Denon AH-C452K In-Ear Hybrid Headphone

I bought these headphones to replace my old ones (Sennheiser CX300). My CX300s were durable and I had them for a solid 3 years. I don't consider myself a hardcore audiophile, but I do believe I know my fair share about in-ear headphones. I have used the Shure E2C, the Bose TriPort, and the V-Moda Bass Freq headphones in the past few years. Not only is the Denon AH-C452K the best out of this bunch, it is LEAPS AND BOUNDS ahead of the competition. I guess Denon just never advertised these headphones that well, which is a shame considering the impeccable quality. In this review, I am going to compare the Denon's to the aforementioned headphones.
The bass response is not tinny at all in the Denons. It is actually very smooth and tight. The acoustic optimizer really makes the lows powerful yet sharp. It does feel like little subs in each ear...it's sweet!
Shure E2C: The Denon is much better in this department. The one thing I noticed about the E2's is that the bass is not...Read more

When I first used these headphones, I was at home and plugged into my stereo system. Let me put it this way, when I blasted Superpower by KMFDM, I took them off immediately because I thought the main speakers and sub were still on in the background. Unbelievable, the clarity and bass out of these headphones. I'm still in amazement as to how you can get so much perfection out of such small headphones.

I've tried Shure E2C, Bose TriPort and Sennheiser CX300 before, but none come close to the Denon's. The Shure sounded awful with its highs and zero bass, the Bose was ok, but horrible fit. I thought I liked the Sennheisers, they served me the longest (14 months), but after I got the Denon's, what was I thinking? The highs are much more clear on the Denon's and the bass is just crisp and strong. The CX300 sounds muffed, and just unable to keep with the bass when the volume is past mid.

I can't believe I was hesitant at first to get the Denon's because of lack of...Read more

I've always been a fan of over-the-ear headphones. My pair recently broke, so time to find another set of headphones. I tried a set of noise canceling headphones, and they worked well, but the fit over my ears made them painful after a few hours. The active noise reduction didn't work all that well.

So I was in search of something "different". I decided based on information I read that in-ear headphones may be a better choice for me both to help reduce outside noise, and gave the best sound quality. I'm not disappointed. The bass rivals even the large subwoofer systems in movie theaters. Highs are clear and crisp, mids are nicely balanced. They're worth every penny of their price. They're really a budget item in their class, since most in-canal phones will lighten your wallet to the tune of more than $200.

---- Pros:


* Powerful bass response. These tiny headphones sound huge.
* Blocks outside nose more effectively than some active...Read more