Test Benches:
The Denon AHGC20 Globe Cruiser are well-crafted, comfortable headphones with a sturdy, durable design. They block a lot of noise in loud environments like on a plane or train. Unfortunately, they have below average sound quality and leak quite a bit, which might disturb the people around you.
Design | 7.4 |
Sound | 6.0 |
Isolation | 7.2 |
Microphone | 6.1 |
Active Features | 7.2 |
Connectivity | 6.1 |
The Denon AHGC20 are well-designed headphones that feel sturdy and durable. The large ear cups are well padded and comfortable. The headband does not exert too much pressure on your head, and the control scheme provided is efficient and easy to use. They're not stable enough to use during sports but will comfortably maintain their position during casual listening sessions.
The AHGC20 are very comfortable headphones. The ear cups are large enough to fit cozily around most ears and the padding used is thick and soft. The headband does not apply too much pressure to the head and is also sufficiently well-padded. They are not the most lightweight which some may prefer however the weight does not cause any discomfort or fatigue, even during long listening sessions.
Great button layout and control scheme. The AHGC20's buttons deliver good tactile feedback and are efficient and easy to use. They provide; call/music, track skipping, and volume controls. The power button is also the noise cancelling switch.
The Denon AHGC20 are decently portable headphones. They conveniently fold up into a much smaller format, which does not take too much space in a backpack or handbag. However, they are a little on the larger side for over headphones and will not comfortably fit in pockets or even larger jacket pockets.
Build quality is good. These headphones feel sturdy and durable. The headband has a metal frame to reinforce the build, and the hinges are also mostly metallic, which can withstand a fair amount of physical stress. The ear cups are dense and robust. However, the underside padding for the headband is not made of the same faux leather as the ear cup padding and may wear over time with frequent use.
These headphones are moderately stable. They will comfortably maintain their position during casual listening sessions. They're also wireless, so there's less risk of getting your cable hooked by something that will pull the headphones off your head. However, they are not designed for use during sports and will not maintain a stable fit under those conditions. The large ear cups will slip off your ears during high-intensity activities, like running or jumping.
The frequency response consistency of the AHGC20 is mediocre. The bass delivery is quite consistent across our human subjects, most likely due to the ANC system (active noise cancelling) of the checking for the seal and bass amount. The treble delivery, however, is quite inconsistent and sensitive to positioning.
The AHGC20 isolate listeners well in loud environments. The active noise cancellation is efficient and can easily cancel the ambient noise of a daily commute. Unfortunately, they leak a lot of sound at higher volumes and would be distracting to people around you on a bus and certainly in an office.
Good isolation. The passive isolation provided by the ear cups is quite good. It starts to kick-in at 300Hz and reaches its peak isolation of -38dB at 4KHz. The active noise cancellation does a decent job in the bass range, achieving an average of 13dB of cancellation.
Poor leakage. The majority of the leakage is spread between 400Hz and 5Khz which is too wide. The overall level of the leakage is relatively loud too.
The Globe Cruiser have an above average battery life which doesn't take too long to recharge. They also a great wireless range and latency performance, supporting both aptX and aptX(LL). Unfortunately, they lack an efficient app as the one provided only give you basic playback controls. This also means they do not have an auto timer or other power saving features, which is slightly disappointing.
The AHGC20 Globe Cruiser have a generous battery life. They deliver a full day of continuous playback on a single charge but unfortunately, they do not have many features to prolong the battery life. They do not have an auto-off timer, so they will continue draining the battery if you forget to turn them off. They also can't play audio while charging.
The Denon Travel app is very bare bones and feature lacking. It only provides an in-app player that deliver minimal playback control. It adds some links to other travel apps like Expedia and Kayak, but they're only passive links with no additional integration. This app is not really worth installing, especially that the in-app player adds nothing more to your regular phone player.
The AHGC20 are not the most far-reaching headphones in direct line of sight but deliver a strong, reliable connection, even when obstructed. They achieved a range of above 40ft when the Bluetooth source was placed in another room, which makes them a good pair of wireless headphones to use around the house or in moderate-to-large offices. They're not too difficult to pair although, they don't have NFC. Unfortunately, the hold to pair procedure can get a little tedious at times when switching Bluetooth devices.