Cocoon Yourself in Sound from Denon

Denon Goes Mainstream with New Docks

Established in 1910, Denon is a Japanese company with an established name in audio products. They are well known to audiophiles, and they excel when it comes to manufacturing top class AV receivers, amplifiers and high-fidelity systems. But as the top end market begins to stagnate, we are seeing quality brands begin to apply their expertise to growing market segments such as consumer audio products, in line with what other brands like Nakamichi and Audio Technica have adopted. At their first event held in Singapore, Denon has introduced new docking speakers and headphones to capitalize on the latest trends for audio devices.

As the presentation smartly pointed out, packaged music has lost out to digital. Almost everyone now uses either their smartphones or a dedicated portable music player to host their music collection. In addition, the consumption of media has morphed with the user exerting greater control on how, when, where and why they access content. This has lead to audio manufacturers changing their product categories to cater to such needs. The same reasons explain the widespread popularity of docking stations such as the excellent Fidelio DS9/10 or the portable Bluetooth speakers such as the Bose SoundLink.

With their new Cocoon speakers, Denon is aiming to grab a slice of that pie. A product specialist at the event stated that the company's pursuit of real sound and unique designs to be the main inspiration behind the new products. One look at the Cocoon Docking Speakers and you can see that they've definitely achieved the last aim. Sculpted and curved, the Cocoon looks like a pebble that has been eroded to complete smoothness by a flowing river. The sensuous curves of the product are pleasing to the eye and will definitely ensure that this device fits in with any modern decor.

Further proof of the lofty ambitions of the Cocoon products is provided by the fact that they come equipped with AirPlay. This means that users with Apple products can stream their music wirelessly. Android users should have no complaints either as the device can play back content from any Android device that is connected to same wireless network with the help of a free application. The same is also true for Windows 8 mobile devices. Unfortunately, they will have to do without docking since the Cocoon does not have the requisite micro-USB connector on the cradle. However, a USB port is available to help charge your device with the proper cables.

The Cocoon comes in two versions, namely the Home and the Portable. In order to check whether Denon lives up to the billing of “real sound” and “easy operability” we had a little hands on in the limited time period we had with the devices on the premises.

Denon Cocoon Home Docking Station

As the name suggests, the Denon Cocoon Home is intended for indoor use. The unique shape is not just meant for aesthetic purposes but also provides a large acoustic chamber to help the device deliver volume that can fill out expansive spaces. In addition the device features two 3-inch drivers along with bass reflex ports to help out with the lower end of the sound spectrum. Rounding off the list of features is a four channel D-class amplification unit.

The docking connector is part of a spring-loaded connector which pops out with a slight push. A remote is provided to access controls, while touch-sensitive buttons on the device itself accomplish the same goals. It is also important to note that the Denon Cocoon Home comes with a free application that can be used to access further goodies such as access to Internet radio.

We tested out the Denon Cocoon Home Docking Station with tracks from our standard test suite and threw in some of our favorites as well for good measure. Melt My Heart To Stone was reproduced with great clarity and good warmth. Adele’s voice sounded great amongst the organ piano and the emotion of the song was well captured. The bass reflex ports earned their keep as well when we tested the speakers out with Ratatat’s Loud Pipes. The lower frequencies packed a punch without lacking definition. Similarly Elements Of Life by Tiesto has sufficient oomph without turning into a muddy mess.

But what impressed us was the transient response shown on hard rock tracks such as Everlong by The Foo Fighters. The distortion guitars had great volume but the intricate drumming and cymbal crashes behind the wail of guitars was audible. The Cocoon Home speakers gave a good first impression of themselves and we would definitely like to see how they fare when subjected to a more strenuous examination.

Denon Cocoon Portable

The Denon Cocoon Portable can be considered the Home’s smaller brother. In shape, it resembles the latter, but there are some critical differences. First of all, the Portable is 25 percent smaller than the Home. This means that it has a smaller acoustic chamber, would need to be cranked up higher to achieve the same volume levels.

Furthermore the device comes with a rubberdized corners and a certain degree of waterproofing, according to Denon, which should make it hardier when facing the elements. It does not feature any bass reflex ports, while the two 3-inch drivers are tuned to handle the full range of audio by themselves. But the real difference is the fact that the Portable comes with a handle as well as a built-in Lithium-ion battery, which means you can carry it around with you on your travels.

With respect to performance, the Denon Cocoon Portable behaves similarly to the Home Docking Station. The same warmth and clarity was heard on Melt My Heart To Stone. However, Elements Of Life by Tiesto lacked the atmosphere that the Home delivered, quite possibly due to the lack of bass reflex ports. The same level of detail and definition could not be delivered on Everlong either. It seems that while the Cocoon Portable is, for lack of a better word, more portable, its portability does come at the slight expense of audio performance and quality.

Both the Denon Cocoon Home and the Denon Cocoon Portable will cost S$799 and will be available in mid-August 2012. The timing for the new docking station seems a bit weird seeing that the new iPhone 5 should be around the corner and is purported to come with a new connector. However, as explained by the Denon product specialist on hand, they believe the market penetration of the iPhone 4S and older models should still make the Cocoon a profitable venture. Also, since both Cocoon models come with AirPlay capabilities, the next generation of iPhones will still be able to wirelessly stream music to the speakers.

Ear Candy

Audio manufacturers have realized that consumers use headphones for a variety of purposes. This has led brands ranging from Sony to Monster to release products targeted at specific demographics. Following suite, Denon has introduced a total of eight headphones divided into four categories - Music Maniacs, Urban Ravers, Globe Cruisers and Exercise Freaks. As the title suggests, each category includes headphones intended for a specific purpose and to meet the needs of unique individuals.

