The best earbuds I've ever listened to are not by Bose or Sony (and they're on sale)

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Denon PerL earbuds are on sale for $159 on Amazon.
• You will not find a better sounding pair of earbuds at this price point.
• Six hours of battery life might be on the low side for some.

You’ve probably heard me go on and on about the Denon PerL Pro earbuds (which are currently $70 off on Amazon). There’s a good reason for that: they’re the best earbuds I’ve ever heard. The sound is high-quality and unmatched — and that’s without even using the app to personalize them. They’re the only pair of earbuds I’ve used that are perfect out of the box.

Also: These $35 earbuds made me second guess my high-priced audio gear

At $279 (with an original price of $349), the cost is still a bit steep. When Denon’s PR team reached out to me with an offer to review the Denon PerL earbuds (currently on sale for $159), I was a bit skeptical that a pair of earbuds that were half the price of their bigger sibling could possibly sound as good.

I was wrong.

The PerL earbuds are virtually equal to the PerL Pro in sound quality, the difference being the Pro version offers triple-layer titanium diaphragm dynamic drivers for ultra-low distortion and spatial audio via Dirac Virtuo.

View at Amazon

Denon PerL earbuds tech specs

• 10 mm dynamic drivers
• Frequency response: 20Hz to 40kHz
• Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology
• Active Noise Canceling
• Qualcomm aptX Lossless Codec support
• Bluetooth 5.0 with Quick Switch support
• Bluetooth codec support for AAC, SBC, and aptX
• 6-hour battery life without the case, 18 hours with the case
• 2 mics for calls
• Touch controls
• Price: $159 on Amazon

My experience

As I said, I assumed there was no way the PerLs could rival the PerL Pros. However, the second I connected them and pressed play on my go-to test track “Analog Kid” by Rush, I was blown away. The PerL earbuds offer that same Denon sound that’s a smooth blend of lows, mids, and highs. 

The lows are punchy, the mids are just right, and the highs are crystal clear. As far as soundstage is concerned, you’ll find it possible to close your eyes and imagine exactly where each instrument is placed. Listening to “Chemistry” (from Rush’s “Signals” album) with my eyes closed, I can see Geddy Lee’s voice and bass in front of me, Alex Lifeson’s guitar to the left, and Neil Peart’s drums surrounding me from every angle. It’s a beautiful experience that few earbuds can match.

Listening to the “Godzilla Minus One” original film score was something special. Not only is it one of the best scores to be produced in some time, but it was also haunting through the PerL earbuds. That experience alone was worth the price.

Everything I threw at the PerL earbuds impressed me. These things can handle any genre, from metal to pop (and everything in between) and I didn’t even bother with the app.

Also: How we test headphones at ZDNET in 2024

I did a quick comparison between the PerL and PerL Pro earbuds, and although they both produce brilliant sound, the PerL Pro sound is a bit smoother and capable of picking up more nuance in just about everything. That was, however, a case of me listening very closely for the differences. The average listener probably would feel they sounded too similar to tell them apart. You’ll only notice the switch between the two if your taste is particularly discerning.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Simply put, you will not find a better-sounding pair of earbuds at this price point. If such a pair exists, I’ve yet to hear them. That’s how good the Denon PerL earbuds are. Once you put them in (and yes, they are comfortable enough to wear for hours), the sound they produce will spoil you, and you’ll never want to use another pair of earbuds.

If audio quality is your primary concern for earbuds, the $159 you spend on the Denon PerLs will be worth every single penny.