Denon AH D400 Unboxing and Review Thread! - Page 3

So the mids are recessed, right? I need to confirm this because I love forward mids, like the Denon HP700. And these have astonishing micro-detail along with tight/punchy (and precise) bass.

double post.

Edited by miow - 8/16/12 at 4:10pm

where, where did you buy them?!

What? The D400 or the HP700?
 

 

Okay that is bad news.  So ironically, the amp may hurt you if you were planning to bypass the internal amp of whatever device you typically use.  I downloaded the Denon Audio app for iOS, and it's not too bad, and it actually give you access to the equalizer even when using the doc output.  On the other hand, everything seemed a bit muted with the EQ on, so I'm not sure it's an audiophile quality EQ.  Even with everything set totally flat, things sound better with the EQ turned off?  I'm currently listening on Sennheiser HD570s with a FiiO E6 amp.

 

 

If this is true, I take this as good news.  I was assuming the earphones would do NOTHING when they are turned off, much like an actual amp.  So, if it's true you can listen to them passively, another question I have is:  How do they sound in passive mode (off)?   And does anyone that owns these also have an amp?  I'm curious if the Denon amp in the headphones is better than an external one.

Edited by DeanKeith - 8/16/12 at 6:15pm

 

Well hats off to you for the optimism there but I am not sure how it is a good thing that you cannot replace the battery when they are supposed to be active headphones.

 

I read one report saying that they work in passive mode but the sound is not as good as active mode.

 

Hehe, well, I already stated earlier in this thread that the non-replaceable battery is a negative.  But it's a positive they are not a total loss when it dies.  But I am starting to get a bad feeling about these.  So I will continue my quest for the ultimate basshead cans.

d400??

Someone might want to contact Denon and see if they will replace the battery or offer a service to do this. This also may make these a good case for a good 2-3 product replacement warranty...

In any case a clearly deliberate and calculated design decision by Denon that reminds me of Apple...

Not that has stopped me from owning 4+ apple devices all which still work with the oldest (5yrs old) only now starting to have bad battery issues. My wifes 3yr old iPhone 3 still lasts almost 12hrs a day as compared my son's 1 year old Sony android that has never lasted 12hrs of use...

I think someone in that other Denon tread already did that, and was told the headphones would have to be sent in for a repair.  And with a 1-year warranty, that's kind of pointless as the battery will probably last at least two years.  But I keep headphones a LOT longer than that, so I think the non-replacable battery is a showstopper. :(

Also as a matter of principal, I don't want to support products without replaceable batteries. The only exception for me is the iPhone, and I usually upgrade phones every time my 2 year contract runs out, so it's not so much of an issue... I still won't buy and iPad until they put a replaceable battery in it (and add USB).

 

This is why I am not buying the D400 or the Phillips fidelio f1 or any monster or apple products.... Mainly out of principle...

 

I really wish mainstream consumers would stop supporting the crappest companies and give the ones that actually provide good service on a lower marketing budget a chance. Literally all you need is good marketing to make a succesfull product.... Product quality, warranty, support, product lifespan etc. do not actually make any difference for the majority of people who blindly purchase monster, apple, etc. It is simply a case of big marketing budget = win

Edited by nicholars - 8/18/12 at 11:42am

i just tried these today with a store demo

im not really that great in terms of discerning differences between heaphones so im not going to try...

regarding the build quality- the black plastic on them and the blue led are fingerprint magnets plus feel really cheap, they dont look liek they're going to crack like the beats

and the clamping force on them were really strong- esp i bottom half of the heaphones

What about the sound?

i am not sure if it was in passive or active mode (since they are store demos, they are most likely passive mode since staff dont bother to switch battery?) so this will affect what i heard

it was ipod nano > d400 

on one side, you can twist the outside cup back and forth, and the other side had a cup which you could press, wasnt sure what they did but i did turn off and on the lights

 

to me, they bass sounded less boosted on the d400 than the d600 but the d600 were amped

as said before, bass was tight and punchy, wasnt lacking though, and non sibilant highs

nothing really jumped out at me as being really good or bad

Would be interesting to hear if they are still good without the built in amplifier because once the battery stops working if they are still good in passive mode then maybe they would be worth trying out. If they are crap in passive mode then I am not spending £300 on some headphones which will not work in a few years.