Verdict
It ’s not without its foible , but the Denon DHT - S316 is nevertheless a solid and sensible way of getting some worthwhile sound quality out of your idiot box without spending an arm and a wooden leg .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Everybody knows that the majority of new telly sound pretty poor – that ’s why we ’re always so pleased to witness one that sounds OK .
But if you ’ve bought an low-priced television that depend good yet sound woeful ( which is almost all of them ) , what are you to do ? Well , buying an low-cost soundbar to go with it would be our hint .
Something like the Denon DHT - S316 , maybe ? permit ’s find out …
In the United Kingdom the Denon DHT - S316 sells for no more than £ 279 . American customers will have to part with $ 299 or thereabouts , while in Australia the decease rate is something like AU$495 .
By Denon ’s monetary standard this is approaching entry - point stuff – but that does n’t mean it ’s without meaningful competition . We ’re big fans ofWharfedale ’s Vista 200S , for example – and it ’s even more affordable than this Denon .
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 does n’t exactly have the field clear .
Design
give how low-priced it is , it should n’t come as any surprise to learn design has n’t really happened here in any meaningful mode . The soundbar itself is made from mundane plastic , with its front and front half of its top surface covered in equally unremarkable acoustical cloth . At the rear , there are rudimentary keyhole mounting points in case you want to hang the soundbar on the wall rather than brook it on a shelf .
The subwoofer , meanwhile , is build of vinyl group - wrapped chipboard . The front is covered with more of that acoustic material , and there ’s an exposed bass reflex embrasure at the bottom – it ’s wind up in the same glossy plastic that makes up the terminal - caps of the soundbar .
Build lineament is perfectly passable , and the way the strong-arm mastery on the top of the soundbar bisect the junction between plastic and acoustic cloth is , visually , quite pleasing . But as far as design goes , it ’s safe to say that ’s your lot .
All soundbars are , by definition , designed with function rather than shape in mind ( unless you’reBang & Olufsen , of course ) – and the DHT - S316 is about as functional as they come . Its attribute think it ’s happy to accompany TVs as small as 43 - in without see daft , though , which is handy – and it ’s compact enough to sit below all but the lowest - slung screens without getting in the style .
And thanks to its wireless connectivity , the subwoofer can be positioned more - or - less anywhere you fancy – as long as it has access to mains power , plain .
Features
Not for the first time where product as far down its pecking rescript as this are come to , Denon is n’t precisely make with the stipulation item . So what has Denon said about this bar ?
Well , this is a 2.1 - channel organization . The soundbar have a mates of 25 mm tweeter , promote out towards the close of the front surface , with a 32 x 112 millimetre track midrange driver on the inside of each one . The ‘ .1 ’ is taken care of by the subwoofer , which features a 140 millimetre bass number one wood lay above the forward - facing automatic port . But as to how much power is available to drive this argument - up , well , Denon is n’t saying .
Physical connectivity extends to anHDMI ARCsocket , a digital optical stimulant and a 3.5 mm analogue input – all three are in a little respite at the rear of the soundbar . They ’re grouped tightly together , but are a long way from the figure - of - eight briny connexion – so cable system - management is a footling less straightforward than it might otherwise be .
The subwoofer needs only mains top executive , and its socket is close to a wireless partner off push that can be pressed in the unlikely event the soundbar and subwoofer do n’t automatically precede themselves .
The soundbar can palm PCM , Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks – although of course these last two are downscaled to suit the Denon ’s 2.1 form . The soundbar also sport Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connectivity , with SBC codec compatibility .
Control is available via the brief excerpt of physical release on the top of the soundbar – here ’s where you could handle volume up / down , power on / off , Bluetooth pairing and remark selection . The distant control handset double these functions , and add independent subwoofer intensity control , a mute button and three EQs ( movie , euphony and Nox , the last of which backs off the basso , flattens the dynamic reply and shove the midrange forward a little ) . There ’s also a three - degree dialog foil .
There are four LEDs in the center of the front of the soundbar , which illuminate up in dissimilar colours and/or numbers to suggest what ’s what as regards stimulation and bulk level . Once you ’re rally the energy to memorise what the compounding intend , it ’s a reasonably useful port .
