Gadget Review: Denon Exercise Freak (AH-150) Bluetooth in-ear headphones

Denon, the Japanese electronics company, is mostly known for premium AV equipment. In 2012, they released the Exercise Freak fitness headphones. The headphones are wireless (Bluetooth), sweat-proof, and have integrated audio controls.

Opening the box

Front view of the unopened box

The outer cover is off

First view of the contents

From left: Carry pouch, alternate size rubber ear-tips (for bigger/smaller ear canals), carabiner for carry pouch, charging cable, Exercise Freak headphones

Headphones on the run

Sound

I am not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination. My previous head phones (apart from those that came bundled with my cell phones) were all eBay $1 specials. I now know the difference between cheap and expensive earbuds. The base is splendid on the Exercise Freaks, as are the music and vocals. I get a relatively tight inner-ear fit, but can still hear traffic - essential while running on South African roads.

Connection 

Top view - the part that faces outwards

While researching the headphones before buying them, I noticed many complaints that the Bluetooth connection gets buggy if the media playing device (cell phone) isn't worn on the right arm. Indeed, the Exercise Freak user manual states that the transmitting device should be worn in an armband above waist level on the right side of the body (the antenna of the Exercise Frean is located in the right earphone).
With these complaints in mind, I tried different phone placements while testing out the headphones.
I used a Samsung Galaxy S2 with the Nike+ Running Android app for all the tests.

Right arm, armband (1 hour run)
Connection was perfect throughout the entire run

Left arm, armband (1 hour run)
Connection was perfect throughout the entire run

Right shorts pocket (30 min run)
1 or 2 connection skips (sounds like a record skip), but mostly a great connection

Left shorts pocket (25 min run)
Connection deteriorated significantly. At least one skip each minute.

Gym towel pocket (away from body)
Great connection - started skipping if I walked too far away from my gym towel (10m or more)

Comfort

'Under' view - the part that sits against your head

The headphones fit well around my ear and the buds sit comfortably in my ear. They don't come loose even during vigorous exercise, and  they are incredibly light. After the first run, I don't notice their presence at all. It's been an absolute pleasure running without a headphone cord slapping and tangling against my back and arms.

Operation

Right earpiece showing Play/Pause button

The Exercise Freak buttons work as described in the manual. Volume controls (+ and -) are on the right ear along with the Play/Pause button. Double tap the Play/Pause button to skip tracks; triple tap to skip backwards. I haven't had any trouble using the controls - just took a little getting used to in terms of learning the button locations.

Right earpiece showing volume controls at top, charging port at bottom

 The call answer button is on the left ear. The microphone is perhaps a little too sensitive - it picks up a lot of ambient noise and the party on the other end of the line can have trouble hearing. Phone call clarity on the Exercise Freak side is perfect.

Left earpiece showing call answer button

 Battery life is rated at 7 hours - I haven't tried to run the battery flat and usually charge it after around 3 hours of operation.

Conclusion

Great sound, great fit, pretty good connectivity. Worth the price (just under $150 at the time of writing).