DENON AH D7200 vs Denon AH-GC30: Closed Back Over Ear Headphones

DENON AH D7200 vs Denon AH GC30

Like Sony, Bose, and JBL, Denon is another headphone manufacturer with a long tradition. The company is best known for its hi-fi receivers.

THE MANUFACTURER OF the AH D7200 has optically similar but priced only half as expensive headphones in its range, and we have also looked at and listened to them for you.

The AH-GC30 also offers headphones that want to score with ANC and a long runtime. The test shows whether they can do it.

Pros and Cons

DENON AH D7200Denon AH-GC30
Smooth, balanced soundHybrid wired/wireless design
Extremely comfortableComfortable
Excellent build qualitySound quality average
No Active Noise feture ANC exceeds basic expectations.
Voices could be more naturalShort charging cable
Rivals offer better rhythm and punchNot much for calling features

Visually, the D7200 is very similar to its supposedly bigger brother, the D9200. The auricles made of wood are the same for both, whereby it is immediately noticeable that Denon uses different colors to make them easier to distinguish. There are differences in the material: while the ear cups of the D9200 are made of Japanese bamboo, the D7200 uses walnut. Of course, this looks chic and has good advantages, according to Denon.

The AH D7200 is delivered in a cardboard box lined with foam. A pouch or bag for transport is not included, so the box must also be used for storage. A 3 m long copper cable, which is attached to the ear cups on both sides via 3.5 mm jack plugs, is also included in the scope of delivery. This ends on a gold-plated 6.3 mm jack plug.

DENON AH D7200 1

At first glance, the AH-GC30 does not look like noise-can headphones. The parts that connect the headband and ear cups are metal that draws a soft curve. Furthermore, the ear cup part is matte black (the white model is matte white). With ordinary headphones or an even more graceful appearance, there is a calmness suitable for an item worn by adults. 

The headphones are packed in a practical Japanese way. A compact cardboard pull-out box is covered with a dust jacket with marketing and technical information. AH-GC30. On top of the case is a short and explicit instruction.

In addition to headphones, a set of cables in the case: two for analog connection and micro-USB for digital.

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Denon AH GC30 2

Specification

DENON AH D7200Denon AH-GC30
$CHECK PRICECHECK PRICE
ModelD7200AH-GC30
BrandDenonDenon
ReleasedJanuary 2017March 8, 2019
Dimension11.1 x 8.8 x 5.5 inch210 x 154.94 x 89.91 mm
Weight 385 g287 g
Earpiece ConnectionWired Wireless
TypeOver-EarOver-Ear
FoldableYesYes
Frequency Response5 Hz to 55 kHz5 Hz to 50 kHz Wireless
Sensitivity105 dB 98 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz
ColoursBlack, Brown,Black & White
Driver 50mm 45mm
ANCNoYes
Impedance 25 Ohms16 Ohms
Cable Length3 m
Controls NoYes
CodecsaptX HD/apt-X/AAC/SBC
Battery Life20 hrs
Bluetooth Ver5.0 v

Design

With a wood housing and aluminum headband, it is sturdy but lightweight. The ear cups cover your ears well, so they have good sound insulation. The headband and ear pads have good cushioning, and they are soft and comfortable to wear, so you won’t feel tired even if you wear them for a long time.

The auricles are not everything because the frame construction of the Denon headphones is also highly satisfying. The headband is made of an aluminum alloy, on which the ear cups hang – attached via ball bearings. The auricles can be pulled out on both sides via locking steps; the individual steps are numbered.

The headset is covered with sheepskin on the top, and imitation leather is used at the bottom, thus sitting on the head. Synthetic leather is also used for ear cups; this is very soft and sits comfortably on the ears. You don’t have to avoid long sessions with the D7200; on the contrary, the headphones don’t become uncomfortable even after long periods of work and listening. The comparatively high weight of 385 grams, mainly due to the wooden auricles, does nothing to change this.

DENON AH D7200 2

The quality and the choice of materials of the Denon AH-GC30 are excellent. A mixture of synthetic leather for the upholstery, plastic, and metal makes the Denon headphones appear quite noble and high quality. It is operated using a total of five buttons. Whether louder or quieter, skipping or pausing songs, checking the battery level, accepting phone calls, or switching ANC on and off: you don’t miss any function here.

The eco-leather on the headband and ear pads tactilely caress your fingers, it is soft, with an attractive texture, and these structural elements themselves have a memory effect. After some “grinding,” your ears will be truly comfortable.

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Denon AH GC30 3

Sound

Sound quality is not the only high level. No matter how good the sound quality is, if it lacks design, it will make you feel down.

