Headphones: Denon DN-HP 1000 Complete Review

[Tarek]

NB: I am not paid by Denon nor am I affiliated with them.

I know this is a double thread, but I will ask a mod or someone to delete the other one, as this one will be the complete version.

Denon DN-HP 1000

Headphone Details:

Manufacturer Denon DJ
Model DN-HP 1000
Headphone Type Closed Circumaural
Headband Type Single
Weight (g) 320g
Driver Type Dynamic
Impedance (ohms) 36
Cable Length (cm) 1.2m flaccid
Frequency Response (Hz) 5 - 33000
Connector 3.5mm/6.3
MSRP US$200


Aesthetics



For a plastic headphone, this must be one of the toughest and sturdiest I have ever put on my head. All that is plastic is very firmly screwed in ( even small parts have screws, no lame plastic inserts like I've seen some headphones have.)

Denon must've heard about complaints of the MDR V-700 DJ and Pioneer HDJ-1000 swivel joints breaking after a few months of normal use, because this swivel joints are extremely sturdy, while at the same time the actual swiveling action is loose and easy to do. There is no spring kickback (good or bad, subjective. I honestly don't care).

The yokes connecting to the cups are equally thick and sturdy. I sense no loose movements between the cups and yokes.The wire feels thick and sturdy..not flimsy and thin and feels easily ripped like some headphones.



The padding on the cups I'm pretty sure is faux leather with foam inside. They're not as malleable as memory foam pads of course, but 99% of DJ cans use the faux leather/foam combo anyways. My ears fit completely inside, and I have fairly average to big ears. The only part that is not entirely inside the circular area between the driver and pad is part of the lobe. This is not an issue however for overall isolation.

Inside the actual cup (facing the pads) there is a thin fabric covering a holey metal cover (for the driver protection..some brands use plastic).



Now..what I really like about these headphones is the build of the cups. Really exceptional. Where the base of the drivers rest there is thick hard rubber piece that is placed on the contour of probably very hard plastic, and at the top, facing outwards there is a metal insignia of the brand. Very nice industrial design (again that's a subjective statement, some people may prefer minimalism or other types of designs)



The headband is also fairly thick.. but the transitional plastic that goes from the headband adjuster to the headband faux leather has to be the least sturdy part of the headphones (It's still very sturdy, just not as heavily as the rest of the headphone)

Inside the faux leather of the headband there is also thick hard plastic but that is considerably malleable in order to stretch onto many head sizes.



These headphones feature a stow-away mode (like many headphones..)..just bend the yokes inwards and in go the headphones ..into the bag..

Comfort

The headphones are pretty heavy. They are by no means headphones you can put on and forget about. But they do have a decent clamping force so that they don't fall off if you try to pick something off the floor ..however if you're the headbanger type they will certainly move around (at least on my head they will..I have a fairly big head..).

One thing I do have to say against the headphones is that the top parts of my ears touch the metal (through the thin fabric) and after a few hours it becomes uncomfortable to keep on.


Isolation

In terms of isolation, these fare extremely well, like a headphone dubbed DJ headphone should. Passive noise cancellation is achieved and surpassed. These should hold up against almost any amount of human speech, screaming, yelling. So if your girlfriend/wife is yelling at you..quietly slip these on and all's good. If the crowd is yelling at you to change track..quietly slip these on and all's good. If you just want silence between your ears and the music, slip these on and all's good. Isolation is definitely something this headphone wears well.


Sound

I have only tried these headphones with common sources, DAPs, Computers, and I have tried them on a heavily amplified Mackie 12 channel studio mixer.

Right out of the box...I was kind of disappointed with the bass. You have to feel sorry for me though, because I was only used to the shallow overpowering boom of crappy sub-30$ headphone bass and friends' skullcandies. But when I learned the real definition of bass...I was truly impressed. I had under-estimated these big time. The bass extends pretty damn low. What is great is that the bass is certainly not overpowering the mids or highs, but still can hit hard. The words would be Deep and Punchy

The highs are not too bright..I'd say they're "bright enough"..I can't stand sharp and shrill..
The mids are well married with the bass..

