasure for listening and they are not tiring like other cans are. I can wear and listen to these for hours even whole day no problem. They are still new so I am in process of burning them in. Soundstage is not that great but they have this nice intimate feel when listen to something. They do not sound directly in your head like HD25 or similar headphones. Imaging is fantastic too, few times I caught myself looking around and wondering if there is anybody else in the room. 
 
I wish I could have chance to compare these with other premium headphones but at least this forum make it up for me. I was just about to purchase MSR7 when I found these and knowing Denon brand already I decided to go for these. I am sure I made a good decision despite MSR7 are fantastic and very popular but I know they dont have this warm sound, they are on the cooler side with some time lacking a bit of bass. I use these for everything  listening music, movies, playing games. I also listen to all kind of music and they keep impressing me delivering amazing results. I do believe there are many better headphones but I think they would need to be on much higher price level. 
 
Definitely give these a chance, at least try them or check them out if you are buying something in this price range. I got mines for £200 and I can ensure you these sounds and look more expensive then they are.
 
Although if you are on the budget and want something with similar sound but for less money then forget about other tips you got and check out the Denon HP800, they are dj headphones but they have amazing sound something similar than these and cost less than half of MM400's price. Definitely recommend both of these. 
 
Feel free to ask any questions here or PM me.
 
Thanks
 
 
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Plenty of nice reviews, so I am just filling the points I think needs to be highlighted.
 
The cans are small for an over ear, so make sure your ears are small enough, and fit inside these.
 
The fabric covering the speakers, inside the cans, comes loose. It needs to be glued back on again, as the set looses it main character without it. That fabric is a vital part of the design.
 
The reproduction is one of musicality. It is targeted at portable equipment, with all that comes. The typical poor highs, which is solved by dampening the highs a bit, and extension is a bit poor. Articulation and separation of portable gear is a bit lacking, and thus not where these excel the most. Dynamic range is also typically limited, so these are not really great at dynamic range either, when teaming up with great gear.
 
They do excel by harmonics. There is nothing that stands out, even with really, really, poor gear. Where there is any soundstage, these will bring it out, if there is any separation these are great fun. They appear to be tuned to provide the most of ordinary portable gear, and on that, they deliver like nuts. If some gadget, like my Toshiba laptop, sound awful with these, well, then there is no rescue. If you got a smartphone, these will bring the best out of them.
 
If you enjoy the music, like to stamp the beat, like to feel like a need to sing along, or snap your fingers, these will take you there. With a crappy smartphone. (Just not too crappy)
 
It is obtained by softening the highs, and the attack of any metal, like strings on a guitar, completely lacks any harshness. The same goes for perk. But that is needed, and what is reproduced, is harmonic in nature. Same goes for like Spotify, in which the perk distortion and articulation distortion is rendered like it is not there, because everything appears to be harmonic, nothing sticks out. Once connected to great gear, and compared to say a HD800, the Denon gets a beating. The traits that makes it sing for portable, does not work for high end gear. It's like a rapper trying to do classical: It kills the rapping, but not so much for the classical part.