Denon AH D7200 Review

A little while ago I checked out the Denon AH D5200, a wooden over-ear headphone. I thought it had a great build with a consistent sound signature that provided an accurate and natural response anyone could enjoy. If you go a little higher in the price bracket you’ll find its next iteration, the AH D7200 for $999. This is advertised as a more reference style headphone, so let’s see how well it shows its value.

What You Get

• Denon AH D7200 headphones
• 3m headphone cable
• 3.5mm to quarter-inch headphone jack
• Drawstring carrying pouch
• Manual

Look and Feel

The appearance of the D7200 doesn’t look much different from the D5200. Their wooden ear cups are made from the same zebrawood material but have a lighter shade. Its sheepskin leather pads and aluminum frame are all taken from the previous model, which also has a fantastic build. I can see why they’d just want to bring those parts over rather than go for a different design altogether. In the end, I think it was the right call, as the D7200 features the same great comfort as the D5200 that makes you want to listen to them for hours.

Design

Denon also brings over its FreeEdge driver technology to the D7200. It features a 50mm unit with a nanofiber diaphragm for low rigidity and mass. The signal is produced from the driver with a piston-like accuracy, minimizing distortion.

Soundstage

For a higher-end closed-back headphone, I wasn’t expecting this type of response from the soundstage. The imaging appears large, but the sound elements feel very close together. It constricts the stage, limiting width and openness with most layers fighting for the middle. However, the spatial imaging they reproduce is exceptionally layered and transparent. The hardest pans and movements fulfill their intended effects, Even within its more closed-in stage.  While you won’t get much from the D7200 in terms of width, its accuracy is hard to contest in this range, producing a response much like studio monitors.

Low End

The bass here is quick and impactful. It hits you immediately with its forward mid-bass that slams hard and resonates with immense scale. The frequencies have a good weight to them, giving the timbre an overall thicker tone. It doesn’t receive much lift from the sub-bass, leaving the response a little flat, but it displays great control and consistency in its overall timbre.

Mids

There are some clean textures here, but some of the instrumentations could have used a bit more emphasis. Otherwise, recessed frequency bands are pretty noticeable aside from some prominent vocal ranges which cut through a lot more clearly. The low-mids can feel the most bloated, but display some good warmth in some tracks. Others fail to showcase definition in some instrumentals.

Highs

In terms of tonality, the treble region of the D7200 is definitely the most balanced. They have a smooth texture that goes nowhere near fatiguing. They’re also not rolled-off either, as detail is showcased quite consistently within the sound signature. These are the most colored frequencies within the D7200’s timbre, as they move around the mix with more air and height compared to the rest of the frequency response.

Summary

With the AH D7200, Denon brings a similar design from its previous model and expands on its depth. There are more inconsistencies with the sound signature, especially in the mids, but it shines with its extension and more immediate grasp on the sound. I’m not certain this is a substantial upgrade from the D5200, but it will definitely be one to choose for its level of intricate layering and textured response.

The Denon AH D7200 is available at Audio46.