Ears-on with Denon's C551 earphones
There are three essential things that make certain mornings double-plus awesome: coffee, icanhascheezburger, and new earphones. Today, armed with a freshly brewed Americano, eight new lolcats and the brand-new Denon C551 'phones, we're happier than a midget at a People Who Look Like Gnomes convention.
(Credit:
Crave UK)
The C551s are the very latest and greatest from Denon and we've been excited about them since first hearing of their release. We've been fans of the previous model from Denon, the C700s, and after getting our hands on a pair of the C551s we noted a number of similarities, but a couple of differences.
One of the immediately noticeable differences in the new model is their shorter depth--the C700s had a depth of 15mm, whereas the C551s measure a whole 2mm shorter at 13mm. Like the C700s, the slick bodies are built from machined aluminium and feature gold-plated connections and the same soft silicon tips to achieve excellent sound isolation.
Carried over into this new model is Denon's "Acoustic Optimizer." This looks like a reflex port built into the end of the 'phones and aims to improve sound by balancing air pressure around the diaphragm.
Our initial listening tests yielded superb results, with notably punchier mids than the C700s had. Bass is equally balanced and clear, while highs are bright, accurate and superbly defined. You can expect much more extensive analysis when our review is published, which you can expect very soon.
The C551s will be available soon, with an RRP of 70 pounds (about $144).
(Source: Crave UK)
