Denon AH-D1100

• Non-sound
• Sound
• Comparisons
• Conclusion

Disclaimer: I bought this at my own expense from amazon Japan.

Price: around 55 usd

Specifications:

Type/ Dynamic

unit／φ50mm driver unit

Input impedance／32Ω

Sensitivity／101dB/mW

Maximum input1,300mW

Frequency Response / 5～37,000Hz

Weight /180g without cable

Cable Length: 1.3m OFC Cable (ø 3.5 mm stereo mini-plug)

Plug: Straight type with aluminum cover (Gold-plated)



Accessories:

3.5mm -> 6.35mm adapter

Carry pouch

Cable: Pretty standard 2 core cable that goes to both cups. The cable doesn’t seem particularly fragile but it is non-replaceable.


Build: Cheap and fragile, is how I would describe the build. Feels like cheap plastic all over the build and there are some creaking noises when you adjust the cups. The headband adjustment system is very poor, no distinct sound on each step and is quite short. Headband padding is pretty thin. Very light weight at 180 grams. The ear pads are average sized and is at least for me, definitely over-ear, not very soft though.

Fit: Over-ear for me and is very good in terms of size. No problem here.

Comfort: The earpads are comfortable despite not being very soft but the hotspot is at the center of the headband due to the thin padding on it. Thankfully, due to the low-weight it isn’t that much of a problem but still present. It is a closed-back so there is heat-generation which I am sensitive to, but this is better than average at least.

Isolation: Pretty good


Setup: Schiit Asgard 3 (low-gain, volume around 9 o´clock), stock pads, stock cable 3.5mm

Lows: A LOT of mid-bass, which makes it a specialist headphone that won’t work for many genres, as the number of mid-bass is causing it to be quite warm overall. Sub-bass on the other hand, is certainly elevated as well but not nearly as much as the mid-bass. So, it is mid-bass focused headphone rather than sub-bass.

Mid-bass: Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), bloated and unclean due to the very high quantity and looser bass, speed Is decent though. Individual bass strikes aren’t very distinct. The (02:55-03:01) section with the chopper is hearable but very unclean.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), high bass quantity makes it very fun but it needs to be tighter because it is quite bloated. Decent speed and texture though and tonality is quite accurate except for the bloat.

Sub-bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extension is good but could rumble more. Punch quantity could also be higher as well as more textured and tighter. Decent speed but on the slower side.

Will Sparks – Sick like that (03:08-03:22), Punch quantity and speed are good but could be tighter as well as more textured.

Mids: Both male and female vocals are a bit recessed. Male vocals tend to have better tonality due to the warmth while female vocals tend to lack brightness and be overly warm. Timbre is good though so it is natural, although clarity and detail could be better but is bottlenecked by the bass-bleed.

Female-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality needs to be brighter (mid-bass bleed causing it to be warmer) and a bit forward as it is a bit recessed but timbre is good. Instrument tonality and timbre are very good.

Yuki Hayashi – MightU (01:58-02:55), vocal and instrument tonality needs to be a lot brighter but timbre is natural.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), not shouty at all, very relaxing and fatigue free.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Crescent (02:07-02:26), not shouty but chaotic due to the separation and imaging.

Male-vocals: Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are great as well as good timbre. Detail and clarity could be better though.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocal and instrument tonality are excellent although vocals could be a bit forward as it is a bit recessed. Detail and clarity could be better though.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars aren’t sharp at all but tonality is still quite good.

Deuce – America (03:03-03:16), not shouty but chaotic due to the separation and bloated bass.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, texture and timbre are great but could be cleaner and more detailed. Violin timbre is good but tonality, texture, treble-extension, detail and clarity could be better.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality and timbre are good but could be cleaner and more detailed.

Soundstage: holographic due to it being deep and wide.

Tonality: Warm L-shaped, a specialist headphone that works great for some genre and less with others. Timbre is natural.

Details: Decent, but definitely bottlenecked by the massive mid-bass.

