First impression:
What is immediately noticeable is the huge box in which the soundbar and subwoofer are packed very well. On the left side of the box is a separate box with all conceivable connection cables you could need. It is also nice that wall brackets are included with which the soundbar can be placed on the wall. To facilitate this, a template is also included. This prevents you from having to purchase additional accessories. A remote control is not included.
When unpacking the speakers, you feel that you have a quality product in your hands. Although almost everything is made of plastic, the weight and finish are above expectations. In retrospect not so strange if you know that it is a Denon product. On the right side are the pleasantly operable button for volume and switching on/off. At the rear are 2 small bass ports, the connections for the wall brackets and of course the various connections for sound and internet that are neatly incorporated in coves that ensure that the plugs also fit well when the sounbar is hanging on the wall.
The design is certainly striking with the five-sided sides. Furthermore, the soundbar has a slim finish and has a speaker cloth over the entire front so that you cannot see the speaker. This cloth cannot be removed. When I look at the buttons, I immediately think of a Sonos brand that uses the exact same buttons and has been on the market for a while and is clearly the trendsetter here. The subwoofer is a pretty small heavy cabinet with a bass reflex port at the back. Rubber feet are included that can be stuck to the bottom of the subwoofer. Especially recommended on a hard floor to acoustically decouple the speaker. This prevents nasty noises.
Installation:
The installation is actually very easy. Especially with modern televisions that are equipped with an ARC (Audi Return channel) that ensures that all the sound that can be heard via the TV can be switched directly to the sounbar with 1 single HDMI cable. For most users, this will be the primary connection. Heos has developed a well-functioning app for your smartphone or tablet that helps you through the installation process (which is actually necessary). The app also provides complete control of the soundbar. Think of switching between different music sources, adjusting the sound, controlling the volume and much more. It is also possible to wirelessly connect multiple Heos speakers to the soundbar to create a surround system.
Ease of use:
Once connected, the set is very easy to use. The soundbar also turns on when the TV is switched on. You can also control the sound of the sounbar via the remote control (AB) of the TV. You may have to change a setting in the menu of your TV for this. In addition to a fixed internet connection (LAN), the soundbar is also equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth. I used the soundbar with a fixed internet connection. This connection is less susceptible to interference and is therefore preferable to WiFi. You can also stream music from your mobile devices, or even a NAS server with WiFi or bluetooth. You can also listen to music services via a network server, such as Spotify, Deezer, Napster, Soundcloud, Tidal and all conceivable radio stations via Tunein.
Sound quality:
The soundbar is a welcome addition to the often poor sound quality of modern flat screen televisions. Using the soundbar without a subwoofer is not an option because then you will not have a good bass reproduction. I placed the soundbar directly below the TV, about 20 cm from the wall. The subwoofer to the right of the TV more than 2 meters from a corner. I left the sound setting as default. The further the subwoofer is placed to the corner, the stronger the bass will be. If you want to experiment with the bass reproduction, this option may be a better solution than amplifying the bass reproduction via the equalizer on the app, because otherwise the basses will quickly become choppy and no longer sound natural. I really think this is a disadvantage of a small subwoofer.
The overall sound reproduction is surprisingly “grand” with a clear open sound, clear voice reproduction and a certain degree of spaciousness. Especially if you watch a recent movie or series via Netflix, it almost seems like you are in a cinema. However, the treble clarity is too high with some sound sources. This can sometimes lead to listening fatigue for some. If you watch TV, this will not be immediately noticeable because you are distracted by moving images. When listening to music alone, the set is very critical of the quality of the signal offered by the sound source. Music from Spotify, for example, sounds many times better than music from a radio station via Tunein. This has everything to do with the compression (making it digitally smaller) of the supplied music signal. The less the compression, the better the sound reproduction.
Where the Heos set also excels is the large amount of built-in decoders. For example, the set can handle audio signals such as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD.
Conclusion:
The manufacturers of such Home Cinema sets often present them as complete surround sets. These are of course not. It cannot be compared with a complete surround installation with separate amplifier(s) and speakers. Also not price wise.
For those who are looking for a high-quality solution for the moderate sound of modern flat televisions and who do not place too high demands on the sound reproduction, this is an excellent solution. The set is graceful, solidly finished and minimalist in the (living) room. Furthermore, the set is very complete.