Sound Quality
As far as bringing the strait of your television receiver introduction penny-pinching alignment with its picture quality is concerned , it ’s hard to find mistake with the Denon DHT - S316 . It ’s an totally bigger , more coherent , more active and more assertive listen than the majority of mainstream TVs could ever stargaze of being .
beware you , finding fault is a big part of why I ’m here . So while the DHT - S316 experience is cocksure in any telephone number of way of life , it ’s not on the button perfect . So we may as well jump with what could quite easily be described as shortcomings .
As far as the soundbar is occupy , the only realistic critique have-to doe with its treble reproduction . The top closing is a little revolve - off and restricted here – so when the leaving get toppy , the Denon ca n’t give full locution to that shattering glass or those smoke - shells tinkling to the floor during any recent action picture show you worry to remark .
Of course , this is preferred to soprano sounds get edgy or harden , but there ’s always a balance to be struck – the DHT - S316 errs on the side of caution .
The rest of the news regarding the soundbar is passably full , though . It ’s a quite spacious and well - defined listen , able to offer a convincing impression of soundstaging and generating a fairish bit of width while it ’s at it .
Its midrange reproduction is nicely detail , contrive well and keeps dialogue distinguishable even if all is mayhem on either side . The dynamic variations it ’s asked to sell with during Three Billboards Outside Ebbing , Missouriare palm without dismay , and it retains its calmness even when asked to perform at significant mass .
Which , it ’s safe to say , is more than can be said for the subwoofer . In its defence , the hero integrates smoothly with the soundbar despite the lack of crosswalk adjustment , and the scurvy - frequency poppycock it generates is quite well shaped , decent check and right straight - edged .
It handles the attack and decay of specific entropy confidently , and even when the going beat properly bassy it stays in its lane and does n’t befoul the midrange info above it . Or , at least , it does if you ’re listening at naturalistic spirit level . If you settle to up the volume in the name of movie - Nox upheaval , the subwoofer can quite quickly lose the run of itself – the field it exhibits at lower stratum endure astray , and consequently so does some of its definition .
That the DHT - S316 is happier when grapple with the medicine that ’s part of a movie soundtrack than it is handling an SBC Bluetooth wireless stream is undeniable . In the first illustration the system is quite poised , passably detailed and expresses speech rhythm somewhat well ( with the caveat regarding the subwoofer ’s relationship with mellow loudness still powerfully applying ) .
In the 2nd instance , though , rhythms can sound a piddling lumpy and quite a hatful of the soundbar ’s definition is erased , too . So it ’s best to think of the Denon as an periodic music system , at best .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
For a pretty sensible outlay , the DHT - S316 will add swell sonic scale , presence and insight to your viewing pleasure .
The Denon ’s soundbar is pretty relaxed about that . The Denon ’s subwoofer is not .
Final Thoughts
You ’re not short of choice where soundbars ( or soundbar / subwoofer combos ) at this sort of money are concerned – but , get ’s face it , rarely did anyone have vendee ’s regret after choosing a Denon product .
If you already have a Sonos audio system then theHDMI - less Raymay make more good sense , but otherwise the Denon – for all that it ’s not exactly unadulterated – deserves proper consideration .
Trusted Score
How we test
We test every soundbar we look back thoroughly over an extended period of sentence . We apply industry received trial to compare features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , accept money to review a product .
incur out more about how we try in ourethics insurance policy .
FAQs
No , there ’s no living for Atmos immersive audio on this barroom , it only supports Dolby Digital 5.1 , DTS 5.1 and PCM .
Full Specs
Sustainability
Trusted Reviews ’ holds the fact that globose thaw is not a myth as a core economic value and will continuously endeavor to help protect our major planet from trauma in its line of work praxis .
As part of this delegation , whenever we go over a product we send the company a serial of questions to help us gauge and make transparent the shock the machine has on the environment .
We currently have n’t get answers to the doubt on this product , but will update this page the moment we do . you’re able to see a elaborate breakdown of the questions we ask and why in oursustainability info page .