Instrument Separation: Decent, but definitely bottlenecked by the massive mid-bass.

Songs that highlight the Headphone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD-E-LDc384 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMRxHpcKjEY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkID8_gnTxw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDvr08sCPOc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2sXnZTOr1A

Good genres: R&B, EDM, Pop, Kpop, Hip-hop, Hiroyuki Sawano

Bad genres: OST, acoustic/vocal music




Comparisons:

Headphone: Koss KPH30i, stock pads, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), lower extending and more rumble on the D1100. Punch quantity is a bit higher on the D1100 but tighter and faster on the KPH30i with similar texture. More tonally correct on the D1100.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), a lot more quantity on the D1100 but tighter and faster on the KPH30i while texture is similar. More tonally correct on the KPH30i.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), quantity is higher on the D1100 but also more bloated, slower and looser bass. Similar texture but more tonally correct on the KPH30i.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), better vocal tonality and timbre as well as more forward and cleaner on the KPH30i. Instrument tonality is slightly better on the D1100 but better timbre on the KPH30i.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more relaxing and less fatiguing on the D1100.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), vocals are more forward and has better timbre on the KPH30i but better tonality on the D1100. Instrument tonality is better on the D1100 while timbre is better on the KPH30i. Cleaner on the KPH30i but similar detail.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit sharper and more fatiguing on the KPH30i.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the D1100 but cleaner on the KPH30i. Violin tonality, timbre, detail, clarity and treble-extension are better on the KPH30i.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), tonality, timbre and clarity are better on the KPH30i.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the KPH30i but deeper and more holographic on the D1100. Imaging, separation, detail and timbre are better on the KPH30i.

Overall: The D1100 is the warmer and bassier headphone which is also bottlenecking its technicalities compared to the KPH30i. The KPH30i is the more versatile headphone and will suit more people.



Headphone: Sony MDR-1AM2, stock pads, stock cable 3.5mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), similar extension but a bit more rumble on the D1100. Punch quantity is similar but tighter, faster and more textured on the 1AM2. A lot cleaner and more tonally correct on the 1AM2.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), D1100 has more mid-bass quantity but tighter, faster and more textured on the 1AM2. More tonally correct on the 1AM2.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a lot cleaner on the 1AM2 due to the faster, tighter and it having a lot less bass. (Although the treble is a bit harsh on it.)

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), better vocal tonality, timbre and is more forward on the 1AM2. Instrument tonality is better on the D1100 but similar timbre. Detail and clarity are better on the 1AM2.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), a bit shouty on the 1AM2 and more fatiguing.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Vocal and instrument tonality and timbre are better on the D1100. But a bit more forward vocals on the 1AM2 and cleaner and more detailed.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit sharper and more fatiguing on the 1AM2 (brighter).

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the D1100 while detail and clarity are better on the 1AM2. Violin timbre is better on the D1100 but tonality, detail, clarity, texture and treble-extension are better on the 1AM2.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), a bit better tonality (treble is a bit peakier on the 1AM2) and timbre on the D1100. But more detailed and cleaner on the 1AM2.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the 1AM2 but deeper and more holographic on the D1100. Detail, imaging and instrument separation are better on the 1AM2 but timbre is a bit better on the D1100.

Overall: They are both bassy headphones but the D1100 has more mid-bass while the 1AM2 has more sub-bass (1AM2 is still a mid-bass focused headphone). The D1100 is a lot warmer and more relaxing but the 1AM2 is more versatile and the more technical headphone, although with peakier treble.



Headphone: 1More H1707, stock pads, cable A6 4.4mm

Bass: Djuro – Drop that bass (01:15-01:30), extends a lot lower on the H1707 and rumbles a bit more. Punch quantity is a bit higher on the H1707 but is a LOT more textured and tighter. Speed is faster as well. Tonality is more correct on the H1707 but timbre is better on the D1100.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Pretenders (01:18-01:47), quantity is similar but a lot tighter, faster and more textured on the H1707. Tonality is a bit better on the H1707 but timbre is better on the D1100.

