Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Denon PerL Pro review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Denon PerL Pro vs Technics AZ100, Sony WF-1000XM5, AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Status Pro X, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Denon PerL Pro Review in Short
The Denon PerL Pro is one of the best-sounding wireless earbuds I’ve tested to date and for a relatively good price. Only drawbacks include the polarizing “disc” physical design, somewhat average noise cancelling performance, and average microphone quality. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Sony WF-1000XM5, Technics EAH-AZ100, Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Status Audio Pro X, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.
Pros and Cons
- One of the best for sound quality
- aptX Lossless and Adaptive support
- Relatively great value
- Design is polarizing
- There’s better noise cancelling
- Mic quality is average
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Comfort + Features
Comfort
The Denon PerL Pro comes with 5 different sized eartips and 2 pairs of wingtips.
Due to the multitude of customization options, finding a combo that works isn’t difficult.
That said, the main thing that should be discussed about the Denon PerL Pro is its “disc” design, that is very unique and unlike any earbud I’ve tested.
Personally, I am not a fan of the look of this disc design. It doesn’t have a big negative effect on ergonomics when wearing, but they are awkward to handle.
I think the stock eartips are fine, but I’m not crazy about them.
Luckily, there are several aftermarket eartips that can improve things, such as these ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
The earbuds that I find more comfortable and secure-fitting include:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd and 1st Gen
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
- Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Features
The Denon PerL Pro was originally released in September 2023, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
- IPX4 water resistance rating (sweat and splashes of water)
- aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive support
- Audio Retransmission Case (allows you to plug the case into a source for higher sound quality)
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- Bone conduction sensors for mic quality
- USB-C and Qi Wireless charging case
- Spatial Audio “Dirac Virtuo”
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Multi-point connection
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- iOS and Android app support
The most notable feature for audiophiles is the aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive high-res codec support, which is rather rare for this class of wireless earbuds.
Also, it’s nice that there is a native Technics app offered for both iOS and Android users alike.
Microphone Quality
For a more audiophile-focused product like the Denon PerL Pro, expectations for mic quality aren’t as high as some of the more popular mainstream brands.
I find the microphone quality to be serviceable, but clearly below the current top of the class such as the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and even the Technics AZ100.
Interestingly, the PerL Pro implements bone conduction sensors similar to the Sony WF-1000XM5, but the Sonys have the superior mic quality.
Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 32 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 8 hours on a single charge / 32 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 5 minutes = 1 hour of playback
This battery life is above average for the class, as most competitors are 6-8 hours on a single charge, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.
Comfort + Features Score: 9.0 out of 10
Denon PerL Pro Noise Cancelling Performance
Like microphone quality, my expectations for noise cancelling on the Denon PerL Pro wasn’t high compared to the pretty fierce competition today.
Rightfully so, as I found the PerL Pro’s noise cancelling performance to be average for the class.
It certainly blocks out a decent chunk of ambient noise, but the newer entrants have just gotten so good in the ANC department.
If you’re seeking pure strength at blocking outside noise, there is better options like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Technics AZ100.
Noise Cancelling Score: 7.5 out of 10
Sound Quality
Now if there’s one category where my expectations weren’t tempered for the Denon PerL Pro, it was clearly going to be sound quality.
I was recommended these earbuds quite frequently on the YouTube channel, with some very high praise.
Based on the comments, I knew I would probably be in for an audio treat.
And boy, the YouTube commenters did not disappoint me!
Let’s start with the high-res codec support of aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive which tells me these are aimed at the audiophile crowd to begin with.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
Now with my first listening impression of these, I was immediately put on notice by the level of open soundstage, detail, and overall fidelity that was made quickly apparent.
Instantly, I was reminded of one of my other favorite pairs of wireless earbuds, the Technics AZ100.
The audiophile level of resolution, detail, clarity, and soundstage were immediately on par.
However, there are some differences. While the AZ100 is more bass and treble-forward, the Denon PerL Pro is more balanced with a fuller midrange and more realistic timbre.
I would say the AZ100 is more “exciting”, while the PerL Pro is more “accurate” and smoother of the two.
The bass is certainly present, but it’s very clean and focused. Arguably moreso than the AZ100 and Bowers & Wilkins Pi8.
Speaking of the Pi8, I’m finding the PerL Pro to be more resolving and reference-like, whilst the Bowers & Wilkins is the darker, more emotional, and more “musical” earbud.
I’m finding the Denon PerL Pro to have one of the most impressive soundstages for this wireless earbuds class that has a tendency to sound narrow and compressed. These are the closest to sounding like “open-back” headphones. Quite impressive indeed.
Other than the AZ100, if there’s one earbud that competes on sound quality, it would be the Noble FoKus Rex 5.
Otherwise, the Denon PerL Pro is in a level above the popular AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.
Sound Quality Score: 8.7 out of 10
Value
The Denon PerL Pro retails at $299, but is currently found for around $249 market price brand new.
The very competitive Technics EAH-AZ100 is actually just $249 on sale, which is more in line with the mainstream brands like AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sony WF-1000XM5.
To put things into a better perspective, the Denon PerL Pro competes more directly with fellow audiophile brands like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 at $400, Noble FoKus Rex 5 at $449, and Devialet Gemini II at $499.
I would easily put the PerL Pro’s sound quality on par with any of those high-end audiophile brands at a considerably lower price, making it a pretty solid value overall.
And I think this level of sound quality is in a clear level above the mainstream brands, making them more worth it for audiophiles.
The only real drawback is that its microphone quality and noise cancelling performance is average for the class, which slightly lowers its value score as a whole.
Value Score: 8.5 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 9.0 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 7.5 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.7 / 10
Value (10% of score): 8.5 / 10
Total: 8.4 out of 10
Is the Denon PerL Pro Worth it?
The Denon PerL Pro genuinely impressed me with its audiophile sound quality, and is on a very short list of being one of my personal favorite wireless earbuds to listen to, in rare company with the Technics AZ100 and Noble FoKus Rex 5.
It’s also available for a fair price that is about the same price as the mainstream options like the AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen, and Sony WF-1000XM5.
Where those mainstream brands do have an advantage, however, is going to be in having superior noise cancelling performance and microphone quality.
If those factors are more important to you than sound quality, then you may want to consider them instead.
But for the audiophiles out there, you surely won’t be disappointed.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Best Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds
AirPods Pro 3rd Generation Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen Review
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds Review
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Review
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 1st Gen Review
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Review
Anker Soundcore Space One Review
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Review
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
