Wait, a $900 soundbar with out a subwoofer, {surround} audio system, or object-based 3D audio assist? That’s certainly the case with the Denon DHT-S716H, however don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. While this expensive, HEOS-enabled soundbar lacks (out of the field, at the least) {surround} and low-frequency channels, to not point out Dolby Atmos and DTS:X assist, it has an ace up its sleeve: heat, detailed, and surprisingly deep sound, which you’ll be able to all the time increase later by including a wi-fi subwoofer or {surround} audio system.
Clearly designed with discriminating listeners in thoughts, the DHT-S716H additionally comes with 4 HDMI inputs (much better than the standard one or two) and assist for Denon’s HEOS high-resolution multi-room audio platform.
Configuration
The Denon DHT-S716H is a 3.0-channel soundbar, which makes use of a complete of 9 built-in drivers (together with three tweeters and 6 mid-range cones) to ship the left, heart, and proper audio channels. The soundbar doesn’t include any up-firing drivers, so there’s no object-based audio assist for such 3D sound codecs as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
While the DHT-S716H lacks 3D audio assist, it does comes with a special killer characteristic: HEOS, Denon’s high-resolution multi-room audio platform. Thanks to its HEOS assist, the DHT-S716H permits you to play tunes or TV audio on different Denon HEOS-enabled audio system in your house.
You can even simply improve the DHT-S716H’s audio to 3.1- or 5.1-channel sound by pairing it with different HEOS audio system, such because the DSW-1H subwooferRemove non-product link and/or (for instance) a pair of HEOS 3Remove non-product link wi-fi bookshelf audio system. While the DHT-S716H’s HEOS assist affords loads of flexibility, the HEOS audio system themselves don’t come low-cost. The DSW-1H subwoofer, for instance, prices a cool $600, whereas the HEOS 3 audio system go for $300 every. Denon didn’t provide the DSW-1H or another wi-fi {surround} audio system for this overview.
Measuring 43.38 x 5.88 x 2.88 inches and weighing in at about 10.6 kilos, the DHT-S716H is comparatively straightforward to deal with. Placing it in entrance of my 55-inch LG C9 OLED TV, the curved high of the soundbar blocked a sliver of the LG’s display screen, however I didn’t discover it terribly bothersome given its non-reflective cloth masking. That stated, you might all the time decide to hold the soundbar on a wall utilizing the rear mounting holes (no mounting provides are included, though there’s a mounting template).
Inputs and outputs
The DHT-S716H boasts one of the vital beneficiant arrays of inputs and outputs I’ve seen in a soundbar, beginning with the 4—depend ‘em, 4—HDMI inputs. Most of the soundbars I overview solely provide a single HDMI enter, whereas high-end soundbars will often offer you two.
Yes, the Denon DHT-S716H boasts 4 HDMI inputs, not simply two (or one).
Besides the HDMI inputs, there’s additionally an ARC-enabled HDMI output, optical (Toslink) and RCA-style digital audio inputs, a wired ethernet community port, a USB port that helps music information (together with MP3, AAC, and FLAC), a 3.5mm audio enter, and a jack for an IR receiver (not included). All of the ports are included in a central rear cavity, somewhat than being shunted off to the left or the proper.
Setup
One of the beauties of a 3.0-channel soundbar system is that it’s straightforward to put in, particularly if you happen to’re not fascinated with wall mounting; simply plunk it down in entrance of your TV, plug the removable energy wire into an AC outlet (fortunately, the plug doesn’t include an influence brick or wall wart), and join it to your TV with the included HDMI or optical cable.
As far as HDMI connections go, you’ve got two choices: both plug your video sources into the soundbar and join the soundbar’s HDMI output to the TV, or join your video sources to your TV and ship audio again to the soundbar by way of the HDMI-ARC (Audio Return Channel) port.
Given that the DHT-S716H is without doubt one of the uncommon soundbars to return with 4 HDMI inputs, connecting your video sources on to the soundbar is probably the most interesting possibility, significantly for the reason that DHT-S716H helps each 4K and HDR passthrough (together with Dolby Vision). If you select the ARC possibility together with your video sources related to the TV, you’ll miss out on lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs, which the usual ARC format doesn’t assist. The newer, higher-bandwidth eARC (“e” for “enhanced”) commonplace can deal with lossless audio, however the DHT-S716H doesn’t assist it (and few soundbars do at this level, though we might even see extra of them beginning in 2020).
