Denon DHT-S217: review in a minute
The Denon DHT-S217 is an affordable soundbar in an ultra-slim, compact form factor. This is a one-piece design, so it doesn't come with rear speakers or an included subwoofer, but the included subwoofer output allows a separate subwoofer to be added later to enhance deep bass.
The DHT-S217 is a single 2.1 channel bar, with left and right speakers at each end and a "subwoofer" array consisting of two woofers for low frequencies. There's no dedicated center speaker, and despite the Dolby Atmos label, there are no speakers to deliver the effects of height and space on Atmos soundtracks.
Despite these limitations, the Denon produces a solid and precise balance with music, strong dialogue intelligibility, and a sense of "scale" with movie soundtracks that, while modest, are much better than traditional ones. you'll get with most TVs with built-in audio. . HDMI eARC connectivity and Dolby Vision pass-through, plus a helpful dialog enhancement feature, make this a thoroughly up-to-date option.
At just under a meter wide, the Denon fits easily into smaller TVs and its performance is competitive with other 2.1ch bars in its price class, though spending an extra $100 will buy bass, depth, a volume level and spatial performance. of Denon and its competitors.
- Denon DHT-S217 (Black) on Amazon for €249 (Opens in a new tab)
Denon DHT-S217 review: price and release date
- Released in April 2022
- $249 / £249 / A$370
Denon's entry-level soundbar is priced competitively with other 2.1-channel integrated models, though Denon's Dolby Atmos support is notable at this price point, you don't find it in most competitors. It is similar for its HDMI pass-through port: not all of them offer it.
For the same price, you can find 2.1 sound bars from brands like Samsung, Klipsch, Polk Audio, and JBL that come with a separate subwoofer. And if you spend a little more on Sonos' entry-level Ray, you'll get Wi-Fi audio streaming, plus the ability to link the soundbar to a wireless multi-room audio system.
Denon DHT-S217 review: Specifications
- 2.1 channel Dolby Atmos compatible sound
- HDMI eARC with 4K pass-through and Dolby Vision HDR
- 3-level dialog amp control
Denon's ultra-slim DHT-S217 is a basic 2.1-channel design combining pairs of 1-inch tweeter and 3,5-inch "racetrack" woofers located at the ends of a meter-wide bar with a pair of 3-inch (round) "subwoofer".
Denon specifies Dolby Atmos support, though there are no vertically firing "height" speakers, nor a dedicated center speaker. Available sound modes include movie, music and a dynamic range compression night, while a three-stage dialogue enhancement feature emphasizes vocals in the sound mix.
The main input is an HDMI eARC port, which channels sound from a similarly equipped smart TV and supports PCM and Dolby audio streams, including Dolby Atmos. A second HDMI input accepts signals from an external source, such as a game console or Blu-ray Disc player, and supports pass-through of 4K video signals with Dolby Vision HDR. There's also an optical digital port and an analog minijack input, as well as a subwoofer output with a single RCA connector for connecting a powered subwoofer (not included).
Bluetooth wireless audio streaming is built in, but since there's no Wi-Fi support, AirPlay and Chromecast aren't on the menu.
Movie, Night, and Music sound modes, plus a Pure option that routes sound completely unprocessed, can be selected via the small included remote control, as can the pairs of Volume Up/Down and Bass buttons and keys. of sound selection Direct input for each physical input plus Bluetooth wireless .
Like most sound bars, the DHT-S217 includes a remote learn feature that allows you to "map" commands from your remote to the keys of another controller, typically your TV. Control over HDMI is also enabled, which will achieve the same goal with most modern TVs without the "learning" process - most people will use this as it means you'll have control of the soundbar from your TV remote when it's plugged in.
Denon DHT-S217 review: Sound quality
- Good dialog clarity
- Sound thickens at higher volumes
- Minimal Atmos height effect
I love soundbars because they offer a substantial and easy-to-use upgrade from the lousy sound quality of most TVs for those who can't or won't fit into a multi-speaker surround sound setup. (For example, a few years ago I fitted my father with a modest sound bar and he was very happy, whereas the probability that he would accept a multi-speaker system was about the same as if he had a tattoo on his face.)
I also hate them precisely because they're not discrete multi-speaker systems, and despite the increasingly smart and efficient digital signal processing used in the best soundbars, they can't quite compete with those.
