Introduction
Denon has been a well-known name in the audio product market for many years. Let’s take a look at the Denon AH-GC30. Read here, what I think of it.
Specifications
Let’s kick off with the specs.
Type
Over-Ear
Driver Size
40mm FreeEdge Driver
Color options
Black or white
Smartphone control
Ear cup controls
Microphones
One integrated on the detachable cable
Denon App
Denon Audio App
Leather headband
Yes (synthetic)
Hanger construction
High-quality aluminum
Compatible standards
Bluetooth 5.0
Transmission power
Max. transmission power 10 mW (Class 1)
Compatible profiles
A2DP/AVRCP/HSP/HFP
A2DP codec support aptX HD/aptX/AAC/SBC
Continuous playback time
Bluetooth function ON +noise
Cancellation function ON: Approx.
20 hours
Earpiece
Rubber finished plastic
Folding mechanism
Foldable and collapsible
Removable cable
Yes – with a microphone
Accessories
Carrying case, 1.3m audio cable with remote control and microphone, 1.3m audio cable
Driver type
Dynamic Type
Impedance
16 Ω/ohms (Line In)
Sensitivity
98 dB/mW
Maximum power input
1,000 mW
Playback Frequency
5 – 50,000 Hz
Battery
DC 3.7 V (internal lithium polymer rechargeable battery)
Battery Life
20 hours
Full Charge 2 Hours
(15-minute charge for 6.5 hours)
Unpacking
It is time to unpack the Denon.
In addition to the hard case, of course, manuals are again included.
The back of the hard case has a net to put in some extra products, such as… ummm,.. tissues?
Once open, the AH-GC30 can finally be admired. The headset can be rolled up quite well. This immediately gives a great advantage that the case is also not gigantic – and therefore easy to carry.
Several cables are also included within the case. In any case, the USB-A to Micro-USB (to charge the headset) and two cables to listen to the AH-GC30 wired. One, however, has a controller on it to control the music.
Then we finally arrived at the Denon itself!
In my opinion, it’s a decent headset. The shells are neatly finished with the Denon logo/band name.
The hinges are sturdy and allow the ear cups to rotate a quarter turn.
The ear cups are soft because the artificial leather and memory foam mold them great around the ears. I find that a huge plus!
As I said, I think it’s quite a nice headset. The only downside is that the headband cannot be replaced. But I don’t think that’s a big problem. Duct tape will solve everything by then! 😉
The play/pause button has additional options for moving forward/backward a track by pressing the pause button two or three times. The other NC button makes sure that Noise Canceling is off/Airplane mode/City mode/or on Office mode.
There is also a 3.5mm jack to connect a device and a USB-B connection to charge the headphones.
The advantage of the AH-GC30 is that the ear cups can be easily replaced.
The Denon AH-GC30 has a good fit due to the memory foam. The headset molds to your head.
This is a test that I do with every pair of headphones, no matter how expensive they may be. The AH-GC30 is very flexible. This goes over the box with ease. The advantage of this is that the headphones do not give any pressure at all. Something that can be experienced as extremely annoying.
Software
The AH-GC30 can be used in combination with an app from Denon called Denon Audio. In this case, I used the app with an iPhone 8 plus.
I have mixed feelings about this.
In my opinion, the app is not finished, it feels outdated and lacks features. In addition, Denon charges money to use the EQ. And I think that’s crazy… I’ve never used an accompanying app with headphones where I had to pay extra to use the EQ. Why? I have no idea…
As for the further operation of the app, it feels outdated, and frankly, that’s what it looks like. In my opinion, Denon could put some time into it.
The Denon app has options to play local podcasts/music via the app. Of course, there is also a TuneIn Radio option at the bottom.
During playback there is a possibility to adjust an EQ… but… You have to pay for that. For a headset of at least 200 euros, I expect that an EQ is already possible, or that a code is included to be able to use the EQ.
Via the app, TuneIn can be used to access almost every radio station in the world. Obviously a very nice feature.
Finally, there are options to customize via the app.
When clicking on the Denon Headphones button in the settings, I immediately got an error. From a security point of view, it is a thing that the version information is given to a page. But that aside… 🙂
You can log in with the TuneIn account via the settings menu – ideal for retrieving your favorites.
