Denon Globe Cruiser AH-W200 Overview

Pros

 Clean lower end
 Cleanse upper sign up

Negatives

 Poor/inconsistent wireless link
 A bit uncomfortable in shape
 Sign distortion

Introduction

On the subject of know-how, cutting the cord is something we’ve fantasized about basically due to the fact we initial plugged in. Lately, this growing travel to unshackle from our devices has manifested a few of the tech industry’s most vibrant and innovative new gear. From omniscient telephones and miniaturized transportable jukeboxes to augmented actuality glasses, our thirst for improved and smarter wireless technology is seemingly unquenchable.

Not surprisingly, Denon has honed in on this trend with its newest line of headphones. The new AH-W200 World Cruiser Bluetooth headphones (made available at $180), are an try to deliver a completely new level of ease and flexibility to wi-fi in-ear headsets. In position of the wired dongle, Denon has embedded hardware and controls right to the W200’s earpieces, creating a aspect packed, autonomous halo of seem.

Still, as with any new unit, you can find obstacles to overcome. We questioned just how effectively stuffing all of that technologies into a cramped space would perform. And more importantly, would there be any room remaining about for many first rate audio? We just lately strapped around the W200 for just a complete exam to search out out. Here’s what occurred.
From the box

Opening the W200’s book-shaped box discovered two black and silver earpieces laying in tricky foam, tethered together by one rubberized cable. Instantly undeeath the headphones was a thin, black carrying situation using a clip-on carabiner, a offer of silicone and foam ear strategies, a mini USB to USB charging cable, an airline adaptor, plus a proprietary headphone cable.
Capabilities and design and style

The W200’s style and design is form of clunky for the fashionable piece of gear, nevertheless not in contrast to most of its competitiveness during this place. People that shied from early technology Bluetooth contacting gadgets because of their “look-at-me-I’m-a-techy” vibe will most likely obtain Denon’s duo of cumbersome earpieces equally unappealing. Fortunately, the headset isn't going to consist of the incessant blinking LED individuals early equipment did.

denon ah w200 world cruiser wi-fi in ear headphone silicone ear tip driver ear hook symbol front

Each of the W200’s twin earpieces consists of a thick mildew of curved plastic, adoed with a silver reflective plate, and capped using a rubberized control button. The button within the appropriate earpiece controls ability, pairing, and play/pause, even though the remaining button controls fundamental connect with capabilities. The rubberized arm with the top rated hugs the ear and loops right down to attach the headset’s silver earbuds. Each and every earbud slides up and down with a telescopic tube that extends within the arm, and rotates about forty five degrees over the horizontal axis for adjustment. The guidelines extending from the beveled earbuds residence relatively massive eleven.5mm dynamic motorists.

As described previously mentioned, Denon has packed every one of the W200’s components and controls in the earpieces on their own, using the right earpiece taking on a lot of the heavy lifting. Apart within the ability button and two quantity handle buttons, the earpiece also houses the proprietary port for hardwiring for your device, the charging port, as well as the pinpoint microphone, positioned over the bottom edge. A small LED about the earpiece suggests states of charging, electrical power, and pairing with shades of red, purple, and blue respectively.

Even though we applaud the hassle to centralize manage, we uncovered applying the onboard buttons though wearing the headset an inconvenience, specifically thumbing within the again of our ears for your volume buttons. Utilizing our iphone for handle was a lot easier, and since the headset gave us a very low number of procedure (10-15 ft) we were being never ever removed from our machine in any case.

The W200 pairs effortlessly by holding down the power button, at which point it results in being available as part of your device’s Bluetooth menu. The headset employs the comparatively current Bluetooth version three.0 which features fast signal transference with low power output, permitting the W200 to provide a moderate 5 several hours of playtime for every charge. Nonetheless, as we have found, there's additional to some clear and steady wireless relationship than adopting the most recent protocol.

The ultimate “link” during the W200 chain could be the vinyl cable that connects the earpieces. Nevertheless it’s a essential evil, we wished it had been adjustable plus much more versatile. Residing in the Northwest, our every day uniform of cumbersome collars and hooded jackets usually collided while using the wire, dislodging the earbuds from their seal. In spite of a T-shirt on, merely increasing the pinnacle can at times lead to the cable to catch in opposition to your neck.
Ease and comfort

Receiving the W200 to fit accurately about the ears can be a time consuming affair, under no circumstances head obtaining the earbuds thoroughly situated within the ear canal. After a bit of follow, we had been ready to choose the headset on and off with relative relieve; and it had been fairly comfy when set up, if not a bit uncomfortable. Continue to, the earbuds created our ears very sore right after an hour or so or two.
General performance

As we have arrive at hope from Denon, there may be a good deal to like about exactly what the W200 present sonically — when they operate adequately, anyway. We examined these headphones making use of a significant choice of musical genres from our catalog on our apple iphone five (by means of Bluetooth for the majority of our listening), and found a nice audio signature, noteworthy for its sleek, caramel-ly minimal close and clean higher register. Though we did not practical experience the extent of depth and depth we count on from elite, wired in-ear headphones for example the Audiofly AF-78 or perhaps the Nocs NS800, the sound was properly balanced with a great deal of clarity. Sadly, the AH-W200 is plagued with wireless-related functionality difficulties which trump their likely for fantastic seem quality.

Occasionally, it sounded just as if we were being making an attempt to create a simply call from within the Matrix.

Our very first indication which the W200 had wireless audio transmission troubles arrived within the headphones’ inclination to distort the bass (rather substantially, much too) at better volumes. Obtaining never ever encountered these types of a difficulty with other Denon headsets, we ran a little experiment by tuing down the W200’s onboard quantity and pushing our iPhone’s on the max. Below, distortion was at its worst. Having said that, after we decreased our iPhone’s output to 75% and maxed out the W200’s volume, we skilled no problems, pinpointing the issue as signal distortion, rather then driver distortion.

We were being capable to simply remedy the bass distortion and other inherent frequency problems (for instance a weak band of higher midrange response), by actively playing new music by way of Denon’s particularly intuitive apple iphone app. In the no cost app, you could obtain all of your tunes although utilizing a totally programmable 10-point graphic EQ and volume limiter, which supplied a clean tone and absolutely removed all bass distortion.

Unfortunately, however the graphic EQ appeased our inteal control-freak to no close, it did small to distract us within the headset’s increasingly clear Bluetooth maladies. When putting cellphone calls, the W200 rendered our voice with bouts of slender, echo-laden distortion, when voices on the other conclusion have been frequently incoherently garbled with digital aliasing. From time to time, it sounded as though we have been trying to create a get in touch with from in the Matrix. More often than not, we just wanted to disconnect the headset and get the telephone.

We also expert inconsistent relationship challenges while listening to songs. Regardless of the proximity to our resource machine, we skilled several scenarios in which sound would just eliminate for brief blips. We also picked up on a near-constant low-level hum during the proper earpiece. All of that coupled using a quick wireless vary remaining us questioning what was so undesirable about wires from the very first place.
Conclusion

We value Denon’s exertion at lending its signature audio to what stands being a disappointing wi-fi in-ear headphone industry, but whilst its strategy is audio, its execution from the AH-W200 leaves significantly to get preferred.

For now, if you even now hold the “need for being freed”, we advocate you check out out the Phiaton PS twenty or PS 210 BTNC, however you’ll should cope with a wired clip-on command piece. We hope Denon can fix some of the wireless-related problems we professional in its upcoming era of Bluetooth in-ears.