Metallica – fight fire with fire (01:11-01:52), a LOT cleaner on the H1707 due to the faster and tighter bass. But timbre is a lot better on the D1100.

Mids: Hiroyuki Sawano – OldToday (01:25-01:52), vocal tonality is better on the H1707 but timbre is better on the D1100. Instrument tonality and timbre are a lot better on the D1100. Cleaner and more detailed on the H1707.

Evanescence – Bring me to life (01:18-01:35), more fatiguing on the H1707 due to the brigher tonality.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Scapegoat (00:57-01:17), Instrument and vocal tonality/timbre are a lot better on the D1100. But cleaner and more detailed on the H1707.

Treble: Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day (03:24-03:42), electric guitars are a bit sharper on the H1707 and more fatiguing due to the brighter tonality.

Hiroyuki Sawano – Lose (string version) (01:22-01:59), Cello tonality, timbre and texture are better on the D1100 but cleaner and more detailed on the H1707. Violin timbre is a lot better on the D1100 but better tonality, treble-extension, detail and clarity on the H1707.

Hiroyuki Sawano &Z (02:18-02:57), slightly better tonality on the H1707 and a lot cleaner and detailed. Timbre is better on the D1100.

Technicalities: Shiro Sagisu – Hundred years war (02:24-02:57), wider on the H1707 but slightly deeper and more holographic on the D1100. Detail, imaging and instrument separation are a lot better on the H1707 but a lot more natural timbre on the D1100 (lots of piezo timbre in the H1707 and incoherent).

Overall: They are both fun (bassy) headphones but still very different in how they do it. The H1707 is a lot more sub-bass focused than the mid-bass focused D1100 and treble is also drastically different since the H1707 is airier, cleaner and more detailed that also has a brigher tonality compared to the warm D1100. Get the D1100 if you prefer mid-bass and a more natural timbre or get the D1100 if you prefer sub-bass, a more technical headphone and don’t mind/or prefer a more unique (unnatural piezo) timbre.



Conclusion: The D1100 is quite old now but has definitely passed the test of time as it is still a great sounding headphone for the correct library. I recommend this if you want a warmer, bassy and relaxing headphone that you can use at home. Definitely do not get this if you intend to use it outside (fragile build) or if you dislike bass, want a brighter tonality. Thanks for reading.

Cable source:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...zTm4ei7HEfP8AI1zxswrMw2ho/edit#gid=1801072063

Reference/test songs:

Not every headphone is reference-class, and I don't expect reference-class performance from a product like the AH-D1100 which is priced and designed for casual listening. There are a different set of concerns, and I'll try to judge the D1100 accordingly.
 
Denon has cleared the baseline here:
 

1. the jack is designed with a recessed flange so it plugs into in all but the most overbuilt smartphone case.
2. the headphones are light and comfortable to wear
3. they look good
4. the closed back design offers good isolation
5. the headphones are easy to drive and sound good without needing a dedicated headphone amplifier
6. the overall sound is clear and and full-sounding, without excessive coloration

 
There are downsides however,
 

1. the oval earcups press a bit too firmly into your neck under the ear, reducing overall comfort
2. the neodynium drivers suffer from the microphonics typical of the material
3. there is an excessive mid-band boost around 80-100 Hz 

 
It's a shame about the bass boost. I'm not against the idea of a bit of a lift on this class of headphone, but it is overdone here to the point of being distracting.
 
Final word about price. Retail in Japan as of this writing is 6500 yen, new, and I picked up a set used for about $40. For $75 or so I'd say they are nicely made headphones. At double that price the relatively flimsy build would come in for more serious critique. I understand and appreciate that Denon were going for rigidity and lightness here, but they feel cheap nonetheless.

Got this headphone from a friend after he got himself a more "comfortable" one (only 3 months after this Denon).
 
