I’m a big fan of high-end headphones and jumped at the opportunity to review Denon’s C820 ear candy. Just the specs alone made me want to pull up my most sublime musical selections.

What is it?

The Denon C820s are “dual-air compression” dual wired earbud type headphones that fit snugly and deliver sweet, sweet music into your ear-holes.

Hardware Specs

• Impedance – 16 ohm
• Sensitivity – 115 dB/mW
• Frequency response – 4-40,000 (Hz).
• Maximum power input – 250 mW
• Weight – 10.4 g (not including cable)
• Aluminum, die-cast resin construction

What’s in the Box?

• C820 Headphones
• Rubbery earphone holder
• Four extra ear tip pairs of various sizes
• Instruction manual
• Cord clip

Design and features

The C820 headphones arrived in blue and white boxing nestled into a rubbery-feeling holder. A number of different size ear tips are included.

I tried several pairs and decided the default memory-foam ones were the most comfortable and provided the best sound isolation. I was a little worried that the angled metal bits that the cords connect to would cause some discomfort, but I was pleasantly surprised. No problem there. Please excuse my scruff.

The cords are heavy duty and should hold up well for years of being tossed into my pockets or day bag. These headphones FEEL sturdy. They are metal and have some decent heft to them. Rapid head movements might make them pop out, but I had no troubles even when using them while mowing the lawn. I used the cord clip for a bit of added security, Good sound isolation means I can keep the sound at a safe level even with the mower blades engaged. The 1/8″ stereo jack is narrow enough to fit into most cases without the need of an adapter.

I pulled up a relatively eclectic parcel of tunes. Music of the Koto, Eric Clapton, Handel’s Messiah, and Kenji Kawai’s “Making of a Cyborg” from the 1995 Ghost in the Shell anime film were a few of my choices.

These headphones are impressive. Even at reasonable volumes the bass booms. In fact, I had an odd sensation during a particularly bass-filled passage. The specs indicate full spectrum sound down to 4Hz and Denon wasn’t kidding. These headphones produce sound you can feel. You know that sternum-vibrating bass you feel when you go to a live concert? These headphones gave me that bass-shaking felling in my ears that I expected to feel it in my torso. Delicious!

Treble is also well-represented with crystal-clear highs. I was easily able to pick out tiny details featuring the triangle in the percussion section of orchestral pieces.

Great sound, tough construction, and good sound isolation, what more could one ask?

What I like

• Metal construction
• Tough cords
• Extremely wide frequency response
• Comfortable

What needs to be improved?

• Nothing. These headphones are works of art.

Final thoughts

While testing these headphones, I accidentally bumped the volume bar while listening to Family Force 5’s “Put Ur Hands Up.” I actually scared myself! I felt the same way I did as a kid when I visited the stereo section in the department store and turned on a stereo to find someone had spun the volume knob all the way to the upper limit and everyone in the entire store knew some unsuspecting chump had punk’d.

I’ve been a long-time fan of balanced-armature headphones with their flat frequency curves, luscious bass, and crisp highs. For many years my Etymotic ER-4 headphones have been my go-to choice. I believe Denon’s C820 headphones with their comfortable fit and “dual air-compression” drivers may have usurped my beloved ER-4s as my new audio buddy.

Price: $159.00 and worth every penny
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Denon.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds

Denon C820 Dual-Driver In-Ear Headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 18, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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I’ve traveled extensively throughout my varied careers and learned a long time ago that if something is too large to be easily carried, it will ultimately be left behind for smaller versions. As a result, I’ve opted for the smallest, lightest weight devices I can lay my hands on, sometimes sacrificing higher quality.

With balanced armature headphones, I quickly learned that smaller headphones did not mean I would have to sacrifice audio quality.

Since buying my first pair of balanced armature headphones, Etymotic’s ER-6, back in 2005, I’ve been hooked. Unlike conventional headphones that use a miniature speaker, in balanced armature headphones, a coil of fine wire is wrapped around a central spindle (armature).  The armature is suspended between two magnets and the audio signal causes the armature to move inside the magnetic field, the sound. The architecture permits tiny drivers that can fit into the ear canal, but still produce a very wide frequency range, relatively flat frequency response and very low distortion. I’ve never turned back, even purchasing a pair of Etymotic ER-4 headphones which I have used as the standard for what headphones are supposed to sound like for almost $600 in 2008

I jumped at the chance to review Brainwavz B200 in-ear earphones and I am so thankful I did! They arrived in an understated black box with red highlights. Inside, a form-fitting plastic tray housed a swanky black and red storage case encasing the headphones, a slurry of ear tips, clothing clip, instructions and the obligatory silica gel to keep the goodies dry.

I pulled the headphones from the packaging with the default ear tips and jammed them into my skull, draping the cables behind my ears. They fit remarkably well and I was very pleased to find excellent isolation from ambient sounds.  I tried several other ear tips to ensure the best fit. The best at isolating ambient sound was a pair of red “memory foam” but I found the default pair was the most comfortable for me.

The audio plug on the cord end is angled. This might make it difficult to plug into some of the narrower sockets without an adapter.

Next, I chose a playlist that included Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Billy Joel, Evanescence, Family Force 5, Frank Sinatra, Guns N’ Roses, James Taylor, Jars of Clay, Louis Armstrong, Ottorino Respighi’s Pines and Fountains of Rome, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd,  Regina Spektor, Skillet, and TobyMac. I chose these artists because they represent a wide variety of musical styles, volume levels, and potential tastes.

The sound from these headphones is nothing short of superb. Bass is rich and luxurious, wonderfully clear. There were no distortions or harmonic buzzing. The bass was so clear, it made me think I was attending a live concert, but without the ear-ringing and sternum vibrating.  I dare say that the bass rivals my $600 Etymotic ER4s.

Highs were crystal clear – think of the clinking of fine lead crystal stemware clear.  Even subtle passages with quiet piccolo or triangle tones were beautifully reproduced.

Mid-range was balanced, and luscious, to the point that if I closed my eyes, I could almost picture myself in the same room with the recording artists. Beautiful.

The audio from the Brainwavz B200 headphones is spectacular, fit is comfortable and construction is first-rate. The only problem I encountered during the review is that when asking my wife to listen to them, her response after 10 seconds of listening was, “These are mine!” I think she’s going to have trouble getting me to give them up.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Brainwavz Audio. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Earbuds

Brainwavz B200 Balanced Armature earbuds review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 9, 2017 at 9:02 am.

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