The Japanese company Denon needs no introduction, since it has gained sufficient fame over its more than 100-year history, thanks to quality products and a scrupulous approach to working out the smallest details. The review features a mid- segment model featuring patented 50mm FreeEdge drivers that minimize diaphragm distortion for detailed and accurate sound.
Packaging and equipment
No-nonsense box: solid cardboard with a picture of the model and a listing of its features, including material and driver information. Inside the package, you will find the headphones themselves on a solid pedestal and their set:
- – 3 m braided cable
- – adapter from 3.5 mm to 6.3 mm jack
- – soft cloth bag
The wire is made of very high quality and is clearly designed for use in “sofa mode”, as its length hints at. A cable on 3.5 mm connectors without jumpers, proprietary connectors and other nonsense, for which a separate bow to the Japanese masters, who leave the user the right to choose without unnecessary troubles and many hours of searching for a suitable cable on the Internet.
Specifications
- – Emitter type: Dynamic
- – Acoustic design: Closed
- – Frequency response, Hz: 5-40000
- – Sensitivity, dB: 103
- – Maximum power mW: 1800
- – Resistance, Ohm: 24
Design and ergonomics
All Denons sit perfectly and do not feel at all on the head, which is achieved by correct ergonomics, high-quality materials and relatively low weight. The headband cushions are covered in soft leather and filled with memory foam for maximum comfort for full-size headphones .
Tactile materials are very pleasant and give the feeling of an expensive, well-made thing. Natural wood bowls and metal temples that snap into place with a pleasant light click create a cohesive and beautiful appearance for the headphones. Speaking of the temples, the thoughtfulness of the design is noticeable not only externally, but also functionally: the sliding mounts are engraved with numbers from 1 to 9, so that you can set the length as evenly as possible; the feature is optional, but such attention to detail is nice.
Bowls made of natural wood are a separate genre of aesthetics, since not every manufacturer can afford to add natural materials to the body of the device, due to the complexity of processing, whimsicality and, as a result, high cost. But the efforts are not in vain, and the appearance of your Denons will delight you even just being on the stand .
Sound
Stunning scene and detail are the first thoughts that pop up when listening to the Denon AH-D5200 . You don’t expect such information content from models under $ 1000, and this is a pleasant surprise. The bass is punchy, mud-free and very even. The middle is rich, and the top is soft and sonorous at the same time, there are no frequency joints, as well as embellishments. The frequency response feels as correct as possible, but still melodic enough to enjoy your favorite recordings, regardless of the sound engineer’s jambs. Each instrument is clearly audible, and their position feels as if you are right in front of the musicians.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Queens of the Stone Age and The Strokes are some of my favorite, and thus heard to the holes, performers, but these headphones have managed to bring a novelty and make them listen to their albums again. Thanks to the sensitivity and responsiveness of the driver, each part is worked out as flawlessly as the recording quality and mastering level allow. I also recommend paying attention to the latest Gorillaz album – The Now Now and to the classic Eagles – Hotel California , they perfectly fit the model’s requirements and unleash their full potential.
The model is not at all picky about the source and the amplifying path, even my FiiO X3 II , participating in tests to test the performance of headphones on the most primitive devices, was able to unleash the potential of the AH-D5200 , giving out juicy, intelligible and assertive sound, which in itself speaks of a lot. FiiO X7 II and Astell & Kern SP1000M gave an even clearer and more correct sound, but I repeat that for this model the source is not as critical as it is for the middle and upper segments.
Designed by Japanese engineers for the enjoyment of music, the Denon AH-D5200 is designed to fulfill its intended purpose. They are absolutely not picky in genres and give out a wonderful sound both on instrumental and electronic recordings; the main thing is that the track is correctly mixed and gives a sense of the stage.
Conclusion
I have not come across headphones for a long time, about which there is literally nothing to say in a negative way, especially given their not transcendental cost. The model certainly deserves attention. The only thing I regretted while writing the review was that it did not get to me earlier.
Denon AH-D5200 headphones are a must-have for listening regardless of genre and source, if you appreciate detailed sound, without embellishment and excessive linearity.
