The Denon DHT-S218 is a Dolby Atmos soundbar where the manufacturer promises impressive sound quality and powerful bass response, despite the fact that there is no external subwoofer here. Everything is built into the sleek, affordable soundbar.
Be aware that Dolby Atmos here is only achieved via processing, as there are no dedicated top speakers to direct the sound up towards the ceiling.
“Crystal clear dialogue”
Denon promises “crystal clear dialogue” and a big, rich cinema experience from a sleek 6 cm high cabinet. The soundbar has built-in support for the spatial 3D audio format Dolby Atmos, which will reportedly take the audio experience “to new heights” for owners of modern 4K TVs. And with the eARC audio return channel, it’s easy to retrieve the Dolby Atmos soundtrack directly from the TV’s HDMI connector. HDMI cable included.
The Denon DHT-S218 has dedicated tweeters and midrange drivers, as well as two downward-firing 3-inch woofers. Calling them subwoofers is something the marketing department will have to answer for, but they should be able to deliver a rich enough bass response.
Subwoofer output
On the other hand, the soundbar has a dedicated subwoofer output, so it can still be wired to an external subwoofer. In our opinion, this extends the range of applications quite a bit.
Music streaming is via Bluetooth and the soundbar also supports Bluetooth LE for low latency. It also has a dedicated HDMI input in addition to the audio return channel. So if you have a TV without audio return (ARC/eARC), you can connect Chromecast or Apple TV through the soundbar and then from the soundbar to the TV. Good thinking.
The DHT-S218 is shallow enough not to block the picture when placed in front of the TV. Alternatively, it can be wall-mounted using the ‘keyhole bracket’ on the back.
Other features
In addition, the DHT-S218 offers the following features:
- “Pure” sound mode for music playback without any processing (no “surround sound”)
- Four different sound modes for film, TV, music and night listening
- Use the TV remote to adjust the sound level, with HDMI-CEC
- Auto power off in standby mode
Denon DHT-S218: Availability and Price
The compact soundbar costs just €269 and is available now.