Very happy My first toe in the water with anything to do with soundboard or smart speakers etc. I wanted to improve the sound quality and especially the dialogue clarity from my flat screen tv. At the same time I wanted to be able to cast streamed music from Spotify and BBC sounds. The sound quality seems to be especially lush with music - probably due to the subwoofer. To my (untrained and pension-aged) ears the quality is as good as my 30 year old hifi - also Denon. I haven't yet established how much clearer the dialogue will be on the usual 'mumble mix' TV dramas and movies, but I'm hopeful. HDMI and optical cable included:Simply connect a single cord to your TV and enjoy immersive audio for every entertainment experience

Sonically, the DHT-S216 performs well regardless of the input source and you’ve got plenty of options in terms of customising your audio experience. Inside the soundbar are a pair of 1.25 x 4.4-inch full-range oval driver and two 1-inch tweeters, which Denon says will ensure "the crisp yet rhythmical mid-range and treble" for which the company is known for. The Denon DHT-S516H is a 2.1-channel system, and it decodes lossy Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS. If you want lossless decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, you’ll need to choose the S716H instead. Neither soundbar supports immersive audio formats such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, but there are pre-set EQ modes for movie, music and night-time listening. Setup is a piece of cake, with the main decisions related to whether or not to wall-mount the soundbar, and where to position the subwoofer. In the box Denon includes an IR blaster, which might be useful, along with an HDMI cable, an optical digital cable, a 3.5mm analogue cable and an Ethernet cable. All soundbars are, by definition, designed with function rather than form in mind (unless you’re Bang & Olufsen, of course) – and the DHT-S316 is about as functional as they come. Its dimensions mean it’s happy to accompany TVs as small as 43-inch without looking daft, though, which is handy – and it’s compact enough to sit below all but the lowest-slung screens without getting in the way.

It’s the audio that matters with Denon’s budget soundbar

Two keyhole slots on the rear surface facilitate on-wall mounting when used with the included mounting pads. Foot-pads on the bar’s bottom lift it a half-inch or so and provide clearance for both the down-firing “subwoofers” and the input and power connections (also located on the bottom as is usual with super-slim soundbars). If you’re already in the HEOS ecosystem then this soundbar will add to what’s on offer You shouldn’t buy the Denon DHT-S516H if…

This is a keen price for a Dolby Atmos soundbar/wireless subwoofer combo from one of the most credible brands around, but it’s by no means without competition. Everyone from Sonos to Sony to Samsung has an option competing to get in our list of the best soundbars at around this price, though most don't have the real upfiring Dolby Drivers of the Denon. Denon DHT-S517 review: FeaturesThe DHT-S216 is capable of outputting 120W, which was more than enough to fill my average-sized games room. Sound quality does dip the closer you get to maximum volume, but I never felt the need to go that loud so it didn’t prove too much of an issue. Switching to audio streaming, the success story continued, and allowed us to test the differences between the ‘Music’ preset and the ‘Movie’, which gave us a better sonic balance for music (unsurprisingly!), reining in the bass somewhat and sounding a bit more cohesive when listening to our music via Qobuz. The stereo configuration, plus the matching subwoofer, made this a brilliant little performer, and it wouldn’t be a poor choice purely as a 2-channel audio system for those with limited space. The fact that it can double up as a TV speaker par excellence becomes a massive bonus. With over 100 years of firsts in audio technology, Japan’s first audio electronics manufacturer has an unrivalled reputation for audio quality. Fitted with two-way, stereo speakers and a punchy amplifier, the DHT-S416 delivers the smooth, detailed sound you’d expect from Denon. However, it takes some time to figure out what the best configuration is for a given content scenario. For example, Pure is the mode free of all processing and software-based magic that works to pump audio out in an immersive way. It really depends on what you’re watching with it. We found it could be pretty good for dialogue-heavy shows or even a concert video, but we leaned toward DTS Virtual:X or Movie mode for movies and TV shows. Certainly the way it delivers information in the midrange – which is where all of the dialogue sits in any movie you’ve ever watched – is very pleasing indeed. It’s quite assertive with voices, projecting them helpfully ahead of any and all the action that might be going on around them. Detail levels are high, so speakers sound characterful as well as articulate, and the dynamic variations that are always evident in speech are identified and delivered in every circumstance.