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  • Introduction

  • Comfort Design & Features

  • Audio Quality

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Frequency Response

  • Distortion

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Comfort Design & Features
  • Audio Quality
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Frequency Response
  • Distortion
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Comfort Design & Features

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Comfortable and durable, your investment sees a decent return.

If you're a fan of the classic look, the wood paneling on the backs of these rather large cans will appeal to you. The aluminum accents are a nice touch, as well as the two curved chrome rods that guide the band of the cans at the top of the ear cups. A lot went into making these cans stunning. These cans are also crazily durable, from the cloth weave around the cable, to the thick metal plug, to the rubber cord guards. Don't abuse your cans, but these can take it a little bit.

We've seen durable cables before, but this one is special.

We've seen durable cables before, but this one is special. With a cloth weave around a super-thick OFC cable, the {{product.name}}s should not let you down any time soon due to a faulty line in. This monstrosity meets both ear cups, as it has a neck split. If the cable is huge, the plug is massive. With a 1/4th inch jack, the end of the {{product.name}}'s cable is ensconced in aluminum and thick rubber to guard the already-durable cable from wear.

Plunking the Denon AH-D7000s on your head, you'll notice very quickly just how comfortable they are. They’re not quite as comfortable as the Audio Technica paddle system, but they’re extremely close. They don’t grip the skull that tightly, and they maintain a decent buffer between the pinna of your ear and the speaker element. Good job, Denon!

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Audio Quality

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Great audio quality, but not quite what you'd expect for the price.

Because these cans are designed more for listeners of music rather than the studio mixer in mind, the frequency response is naturally going to look a little bit different than just a flat line. For example, the {{product.name}}s stay within our ideal limits for a good range of frequencies, but they do boost some of the higher frequencies to emphasize cymbal shimmer a bit, and de-emphasize sibilants (f, s, sh sounds) in speech.

The shifts in channel preference weren’t terribly egregious.

Typically, we see high-end headphones give us a very even tracking response, but the Denon AH-D7000s did not. The shifts in channel preference weren’t terribly egregious, but the higher the frequencies went, the more error they seemed to reveal. Changes are good that you won’t be able to hear these errors right away, but if you know what you’re looking for, they may be audible.

Conclusion

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Great cans, but greatly expensive as well

If you’re looking for a set of cans that are high on style and offer a performance and coloration that are more suited to home use than mixing, the Denon AH-D7000 are not a bad bet for hi-fi entertainment at home. Durable and flashy, the Denon AH-D7000s should satisfy audiophile and audio-newbie alike, but you’ll certainly pay for the luxury.

Because these cans are not geared for the studio mixer in mind, the frequency response is a little more dynamic than some would hope for, but they stay well within our ideal limits, with some emphasis on the bass frequencies. Fans of older audio equipment will appreciate the coloration the Denons offer to the sound, as it is not the standard sterile, analytical output high-end cans typically give you.

All that being said, these cans aren’t for everyone. Especially for studio mixers or musicians (or anyone on a budget, for that matter). The high cost and dynamic response makes these a less than idel pick for anyone looking to equalize their output, and the low impedance makes for an interesting amping experience, to say the least. If you’re looking for best bang for your buck, there are certainly cheaper models out there with comparable or better performance, but none with the same design as the Denon AH-D7000s

Science Introduction

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We run our headphones through a grueling battery of tests, so our recommendations should carry a lot of weight. Not good enough? Here comes the science.

Frequency Response

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How well do these cans output the full range of audible sound?

While the response is slightly erratic with a few perplexing errors, only one error exceeds 10dB, and that one is in a very short range of frequencies, unlikely to be noticed at ~8.5kHz. For the rest, of the frequencies we see a fairly good result: lower frequencies are boosted about 5dB over the mean, and there is an impressive level of high harmonic frequencies preserved. They may not be ideal for mixing or anything, but they should do well in a pinch for music listening with an equalizer.

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Distortion

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Low distortion

There was 1% distortion from the Denon AH-D7000s, but nothing that would be noticeable to anybody listening. Audiophiles will be quick to point out that it isn’t distortion-free, however, but unless you’re a robot with high-sensitivity microphone ears, you will not be able to hear it. These headphones are also able to pump out 112.57dB of sound before hitting the magical 3% distortion mark (when you start to notice the distortion badly), but as always, we caution our readers to not listen to any music this loudly, because it’s not only ill-advised, but dangerous to your long-term listening health. Read up on Noise-Induced Hearing Loss to educate yourself about proper listening habits.

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Other Tests

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Meet the tester

Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas

Staff Writer, Imaging

@cthomas8888

A seasoned writer and professional photographer, Chris reviews cameras, headphones, smartphones, laptops, and lenses. Educated in Political Science and Linguistics, Chris can often be found building a robot army, snowboarding, or getting ink.

See all of Chris Thomas's reviews

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