Getting the DHT-S716H related to my Wi-Fi community wasn’t a lot hassle, though it could take you a couple of further steps if you happen to’re not already invested within the HEOS ecosystem. First, you’ll want to put in the HEOS app, then create a HEOS account if you happen to don’t have already got one. Once that’s completed, a setup wizard steps you thru the method of connecting the soundbar to your native Wi-Fi community. In my case, the setup course of was eased as a result of I already personal a Denon HEOS A/V receiver that’s related to my Wi-Fi, which allowed the app to attach the soundbar to my wi-fi networks with out having to enter my community password. If you’re not already a HEOS person, the app will allow you to pick your Wi-Fi community and enter your credentials.
Controls, distant, indicators, and Bluetooth
The DHT-S716H takes a Spartan method with regards to built-in controls, with solely quantity and mute buttons on the left aspect of the cupboard and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi join buttons in again. Otherwise, the fabric-covered cupboard seems featureless from the entrance, save for an LED indicator that sits on the underside fringe of the entrance panel, close to the center.
Speaking of the LED indicator, it’s in all probability my least favourite characteristic on the DHT-S716H. For one factor, the indicator is distractingly brilliant, even while you set it to the bottom brightness degree utilizing Denon’s HEOS app (extra concerning the app in a second). For one other factor, the indicator isn’t terribly helpful past setup and troubleshooting, telling you (for instance) whether or not the soundbar is related to Wi-Fi, putting in a firmware replace, rebooting, pairing with a Bluetooth system, or encountering a {hardware} or community error. While it blinks when receiving instructions from the distant or the app, it could’t present you the amount degree or enter standing. The excellent news is which you can flip the LED indicator off utterly, however it’s too unhealthy that the indicator isn’t extra purposeful or unobtrusive.
Ben Patterson/IDGThe DHT-S716H’s distant isn’t backlit, and it doesn’t have a lot in the best way of controls.
Like the soundbar itself, the DHT-S716H’s non-backlit distant can also be fairly spare, though at the least the soundbar comes with one; earlier Denon soundbars haven’t included a bodily distant management in any respect. The distant itself options solely a handful of buttons, together with energy, mute, quantity, play/pause, fast-forward and reverse, in addition to six programmable “quick select” buttons that allow you to leap to pre-selected video inputs utilizing a specified sound mode and quantity degree. While the fast choose buttons make it straightforward to shortly choose an enter together with your favourite sound and quantity settings, the buttons themselves are solely labeled “1” by “6,” so that you’ll want to recollect which fast choose buttons do what.
For full management of the DHT-S716H, together with entry to its settings, you’ll want the HEOS app, which generally is a bit complicated to make use of. The app consists of three tabs: a “Rooms” tab that permits you to group the HEOS audio system in your house, a “Music” tab that permits you to stream tunes from quite a lot of music service (akin to Amazon Music HD, Pandora, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, and iHeartRadio) in addition to change between the soundbar’s varied video and audio inputs, in addition to a “Now Playing” tab for altering sounds modes, toggling the dialog enhancer and night time modes settings, in addition to change HDMI inputs.
Ben Patterson/IDGDenon’s HEOS app provides you full entry to the DHT-716H’s settings and controls, however it may be complicated to make use of.
What’s complicated concerning the app is that you have to navigate to totally different tabs for various settings; for instance, the sound settings are all discovered on the “Now Playing” tab, however if you wish to alter the brightness for the LED indicator or re-run the setup assistant, you’ll want to go for the Music tab and faucet the Settings button within the top-left nook of the display screen. I finally obtained the dangle of it, however navigating the HEOS app is a complicated expertise the primary few occasions you attempt it.
Once you do discover your footing with the HEOS app, streaming music to the DHT-S716HS is a breeze: Simply register to a music service to start out streaming (observe navigation is dealt with throughout the HEOS app). You can even stream music by way of Bluetooth (I had no hassle streaming songs from my iPhone XS) or use the soundbar as a Spotify Connect system. Sadly, the soundbar helps neither Chromecast nor AirPlay 2.
