These mid-range earbuds sound nearly perfect out of the box – and aren't by Beats or JBL

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Denon PerL earbuds are on sale for $179 on Amazon.
• These are the best-sounding pair of earbuds I’ve found at this price point, with crisp, crystal-clear sounds straight out of the box.
• Six hours of battery life is right on average for earbuds in this price range.

You’ve probably heard me rave about the Denon PerL Pro earbuds. There’s a good reason: they’re the best earbuds I’ve ever heard. The sound from the PerL Pro is high-quality and unmatched — and that’s without even using the app to personalize them. But when Denon offered the Denon PerL earbuds (currently on sale for $179) for review, I was skeptical that a pair of earbuds that were half the price of their bigger sibling could sound as good. I was wrong.

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

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: $179 on Amazon

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I’d assumed the PerL earbuds could not rival the PerL Pros. However, I was blown away the second I connected them and pressed play on my go-to test track, “Analog Kid” by Rush. The PerL earbuds offer that same Denon sound, 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.

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Listening to the “Godzilla Minus One” original film score was something special. It is one of the best scores to be produced in some time, and it was 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. Until now, the PerL Pro earbuds were the only pair I’ve used that are perfect out of the box.

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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 almost everything. That was, however, a case of me listening very closely to 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.

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If audio quality is your primary concern for earbuds, the $179 you spend on the Denon PerLs will be worth every penny.