I would say though that the best listening experiences come from listening to Trance and Electronica..maybe some Industrial/Tech Metal....Some rap and hip-hop...
I have also tried some tracks by Immediate Music , such as Love and War, Angel Terreste, Lacrimosa, and Barbarians at the Gate....they all sound spectacular, especially at the big orchestral hits and breaks..

(Note: I listen to 320kbps LAME encoded mp3s)

When I got these though..I was blown away by the fact that I was hearing sounds I had never heard in earbuds or other headphones.

The only problem with this part of the review is that I don't have much experience with other high quality cans to have a frame of reference or comparison.


Overall

I'm very satisfied with my purchase, not only because the headphones are great, but because I think this introduced me to a better sound..to the fact that music does go beyond generic earphones and low quality headphones. Also the research done before buying this product enabled me to understand some basic audio engineering jargon.



As for the headphones themselves. They stay in great shape, they are sturdy as hell, very sexy modern industrial design, great revealing sound..great fun to listen to, except for the occasional discomfort after a few long hours.. . The only slight letdown may be the 200$ MSRP price..Of course, you can always look at online retailers who take as much as 60$ off (Guitarcenter, DJDeals..if you're able to handle it: Ebay)

[Wailo]

WoW Tarek you covered all the aspects about it, and you got me interested

Talking about the isolation and comfort aspect of the headphone, did you feel at anytime some kind of air pressure build up in your ears? specially when the volume is high?

Does it cause ears/head sides to get sweat?

Finally do you (or anyone) recommend a headphones with no less quality, but something I can put in my head and forget about? I can wear and still look formal? I can use indoor and outdoor?

[Tarek]

No I don't feel air pressure building up at all...not even when the volume is high..
As for sweat..when you're at home no..but I went and took a fast walk with them and yes, you do start to sweat with them..

Hmmm..you're gonna have to be more accurate than that..

Do you want to stick with full sized headphones? If you want to have it subtle..I would go with canalphones or in ear monitors...however there are small portable headphones that companies offer.

Such as these, which from many reviews say they are of great quality (sound and build quality wise. I can't really compare them to mine..because they're two separate categories..

Audio Technica ES7



They're MSRP is at 169 US dollars..of course if you search around you can get for way cheaper than that..

Or these...




But see I'm just throwing things out there..what exactly would be the type of headphone you'd look for..and where does the "formality" limit reach to?


(btw: Denons are renowned for their sounding good at bass-dependent genres ..like trance ..)

[Tarek]

Oh! And how could I forget..these are very famous amongst audio enthusiasts for being the best bang for the buck at under 50$

The Koss PortaPros with lifetime warranty..Apparently these are also good for bass dependent genres.

[Wailo]

My last one I had was like this, it worked well for me. Just gave Denon site a quick look, unfortunately, they don't do such sleek ones.. but maybe you would recommend other manufactures, from your experience...

Also, wanted to ask for a feedback (if possible) about the DN-HP 1000 with 5.1 materials and high end games? how well defined is the sound? does it sound like a true surrounding (5.1) quality or just a "widened" stereo?

[Tarek]

Hmmm..so you would rather the "street style" (what the behind the ears are referred to as..)

You're better off sticking with Sony or if you don't mind the clip-ons (the ones without the band in the back..but instead wrap around your ears)..there's some audio technica stuff and the Koss KSC-75 (which has the same reputation as the PortaPro above [because it has the same drivers])

I really like using this Wizard for finding what I like though..

Headphone Reviews :: Headphone Selection Wizard

[Holy Cow]

I'd like to add my opinion on the Denon headphones. They were the first headphones that I ever purchased. Sound quality, they're great, but they break easily. I maybe use them once a week. I ended up breaking 2 pairs in 2 years. First set was under warranty, and the second time they were not. I'm not rough them whatsoever, so I just don't think they're very durable. I now use the Technics and have had them for 3 years now. Still working great and don't show any signs of breaking.