Trying it for 10 minutes was enough to understand the problem: the headband is way too curved, pushing the earpads extremely hard on the head. My skull isn't really above average and it was starting to give me some headache. So I brought it on my workshop table.
 
Note: The headache and hinges breaking-off issues only showing among certain users, I suspect Denon had production issues on certain factories or during a specific period, during which incorrect anthropometric data was used to calibrate the headband, or incorrect calibration was done, and it resulted in wrongly sized headbands, putting much more strain on the users and the plastic hinges.
 
Since there is no way to know if a model got the right size, unless you get to test it yourself for 10-15 min continuous use, I do not recommend buying one without the ability to return it without any additional charge.
 
A) Fixing the hardware
 
Step 1: the plastic hinges holding the pads both already had cracks on multiple points, and would completely break soon. Put some glue there and tried to reinforce the structure with leftovers found around, but that's just delaying the inevitable.
 
Step 2: fixing the headband.
- 2 screws to separate each pads from the hinges (the grey plastic part)
- 4 screws to separate each hinges (the grey plastic part) from the headband (the metal curved band)
- 2 screws to separate each jagged black plastic (used to keep the size adjustments in place) from the curved metal band (the 2 screws are situated on the 2 dark blocks on the headband)
- took out the central cushion from the headband
- went to the kitchen with a pair of pliers and kitchen gloves. Fired up the small gas stove, slowly heated up the metal, using the two pliers I slowly but steadily started bending it out (step by step, no rush!), to increase the spacing (evenly, to keep it symmetrical).
- after increasing the spacing by around ~35% (so ending with ~135% of the original spacing), turned off the stove and let the metal cool down while I cleaned up everything.
- once fully cool, mounted back the cushion, size adjustment jagged plastic thingies (4 screws in total), hinges (8 screws in total), pads (4 screws in total)
- tried it: it now fits perfectly, no more headache, doesn't fall off at all during rapid movements either, the plastic hinges seem to no longer suffer from excessive tension.
 
Been using this fixed hardware for 6 months now, it's one of the most comfortable headphone I had the chance of testing
 
One problem remains: the grey plastic hinges were very severely weakened during the first 3 months of use by my friend, and a vital part later broke off completely, requiring complicated gluing work (two-component epoxy mix for the solid base, cyanoacrylate to then glue the two parts) every 2 months. I'm currently trying to made a CAD version of a modified hinge (to 3D print it) to make such repairs much more easy, but lacking any formal training I'm quite struggling with it.
 
B) Fixing the bass-heavyness
 
Simply gathered some graph data on the D1100 using various reviews, then fine-tuned some software EQ configuration (mostly using one general-purpose, one for bass-rich music). I'm quite novice on this, so if you have a better method or knowledge, feel free to comment
 
General-purpose one:
- 31 Hz: -2.0 dB
- 62 Hz: -4.8 dB
- 125 Hz: -4.1 dB
- 250 Hz: -4.8 dB
- 500 Hz: 0 dB
- 1k Hz: 0 dB
- 2k Hz: +1.1 dB
- 4k Hz: +0.4 dB
- 8k Hz: 0 dB
- 16k Hz:  0 dB
 
Final words: once I fixed the hardware, then fine-tuned the sound with a software EQ, I gotta say it's a rather pleasant experience.
 
Accuracy is decent (you can quite distinguish each sound separately, 3/5), depth is comfortable (music tracks display a great range, 3.5/5), there isn't noticeable blur or sever distortion even at higher volume, so I never felt like I was missing out on a better experience. They're not the *best* sounding headphones ever, but they might be a good contender at their price range.

Hi,
This is my first review so i hope u like it.
 
Soundstage: it is very good, clean instrument separation with some space to spare, just nice to turn on Dolby Headphone mode. I have heard a better soundstage in an open-ear design but this one doesn't include other sources of noises like kitchen or a phone or a dog barking etc.
 
