Product Reviews

It's almost become a cliché to suggest that the iPod and iPhone are let down by the poor quality of the in-ear headphones that Apple continues to supply. Nevertheless it's absolutely true, so budgeting for a better pair is a necessity if you want half-decent audio. Thankfully there are plenty of well-priced, high-quality alternatives and these two sets from Denon are the latest additions.

As you would expect from a maker with a record of excellence in high-fidelity reproduction both the C551 and C351 are extremely well made and sound great. Each features what Denon calls an Acoustic Optimizer, which adjusts the sound pressure balance between, in front of and behind the diaphragm to improve audio quality. Both pairs sit in your ear canal, isolating the output from your iPod and keeping background noise to a minimum.

A neat touch, the C551 and C351 have a 0.5m cable, which can be lengthened to 1.3m

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via the supplied extension. That means that if you habitually carry your iPod or iPhone in a jacket pocket, you won't have a metre's worth of cable dangling from or stuffed in it. However, you still have the option of popping it into a bag or trouser pocket.

The C551 and C351 differ in a couple of ways. For instance, the C551 has a wider frequency response range and so can pick out detail at higher frequencies and deliver deeper bass. It can also deal with greater power input without distortion.

The other differences are in the build quality and included accessories. The C351 housings are made of plastic and the supplied case is a soft pouch. The C551s come in aluminium and a hard shell case. Both have gold-plated 3.5mm jacks and three sizes of rubber in-ear fittings. The two of them excel in use. Detail is picked out crisply, while bass is delivered enthusiastically. There's plenty in the mid-range too.

Like all ear-canal type earbuds, both take a bit of getting used to and trial and error to find the right fitting and adjustment. But once they're in you forget they're there.

We were hard pressed to tell the difference in audio quality - in the end despite the extra outlay, our vote went to the C551 for the housings' superior protection against careless handling and mishaps.

The price of both is a concern though. While Sennheiser's CX300 offering may not be quite a match when it comes to listening excellence, it really is tremendous value at less than £20.