Wireless
The Denon AH-GC30 has a decent wireless range. I can walk through my entire apartment – I don’t live very large either – and the music continues to play through the entire apartment, through several walls, without loss of quality. A nice addition, if I do say so myself.
Calling and control
Can you make calls with the Denon AH-GC30? Yes, indeed. The AH-GC30 sounded just fine to several people. It’s not studio microphone quality, but I don’t expect that either. I just want to be able to have a conversation with someone without having to take off my headset, and the Denon works just fine.
Noise Cancelling
I’ve always loved NC a lot. While doing errands, walking around a mall, or just a day at work, the user is still shut off from the world. I enjoy that. The nice thing about the Denon AH-GC30 is that the NC does a great job. Everything around you is simply made ‘quieter’ so that you can focus or sleep for a while. In addition, it is of course important whether the music remains good when using the NC function, and I can answer briefly; yes.
Whether this is one of the best noise canceling headsets, I dare not say – where I have not yet had the opportunity to listen to the other two from Bose and Sony. Purely from the experience of the 30+ audio reviews I’ve already done, I can say that the NC sounds pretty good. And we haven’t even mentioned the quality of the music yet. After all, that counts too.
Music and use
In terms of music, I can be quite short. I think the Denon AH-GC30 sounds pretty good. It seems that the headphones just really get better with age.
For these headphones, it does count that they must be played in first. And I was able to do that after 4 months of borrowing (sorry Denon).
The song below is one of my favorites, especially in this combination. Despite the low quality of the YouTube video, it can be found on Spotify and Tidal, among others.
The instruments sound beautiful (especially the violins and drums). The deep voices of Luciano Pavarotti and James Brown come through beautifully.
I listen to this recording with every review, to hear the differences as well. And this one is at the level of the PX5 I also just posted. The AH-GC30 comes across very full, deep voices and the beautiful orchestra in the background provides a lot of fun.
How often I watched House M.D.. Despite the acting, Hugh Laurie also has other talents, and you can hear that in the next song.
In my opinion, the AH-GC30 comes into its own, the tones are pure – which is not surprising with headphones of this amount and size. The piano sounds beautiful, and the cello in the background provides the necessary bass.
DJ Leks (also known from The Sound of Artee) has put a new mix online that goes well with a Denon AH-GC30 on a Friday evening. It immediately puts you in a good party mood. Nice to be sitting at home then… Thanks, Leks!
What I find a big advantage of the headphones is that there is not a huge difference between the sound/music with or without noise cancellation. In other NC headphones, I heard a huge amount of noise, which negatively affected the audio. In this case, I notice that much less.
Yes, there is a slight difference because there is a kind of wall around you, but the sound/music is not affected by this.
And before you know it, you’re listening to the next one for an hour and you feel like jumping around your room like a 7-year-old.
The AH-GC30 gives a great deep bass that ensures that I can enjoy music. Whether it’s jazz, classical, pop, or hardstyle/hardcore, the Denon AH-GC30 certainly surprised me positively.
Denon advises playing in the speakers for a while, and if you do, the headphones will sound just a bit fuller.
Conclusion
Denon has put a good headset on the market with the AH-GC30. The headset is soft around the ears, charges very quickly, has a good battery life, and good audio quality, in addition, there is also a well-functioning noise canceling, what more could you want? It also comes with multiple cables (and is wireless too).
Whether you listen to Hard With Style by Headhunterz or Music for adults by Johan Derksen or a complete Tidal playlist, I can enjoy hours with these headphones… and I did.
You know that feeling when music automatically makes you thigh along? A good pair of headphones do that. You are not annoyed by the sound. You hear quality, and you enjoy that. With the song by James Brown & Luciano Pavarotti, I swayed. Music moves you, and the Denon AH-GC30 certainly succeeds in that!
Even though the software looks a bit outdated/overdue (see the software chapter), I didn’t have to use it. The AH-GC30 sounds quite good with the drivers. So good, in fact, that I wouldn’t even have wanted to use an EQ – despite having to pay for it :D.
The built-in battery is good for up to 20 hours of wireless listening pleasure (using ANC). Fifteen minutes of fast charging gives an additional 6.5 hours of listening time. Ideal for breaks at work.
The Denon AH-GC30 gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. The fact that the app isn’t that great, in my opinion, knocks a point off from the total. However, when using Spotify, Tidal, or other apps, you don’t notice it at all.
