Denon DHT-S516 Review: A reliable sound system

Looking for specialized brands in the audio segment ensures that the audio experience meets the expectations of users when it comes to enjoying quality entertainment at home. Logically, the line of sound bars is one of the most popular today and today it is time to talk about one of the most complete: Denon DHT-S516 .

Denon DHT-S516 is a mid-range 2.1 channel system sound bar that offers a complementary subwoofer and integrated HEOS technology to not only gain depth, clarity and exceptional power in your favorite content, but also forget about cable configurations altogether from AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth connectivity.

A reliable sound system

Denon DHT-S516 can also be fixed directly on the wall

For those who do not fully know this historic manufacturer, Denon corresponds to a brand that says it has been on the market since 1910 and that it has been the first to use several of the revolutionary audio technologies , either from being the first manufacturer of audio products. audio electronics in Japan to producing the world’s first commercial CD players and AV receiver with Dolby Atmos.

This time, the soundbar promises excellent depth in the audio quality of your favorite movies and series through a configuration of two bi-amplified midrange woofers, two tweeters, advanced DSP processing and a powerful wireless subwoofer equipped with two other speakers. As far as software is concerned, there is no lack of Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS decoding to gain immersion in new generation content.

Denon DHT-S516 comes from the factory with several preset equalization modes that make it easy to configure audio parameters when playing videos and audio. A “Movie” mode boosts bass in action scenes and increases dialogue clarity, while a “Music ” mode widens the soundstage and provides even dispersion, and even a “Night” mode takes care of reducing noise. bass tones and keep conversations clear so you can keep the volume low in the room.

Smart wireless connectivity

Denon DHT-S516 adapts to market trends

As usual in this type of device, the inclusion of Bluetooth connectivity makes it very easy to share any type of audio content that is being played from a mobile or computer in a close distance range, while for Apple terminals AirPlay 2 is added with the ability to control and group compatible audio devices in the Apple Music or Home app .

As a hallmark, HEOS technology is present , which consists of a wireless sound experience throughout the house through the free application called HEOS available for download on iOS and Android . Its feature helps to play music from multiple online services like Spotify Premium and Free, TIDAL, TuneIn for Radio Stations, SoundCloud, Amazon Music, Napster, Deezer or files from your local music libraries.

Finally, thanks to the inclusion of the multiroom audio function, it is very easy to transmit content wirelessly to several compatible devices of the same brand such as A/V systems, other sound bars and speakers, either to play the same song on all rooms or select a different song for each space connected to the same network.

When it comes to compatible virtual assistants, Denon DHT-S516 can be detected by any other smart speaker in the house with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa technology to perform actions from a distance through voice commands.

Other connections available

List of connections present in Denon DHT-S516

If you want to make use of cables, it should be mentioned that there is an HDMI input / output that adds support for an audio return channel (ARC) in order to synchronize the soundbar to the TV through a single cable. It is compatible with models with 4K resolution with HDCP 2.2, Dolby Vision and HDR10.

It is worth clarifying that Denon DHT-S516 is supplied from the factory with optical, HDMI, Ethernet and infrared emitter cables, so it comes with everything necessary to work with any television and thus avoid compatibility problems. Sure, it’s not as complete as sound systems of the caliber of the Denon AVR-X1600H , but at least it’s up to today’s standards.

Finally, this model facilitates high resolution playback whether streaming over the network or connecting a USB device to play songs that are stored. It supports the latest audio formats including DSD (2.8 and 5.6 MHz), FLAC, WAV, ALAC (192/24), MP3, WMA and AAC .

PROS:

• Cable free design
• Support Bluetooth + AirPlay2 connection
• Can be used with newer UHD + HDR TVs (HDMI 2.0 in/out)
• Support for multi-room function and voice commands via virtual assistants

CONS:

• No Wi-Fi connectivity (Ethernet network input only)
• Price can be a bit high

 

Specifications: