Denon, as we all know, is not only famed for their highly I regarded products " but also for their highly priced products. However, most of the times their heavy price tag is defensible by the overall show and quality these products offer.
First look
If there is someone who knows how to amaze their customers from the look, then it must be Denon. The 732s come in a precisely sealed enclosure that will take quite a while to disentangle. And when you finally manage to do so, you will find two unblemished ear cups molded In delicate silver finishing joined together by a soft, yet strong black band. They are accompanied by two TRS cables with different sized connectors like..for the normal MP3 players and laptop jacks and 3.5mm for the ones on mobile phones. It also comes with a very usable and strong carrying case.
Tecchnical aspects
Denon claims that the AH-NC732 cancels outside noise by 99%. This is referred to as 'active' cancellation because it has microphones in each ear cup and the circuitry processes the ambient noise while out of phase, thereby cancelling the unwanted sounds. And all of this works on a single AAA battery. As it turns out, the 732s can be used with or without the cancellation active. Now that's exactly what sets the 732s apart from almost all the noise cancelling sets available in the market today. It gives you the flexibility of using the noise cancelling feature only when required, ultimately saving on a lot of battery power. This really makes sense because why would anyone use the noise cancelling feature when there is no ambient noise at all.
For sound, Denon incorporates a proprietary design, the Acoustic Optirniser technology, which you may find on many of their headphones. The feature essentially ports on the outer ear cup and equalizes internal pressure producing better bass, cleaner fidelity and tone, hopefully. The attachment cord is detachable (again best for storage), while an extension cord is provided which is compatible with IPhone / ITouch even without an additional adapter. Each ear-cup is loaded with a 40mm driver with Neodymium magnets that is expected to deliver between 5-28,000 Hz.
Listening experience
Out of all the headphone designs we have known till date, the on-ear design Is considered to be the most uncomfortable ones. But the AH -NC732s are lightweight plus the ear cushion made of 'low-repulsion' urethane is packed in soft leather that makes them really comfortable. When you try, what these ear-cups do when it comes to cancelling the ambient noise. Activating the noise-cancelling feature without music seemed to cut off significant bass frequencies, while it tried to raise the sound pressure in your ears, but successfully blocking ambient noise. This was a fair deal, but the instant you put on some music, the headphones will take on a completely different character. The 732s will display great dynamics and clarity with extended highs with the voices forward to the core. The 'noise cancellation active' setting seemed to be augmenting the mid-range extending better clarity to certain instruments like acoustic guitars and vocals. Like in the evergreen "Hotel California", the four guitars could be heard distinctively with each guitar retaining its Inherent character. Also, the vocals were crisp and clear. Even when you will switch off the noise cancelling feature, the 732s will come across as warm and laid back. But if you like your headphones to be heavy on the bass front, you may find the 732s don't pack in the punch that you would want them to.
It is disappointing that the TRS cables provided along are too short in length makes it very inconvenient to use at times.
Bottom line
If you consider the parameters like comfort, quality and performance, in that order, the AH-NC732s certainly has Its own share of strong points (comfortable fitting, excellent noise cancellation, strong mid-range, great highs) and a few drawbacks (thinner bass, short cable). All you have to do is evaluate the mentioned points against the price-tag and you have the answer for yourself
