Denon’s AH-C630W true wireless earphones ($99) are a more affordable alternative to the company’s $159 AH-C830NCW, but the trade-offs are significant. While audio and mic quality is solid among both pairs, the pricier model offers active noise cancellation (ANC) and supports the AAC codec, two things you don’t get with the AH-C30W. When you factor in the lack of a companion app and the odd decision to relegate all of the on-ear controls to the right earpiece, it becomes hard for the AH-C630W to compete with similarly priced models as well. For $20 less, Anker’s $79.99 Soundcore Life P3 earphones offer solid noise cancellation, better battery life, and a superior user experience all around, making them a much stronger buy and our Editors’ Choice winner for affordable true wireless earphones.
A Slick Design, But Lacking in Features
Available in black or white, the earphones sport a stem-style design with clean, angular edges and a matte surface. They fit securely despite the slim profile and the lack of earfins. Three pairs of silicone eartips (small, medium, and large) are included.
Circular 10mm drivers are responsible for the sound. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.0 but support only the SBC codec, which doesn’t allow for higher-fidelity streaming.
The on-ear controls are sensitive to touch, but only accessible on the right earpiece. This is the only true wireless pair we’ve tested in recent memory that relegates all of the controls to one earpiece. Tapping the left earpiece does something on virtually every other pair we’ve tested, but all it does here is mimic the beep you hear in the right earpiece when you press it. In any case, one tap controls playback, two taps skips forward a track, and three taps takes you back a track. Additionally, a double tap answers or ends calls.
The included charging case also uses a matte material. The top of its subtly sloped lid features Denon’s logo, and a status LED sits on the front. The (very short) USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable that comes in the box connects to the case on the rear.
The IPX4 rating here means that you can expose the earpieces to light rain and sweat only. Don’t think about submerging or rinsing them off under a faucet. Plenty of sub-$100 models offer far better water resistance, including the slightly more affordable Tribit MoveBuds H1 ($89.99), which carry an impressive IPX8 rating.
Denon estimates that the earphones can last roughly 4.5 hours on battery and that the case holds 13.5 hours of additional charge. Your typical volume levels will affect these estimates, of course. But, more importantly, these numbers are consistent with those of older true wireless models, which isn’t a good thing. For comparison, the aforementioned Tribit MoveBuds H1 offer an impressive 15 hours of use per charge, and more than 40 hours from the case. That pair (and its case) is admittedly bulky, but plenty of other pairs offer superior battery life as well.
As mentioned, Denon doesn’t offer a companion app for these earphones. That means you can’t adjust the sound signature or update the firmware. Most true wireless in-ears work with an app, so this is a notable omission.
Plenty of Audio Potential
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the earphones deliver quality low-frequency response and crisp highs. The lows don’t distort, even at top, unwise listening levels.
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the sound signature. The drums here get a lovely amount of depth—they sound full and natural. The tape hiss takes a step forward in the mix and reveals the sculpting in the highs, as does the brightness we hear in Callahan’s otherwise rich, baritone vocals, the acoustic strums, and the higher-register percussion. You might find this too bright, but a clear, crisp sound signature such as this one is a wise choice given the absence of EQ settings.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives plenty of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain its punch. The vinyl crackle and hiss, usually relegated to background status, get extra emphasis. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with laudable depth—the drivers don’t exaggerate them, but the sub-bass thump is noticeable. Despite the presence of the bass, however, the earphones still sound bright—the vocals are crisp, with only a little additional sibilance.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, have a bright, rich, commanding presence. The sound signature is a little brighter than necessary, but the clarity is excellent and the lows are robust enough that nothing ever sounds brittle.
Because these drivers sound pretty good, the lack of better codec support is frustrating. Even though the drivers can deliver solid range and clarity, they’re subject to the limitations of the SBC codec—one that’s not ideal for higher-fidelity streaming.
Surprisingly, the mic is a strong point. We could understand every word in a recording from an iPhone’s Voice Memos app, and the signal is robust. But again, the utility of this feature is limited because you can’t summon your phone’s voice assistant with on-ear controls. In any case, you shouldn’t have issues with call clarity.
Too Many Limitations
It’s difficult to make a case for $99 Denon’s AH-C630W earphones. The drivers deliver quality sound with rich lows and crisp, bright highs, but the lack of an EQ and support for anything other than SBC limits these potentially redeeming aspects. The $79 Anker Soundcore Life P3 earphones offer better audio, longer battery life, and more features for the price, earning our Editors’ Choice award. And for the same $79, Jabra’s Elite 3 earphones offer a compact, exercise-friendly build and a bass-forward but balanced sound. If you’re willing to spend more, we prefer Denon’s $159 C830NCW, though once you increase your budget to that level, your available options expand significantly.
