Denon AH-D1100

In the era of celebrity-endorsed, highly stylized (we're looking at you, Monster), there are still manufacturers like Denon that command similarly high prices for what appear to be very simple headphone designs. The $199.99 (list) Denon AH-D1100 is a lightweight, circumaural (around-the-ear) headphone set with a very plain aesthetic. Its audio performance is spectacular, however, giving one the impression that the bulk of what you're paying for is the sound you get, not glitz or gimmicks, and it's a reassuring feeling. The sound signature offers a serious serving of bass, yet feels smooth and natural, and the headphones are comfortable even for long listening periods.

Design

The AH-D1100 features all-black ear cups with faux leather pads that seal around the ears. The Denon logo is the only hint of a design flourish, painted in metallic silver on the black earpieces. The headband is cushioned with black faux leather along the inside of the top area, and silver-colored plastic connects the ear cups to the band. The cable is 4.3 feet in length and terminates in a 3.5mm jack (ideal for use with MP3 players), and it comes with a 1/4-inch adapter for components. Unfortunately, the cable is hard-wired, so if it ever has issues, you'll have to send the headphones in for repair rather than swap the cables out, like you can with the ($449.95, 4 stars). Hardwired cables are not uncommon, unfortunately. What is uncommon is that Denon includes an extension cable, 11.5 feet in length, which makes listening to a home theater setup while lounging on your nearby couch a much easier prospect.

The housing for the 50mm drivers in each ear are made of a "machined aluminum and resin" material—significant only because the headphones produce enough bass to truly rumble, and this material purportedly helps prevent vibration. Whether the material is to thank or not, the seriously deep bass response does not seem to cause in any vibration issues with the AH-D1100.

Performance

Our HEAD Acoustics frequency response tests provide an excellent visual for what is obvious upon first listen: these headphones pack serious low-end. Unlike the Beats line, the bass doesn't seem to be boosted to subwoofer-challenging levels, but it's definitely intense. Compared to the ($149.95, 3.5 stars), I much prefer the Denon AH-D1100's low-end response, which sounds much smoother. Where Bose delivers a relatively mild response from 50Hz-100Hz but lets things rip below 50Hz in truly deep bass territory, Denon offers a full, smooth boost across the entire frequency range—for a visual representation of this, check out our slideshow graphs. As a result, things in the lower registers sound less sculpted and more natural than they do on the Bose AE2.

On orchestral music, like "The Chairman Dances" by John Adams, lower register stringed instruments have beautiful depth without things getting overly exaggerated or gaudy, and percussion has a low-end impact and spatial presence that most earphones (meaning in-ear-canal models) cannot come close to reproducing. The high frequencies are clear and precise, and never feel unbalanced compared to the undeniable presence of the lows. Whether you're listening to rock, rap, classical, jazz, or folk music, the AH-D1100 seems to compliment it every time. Guitars have a lovely resonance without sounding too bass-heavy and vocals are always clear. Occasionally, I wanted to hear a bit more high-end presence in a singer's voice, like Bill Callahan's on the Smog song, "Say Valley Maker", but the overall frequency response is very enjoyable and complimentary.

Bose's AE2 is $50 less expensive and offers similar comfort, but there's a significant drop in audio performance. It's the most comparable headphone pair to come out recently, so the question becomes: are you willing to spend more for a more enjoyable audio experience? The AE2 is by no means a slouch, but the Denon AH-D1100 stands out. With minimal flaws, which have little or nothing to do with audio performance, it earns our Editors' Choice for sub-$200 headphones.

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