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Hey all...DavidMahler here
I've never yet reviewed a pair of Denon headphones, but those who know my headphone story, know that Denon's line is very close to my heart, being the first brand that I became acquainted with.
Here is my review on the Denon AH-D1100:
Denon’s AH-D1100 is a wonderful headphone offering both punchy warmth and superior detail retrieval in a portable closed-back design.
THE FIT & FINISH
The AH-D1100 is an extremely comfortable headphone to wear. They are noticeably light considering the size and offer a well-padded over-the-ear design. They manage to passively block out a fair amount of outside noise, but are not active noise cancellers. The earcups swivel to allow for easy storage. Thankfully, Denon includes a carrying pouch for storage and traveling purposes, making the Denon a very fine choice for those looking for a great over-ear for their portable player. The D1100s can deliver ear-splitting volumes directly out of the iPod. Denon does however include a ¼ inch adapter for those looking to listen out of headphone amplifier or home receiver. If I had any complaints, it would be that the D1100 has a less-than-rugged feel about them. This may have to do with how light the headphone is in proportional to its size.
I have mixed feelings regarding the cable. I appreciate that Denon considered making the attached cable rather short in length (about 5 feet) while including an extension cable for those opting for a non-portable setup. What I do wish however was that the cable was one sided rather than a y-split design. I prefer this for anything which I use portably. I also wish that the connector plug were a right angle plug since overtime, a straight connector plug can stress out the standard minijack.
ALL ABOUT THE SOUND…
The AH-D1100 possesses a truly emphasized punchy bass response which, for the most part, does not impose itself on the rest of the frequency spectrum. This is the hallmark of a bass heavy, audiophile-grade headphone which will please the majority of bass-heads. The midrange is just slightly recessed leaving the vocals a little more backward than I prefer. Fortunately, the midrange is very natural sounding without any perceivable odd peaks or dips. The highs are not overly aggressive, but can present a slight amount of fatigue with bright recordings or excessive cymbal-work. Fortunately the headphones are not overly sibilant and because of the treble’s presentation, this closed back design does not suffer from the often muffled/unnatural tonality which plagues a fair number of closed back headphones, even at higher prices. It is worth mentioning that the placement of the ear cups in relation to the ear, may have a drastic effect on the rendering of the treble region.
Listening to The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” I was really struck by the awesome pound (not thud) of the drums as they entered. There’s a lot of well recorded instrumentation on this record and I often use it to evaluate the instrument placement and soundstage properties of specific headphones. Using the D1100, every instrument is easily detectable – the centered 12-string guitar; the electric and acoustic guitar embellishments; the cymbal with phaser and flanger; the stereo splash and ride cymbals; the electric guitar in the left channel which offers a counterpoint to the main riff at the beginning of the second run-through of the sequence; the rattlesnake-like shakers, the Hammond organ; and of course the bass which was rendered by the D1100 a bit forward, but still very well.
What a lot of headphones miss is the well hidden metronome all throughout the opening. This metronome is clearly audible when using headphones that are “up to snuff”. The AH-D1100 is certainly able to demonstrate the metronome hidden in the background. What’s interesting about this is I’ve encountered very few headphones with as much bass impact which were capable of showing the metronome as evidently as the D1100. When the vocal drops in, I do wish for a hint more presence at around 1khz-2khz and I find that the mid bass beginning at around 100 Hz is, if not intrusive, just a bit more impactful than I would prefer. The tonality is not specifically muddy, largely due to the slightly forward treble presentation. At times the treble doesn’t sound forward due to the bass’s emphasis which is easily of greater amount than the treble. The vocals sound crisp and clear, with a fair amount of weight. My main criticism has to do with vocal placement, rather than tonality – I feel they are bit more backward than I prefer. But I do feel the AH-D1100 succeed in presenting an overall fun tonality that many audiophiles would appreciate.
Listening to Jay-Z’s “Forever Young” I found the tonal balance to be spot on; more complimentary than all the celebrity-endorsed, hip-hop centric headphones I’ve tried. The musical backdrop felt more lifelike and I was pleased to hear the singing vocal left/right delay so easily. The rapping itself had great presence and felt more forward to me the vocals did on Hotel California – presumably because of the mix itself.
Listening to the thick vocal harmonies which open Kansas’s “Carry on Wayward Son”, I was impressed with how the D1100 rendered the layers of voices when compared with far more expensive models. Each harmony was easy to hear and place. The treble became problematic for me once the cymbals kicked in, a bit too much sizzle in the 5Khz region. On the flipside I was able to hear the acoustic guitar parts over the verse, which is not typically as audible. If I were going to use this as my main rock and metal headphone, I would keep an eye on the volume. I believe the sizzle in the treble region which seems very sensitive to crash cymbals could become fatiguing over long listening periods.
Time for a little jazz…Listening to Dave Holland’s “Juggler’s Parade”, I was astounded by the quality of sound. Keep in mind that this track is by far the most well recorded track I’ve auditioned thus far. The kick and deep bass tones had great weight here, maybe a little too much, but still of a high quality. The cymbals here were not overly brilliant and therefore much more enjoyable. The transients of the vibraphone and snare were easily distinguishing even during very intense passages. Great sound!
LAST WORD…
Denon has long been one of the most established names in closed-back design full size headphones. The AH-D1100 continues the line of excellent closed-back headphones for Denon. A deep, punchy bottom end will make the D1100 an excellent choice for bass lovers, but the overall tonal balance will please a variety of demanding audiophiles. Highly recommended!