Music Maniac

The Music Maniac series is intended for audiophiles. Headphones included under this banner aim to provide a Flat EQ and seek to reproduce audio with the utmost fidelity possible. The flagship product from the Music Maniac series is the Denon AH-D7100.

Featuring 50mm drivers and plush leather cushioning, the AH-D7100 costs a pretty penny with its price of S$1699. One reason for the exorbitantly high pricetag may be the fact that mahogany wood has been used in the construction of the cabinet for the ear-cups so as to provide a natural, earthy tone to the audio.

For the price, one would expect unparalleled performance from the headphones. Upon trying the AH-D7100 we were not disappointed. The level of fidelity and attention to detail was quite amazing. Every inflection of Adele’s voice on Melt My Heart To Stone could be heard is complete detail. The mahogany ear-cups also ensured that the warmth of the song was almost perfectly captured.

Moving on to the noisy distortion of Everlong, we were surprised once again by the fidelity of the headphones. The cymbal crashes on the track shimmered with precision and were a joy to hear. In fact, we threw the dusbtep track Bangarang by Skrillex at the AH-D7100 just to see if it would falter. The synthesized bass modulation however was handled with an aplomb we have not yet heard from any other audio product.

Amazingly, the startling audio performance is achieved with just 25 Ohms of impedance. High end headphones often have a minimum impedance of 32 Ohms or higher, which makes them unsuitable for use without an amplification unit. However, the AH-D7100 with its lower impedance, can actually be used directly with your portable music player which should provide enough juice for the headphones to function. Obviously though, an amplifier is sure to boost performance.

Almost as an added bonus, the AH-D7100 benefits greatly from the Denon application which accompanies the Music Maniac series. It allows you to tune the headphones to your liking on the fly, something that can be used to compensate for low quality MP3 tracks.

A step down from the AH-D7100 is the Denon AH-D600. Similar to the flagship product, these headphones also feature 50mm drivers. However the mahogany ear-cups are missing which also brings down the price significantly to S$749. Audio performance was commendable but compared to the AH-D7100 but it was missing a certain je ne sais quoi. Definition of sound was present and the emotion of the songs we played was captured.

Rounding up the Music Maniac series is the AH-C400 which features balanced armature units instead of dynamic drivers. These headphones are intended to be the in-ear offering from Denon and are priced at S$499.

Urban Raver

One look at the popularity of products such as Beats by Dr. Dre and you will realize that bass-heavy audio products are a profitable business. Keeping in mind that today’s youth heavily prioritize aesthetics and enjoy bass-heavy music, Denon has introduced the Urban Raver headphones.

This series is lead by the Denon AH-D400 headphones which sport 50mm drivers. The Impedance is 32 Ohms and the product also has an on-board amplifier to help power the sound. While the headphones might be tuned to emphasize lower frequency performance, in our opinion they did not veer as dangerously close to being completely bass-heavy as other headphones. Tracks such as Ratatat’s Loud Pipes and Tiesto’s Elements Of Life had a well defined groove with good levels of depth for the bass melodies.

Similarly, the distortion on tracks such as Show Me How To Live by Audioslave sounded heavy and menacing like they were supposed to. A slight sluggishness to audio was observed on Melt My Heart To Stone by Adele and the trebles were too rounded for our liking. But the distinctive warmth of tone we expected to hear on the track was still present.

In terms of aesthetics, the Denon AH-D400 is nowhere near as flashy as other competitors, such as Soul by Ludacris, but sedated looks are never a bad thing if you ask us. The headphones come with control knobs on the ear-cups, which provide a ring of electric blue when activated. Besides raising or lowering volume, you can also use the control knobs to operate the core functionality of your iPhone and other Apple devices.

Collaborating with Starkey, which produces hearing aids, Denon also includes the AH-C300 as part of its Urban Raver series. The partnership was intended to ensure high comfort levels for the in-ear headphones. However we just found the AH-C300 to be bulky and somewhat ugly. Personally, we found the fit to be a bit too eccentric but that might just be because we are traditionalists at heart. The device provides sound, courtesy of 11.5mm drivers.

Exercise Freak

Musical accompaniment while exercising has become common. For this purpose Denon has released the AH-W150. Sweat proof with an anti-microbial coating, this product is intended for people who are looking to have a musical soundtrack for their workout.

These headphones come with 11.5mm drivers and an around the neck design. Hooked ear buds ensure that the device stays in place when in use. When testing the product out, we noticed that the mids were quite muted. This negatively impacted tracks such as Melt My Heart To Stone from an audiophile’s perspective. But looking at it from the viewpoint of someone engaged in physical activity, we found that the lack of mids helped bring the beats encapsulated by the bass and trebles to the fore. Seeing that exercises like running are based on rhythm, emphasizing the tempo in audio reproduction for the AH-W150 is a smart move from Denon.

A sports based application will also be available for the Exercise Freak series.

Globe Cruiser

Last but not least, we have the Globe Cruiser. As the name suggests, these headphones are targeted at frequent flyers or the business executive who always find themselves on the move. The particular products in this category come with Bluetooth connectivity along with Apt-X codecs to ensure quality audio. Digital Noise Cancelling capabilities have also been included to help drown out the drone of jet engines allowing you some modicum of comfort on long haul flights.

The AH-NCW500 features 40mm drivers and looks stylish with its silver finishing. Those that prefer in-ear versions can go for the AHW200 that sport 11.5mm drivers.

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