The DENON AH-D5200 uses a zebra wood pattern on the housing that creates a high-quality design. It is characterized by its high hardness, and is full of luxury and transparency in terms of design, creating a calm and mature quality.

The D7200 is immediately noticeable that the Denon AH D7200 offers excellent transparency, good mixes sound very vivid and 3D-like. In other words, Denon manages to sort and display the signals extremely accurately about the stereo stage and the placement of instruments in the front and rear areas of the virtual stage.

The D7200 is tuned through Hi-Fi, which is not poorly meant because listening to music is fun with it. He reacts very quickly to short attacks and transients; he skillfully brings a lot of details to the ear, be it effect sounds supposedly intended for the background or creaking noises from the live strings.

The free edge structure used in Denon AH-GC30 advanced wired models and the acoustic optimizer for adjusting the sound pressure before and after the diaphragm is adopted in terms of sound quality. The driver size is the same, but the top two models use a mixture of paper and carbon for the diaphragm. When connected by wire, high-frequency playback up to 50kHz is possible, and the high-resolution logo has also been acquired.

The noise-canceling function has three modes: airplane, city, and office, and each mode can be switched with the dedicated button on the housing. It is easy to understand because it is fed back by voice. By tapping the housing part twice when using ANC, you can listen to the surrounding sounds while playing music.

Connectivity

The heart of the AH D7200 is its 50 mm FreeEdge driver membrane, which, according to Denon, is made of a very robust yet lightweight nanofiber material. This should enable precise membrane movements and minimal distortion. Technically, the Denon headphones are a dynamic model of the “over-ear” class, ie, the earpads sit on the ears.

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Denon specifies the frequency response as 5 to 55,000 Hz; the impedance is an extremely low 25 ohms, the sensitivity is 105 dB / mW, the maximum power consumption is 1,800 mW.

In addition, the double-sided detachable cable that uses a 3.5mm 2-pole plug maintains compatibility with the “AH-D7200” but contributes to cost performance by changing the core wire to 4N OFC. Instead, the amplifier-side terminal of the attached cable has been changed to a 3.5mm stereo mini terminal (a 6.3mm conversion unit lug is also included), improving usability.

They are attached cables using 4N OFC for wire. The amplifier side terminal has become a 3.5 mm stereo mini terminal, making it easy to connect to high-resolution DAP and portable headphone amplifiers.

DENON AH D7200 3

Denon AH-GC30- Inside the closed acoustic chambers, there are 40-mm FreeEdge emitters, which received a proprietary sound tuning. First of all, we are talking about a balanced musical presentation, combining dense, spacious, and rich bass, pure melodic middle, and resonant, detailed and expressive top, pleasing with a moderate quantitative composition. It is noteworthy that thanks to the tonal balance achieved by Denon engineers, the AH-GC30 turned out to be genre-wide; therefore, both famous and academic music will sound beautiful and emotional. It is also important to mention the ability of monitors to build a spacious stereo panorama, where separate virtual plans are clearly demarcated and correctly positioned.

The Bluetooth v.5.0 module completes the story of the audio potential of the headphones in question with support for SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptx HD codecs,

Denon AH-GC30 – stylish full-size headphones from the renowned Japanese audio electronics manufacturer, thanks to which a positive listening experience is possible even in noisy locations, including airplanes and subways. Hi-Res Audio Certified.

In addition, although the wired model GC25NC is not supported, it also has a USB-DAC function (48kHz / 16bit) that allows you to listen while charging. The Bluetooth codec supports aptX HD, aptX, AAC, etc. With CVC technology, the sound quality when using a microphone is also considered.

Denon AH GC30 1

Conclusion!

The Denon AH D7200 not only impresses with its elegant walnut look. The quality and the excellent sound also ensure that they are amazing headphones overall. In terms of neutrality, it may not be the best, but listening to music is fun because the Denon AH D7200 brings a lot of details of a mix to your ear and skillfully places the instruments, musicians, and singers on the stage.

It’s just a shame that Denon is a bit stingy when it comes to the scope of delivery for the D7200. It should have been a second cable and a bag for transport/storage.

Denon has brought an excellent headset on the market with the AH-GC30. The headphones sit softly around the ears, charge very quickly, have a good battery life, good quality of the audio, and in addition, there is also a well-functioning noise-canceling system; what more could you want? It also comes with multiple cables (and is wireless too).

The built-in battery is good for up to 20 hours of wireless listening (ANC). Fifteen minutes of fast charging also provides 6.5 hours of listening time. Ideal for breaks at work.