Sound quality is where the Noise Cancelling Earbuds show their greatest strength: They sound fantastic. As with pretty much every product ever to carry the ‘Denon’ brand name, you can take build quality and the standard of finish for granted. These are properly-made earbuds, built to last - as long as the slippery shiny finish doesn’t cause you to drop them when fishing them out of their charging case, anyhow. At 5.3g each they’re fairly light, and the combination of careful ergonomic design and a selection of differently-sized silicone eartips means they fit well and stay comfortable. It isn’t easy when a product is as little as this, but Denon has managed to make the AH-C830NCW look and feel quite expensive. The flawlessly shiny finish doesn’t do any harm, and the angled silver cap at the end of each stem makes the earbuds look like a more premium proposition than, say, the Apple AirPods equivalent. Rated to IPX4 standard, these earphones are tough enough to cope with a sweaty workout or being caught in a rain shower. Although tough, the AH-C830NCW’s are also comfortable. Light, compact and supplied with three sizes of silicone eartips, they easily fit most. Overall, calling on the Denon Noise Cancelling Earbuds is very good. External sounds are largely cancelled, and your voice will sound full, not thin and tinny, like it can with some earbuds. There were the occasional wobbles, as can happen with any earbuds, but I don’t think your callers will be bothered by it.

There’s a very pleasant effortlessness, a sort of inherent correctness, to the way these earbuds present music of all kinds. From Animal Collective’s My Girls to Warren Zevon’s Piano Fighter via The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky/New York Philharmonic/Zubin Mehta, the Denon earbuds are never less than believable and properly listenable. The Denon AH-C830NCW cut a good figure in classical and jazz recordings from an audiophile´s perspective: we experienced an almost unbelievable richness of detail, they remained very transparent and also projected a not too large but plausible imaging. However, male voices and lower strings occured to sound a bit slim to us. The AH-C830NCW doesn’t come with a full suite of controls (there is no on-board function for volume, for example). During my early testing, I thought that these Denon earbuds didn't include digital assistance support. However, it turns out the feature is supported but just rather poorly executed. If you’re hoping for more in an app, you’ll be disappointed: There is none. Noise-canceling in practice Here’s the problem, and it’s a weird one. Normally, I will be spending some time telling you about the additional features and customization potential granted by a companion app. But Denon does not have a companion app for its AH-C830NCWs.

AMAZING SOUND QUALITY WITH DENON SOUND MASTER TUNING

Unlike any number of similarly priced alternatives, the Denon do without a control app – instead, everything is taken care of using the touch-surfaces on each earbud.

Multipoint technology (pairing to two devices simultaneously) is not supported. Denon AH-C830NCW review: Verdict Denon promises up to six hours of listening time, extended to 24 with the case. That “up to” is doing a lot of heavy lifting in Denon’s claim, as that is with ANC turned off. And in those same testing conditions, the AH-C830NCWs live up to that promise — just over six hours of listening time. In terms of battery life, you'll get up to six hours on a single charge and up to 24 hours total (Denon Noise Cancelling Earbuds), or up to four-and-a-half hours of music on a single charge and up to 18 hours total (Denon Wireless Earbuds) using juice provided by each model's charging case, which is supplied via USB-C. That also doesn't bode well when you want to get active. Denon gave these earbuds an IPX4 rating, which is passable for sweat and water resistance, but hardly what I consider durable. The AirPods Pro have the same designation, so yet another thing these earbuds match them on, but if you are looking for something to break a sweat in, the best running and workout earbuds could be a place to start.No app also means you will have to make do with the default setup for touch controls. This isn’t the end of the world as the controls cover most bases but some level of customisation would certainly be welcome. But the fit isn’t secure enough to use them reliably during high-impact activities like running, although, with an IPX4 rating, they can certainly handle sweat and rain. They also have a tendency to work themselves loose when you talk — something that might prevent them from being ideal companions on long Zoom calls. During one recent video call, I found myself needing to readjust them multiple times. App-free simplicity? Simon Cohen / Digital Trends You’ll be able to discern instruments on orchestral masterpieces like Quincy Jones’“Soul Bossa Nova,” where brass arrangements and percussive elements like the striking congas are reproduced perfectly. My greatest joy came from indulging in jazz records. The melodic touch on Ahmad Jamal Trio’s “Dolphin Dance” was certainly felt, delivering double bass with such delicacy and steady hi-hats that tap gently on the eardrum. Having said that, though, the most committed bass-heads will probably want to look elsewhere. The low frequencies these earbuds deliver are deep, sure, nicely shaped and textured… but they’re balanced, too, where many alternatives push them forwards in the name of ‘excitement’. Listen to David Holmes’ Gone and even the deepest bass sounds stay in their lane, keeping clear of the midrange and allowing the rhythm and tempo full expression rather than dragging at it. That’s as it should be, but not every true wireless earbud is brave enough to insist on it.

Denon has even managed to bring a tiny touch of individuality to the ‘stem’ design, too - it finishes at an angle and is capped in contrasting silver. Though not as full-featured as some true wireless earbuds, Denon’s Noise Cancelling Earbuds (AH-C830NCW) absolutely kill it when it comes to sound quality, noise cancellation, and value for money.There’s no voice control. There’s no control app. Which means there’s no facility to adjust EQ levels or anything like that. In fact, you can’t even adjust volume levels without using your music player to do so. As Points of Difference go, this isn’t one with which Denon should be especially pleased. Sound Quality

The only thing missing is a volume adjustment, and there’s no way to switch between ANC and ambient mode without going through the off mode.

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In 2022, releasing your earbuds without an app to control them is quite the own-goal. Denon AH-C830NCW: Battery life This is a strange, rather user-unfriendly omission, given how much it constrains the ability to edit the controls, the EQ, and the noise cancellation levels. I’ve reached out about whether they are going to release one and once they reply, I’ll update this review. The AH-C830NCW express dynamic variations well too (the big shifts and the more minor harmonic variations as well), and do really good work with soundstages too. Laying out a symphony orchestra in a rational manner isn’t all that easy for even the most expensive earbuds, but there’s no mistaking where everyone’s sitting when the Denon buds describe it.