Denon DHT-217 Dolby Atmos Soundbar with Bluetooth connectivity, Dialogue Enhancer, and 4K UHD HDMI Input

Product Information

Most notably, by leveraging (virtual) Dolby Atmos 3D tech this soundbar offers an expansive and enveloping listening experience despite at its core being a 2.1 system with integrated (i.e. not separate) subwoofer capability. The main benefit is the absolute simplicity of the system, all you have to concern yourself with is finding a spot for the soundbar itself and plug it in. Please note that our couriers will try to deliver as arranged but we will not be held responsible for any costs incurred because of non-delivery or factors introduced by third-parties. This service is based upon best endeavour and is not guaranteed.

To put the audio-pedal to the metal, we decided to give Netflix’s El Camino: A Breaking Bad Moviea spin. Man, what a thrill. The cinematic sequel to the Breaking Badfranchise is a propulsive nail-biter of a film, and the movie’s Dolby Atmos mix was handled beautifully by the S217. Bluetooth wireless audio streaming is built-in, but since there’s no Wi-Fi compatibility, AirPlay and Chromecast are not on the menu. What we’re looking at here is a compact soundbar that is designed to drive as much of Atmos’ immersive sound-staging as possible, and the results are pretty astonishing, especially when you consider the size and the absence of a dedicated subwoofer (although you can add one if you’d like).But – and with soundbars there are always “buts”– though the Denon’s sound was clear and intelligible, male voices took on a very mild “honky” cast. More significant was the disconnect between the bar’s bass and its reproduction of mid-range and treble frequencies. To ensure reliable, undamaged delivery of televisions - TVs will now be shipped on a pallet service with DX Freight, TNT, or Epic Logistics, rather than with our standard next working day courier. At Peter Tyson we pride ourselves on prompt, efficient delivery. Please note that the daily cut off time for all next day delivery services is 3pm. This absence of front-facing sound was also notable in a few other movies, TV shows, and games, and even the S217’s dialogue emphasis setting did little to rectify things.

Inside the main soundbar cabinet is a pair of 1-inch front-facing tweeters, a couple of of 3.5 x 1.6-inch rectangular midrange speakers behind a fabric grille, and two surprisingly effective down-firing 3-inch subwoofers. The Movie, Night, and Music sound modes plus a Pure option that routes sound through completely unprocessed are selectable via the supplied small remote control, as are Volume and Bass up/down button pairs and direct input-select keys for each physical input plus Bluetooth wireless. Just to be clear, the Bluetooth option is certainly good if you really need it, and the DHT-S217 would rate highly as a Bluetooth-only speaker. That said, if you can stream your tunes over HDMI via a music app, you should. Does the Denon DHT-S217 support DTS? AB31, AB32, AB33, AB34, AB35, AB36, AB37, AB38, AB41, AB42, AB43, AB44, AB45, AB46, AB47, AB48, AB49, AB50, AB51, AB52, AB53, AB54, AB55, AB56 There’s a selection of sound modes to choose from (Movie, Night, Music, and Pure), with the Pure mode bypassing all types of processing to deliver the most audiophile sound performance. Listeners who struggle to hear every word have the Dialog Enhancer feature at their disposal, adjusting the level of dialogue without changing the overall volume setting.Inside are dual down-firing subwoofers, which look to reduce the need for a separate subwoofer, with a pair of “high-performance” midrange drivers and tweeters designed to deliver an immersive 3D performance. As there’s no mention of any upward-firing drivers, we expect Atmos sound via digital processing.

We do provide installation options for built-in appliances providing it is simply a case of fitting the appliance and furniture doors. Any additional work to the kitchen units or carpentry work required will need to be completed at the customer’s expense. The Denon DHT-S217 is a classy-looking piece of audio gear, from its greyscale fabric covering to its slim, low-profile chassis. Behind the curtain, the bar is equipped with two one-inch tweeters, two midrange drivers, and two down-firing woofers located underneath. We also appreciate the inclusion of rear-facing keyholes if you want to mount the bar underneath your TV. PA20, PA21, PA22, PA23, PA24, PA25, PA26, PA27, PA28, PA29, PA30, PA31, PA32, PA33, PA34, PA35, PA36, PA37, PA38, PA39, PA40, PA41, PA42, PA43, PA44, PA45, PA46, PA47, PA48, PA49, PA50, PA51, PA52, PA53, PA54, PA55, PA56, PA57, PA58, PA59, PA60, PA61, PA62, PA63, PA64, PA65, PA66, PA67, PA68, PA69, PA70, PA71, PA72, PA73, PA74, PA75, PA76, PA77, PA78, PA79, PA80

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The DHT-S217 soundbar’s Dolby Atmos support makes it a perfect choice for streamers who want a low-profile, all-in-one audio option. Streaming Bonnie Raitt’s latest release, Just Like That (via ChromeCast to my Sony TV’s HDMI output), I heard a mostly natural rendition of her familiar voice, and there was enough bass (though still a bit boomy and disconnected) to easily follow the musical thread even through the lower notes. When I compared the Denon to a pair of powered speakers some eight times its modest cost, the contrast was obvious, with the far more expensive speakers sounding deeper, fuller, and more open in the midrange, and also with a sparkle that the Denon only hinted at – but not embarrassingly so.

The Movie listening mode proved very similar, but with a bit more bass emphasis and a little boost to the voice range to enhance dialogue. On a related note, the remote’s Low/Medium/High Dialog Enhancer control can really push voices to the fore, especially at the High setting.

The 2022 movie Jurassic World Dominion is full of thundering dinosaur sequences, but a particularly challenging scene is the moment when scientist Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) encounters a Therirzinosaurus after ejecting from an airplane. The scene is almost perfectly quiet as Claire attempts to sneak past the menacing dinosaur, and the few audible effects are appropriately placed in the sound field. Seeing as Dolby Atmos is a multi-layered surround-sound experience, with audio hovering around both vertical and horizontal listening planes, a bigger bar with numerous drivers is going to deliver an experience more akin to a realistic Atmos system, but that’s not the idea with equipment like the S217. Of course, we're going to need to hear this new soundbar in-person to know if it sounds good or not. But it is a promising upgrade to what came before it, at no added cost. And so there's plenty of reason to be optimistic that the DHT-S217 will deliver a solid audio upgrade to any TV without eating up too much of your home entertainment budget. Denon's latest soundbar in a living room setting Unfortunately, our Installation Service excludes all gas appliances. It is the customer’s responsibility to find a gas safe engineer to connect the appliance. Any work conducted by a third part gas safe engineer will be at the customer’s expense and we will not accept any liability for their work. Even a stereo-only song like the Flaming Lips’“Do You Realize??” from the 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots sounds better when played from the Apple TV than when streamed via Bluetooth from an iPhone, with more detail and presence from the guitars.