anirudh0802
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2010
- Posts
- 135
- Likes
- 11
Overview/Introduction
About a week ago, I got my Denon A100 headphones. These headphones look stunning in every possible way. I have also heard the D5000’s and D2000’s. So I can compare these 3 cans. Unfortunately, I have never heard the D7000’s (and the 1100's) so I cannot make a comparison between those.
What I listen to
I listen to pretty much all types of music genres but here is the breakdown of the percentages so you know what my bias is.
Hiphop/rap: 40%
Techno/dance: 20%
Classical: 20%
Rock: 10%
Country: 5%
Jazz: 5%
Review Gear
I’ve been using my MacBook Pro and iPod (4th gen & Nano) to review these headphones. All my music is 320 ACC.
Headphone Specifications
Type: Dynamic type
Drive Units: 50 mm Neodymium Magnet
Imput Impedance: 32 ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB/mW
Maximum input: 1,300 mW
Frequency response: 5-37,000
Weight: 195 g, (not including cable)
Physical Appearance
The A100’s cable is really not all that great. It’s puny compared to the D2000/5000 but these cans are meant for portability. The 3.5 mm jack does fit in all the way if you connect an iphone 4 with a case. These cans are very light. If you use them for more than an hour, you don’t notice them on after a while.
Sound Leakage/Cancelation
The ear pads are very soft and there is no sound leakage. From 1-50% volume, you can’t hear any sound. Go above that, and you can start hearing the music within a 5 feet radius. As far as hearing others, these are not noise cancelling headphones. With the volume at 5-10%, I could still hear the fan in my room.
Sound Signature
Starting with the bass, I will say that if you are a bass enthusiast, then you will love these headphones. The bass is tight, well defined and has a good impact. Extension is excellent. There are times when the impact is a little overwhelming, but overall I think the punchy sound is very enjoyable.
The presentation of the midrange is excellent. With some headphones, you can have too much bass drowning out the midrange. This is not the case here; the midrange keeps up with the bass. Unlike ajreynol though, I find no problem with the midrange.
As far as the highs go, I would prefer the A100’s instead of the D5000, but that’s just my personal preference. I would have to disagree with ajreynol’s statement that the wooden cups hurt the cans. I absolutely enjoy the high end of the spectrum with a little warmth.
I find the sound stage to be very good. I wasn't expecting much but I consider the sound stage to be pretty wide here. Listening to classical, instrument separation is something I value here and I find it perfect.
iPod
Connecting my cans to my 4th generation iPod and nano, I was amazed how much my ipods could drive these headphones. I was thoroughly impressed and as far as the sound goes, everything was there.
Conclusion
After spending a good amount of time with the A100, I am going to keep them. Would I have chosen the A100 again? Absolutely. If the D5000 and A100 were beside me, I would choose the A100 hands down.
Sound quality: A100 ~=D5000 >D2000
If you have any other specific questions, then please post them in the comments. I would be happy to answer them. And if you are in the bay area (south) and you want to try these headphones out, I wouldn’t mind hosting a small meetup.
Note: These are my thoughts using my ears and other denon headphones as a reference. I’ve only spent a week with them, so my opinion could change after a month (or two). Everyone has a different opinion. At the end of the day though, you determine what would be best for your ears.
