For better or worse, I put a fair amount of effort into extracting as much quality from my listening experience as possible, within reason. While that means most of my music listening is done at my desk with lossless files running through a dedicated DAC and headphone amp, I still appreciate the convenience of Bluetooth earbuds. Even the best earbuds out there can’t match that quality, but adding things like active noise cancellation makes it a fairer deal, which is why I’m always skeptical when a product promises me all the benefits of both and doesn’t compromise on either.
Since Bluetooth took off, the industry has made great strides to restore sound quality to the days when we were still nervous about earphone cords turning into knots as soon as they entered our pockets. While LDAC and aptX Lossless codecs are now close to the bandwidth needed to process CD-quality audio, at least on paper and under ideal conditions, that doesn’t mean much if the hardware is lacking.
Although they may have the best sound I’ve heard from Bluetooth earbuds, the $350 Denon PerL Pros may bring tears to your eyes before the music.
Denon Pearl Pro
The Denon PerL Pros are some of the best sounding earbuds available. While the ANC isn’t the best in this price range, or even $100 below, with the inclusion of Masimo AAT, Snapdragon Sound Lossless, and 10mm triple-layer titanium dynamic drivers with ultra-low distortion, they deliver incredibly clean, high-fidelity sound even at max volume, with powerful, punchy bass that makes you feel like you’re listening to your favorite tracks right in the recording studio.
- Hearing-based automatic sound profile
- Incredibly low distortion, and crystal clear audio clarity at every volume level
- The sound field is incredibly wide for earbuds.
- Customize touch controls for each individual earbud.
- aptX lossless and Snapdragon Sound are still somewhat niche technologies.
- The African National Congress is nothing to write home about.
Price and availability
Worth it for the right person.
The Denon PerL Pro earbuds are available at most retailers you’d expect – Amazon, Bestbuy, and B&H are the most popular. With a starting price of $350, and even the $280 sale price they’ve seen since launch, the PerL Pros are Steadily In the premium price category.
What’s good about Denon PerL Pros?
Uncompromising vocal performance
The Denon PerL Pro’s main feature is undoubtedly the inclusion of the aptX Lossless codec, but that doesn’t mean much if the hardware can’t support the software. While there’s no shortage of asterisks surrounding the software side of things, the PerL Pro are capable of delivering absolutely stunning sound quality.
Even on devices that don’t support aptX Adaptive or Lossless codecs, the clarity and soundstage are noticeably better than what you’ll find on standard $250 premium earbuds. But for such a significant increase in price, it could be a problem if that weren’t the case.
While the transition from aptX classic to Adaptive or Lossless isn’t a night-and-day difference on the PerL Pros, it’s more like between noon and 4 p.m. The difference is there and easy to spot the moment you start looking for it, but if all you need is light — or in this case, sound — both work great. While I typically listen to lossless audio over a wire for most of my day, the Denon PerL Pros are the first wireless earbuds that don’t feel like a huge compromise on sound quality for portability.
Denon’s headphone app is also one of the best I’ve used, and a great addition to the PerL’s features. It’s optional, but with full customization of the touch controls on each earbud, custom settings for the in-ear sensors, and a smart EQ tool, the app does nothing but enhance the user experience.
Whereas previous hearing profile options—like those on Beyerdynamic’s Free Byrds, for example—relied on user feedback during a hearing test, Denon uses a Masimo AAT to automate the process. I was a bit skeptical about how effective this would be, but the results made me a believer, leaving me with a better profile than I’d gotten from hours of fiddling with the EQ.
Related
Beyerdynamic Free Byrd Review: Sony and Sennheiser Better Be Careful
First attempts are rarely this good.
Beyond the smart audio profile, you still have a standard five-band equalizer with an “immersive” slider for the low and mid frequencies, ensuring you have the freedom to tweak to taste.
While all of these considerations for music are good, the noise cancellation doesn’t quite cut it. The noise cancellation isn’t bad by any means—it’s on par with most headphones in the $250 price range—but it’s not as smooth as some other music-oriented headphones I’ve used on a daily basis, like the (slightly more affordable) Technics AZ-80s.
Related
Technics AZ80 Headphones Review: Flagship Earphones From a Hi-Fi Legend
Top-notch sound with amazing ANC
In addition to the standard selection of eartips, the Denon Perl Pros include one set of medium foam tips, which I really like, and two sets of wings. While more foam tips would have been better, they’re not stiff enough to be uncomfortable if you typically use smaller tips. Both sets of wings are relatively large compared to other sets I’ve used but end up spreading that contact over a larger area, reducing hotspots.
What’s bad about Denon PerL Pros?
Snapdragon processing in the room
While the Denon PerL Pros have a long battery life that I can’t complain about, I can’t say the same about my phone. While the classic aptX codec is fairly lightweight for most devices, the higher bitrate Snapdragon Sound flavors of aptX can sound like a globe on Atlas’s shoulders.
If you’re still using a phone like the Moto Edge+ 2022, which can’t even handle the newer Snapdragon Sound, your phone will go from full to dead before the PerL Pros’ battery level hits 50%, though newer devices should do better.
Even if we had to think about it, it would be a tall order, as the Snapdragon Sound club isn’t exactly full. The list of compatible phones includes some familiar names, such as Motorola, Asus, and Sony (responsible for the competing LDAC codec), but Samsung and Google don’t make an appearance. That’s not entirely surprising, as with aptX being proprietary to Qualcomm — the “Snapdragon” in Snapdragon Sound denotes platform exclusivity — and Samsung and Google using Exynos and Tensor chipsets respectively, they simply don’t have the necessary chips that Qualcomm has blessed from above.
Even without Qualcomm’s special sauce, I prefer listening to music on the Denon PerL Pros over most LDAC headphones with my Pixel 8 Pro, which speaks volumes about Denon’s hardware and software optimizations.
This makes my minor complaint about the PerL Pro’s Transparency mode even more puzzling. While the active noise cancellation is nothing to complain about, the “social” Transparency mode gives some environmental noises like running water an almost high-gain effect. There’s also an annoying glitch in the sound at times, allowing a humming noise to come in on the side closest to it instead of both or neither.
While software updates can alleviate this minor issue, the same can’t be said for the physical issue. Not everyone is a fan of the wings, myself included, so while neither size gave me any problems, your mileage will obviously vary. However, this seems like a legitimate complaint due to the sheer size of the Denon PerL Pros. They’re quite large for an earbud, and most of that weight seems to be pushed toward the large touch targets. Without the added support of the wings, I started to feel mild discomfort relatively quickly.
Should you buy them?
A no-brainer for some, a hard sell for others.
If the wings don’t fit you, the Denon PerL Pros may not be comfortable to wear during long listening sessions. Additionally, Samsung and Google users won’t be able to get the most out of them because the high-bitrate codec they use is a Qualcomm exclusive.
Despite all that, I love these earbuds because they’re the closest wireless earbuds come to wired listening quality. And even though my Pixel phone can’t push them to their limits, the hardware and tuning have cemented their place in my pocket for the foreseeable future. Of course, this price increase over the top Sony or Samsung options won’t be worth it to everyone, but the returns are far from low.
Denon Pearl Pro
The Denon PerL Pro earphones combine advanced audio hardware with Masimo AAT adaptive audio and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound Lossless codec to deliver some of the best earphones we’ve ever tested. The hearing-based automatic equalizer profile feature has to be heard to be believed.
Related
Best Wireless Earbuds of 2024
Your ears deserve the best, so choose the best wireless earbuds.
