DENON AH-C551K

Lots of new ear canal headphones flooding the market mean lots of choices for on-the-go listeners seeking to improve their iPod, laptop/PC, or Mp3 player sound quality. Of course, that also means lots of products at nearly equal pricepoints offering similar levels of audio performance. So how does one know whether the Denon AH-C551k earphone is the one for them? Well, it's no easy decision but at least we know Denon build quality has traditionally been amongst the most durable in the industry -- they've been making many consumer electronics products very well for a long time -- so we can count on the C551k's long lifespan almost as a given. The sound quality of the very well-priced C551 is equally dependable with a clean, solid musical tonality that is friendly & smooth but perhaps lacks the neutral timbral precision and precise detail resolution expected from the most top-shelf (and certainly much more expensive) ECHs available on the audiophile market. Overall, the DENON AH-C551k delivers great sonics for the pricepoint and a solid value for high-quality in-ear monitor seekers.

The Denon AH-C551k are manufactured in an all-black look with a machined aluminum housing & connector cover for maximized durability, reduced outer armature vibration, and best sound quality potential. The C551k features a proprietary Denon 'Acoustic Optimizer' port vent that allows for a slightly more open-toned soundstage presentation versus standard fully-sealed in-ear canal headphone [ECH] designs. You'll likely lose a bit of overall isolation/noise-blocking ability due to the open port but the ambient noise trade-off might be OK if thoroughly isolating noise-blocking is not your main ECH decision factor. The flat-back ported earpieces on the C551k are fairly large but still tend to offer a decently comfortable ergonomic fit for most listeners; they're fortunately not quite as oversize or bulky-fitting for the small-eared as the big bullet-type earpieces on the upscale Denon AH-C751 model. The C551k packaging includes 3 sizes of black silicon eartip sleeves in S/M/L. The Denon earphone cord is a modular design with a 0.5 meter 'Y'-type OFC cable extending from the earphones and a longer 0.8 meter (31" inch) extension cord provided, allowing for a total run of around 1.3 meters of cord to your audio source. The cable is terminated to right-angle 3.5mm (1/8") mini-plug into the source. Also included is a nifty hard-sided clamshell storage/travel case. The 1-year manufacturer's warranty is handled exclusively by Denon worlwide.