The sound quality: at beginning i was wondering why the bass is so punchy and overpowered-like, this is fixable by tweaking the EQ so i set 60hz -8dB, 120hz -9dB and 250hz -6dB - oh man how they output 30hz now, just pure heavy bass clean vibrating powahhh (Azedia - Thunder & Lightning, makes extraordinary bass so its not like empty BOom, more like deep vibrating WwWwWw) but for my imagination they do uncover themselves on my ears - not on the stage of the sound because of that bass. Middle range is a bit recessed but i like it like that, because of singers voices most of the time they sing directly in to your ear and not like on actual concert hall. About high frequency - yes there is a lot of that i didn't test myself but i think i couldn't get any higher pitch with more expensive pairs so there is precision and quality and you do hear difference between youtube and FLAC. Xonar DX sound card can drive them just fine but it cannot destroy them - i wasn't able to hit the hard wall even after tweaking 30hz to the max at maximum volume.
 
Build quality: plastics just look awfully cheap but with a bit of good 3d engineering - hope they wont break after a while (fingers crossed). Wearing comfort is fine not super ultra fine but good enough to not drive me any pain.
 
So my conclusion is - if u can get them at 73$ or less brand new just do, it is a steal, but be careful and save in mind these might be fragile.

I decided to finally treat myself to a pair of quality headphones for a self-birthday present.  After hours of online research, the AH D1100 seemed to offer the best bang-for-the-buck under $200.
Out of the box they were great, with good range, pleasing bass, and multi-hour comfort (though the ears get a little hot and sweaty because the seal is so good -- obviously great for keeping the good noise in and external distractions out).
But within a month of owning, hairline cracks began to appear in the silver plastic head band.  Another small, plastic chunk just fell on my head, near the swiveling attachment point where the earphones join the headband.
 
Denon tech support, while courteous, have been unhelpful.
This has soured me on the Denon brand -- which I previously respected and trusted -- and has ensured I will never purchase a Denon product again, sadly.

This is my first ever review, so please excuse my amateurish fumbling attempts at describing sound. I will do my best, but don't expect the work of a seasoned professional!
 
The Denon's are my 4th set of "good" headphones, but the only set I have used consistently since I started getting into head fi are my beloved Audio Technica ATH 700 Pro MK2's.
 
I went looking for a new set primarily because the Audio Technica cans are still too uncomfortable due to clamping even after a lot of use, and even after replacing the stock pads with M50 ones. I primarily use them at work, and that means many straight hours of listening (I'm a programmer), so comfort is a big concern for me.
 
The other motivating factor was that after listening to a few other models recently (notably the Sony MD1R's that I nearly bought when I saw them on sale in an airport), I have started to realise that the 700 Pro's are a little... um... samey? I lack the vocabulary for describing sound that most reviewers here have. What I'm trying to say is that they seem to smooth everything out a bit. Everything sounds kind of melded and creamy as if the top has been cropped off a bit. The bass is what attracted me to them, and what has kept me faithful for so long, but like I said... samey. Different albums and genres all seem to sound similar through them it seems to me - like an instrument I guess - whatever music you play on it, it still sounds like that instrument.
 
Anyway, I digress. This is a review of the Denon D1100's, not the 700s.
 
Test gear:
Denon AH-D110's (obviously) - brand new with zero burn in. 
Audio Technica ATH 700 Pro MK2's - for direct comparison.
Cowon C2.
Fiio E11 amp.
 
Build:
 
When I first unpacked them, I had a bit of a sinking feeling to be honest. I read a lot of reviews (especially on Amazon) complaining about the build quality, or more accurately the quality of the materials. They feel flimsy and brittle, especially the silver coloured plastic bits, and I am certain they would not stand up to being sat on or dropped from any appreciable height.
 
Another major downside for me is that the cable is not removable. The cable is (usually, although I'm not sure in this case) the weakest & most vulnerable part, and should therefore always be easily replaceable on all but the cheapest cans in my opinion.
 
