Denon AH-C452K In-Ear Hybrid Headphone

by Denon

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 1.4 x 7.9 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001EV84QQ
• Item model number: AH-C452K
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

In-ear Headphone, with hybrid, polymer and aluminum housing. This headphone incorporates a new angled shape for greater comfort and fit into the ear. Denon's Acoustic Optimizer provides for better base response. The unit includes 3 sizes of ear pads, a soft carrying case and extension cable. iPhone/Touch compatible this is a GREAT VALUE for a high performance headphone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Diamond in the Rough. Best Headphones Money Can Get!, January 16, 2009

By 

George P. Burdell "The Baydestrian" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Denon AH-C452K In-Ear Hybrid Headphone (Electronics)

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 nearly as powerful as in these. The Shure's lows are just as smooth, but these headphones truly bring that extra thump.
Bose Triport: bass is mediocre is both power and smoothness.
V-Moda Bass Freqs: known as a bass heavy unit. they DO have more power than the Denons, but it is really not smooth at all. Personally, I thought the Bass Freqs bass was too powerful, in that it disallowed the listener to hear the details of a song.

As far as mids and highs go, this is where Shure has been known as the industry leader, and Denon really stepped it up in this department. I heard details and little snares in drums I hadn't heard on my desktop 5.1 system. It was amazing. I'd go as far as to say the highs and mids rival those of Shure. It is so much better than the Tri-Port and Bass Freqs in this department, I'm not even going to waste my time elaborating. Basically the mids and highs are crisp and SOO clear. I thought I had on a pair of Shures.

Miscellaneous:
This is really the only region where the Denons "falter". All in all, I think the Denon's are the best value headphones on the market, bar none.
Sound quality, bass response, etc. It is the consummate "total package". If I had to choose one complaint though, it would have to be with the pathetic size of the headphone cable. Yeah, they give you an extension cable, but it's still kind of annoying. It's just a pet peeve, and it's the only reason I have this unit 4 stars. Like other reviewers have noted, you get used to it after a while, but it's still w/e.
(Note: make sure you use the right size ear mounts. I first used the default medium sized buds, and the sound sounded so tinny with no bass at all. Then I switched to the small buds Denon provided, which were a better fit, and the quality switched from night to day. Especially with these headphones, you have to put them IN your ear and make sure the fit is right to truly experience the magic.)

In summary, The Denon AH C452-K headphones are some of the best headphones around that rival the 300-600 Shures, Etymotics, Bose, etc. Get them, plain and simple. They just suffer from a lack of brand recognition....for now. They really are a diamond in the rough, and for this price range, it's almost unbelievable.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best In-Ear Headphones, period., January 6, 2009

By 

B. Kateeb - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Denon AH-C452K In-Ear Hybrid Headphone (Electronics)

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 reviews online. For this price, you simply get the best set of headphones. Actually, I'm shocked these don't cost $150. Denon has sets in that price range, I can only image their goodness.

As with all online headphone purchases, only buy from reputable places because fakes are everywhere.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best headphones I have experienced., November 14, 2008

By 

Michael Raiford - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Denon AH-C452K In-Ear Hybrid Headphone (Electronics)

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 noise canceling headphones
* Comfortable. You'll hardly notice they're there while wearing them.

---- Cons:


* Extremely short cord. If you use these at work to plug into your computer, get an extension cable. The extension included adds some length, but not much.

* Can be a bit tricky to get a proper seal, which is important for proper sound response and noise blocking.

* Due to the design of the headphones sounds from bumping the cable will be transmitted to your ears, making them unsuitable for someone wanting headphones for running/jogging. They'll also cause breathing sounds, chewing, coughing, etc to become amplified due to the fact they they're basically ear plugs. These are inherent to the in-ear design, and will happen with any in-ear headphone.

* A fine-mesh screen protects the driver, I suspect in time this will become clogged with earwax and occlude the sound.

---- The bottom line:

An excellent value. Superior bass performance and good noise blocking. Great for the office or a plane trip.