Denon AH-D510R Headphones + Remote Mic

The Denon AH-D510R are over-ear closed headphones with a 3-button remote and mic made to be used with iPhone, iPod and iPad. The D510R are priced at $99.99 and are one of Denon's affordable headphone offerings. It's no surprise that Denon specialize in audio products so my hopes were high for the D510R and that they would without a doubt sound great. Right out of the box? Not so good. I've spent some good quality time with the D510R before giving my final thoughts about them in this review. Catch the full review right after the break.

After a 24-hour burn-in session using an app called White Noise (Lite version available) to drive white noise at a medium sound level thru the Denon D510R headphones, sound noticeably improved. Not all headphones benefit from burn-in time but in this case the D510R did and for the better. This improves any distorted sound and tightens the sound more. 

The Denon D510R headphones sound good for their price tag but won't be of any interest for bass lovers. The D510R don't benefit from a simple portable CMOY amp in terms of sound quality though they do need some juice to power their volume up since they only start to sound normal at above average sound level. So using a simple amp will give them their power if you don't want to turn your audio source sound level too high.

The bass performance has improved after the burn-in and it now sounds tighter and more present. The bass is in no way thumping but it is sufficient for a well balanced sound. The highs are very clear though the mids are not as clear and have a very slight distorted sound when listening to some bass heavy tracks. I'm not so impressed by the D510R since small in-ears like the t-Jays Three perform better at the same price. If you're not a fan of in-ears then the Denon D510R are a decent sounding pair of headphones for the price.

The Denon D510R feature a 3-button remote and mic to control your music and calls using an iPhone, iPod and iPad. The D510R are designed to be a portable pair of headphones and have swivel ear cups that can lay flat but the headband does not fold up. The audio cable is on the short side which is great for portable use but not so great when you want to use a desktop computer for example. While the cord isn't tangle-resistant, it seems very durable and not flimsy. I would have liked to see the cord going into only one side of the D510R's ear cups instead of two. 

The Denon D510R headphones are built well for the most part with an all plastic build apart from the aluminum covers on the ear cups. The headband is well padded while the ear cup cushions are a bit stiff and not so comfortable for long listening durations. The D510R block very little outside noise and do not leak much sound. While the D510R headphones are fairly priced and produce decent sound quality, there are better choices out there if you're not seeking a remote and mic capabilities to go along with your headphones. Thanks to Denon for sending these out free for review. Price $99.99.

Denon.com