Japan-based hi-fi professional audio equipment manufacturer Denon has entered the premium wireless earbuds market with its Denon PerL series. The company’s latest PerL series earbuds are positioned as premium offerings, priced at $299 for the Denon PerL Pro and $179 for the standard PerL.
In this review, I will focus on the standard pair, the Denon PerL. Denon has included a personalized listening profile in the Denon PerL to differentiate itself from the competition. However, the earbuds are not without their imperfections, which I will discuss later. The brand is venturing into the wireless earbuds market, and time will tell how it resonates with consumers.
With an already saturated market, the Denon PerL is competing against established names like the Bose QuietComfort and Sony LinkBuds Fit. But does the Denon PerL have what it takes to stand out from the competition? Let’s find out.
Pros
- Excellent sound with exceptional clarity and precise, crisp bass
- Personalized listening profile
- Comfortable fit
- Extremely responsive touch controls
- Effective active noise cancellation
Cons
- Battery life could be better
- No multipoint
- No wireless charging
- Relatively larger size than normal earbuds
Unboxing
Price and Availability
The Denon PerL is originally priced at $179.99. Available in black and white color options, it is now available at a discounted price of $99 on Denon’s official website and Amazon.
Denon has added several extra features to the Pro model, including spatial audio, an EQ slider, multipoint support for up to two devices, lossless audio, wireless charging, and improved battery life. Of course, it doesn’t come cheap. If you’re not interested in spatial audio or wireless charging and prefer to spend less on earbuds, the standard variant might be a suitable option.
Design and Comfort
At first glance, the Denon PerL looks relatively larger than the mainstream earbuds. It has a fully circular design with Denon branding on each earbud, which looks quite premium. Design-wise, there aren’t any major differences; the Pro variant has a shiny coating around the circular side, which the standard variant lacks.
When I took the Denon PerL earbuds in my hand, they felt relatively heavier than most earbuds that I’ve tested recently. Speaking more precisely, each bud weighs around 7.1g. In comparison, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds weigh 6.2g, and the Xiaomi Buds 5 is even lighter at 4.2g each.
The PerL earbuds are available in either white or black color options. Denon provides us with a classic black shade that looks great. The matte black charging case has a durable plastic construction and a very minimalist aesthetic with subtle curves that feel premium in hand. Weighing 47.4 grams, the case is bulky but compact enough to easily slip into bags and pockets without taking up much space. On the back side, there’s a USB-C port for charging. Unfortunately, the standard variant doesn’t support wireless charging. A small LED indicator on the front showcases the battery life of the case.
Despite the earbuds’ odd shape, they offer a great fit for my ears thanks to their two-piece ear system. Additionally, Denon provides four sizes of silicon tips, one pair of foam tips, and two sizes of winged support bands that you can change according to your ear fitting. Denon also offers an ear-tip fit test via its accompanying app to ensure a good seal. I would highly recommend running a fit test before using it.
During my testing period, I found the buds super comfortable while using them for a shorter period of time (for example, roughly for 3 to 4 hours), but they aren’t great for a longer period of time (more than 6 hours). This might be because of the weight of the buds. I also tried the PerL during my gym sessions, and surprisingly, they didn’t fall out a single time while performing cardio (normal speed), cycling, or squats activities.
The best thing about the PerL is that you get a lot of real estate on both buds, which also doubles as touch controls, and you can also customize them at your convenience. More on that later. The buds are rated IPX4 for sweat resistance; however, the case isn’t waterproof, which is disappointing.
Performance
Under the hood, Denon incorporated a 10mm triple-layer dynamic driver in each bud. The PerL is compatible with all the standard codecs, including AAC, SBC, aptx, and Qualcomm aptX Lossless, which is good. The buds use Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity. Unfortunately, there’s no multi-point connectivity, which is very disappointing, and you’ll surely miss this handy feature while using two devices simultaneously.
To me, the best way to judge any earbuds is to use them with their default settings—no sound tweaking or profile switching. I did the same with the Denon PerL and was simply amazed by the results. It was the first time I heard pure, clear, and spacious sound straight out of the box. Denon’s sound engineers truly nailed it.
Denon has implemented its in-house Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology (AAT) into the PerL. This technology creates a unique hearing profile for the user by measuring the sensitivity of their ears. Creating a specific sound profile is a simple process that involves following easy steps in the app. First, you need to insert the earbuds into your ears and sit still in a quiet place for a few minutes. During this process, you’ll hear a range of beeps at different pitches and speeds. Once the measurement is complete, a colorful amorphous graphic will appear on the app screen; this represents your unique hearing profile.
