Denon AH-D1000S Headphones (Silver)

Comment: I wanted a pair of headphones with a better mid-high range than my Bose. Thought I'd give these a shot since they weren't too expensive. The clarity is impressive. As I am sure you have read in some of the reviews the bass is lacking at first....but as the headphones break in the sound quality just gets better. If you are looking for a pair of headphones that are reasonably priced with a good range, these are them.

Comment: I've been searching for a decent pair of headphones for a while now, since December actually. After spending hours reading through reviews all over the place and comparing dozens upon dozens of headphones to one another I decided to go with the Denon AH-D1000S. (Don't be fooled by the Denon 10001K, these are the same headphones, only the 1000s don't come with a carrying case. Not worth the extra $50 in my opinion) I was originally going to go with the Denon AH-D2000s, however being in college and having taxes roll around, my wallet wasn't as fat as it once was, so I went with the 1000s and I am quite satisfied!

In the box:
Denon AH-D1000S headphones
6.3 mm (1/4-inch) plug adapter
11.5ft extension cable
users manual

Sound Quality:

The sound is quite impressive. The bass on these is excellent after burn in, the mid-range wasn't audiophile caliber but still awesome for this price, and the treble was also great. With the Denon's I've actually been able to notice stuff about my music I didn't know was there. They sound nice straight out of the box but get even better after you've worked them a while. I let my friend use them for a bit with her Zune and she handed them back a while later with the comment of "I could feel my brain vibrating! I must get a pair of these!" And she's quite picky about her audio. They really can blast out your music. As an example, when plugged into a MacBook Pro, the audio coming out of the Denon's at full volume is louder than the MacBook Pro's actual speakers. You'd go deaf if you listened to them at that volume.

Comfort:

I think wearing pillows on your ears might be more painful than these. I've had no problems with them sitting on my head for extended periods of time. Though I would like to mention that they go over my ear. The product description says they're on ear. My ears aren't that small, my ears are proportionate with my head, which is pretty normal sized too I think? (Hat size is between S and M on a "S, M, L, XL" scale) You can adjust the size of the Denon's and the smallest size fits perfectly on my head. And they cup my ears. Which I'm actually much happier about, I thought I should point it out though.

Build Quality:

I believe someone else gave them a build quality of 8/10? Yeah, I agree with that. However, someone else has commented they are flimsy. I don't really agree with that one. They are plastic people, they aren't going to survive in a war zone. But they aren't "break so much as look at them" kind of flimsy. You won't have to baby them or anything like it, but don't fling them around like they're made of metal. They aren't built like Superman, so yes, jerking them about by the cords will probably result in something bad after a while. Dropping them on concrete is also not a great idea. But from what I can tell, treat them fine and they're going to last just fine as well.

Overall:

Great headphones at a great price. What more can you ask for?

Comment: Musical, clean, good rhythm, comfortable.

Compared to SOTA, they do not suck, and at a fraction of the price of SOTA are a good value, hence five stars because of high value to price ratio.

Have been quite happy with Stax Electrostatic Headphones (or Earspeakers as they are called) for reference monitoring of 33 Bowls recording projects. With Tibetan (or Himalayan if you prefer) Singing Bowl recordings--- resolution, nuance, timing, space, "thereness" are essential characteristics; whether recording, or "just" enjoying. However, was looking for good enough cans for location recording that were not insanely expensive. These fit the bill quite well. They do not have that last degree of silky smooth resolution and "you are thereness" that Electrostats have, but are true to the music, comfortable, enjoyable. Just the right length of cord (plus extension and adapter included if needed).

Denon has a history of getting the ongaku, or soul or essence of music right more often than not at various price points, and the AH-D1000 is no exception.

Comment: I am a college music major in jazz studies. I do alot of transcribing and needed a pair of headphones that I could wear for hours straight. Not only are these the most comfortable heaphones I have ever owned, but they also have amazing sound quality. The fact that they are not noise canceling makes it easy for me to play along with recordings. I recommend this product to anyone, but if more to anyone who needs extended use.

Comment: I also owned the Sennheiser HD 580 and Beyerdynamics DT-880 for several years. I like the
sound of the Sennheiser HD 580 the best until I came across the Denon. Bass is strong and clear, the highs are detailed. The Beyerdynamics DT-880 is a disappointment for me. Not only it costs more than the
Sennheiser, it sounds flat to me. Even though the Beyerdynamics is highly
rated by [...], it does not sound good to my ears, even
after several years of listening to it.
I mostly listen to jazz, acoustic guitar and piano solo, and some rock.
The Denon AH-D1000S sounds every bit as good as the Sennheiser HD 580, and at a fraction of the cost. I got mine for $50 refurbished from Amazon. At that price, I got two of them, one for home and one for work. I ended up selling both the Sennheiser HD 580 and the Beyerdynamics DT-880 and still have enough money left to buy a low end Denon A/V receiver with HDMI.