Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
That last part should be of particular interest because it applies to third-party subs, too. You don’t have to use a Denon one if you don’t want to, and while a wired sub may limit your options on layout and deployment, it’s a nice perk to have at this price point. As for surround and spatial effects, I heard disappointingly little of either. Relative to the Music mode, Movie made the sounds a little wider and a shade taller, but these effects were far from dramatic and nothing like the “bubble” of ambience the best Dolby Atmos soundbars can achieve. Mind you, finding fault is a big part of why I’m here. So while the DHT-S316 experience is positive in any number of ways, it’s not exactly perfect. So we may as well start with what could quite easily be described as shortcomings.
When it comes to features, it's good, but not far beyond other affordable options – some will give you Wi-Fi, but some may not include a second HDMI port. It's a great-value buy, no question, but it's not far out of line with other options once you balance everything out. HDMI with Audio Return Channel:Exceptional sound clarity through one single connection to your TV — plus, control the DHT-S416 with your TV’s remote. Sonically, the DHT-S216 performs well regardless of the input source and you’ve got plenty of options in terms of customising your audio experience. Helping you to truly feel like you’re at the movies, the Denon DHT-S416 is supplied with a separate subwoofer. Featuring a bass reflex port, this subwoofer is both compact and powerful. For easy positioning, the link between soundbar and sub is wireless. I also hate them precisely because they are not discrete multispeaker systems and, despite the increasingly clever and effective digital signal processing used in the best soundbars, they cannot fully compete with such.
A fantastically capable soundbar that sounds great, but isn’t perfect out of the box
As far as the soundbar is concerned, the only realistic criticisms concern its treble reproduction. The top end is a little rolled-off and restricted here – so when the going gets toppy, the Denon can’t give full expression to that shattering glass or those bullet-shells tinkling to the floor during any recent action movie you care to mention. Switching to audio streaming, the success story continued, and allowed us to test the differences between the ‘Music’ preset and the ‘Movie’, which gave us a better sonic balance for music (unsurprisingly!), reining in the bass somewhat and sounding a bit more cohesive when listening to our music via Qobuz. The stereo configuration, plus the matching subwoofer, made this a brilliant little performer, and it wouldn’t be a poor choice purely as a 2-channel audio system for those with limited space. The fact that it can double up as a TV speaker par excellence becomes a massive bonus. Inside the soundbar are a pair of 1.25 x 4.4-inch full-range oval driver and two 1-inch tweeters, which Denon says will ensure "the crisp yet rhythmical mid-range and treble" for which the company is known for. Denon is coy about revealing the amount of amplification power that’s on tap here. But – as the 'audio performance’ section will make obvious – the power that’s available is plainly more than adequate for all but the largest listening spaces. The subwoofer, too, is capable of being quite eloquent. It’s certainly able to reveal detail of tone and texture where less accomplished designs just go “thump”, but it can summon sufficient drive to give even the biggest Hollywood action set pieces proper body and substance. It controls its output well, describing nice straight edges to bass sounds, and – like the soundbar it accompanies – has plenty of dynamic headroom.
However, it takes some time to figure out what the best configuration is for a given content scenario. For example, Pure is the mode free of all processing and software-based magic that works to pump audio out in an immersive way. It really depends on what you’re watching with it. We found it could be pretty good for dialogue-heavy shows or even a concert video, but we leaned toward DTS Virtual:X or Movie mode for movies and TV shows. Two keyhole slots on the rear surface facilitate on-wall mounting when used with the included mounting pads. Foot-pads on the bar’s bottom lift it a half-inch or so and provide clearance for both the down-firing “subwoofers” and the input and power connections (also located on the bottom as is usual with super-slim soundbars). If this is your budget, and you want to make sure you're getting as much from streaming Dolby Atmos movies online as possible, the Denon DHT-S217 is hard to beat. But if you can stretch to a higher budget, you'll get more from your sound. Denon specifies Dolby Atmos compatibility, though there are no up-firing “height” speakers, nor a dedicated center-channel speaker. Available sound modes include Movies, Music, and a dynamic range-compressing Night, while a three-level Dialog Enhancement feature accentuates voices in the sound mix.Bluetooth wireless audio streaming is built-in, but since there’s no Wi-Fi compatibility, AirPlay and Chromecast are not on the menu. Bass heads are covered here, too; the soundbar comes with a wireless subwoofer, which features a 5.25-inch driver in a ported enclosure "to extend bass to phenomenal low-end levels". Delivering powerful, immersive sound, the Denon DHT-S416 provides a huge upgrade to movies, gaming and TV sound. More than this, though, it’s also a handy music streamer. Featuring built-in Bluetooth, wi-fi and Google Chromecast, you can also use it as a wireless music, streaming speaker.