Performance
While it’s tempting to dismiss any new higher-end soundbar that lacks object-based Dolby Atmos and/or DTS:X 3D audio assist (in any case, even price range soundbars assist the codecs as of late), the DHT-S716H proves that top-notch sound doesn’t essentially require peak channels. Indeed, whereas the DHT-S716H doesn’t have up-firing drivers, I used to be routinely blown away by the soundbar’s wealthy, detailed, and velvety sound, even with out the advantages of a subwoofer or {surround} audio system. Mind you, the DHT-S716H’s most important soundbar unit can’t reproduce the bone-rattling booms {that a} subwoofer delivers, however its bass response continues to be surprisingly spectacular, and I can solely think about how good it’d sound as soon as paired with a wi-fi sub.
Besides the lacking Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio assist, the DHT-S716H additionally lacks the myriad sound modes that you simply’ll see on competing soundbars. Instead, you’ll discover solely two: Movie and Music, and that’s truly simply tremendous, provided that each modes sounded nice to my ears. You additionally get a few audio options that too many soundbars don’t have: an evening mode and a dialog enhancer.
First, I attempted the DHT-S716H with the opening titles of 1979’s Superman, which has been remastered in 4K and Dolby Atmos. Obviously, the Atmos-less DHT-S716H doesn’t ship the advantages of peak channels or object-based audio, however I used to be nonetheless impressed by the soundbar’s surprisingly huge soundstage because the credit whooshed throughout the display screen, and there was a strong, respectable thump as Richard Donner’s “directed by” credit score hit the display screen. I additionally preferred the sound of the Phantom Zone because it twirled into the body and captured General Zod and his lieutenants, full with audio that slid throughout the perimeters of the room in a surround-like impact (this even supposing the DHT-S716H lacks any digital {surround} modes).
Next, I spun up the UHD Blu-ray of Apollo 13, which encompasses a lossless DTS:X soundtrack, and queued up the pulse-pounding launch sequence. Again, the DHT-S716H lacks DTS:X assist, however I nonetheless obtained a kick because the Saturn V rockets roared to life and the spacecraft gently rose off the launch pad. Nope, you received’t hear the identical deep rumbles that you’d with a subwoofer, however I nonetheless skilled loads of “I can’t believe there’s no subwoofer” moments, significantly because the the ship started jettisoning the huge phases of the rocket.
I additionally performed the scene in the usual Blu-ray of Blade Runner: 2049 when Ok investigates a biofarm with assist from a drone, and the DHT-S716H did a pleasant job throughout this quiet sequence of reproducing the crunch of Ok’s boots within the gravel and the atmospheric whirring of the drone’s motors. Once once more, I used to be impressed by the soundbar’s wealthy but delicate audio, together with its consideration to high-end element.
Moving on to music, I teed up the title observe of Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost of Tom Joad, and I used to be instantly struck by the element in The Boss’s reedy harmonica efficiency and the pluck of the acoustic guitar strings, together with the rising heat of the synthesizers and percussion. Switching over to Vlado Perlemuter’s efficiency of Maurice Ravel’s solo piano works for Nimbus Records, the DWT-716H managed the difficult job of teasing element out of Perlemuter’s keystrokes whereas evoking the atmospherics of the live performance corridor. Last however not least, Ciara’s “Level Up” sounded pleasing punchy on the soundbar even with out the advantage of a subwoofer, with a pleasant pulsing baseline and crisp vocals.
Bottom line
The DHT-S716H’s lack of Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and even DTS:VirtualX assist does give us pause given the fast rise of object-based 3D audio for each motion pictures and music. That stated, I’m blown away {that a} 3.0-channel soundbar with out a subwoofer might sound this good, and certainly, I’ve heard subwoofer- and Atmos-packing soundbars which have sounded a lot worse. Given which you can all the time add a subwoofer and {surround} audio system later, the DHT-S716H is a compelling selection for discriminating listeners in search of the simplest technique to improve their TV’s sound.