Compared to the Audio Technica's (OK, they're designed for DJ's but still), the build quality on the Denon's does not fill me with confidence that they will last.
 
Comfort:
 
Brilliant. They are light, the pads are soft & sensibly sized, and the grip is firm without clamping. 
Sound insulation for me seems very good, and initial experiments suggest they don't leak much.
 
Sound:
 
I do not have a whole lot of reference or experience here, so once again I'm going to have to resort to a direct comparison with the 700 Pro's.
 
The Denon's have bags of bass! It's not quite as punchy and aggressive as the teeth rattling capabilities of the 700's, but every bit as tuneful - possibly even more so! Amplified, they really start to thump! The RZA's Grits turned up moves an incredible amount of air in those pads - even to the point of being quite overwhelming, almost unpleasant even. Actually, they seem a little more bass sensitive than the 700s - you don't need to work them as hard to really get the drivers traveling. I can see I am going to need to dial it back a bit on the EQ if I want to turn these up when listening to Hip Hop.
 
Where they really shine (at least to my novice ears) is in the separation. Highs are much clearer, and the mids are much more detailed. I can hear things that I now realise were there with the 700's too, but muted so that I never really noticed them before. Everything sounds much crisper, lighter, airier, and more playful. I am listening to Larry Carlton's All Blues as I write these words, and the interplay between the different instruments is absolutely joyful. The music seems to have much much more three dimensionality to it... not only is each instrument more clearly distinguishable, but also it's position in the soundstage. 
 
Rock is a similar story - A Perfect Circle's Blue delivers in a big way through the 1100's. The vocals are clear and commanding, the drums kick confidently, the bass massages my earlobes reassuringly, and the guitars are ... just so THERE. I don't know how else to say it, but hopefully you have some idea what I mean.
 
Even older and accordingly lower quality recordings like Led Zep's Lemon Song sound great through these cans. They don't seem to refine the sound or take away any of the rawness. Perhaps the guitar solo in the right channel around the 1:40 mark was a bit TOO harsh and high, but that could be because I am used to the muted mid-y quality of the Technica's.
 
Conclusion:
 
I got these headphones from Amazon UK for 60 quid (GBP) - at that price, I would definitely recommend them to any new head-fier who, like myself, is looking for a comfortable, fun and bass heavy listening experience. I'm looking forward to spending some more time with these things. They will be going to the office with me on Monday instead of the 700's, and I'll see then whether they are less fatiguing over a long listening session.

I've own these headphones for about year and a half now. I've been listening with them about 80 hours in the car/bus, 15 hours in airplanes and 150 hours at home on my computer.
This is just a short review of my experiences with the D1100s.

For the first week I LOVED these headphones but, sad to say, with time I found more and more holes in their performance. For the money these are very good value but not a 'must try' unless you are looking for a U shaped response curve. Detail in the highs is pretty good, nice airy feel instruments/vocals sound spread out. Bass is warm, gets low and is very good fun for the pseudo bassheads. The mids are where these really fall apart. At first I was so entertained by the highs and lows that I neglected the mids, then I put on my Audio Technica M50s and realised the Achilles heal of the Denon's. The M50s have a pretty flat response curve and nothing is really suppressed or exaggerated. The same cannot be said for the Denon's with their U type response curve. Great if you want sparkly highs and deep bass but not so good anything in between. 

