Denon’s new GC headphones pack in “advanced audio design”, aptX HD Bluetooth and three-mode Active Noise Cancellation as the Japanese brand looks to take on the likes of Bose, B&O and Sony.
Denon’s latest headphone range – the GC headphone Series – is a three-strong effort made up of the AH-GC30, AH-GC25NC and AH-GC25W on-ears.
The GC30 is fully wireless with Active Noise Cancellation and aptX HD Bluetooth in tow for CD-quality like sound. The GC25NC comes with a wired connection and the same ANC system. The GC-25W props up the range and comes with aptX HD Bluetooth.
Related: What is aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth?
Each headphone has different features. The GC30 and GC25NC feature Denon’s proprietary FreeEdge Driver that makes use of ‘floating diaphragms’ to produce a sound with reduced resonance and “more accurate pistonic motion”. Essentially, that’s less signal distortion and a purer sounding experience.
The GC30/GC25NC also include the latest generation of Denon’s active noise cancellation technology. It uses multiple microphones – four on the inside and four on the outside – to analyse and adapt to ambient noise. There are three modes tailored to different environments, so you can choose between City mode for when you’re out and about: Office for when you’re working and Flight to get rid of that annoying engine sound.
On top of that there’s also the Ambient monitor feature. A tap on the ear-case allows the user to hear any ambient sounds so you don’t miss what’s around you or any conversations you may want to hear.
All three models have ear-pads made out of memory foam trimmed in high-quality synthetic leather. Battery life for the GC30 is rated at 20 hours when using both Bluetooth and ANC. Once depleted the battery charges fully in two hours. A ten minute charge gives you two-and-half hours and 15 minutes provides four-and-a-half hours of playback.
The GC25NC battery life weighs in at 40 hours when used with ANC. For the GC30 you get 30 hours of aptX HD streaming from a single charge.
The AH-GC30 is out this month (March) for £299: the AC25NC costs £265 and is available in April, while the AC25W costs £215 and goes on sale in May.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.