I've never yet reviewed a pair of Denon headphones, but those who know my headphone story, know that Denon's line is very close to my heart, being the first brand that I became acquainted with.
Here is my review on the Denon AH-D1100:
Denon’s AH-D1100 is a wonderful headphone offering both punchy warmth and superior detail retrieval in a portable closed-back design.
THE FIT & FINISH
The AH-D1100 is an extremely comfortable headphone to wear. They are noticeably light considering the size and offer a well-padded over-the-ear design. They manage to passively block out a fair amount of outside noise, but are not active noise cancellers. The earcups swivel to allow for easy storage. Thankfully, Denon includes a carrying pouch for storage and traveling purposes, making the Denon a very fine choice for those looking for a great over-ear for their portable player. The D1100s can deliver ear-splitting volumes directly out of the iPod. Denon does however include a ¼ inch adapter for those looking to listen out of headphone amplifier or home receiver. If I had any complaints, it would be that the D1100 has a less-than-rugged feel about them. This may have to do with how light the headphone is in proportional to its size.
I have mixed feelings regarding the cable. I appreciate that Denon considered making the attached cable rather short in length (about 5 feet) while including an extension cable for those opting for a non-portable setup. What I do wish however was that the cable was one sided rather than a y-split design. I prefer this for anything which I use portably. I also wish that the connector plug were a right angle plug since overtime, a straight connector plug can stress out the standard minijack.
ALL ABOUT THE SOUND…
The AH-D1100 possesses a truly emphasized punchy bass response which, for the most part, does not impose itself on the rest of the frequency spectrum. This is the hallmark of a bass heavy, audiophile-grade headphone which will please the majority of bass-heads. The midrange is just slightly recessed leaving the vocals a little more backward than I prefer. Fortunately, the midrange is very natural sounding without any perceivable odd peaks or dips. The highs are not overly aggressive, but can present a slight amount of fatigue with bright recordings or excessive cymbal-work. Fortunately the headphones are not overly sibilant and because of the treble’s presentation, this closed back design does not suffer from the often muffled/unnatural tonality which plagues a fair number of closed back headphones, even at higher prices. It is worth mentioning that the placement of the ear cups in relation to the ear, may have a drastic effect on the rendering of the treble region.
Listening to The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” I was really struck by the awesome pound (not thud) of the drums as they entered. There’s a lot of well recorded instrumentation on this record and I often use it to evaluate the instrument placement and soundstage properties of specific headphones. Using the D1100, every instrument is easily detectable – the centered 12-string guitar; the electric and acoustic guitar embellishments; the cymbal with phaser and flanger; the stereo splash and ride cymbals; the electric guitar in the left channel which offers a counterpoint to the main riff at the beginning of the second run-through of the sequence; the rattlesnake-like shakers, the Hammond organ; and of course the bass which was rendered by the D1100 a bit forward, but still very well.
What a lot of headphones miss is the well hidden metronome all throughout the opening. This metronome is clearly audible when using headphones that are “up to snuff”. The AH-D1100 is certainly able to demonstrate the metronome hidden in the background. What’s interesting about this is I’ve encountered very few headphones with as much bass impact which were capable of showing the metronome as evidently as the D1100. When the vocal drops in, I do wish for a hint more presence at around 1khz-2khz and I find that the mid bass beginning at around 100 Hz is, if not intrusive, just a bit more impactful than I would prefer. The tonality is not specifically muddy, largely due to the slightly forward treble presentation. At times the treble doesn’t sound forward due to the bass’s emphasis which is easily of greater amount than the treble. The vocals sound crisp and clear, with a fair amount of weight. My main criticism has to do with vocal placement, rather than tonality – I feel they are bit more backward than I prefer. But I do feel the AH-D1100 succeed in presenting an overall fun tonality that many audiophiles would appreciate.
Listening to Jay-Z’s “Forever Young” I found the tonal balance to be spot on; more complimentary than all the celebrity-endorsed, hip-hop centric headphones I’ve tried. The musical backdrop felt more lifelike and I was pleased to hear the singing vocal left/right delay so easily. The rapping itself had great presence and felt more forward to me the vocals did on Hotel California – presumably because of the mix itself.
Listening to the thick vocal harmonies which open Kansas’s “Carry on Wayward Son”, I was impressed with how the D1100 rendered the layers of voices when compared with far more expensive models. Each harmony was easy to hear and place. The treble became problematic for me once the cymbals kicked in, a bit too much sizzle in the 5Khz region. On the flipside I was able to hear the acoustic guitar parts over the verse, which is not typically as audible. If I were going to use this as my main rock and metal headphone, I would keep an eye on the volume. I believe the sizzle in the treble region which seems very sensitive to crash cymbals could become fatiguing over long listening periods.
Time for a little jazz…Listening to Dave Holland’s “Juggler’s Parade”, I was astounded by the quality of sound. Keep in mind that this track is by far the most well recorded track I’ve auditioned thus far. The kick and deep bass tones had great weight here, maybe a little too much, but still of a high quality. The cymbals here were not overly brilliant and therefore much more enjoyable. The transients of the vibraphone and snare were easily distinguishing even during very intense passages. Great sound!
LAST WORD…
Denon has long been one of the most established names in closed-back design full size headphones. The AH-D1100 continues the line of excellent closed-back headphones for Denon. A deep, punchy bottom end will make the D1100 an excellent choice for bass lovers, but the overall tonal balance will please a variety of demanding audiophiles. Highly recommended!