These are my first non-ipod earbud or cheapass $20 skullcandy-esque on-ears. I got them used on the forums here for $80 which seemed like a steal as they are $200 new on amazon. Needless to say they blow anything i have listened to out of the water. I listen to bass heavy electronic music and they do a great job with it. It is not muddy at all and the high frequency synths are reproduced faithfully and layer nicely with the tight powerful bass. It's not really a con but after an hour+ of listening when i take them off my hearing is a bit muffled, not in a too loud of music ringing way but in a used to isolation closed design kind of way. They don't really block out a ton of noise for being closed ear but there is some outside noise suppression. I listen at medium volume levels and have studied within a few feet of people who said the minimal sound leakage was not bothersome. Outside of 6-10 ft. I don't think you could hear much at all given normal listening volumes. They seem to have more potential to give an I'll hopefully have them LOD'd to a Fiio e11 here shortly. I think that could boost the bass to earthquake like levels as the drivers seem capable of more than my iphone can power on their own through the headphone jack. I got these used and have already listened to them for over 48 hours so I assume they are adequately burned in (if they weren't already) I can't really comment on the more audiophile aspects such as sound-stage or ultra-detailed frequency analysis but all I can say is I'm extremely happy with my purchase and think these are a great introduction to decent quality cans.

These were my first over ear headphone. At the time I went to a retail store and tested the D2000, D5000 and the D1100. Due to price considerations I went away with the D1100.
 
Build Quality
 
The headphone in terms of worksmanship is commensurate with the price. The back of the cups are some kind of alloy while the rest of it is mostly plastic construction. This helps keep the headphone light. The ear-pads are reasonably soft and there were no manufacturing faults.
 
Where I have to fault the design is the use of plastic in the arms that secure the cups. Over the course of about 4 months of moderate usage the arms started to crack and eventually one of them broke. I was able to super glue it and it has held up for the last month or so without re-breaking. In the interest of full disclosure I have a fairly large head.
 
Those who would buy these headphones should take care to take them off by not pulling out on the cups but rather pulling out at the pivot to reduce the stress on the thinner plastic arms.
 
Comfort
 
These are very light and there is very little clamping force. This combined with reasonably soft pads makes for a very light listening experience. One can often forget that these are on his or her head.
 
Since these are closed back and use some kind of synthetic leather there is very little ventilation for your ears and they may get hot after a few hours of listening.
 
Sound
 
Frames of reference are:
 
Etymotic MC5
HiFiMAN HE-400
 
These are definitely bass heavy and this bass does leak through into the mids. While there is a lot of bass I am left wanting a little more clarity. 
 
The mids are well detailed to my ear if a little recessed.
 
The treble is a little rolled off compared to the HE-400. 
 
Overall these are a warm can that will appeal to those who love their bass.
 
Soundstage is fairly good. I am not one who experience a lot of depth to music but I can say the separation between instruments is good but I would not say it is easy to pinpoint where each sound is coming from in 3D space.
 
It is very easy to drive and you will not have trouble with it out of a portable music player without an amp. This combined with its portability is a big plus for people who would want to use these on the train or during commutes.
 
 

Pretty much all has been said already. Excellent value, very good bass, mids and highs are a little laid back. Really comfortable. Perfect first pair of headphones for anyone looking to get a better musical experience from an iPod.

The price is quite nice to purchase this pair from the Amazon UK. The sound is not bad, which gives you enough feeling of the space. But without a good amp, I guess the space is a little 'void'. For example, the symphony, you would feel that you are sitting a little too far away from the orchestra. The plastic feeling is not that good, especially it creaks sometimes. But it does not really matter if you focus on the music. 
 

Please do not buy these headphones. Don't get me wrong, I bought them a couple weeks ago and love them to bits in terms of sound quality and comfort, but they've been a nightmare. It started, after owning them for a single day that the headphone jack broke. Although this was partially my fault, and there is probably nothing uncharacteristic about the jack, but i've noticed a couple of flaws in case this happened, which it obviously did. Firstly, the piece just down the cord from the jack which is obviously just to help plug it in etc, is extremely large, therefore making it easy for pressure to be applied to it, breaking the jack. Also, if the jack is broken, it may not seem like a problem, just replace the whole cord right? $10 or so shouldn't be a problem? except the cord is permanently attached to the headphones, and therefore renders it useless. Also, having now owned them for two weeks i've noticed the cheap plastic structure isn't just tacky, but structually unsound. Upon examining my headphones i've noticed several hairline (and some not so hairline) cracks all across the plastic arms, one of which is halfway down the width of the arm, and I would personally give it another few weeks of usage before they broke altogether. So again, top headphones - but durability is appalling, not worth anywhere near the 100 pounds (roughly USD$170) I paid for them. Thoroughly disappointed. 