Denon's DHT-S217 is a good example. To prepare for soundbar reviews, I always spend a few hours watching TV with the built-in audio from my 65-inch Sony OLED set-up, which, while better than most, is still a disappointment.
Plugging in the DHT-S217 after this exercise was an uplifting experience: bass, volume, natural sounding vocals. The Denon filled at least an extra octave of sound, giving dialogue full weight and body and providing at least a solid bass outline with music and the underpinnings of soundtrack effects like explosions and roaring engines. Overall, the Denon bar added perhaps 20dB of clean volume level, playing loud enough to fill my 300+ cubic foot studio with audible sound.
But, and with soundbars there are always "buts", while the Denon's sound was clear and intelligible, the male vocals took on a very soft "honky" distribution. More significant was the mismatch between the bass of the bar and its reproduction of mid and treble frequencies.
An example of the latter: Low-frequency elements of sounds, such as street noise or the vibrations of a baseball game crowd, were found to be a low-key, dull rumble. However, this could be alleviated by turning the bass control (offering 8 steps in total) below half, and the problem was much less obvious with the master volume set below Denon's general 60-step range.
The three sound modes of the DHT-S217 (Movie, Night and Music) are different. (A fourth, Pure, routes raw audio directly from the source.) “Night” reduces bass, boosts high mids, and compresses the dynamic range by emphasizing soft sounds and limiting loud sounds. It's ideal for "baby sleeps" TV viewing sessions, but greatly reduces the impact of movie soundtracks and noticeably colors voices and music. The "Music" seemed to retain a basic stereo presentation, with tone shaping to enhance bass and, to a lesser extent, high-mid sound for a punchier musical presentation.
Overall, I found it nice to listen to casual music with the Denon. Its sound was full and reasonably balanced, with enough bass extension to reproduce most genres of music with satisfactory depth.
Streaming Bonnie Raitt's latest release, Just Like That (via ChromeCast to my Sony TV's HDMI output), I heard a near-natural rendition of her familiar voice, and there was enough bass (if still a bit loud and disconnected) to easily follow the musical. drive even through the lowest notes. When I compared the Denon to a pair of powered speakers roughly eight times its modest price, the contrast was stark, with the much more expensive speakers sounding deeper, fuller, and more open in the midrange, and also with a brilliance that only the Denon could. hinted in - but not in an embarrassing way.
The Movie listening mode was found to be very similar, but with a bit more bass boost and a little boost in the vocal range to improve dialogue. On a related note, the remote's low/mid/high dialogue enhancement control can really bring out vocals, especially on high settings.
When it comes to surround and spatial effects, I've heard very little. Compared to Music mode, Movie made the sounds a little wider and a little louder, but these effects were far from dramatic and nothing to do with the ambient "bubble" that the best soundbars can achieve. Dolby Atmos sound.
With movies and TV or music, the DHT-S217 could play loud enough in my relatively large space to satisfy most tastes. Even so, above the top few notches of its volume range, the sound stiffened up a bit with difficult material like massive vocals or dense piano music, while the bass became noticeably "tubbies" even at the extremes.
- Sound quality rating: 3.5/5
Denon DHT-S217 review: Design
- Compact form factor
- remote control included
- front panel LEDs
The DHT-S217 has a usual black plastic finish, but with a slightly grainy black cloth grille covering the front half giving it a considerably more premium look and feel. Four buttons are positioned in the center of the top panel for power, input selection, Bluetooth selection and volume up/down functions, while the palm-sized Denon remote control adds direct access to the input and selection of sound modes from the bar. .
Two keyhole-shaped slots on the back surface facilitate wall mounting when used with the included mounting pads. The footrests on the bottom of the bar raise it about a half-inch and provide clearance for the downward-firing "subwoofers" and the input and power connections (also located on the bottom, as is customary on soundbars). ultra-thin).
A set of five LEDs communicate power status, input, audio format, and sound modes through a combination of numbers and colors. There are at least 18 possible combinations here, so you'll want to keep your (downloadable) owner's manual handy if you plan to switch modes frequently.
Denon DHT-S217 review: Usability and setup
- HDMI eARC makes setup easy
- Bluetooth wireless audio connection
- Led screen...