Denon AHGC20 Globe Cruiser Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

INTRO
The main selling point of these headphones is the wireless Bluetooth functionality however the Denon Globe Cruiser headphones also have a better sound/music quality and a better build quality than the headphones most will want to compare these to, the Bose QC25 (which are a bit of an industry-standard for noise canceling headphones).The noise cancelation on the Denon's is not as good as with Bose headphones in that it doesn't cancel out quite as much background noise as the Bose. With the Denon's the emphasis is more on the sound quality and the wireless capabilities.  On the plus side, I can hear no slight hissing sound at all with the noise cancelation on, whereas with the Bose QC25's, I can if I listen carefully.  The Denon's also have a more plush upscale look and feel although they are slightly heavier than the Bose.
 
SOUND & WIRELESS
When playing music wirelessly using Bluetooth, the sound quality is quite good, very listenable, but it does improve when using the included cable, especially in the highs. I noticed a bit clearer vocal presence and musical instrument dynamics when using the cable instead of Bluetooth although being completely wireless is certainly more convenient and also sort of cool too.  The overall sound quality is better than the Bose QC25 with a definite increased bass extension (these are like bass head headphones!) and more musical and involving. When you play music via Bluetooth, the sound gets a bit more mellow with slightly rolled off highs. I like the sound when playing over Bluetooth quite a bit given that my ears tend to be sensitive to treble and I prefer a more mellow, laid back type of sound. That said, there are a bit more details and sound stage when using the cable.
 
Pairing to my iPhone 6 was very easy, I just went to the Bluetooth area in Settings and then held down the play button on the right bottom ear cup of the headphones for 4 seconds. A beep indicated that it was paired. Then I could play anything on the iPhone and it would play in the headphones wirelessly.  When using these via Bluetooth, you can use the play/pause and forward and back buttons located directly on the headphone right ear cup to control your smartphone. There is also a phone button on the left ear cup. Since these headphones include a microphone, you can use it to make and receive calls wirelessly as well.  Note that unless you are paired via Bluetooth, the play/pause and forward/back buttons do not work. So, when using these headphones wired, you lose the ability to use those buttons on the headphones, or to make calls as the included cable does not have any buttons but also plugging in the cable disables Bluetooth and all of the built in buttons on the headphones.  What's really cool about using these wirelessly is that your iphone can be in your bag or pocket and you can control the playback all from touching the buttons on the headphones. You can adjust the volume, pause, play, go forward, back, etc. You can even hold down the button on the left ear cup to bring up Siri, make a call or answer a call. The playing music will fade out automatically and fade back in when you are done.
 
A noise cancelation On/Off switch is on the front right ear cup. It took a bit of getting used to finding it while wearing the headphones at first, but once I did it a few times, it became more natural to turn the noise canceling on or off without having to take the headphones off. Note- music can still play with the noise cancelation feature turned off, and it actually doesn't sound bad with it off when playing over Bluetooth but does sound worse when using the cable and the noise cancelation is off, interestingly.
 
BATTERY
This only has an internal rechargeable battery that you charge up using an included micro USB cable. Use any USB charger or your computer to charge it. This is a bit of a negative for jet-setters since they may not always have a charger or AC mains power available. It's no biggie for me since when I travel I carry a portable battery pack which can charge all my devices remotely, including these headphones. On the other hand, the Bose QC25's take a single AAA battery, which are readily available at any airport, hotel gift shop or corner store in virtually any country. That said, the internal battery on the Denon's seems to last quite a while (about 20 hours) on a charge and only takes about 2 hours to fully charge up.
 
CONCLUSION

These have a slightly higher build quality to them than the Bose QC25's and a more of a premium look. They have a higher sound quality than the Bose headphones too with definitely more extended bass response as the main difference. However the noise canceling is not as good as Bose. Where the Denon's shine is with the fact that they are Bluetooth wireless capable. If you don't like dealing with a headphone cable and want a good noise canceling headphone for traveling or commuting, I can recommend these headphones. I'm quite impressed overall with the sound quality and overall design. While they can't compare to more audiophile headphones, nor does the noise canceling perform as well as on the Bose headphones, if you're looking for bassy headphones that have more of an emphasis on the music and wireless features rather than the noise canceling, I can recommend the Denon Globe Cruisers.