Comfort and best value.But middle sound is liad back.

First off, let me say I own two pair of Sennheiser headphones already I am in love with. These Denon's were needed for the 50mm drivers and frequency range they offer for gaming, but WITHOUT sacrificing bass like the others above did. They need NO amp and are punchy, clear, and dynamic! I'm using them with a dolby digital 5.1 decoder and yes, they work beautifully! Perfect for what I needed when it comes to my gaming. My search has ended. I even ordered these without hearing them first because the reviews were what I was wanting them to be and everyone was absolutely right! I'm now a Sennheiser fan for music headphones and Denon for home theater and gaming headphone needs.

See pros and cons. Basically if you don't eq these i can't recommend them, i use the acoustic setting on my zen vision m and i bring the eq on foobar down with a non exponential curve from 55-311Hz.

I will try to update this as time goes along, but these are my initial impressions:
 
They're fairly light, and sit comfortably on the ears, with moderate clamp. Isolation is decent, don't hear anything when music is playing even at medium levels. 
 
When I first put them on, the bass was intrusive and overpowering. This was expected, so I let them burn in for a day and decided to give them another listen. Now, the bass seems to have settled a bit, and is less intrusive but still very present. Not the most impactful/punchy bass I've heard, but it reaches pretty low and sounds great with electronic music. I may still end up EQ'ing the bass down a little, but I can at least listen to them now without feeling like my ears are being assaulted. Soundstage is pretty good for a portable. I no longer have an amp to test them with, so I can't say how they improve with amping. They are sensitive enough for portable players.
 
Listening to some classical, cellos and drums are given more prominence than I'm used to hearing. Basically they're bass-heavy (duh). You either like it as it is or you EQ, or you look elsewhere. I find myself liking their warm smooth sound, and they're fairly portable and very comfortable, so they're just what I'm looking for. 
 
Update:
After listening to these some more I've EQ'd from ~300hz and below -6 to -8 db for electronic and -12 to -15 for classical. They sound much more natural now in the mids, but still have plenty of bass. Some may want to EQ a little more, as this is still isn't neutral, but more to my taste.
 
Mids are ever so slightly recessed and treble is pretty sparkly, and only occasionally sharp with certain recordings.
 
 
Further update: These are the settings I use in foobar:
-8 -10 -10 -10 -10 -8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -5 -10 0 0

Had these for a couple of months, i have several sets of cans ,ES7, srh440, HD600, XB500 (sold) , 570lp , M50 and a few more.
I wanted a decent portable pair, i had been using ES7 and while i liked them everytime i listened to my Shures it made me sad that my portable set were no match.
Got the D1100 for £70 and initially i found the bass a little heavy, i burnt them in for 20 hrs and it was much better, they are still bassy cans but the bass no longer overpowers the other freq. bands.
Soundstage on these is amazing for a closed can, the driver is quite far away from your ear and angled , i guess that does it.
Detail is also above average, i really enjoy Wilco , Gomez and acoustic tracks on the D1100, they give guitar a lovely tone.
Hip hop etc are well served by the D1100 as well with the bass being the star of the show.
Mids are good, tuneful but  not in your face.
Overall even at full RRP i would buy these again in a minute.

First cans and I really like them. No buyers' remorse.
Tad bit veiled, but a very non-fatiguing headphone. I use it for BR's and DVD's at night and the speech performance is very acceptable. Emphasized lower end, but not "too" muddy. I also use them for music....listen to' everything' but heavy metal and country and they perform well.
If you want a vewry open sound and do not care for an extra thump down low you might look elsewhere.
Comfortable as well on my head.(have used for up to 4 hrs so far)

I prefer the sound in headphones to be more open and detailed. This set has alot of bass but thats about it.