Now let’s talk about how the Denon PerL sounds with its personalized listening profile. As usual, I started with my go-to song for testing this type of device—Vidya Vox’s “Be Free.” The Denon PerL provides clear, detailed, and spacious audio, featuring spectacular highs, perfect bass, and sharp mids. Vocals are reproduced exceptionally well, and the instrument separation is outstanding; you can hear all the individual elements in beautiful harmony.
I also enjoyed The Knife’s “Silent Shout.” The sound was clean and clear, with full and balanced bass. While the bass on the PerL isn’t as thunderous as some competitors, such as the Bose QC Buds, Sony LinkBuds Fit, or JBL Live Beam 2, it is just perfect for my taste, and I’m sure you’ll love it too. Similarly, Serena’s “Safari” sounds equally impressive, offering crisp and spacious audio.
The difference is immediately noticeable when you switch from Denon’s default mode to your personalized sound profile. I experienced a richer, deeper sound with the hearing profile. However, you can easily switch back to the default mode whenever you want via the accompanying app.
The active noise cancellation works effectively, effectively filtering out background noises such as people’s chatter, fans, and traffic sounds. However, it isn’t as effective as the Pro model’s adaptive noise cancellation, but it’s good enough to get the job done.
I loved the transparency mode on the PerL, which allows outside environmental sound in without being overly harsh. In fact, the sound becomes much smoother and quieter with transparency mode enabled. Denon has implemented two microphones on each bud, while the Pro model has four. During my testing period, I found that the Denon PerL delivers detailed and clear voices during voice and video calls without any dropouts or connection issues whatsoever.
What I don’t like about the PerL is the absence of spatial audio and head tracking support, which feels underwhelming. In comparison, the Pro model is well-equipped with features, but you’ll need to pay a premium price for those enhancements.
Software
The PerL earbuds do have Denon companion app support. Since the buds already lack lots of features, the Denon Headphones app isn’t different. You’ll get a limited set of customizations in the app compared to the Pro model. The app doesn’t offer EQ sliders, spatial audio, multipoint toggle, music takeover, and mode switching features.
The companion app, available on Android and iOS devices, features a user-friendly interface. You can save up to three personalized sound profiles, switch between different profiles, and enable or disable ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) or Social (transparency) mode through the app. Additionally, the app includes an immersion mode feature that lets you adjust the level of bass.
I found the touch controls to be very responsive and reliable during use. You can also customize these controls via the companion app. For instance, you can set a single tap to enable or disable social mode, a double tap for volume up or down, and a triple tap to turn ANC on or off. A double tap and hold allows you to change the track, along with several other customizable options.
Battery
The battery life of the Denon PerL is decent. Denon claims that the PerL offers up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 18 hours with the charging case. During my testing, I achieved around 4 hours and 45 minutes of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) activated, and 5 hours and 35 minutes with ANC turned off. When using the case, you can expect around 15 hours of battery life with ANC engaged. Overall, the battery performance of the earbuds is average compared to other options in this price range. For instance, the Bose QC earbuds offer approximately 8.5 hours with ANC, while the JBL Live Beam 3 exceeds this with a remarkable 12 hours of ANC playback.
Additionally, the Denon PerL includes quick charging support; a 10-minute charge provides an hour of listening time. It takes about two hours to fully charge the case, and users can expect up to three additional charges from the case itself.
Should I Buy the Denon PerL Earbuds?
Buy them if…
- You want an extremely clean, spacious, and controlled sound
- You want highly responsive touch controls
- You are looking for unique and bulky-shaped earbuds.
Don’t buy them if…
- You want features like multipoint, spatial audio, and head tracking
- You want solid battery life
- You want fantastic ANC performance
Final Thoughts
The Denon PerL delivers admirable audio quality at a reasonable price. It has a very unique design that looks and feels bulky and sets it apart from the mainstream earbuds. My biggest personal gripe is that the standard variant misses out on some must-have features like multipoint, EQ customizations, and spatial audio support.
Awarded to products with an average rating of 3.75 stars or higher, the AndroidGuys Smart Pick recognizes a balance of quality, performance, and value.
Products with this distinction deserve to be on your short list of purchase candidates.
The PerL isn’t as feature-rich as some other earbuds in this price range. Although it has something that most earbuds don’t have in this price range, it’s Denon’s signature pristine, clear, and spacious sound. Currently available for $99, this is a steal deal. If you are looking for earbuds that sound premium and you are ready to trade off with other features, then the Denon PerL might be an appealing choice for you.
If you are after a premium sound, as well as solid battery life and fantastic ANC, then Bose QC 2024, Sony Linkbuds Fit, and JBL Live Beam 3 are some of the few options at that same price range.
