Pugwash News - Portsmouth's Official Student Newspaper

9]

The Denon AH-D1001′s are medium sized, over the head style closed back headphones. They are available in black or silver, and priced at around £90.

They have a 1.5m lead with a chunky gold 3.5mm jack (compatible with first gen iPhones with recessed jack). They also come with a nice soft case, a 1.7m extension cord and 6.3mm adapter for connecting to hi-fi systems.

Design wise, they are quite simple and whilst not the most solidly constructed, they feel adequate and the cord has a rubbery texture and feels like it would last a while, plus it doesn’t seem to tangle easily.

Sound quality wise, these headphones are fantastic for under £100, and definitely a huge step up from the typical Sony/Skullcandy ones generally found in the sub-£50 range. Bass is well controlled and deep, without becoming overly muddy and boomy. Mid range is nice and clear with guitars coming through nicely, and the highs are nice and crisp. Soundstage is excellent for closed headphones. They are quite sensitive (32 ohms) so work fine straight out of an iPod or laptop. You do need to have good quality music through these headphones, preferably 192kbps MP3 at a minimum, otherwise you will not hear the detail.

Comfort wise, the ear pads and headband are very soft and you can listen for hours without any discomfort. They are not overly big and I would feel comfortable going out and about wearing these headphones. Isolation is decent but not a strong point; during quieter passages of music you can just about hear the outside world. When music is turned up very loud, people around you may be able to hear what you are listening to if in close proximity. However, these are much better than similar open back headphones (especially Grados, which leak everything!)

Overall, these headphones offer great value and are highly recommended, just make sure you have some good quality music going through them and your ears will be rewarded!