Very happy My first toe in the water with anything to do with soundboard or smart speakers etc. I wanted to improve the sound quality and especially the dialogue clarity from my flat screen tv. At the same time I wanted to be able to cast streamed music from Spotify and BBC sounds. The sound quality seems to be especially lush with music - probably due to the subwoofer. To my (untrained and pension-aged) ears the quality is as good as my 30 year old hifi - also Denon. I haven't yet established how much clearer the dialogue will be on the usual 'mumble mix' TV dramas and movies, but I'm hopeful. HDMI and optical cable included:Simply connect a single cord to your TV and enjoy immersive audio for every entertainment experience Like most soundbars, the DHT-S217 includes a remote-learning feature that lets it “map” its remote’s commands to the keys of another controller – typically, your TV’s. Control-over-HDMI is also enabled, which will achieve the same purpose with most modern TVs without the “learning” process – most people will use this, since it means you'll have control of the soundbar from your TV's remote the moment it's plugged in. Behind each grille on the top of the soundbar there’s a 66mm full-range driver, carefully angled to give it the best chance of reflecting sound from your ceiling for that overhead Dolby Atmos effect. And everyone from JBL and Sonos to Sony and Yamaha are more than happy to part you from similar money in exchange for a similar soundbar, sometimes with a subwoofer thrown in too. In other words, Denon doesn’t exactly have the field clear. Design
Don’t expect object-based audio from this speaker as it’s just a 2.1 effort. It stands at 5.6cm tall, which should mean it can slide underneath most TVs (particularly ones with a stand). Housed inside its slim frame are a pair of 1.25 x 4.4-inch full range drivers and two 1-inch tweeters, with the wireless subwoofer home to a 5.25-inch driver contained in a ported enclosure for added bass extension.
At 900 x 82 x 55mm (WDH) the soundbar is tidy enough to sit comfortably beneath any TV of 43in or more, and unless it’s one of those TVs that sits very low on its stand, it’s not going to obscure the bottom of the screen as it does so. Of course, you may prefer to position your new soundbar on the wall; if so, Denon has included a couple of basic fittings on the rear of the soundbar, and its 1.8kg weight isn’t going to present any danger to your plastering.Built-in Bluetooth enables wireless connection to the soundbar of your phone, tablet or laptop. This gives you access to your favorite music on your mobile devices, streaming services and Internet radio with the same Denon-branded sound quality that you enjoy watching TV. In addition to the HDMI ARC port, there’s an HDMI input for connecting consoles and Blu-ray players directly, an optical in, AUX-in and subwoofer out. The soundbar doesn’t have smart functionality or a Wi-Fi connection, which isn’t a surprise given the price but you can stream audio wirelessly to it via Bluetooth 4.2. Measuring 89 x 12 x 6cm (WDH) the DHT-S216 is best suited to use with TVs over 43 inches – I tested it with a 49in Sony and slotted neatly in front of the television without obstructing the remote control sensor. It’s a pretty lightweight bar when compared with some of its rivals, and at 3.4kg, can be easily mounted if your TV is on the wall. How does it sound?
Great Deal 
New Comment