ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Execs: Huge, spacious soundstage, AirPlay-enabled
- Cons: Dearer than rivals
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Sonos is not the one firm investing within the whole-home audio sport; Denon launched three new sensible audio system, bringing its lineup to seven. The Denon Dwelling 200, 400, and 600 debut with a brand new look, Dolby Atmos help, and extra methods to increase your Denon ecosystem round your own home.
The query is how adept Denon’s HEOS ecosystem is at serving as a whole-home audio hub, and whether or not it is one it is best to contemplate over Sonos? When you’re locked into an ecosystem, it is tougher to realize the seamless room-to-room audio you are looking for, and an costly pivot to make if you wish to begin anew. Let’s dive in.
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What’s new with Denon Dwelling 200
The Dwelling 200 succeeds the Dwelling 150, swapping a denim-adjacent woven materials for a extra nondescript woven sample. Buttons and ports are actually in much less apparent positions, branding is muted, and the earlier sq. type is rounded for a contemporary look.
Denon’s Dwelling 200 is much like Sonos’ Period 100 in acoustic construction, containing three Cladd-D amplifiers, two tweeters, one woofer, and built-in microphones for voice assistant compatibility. Just like the Period 100, Denon fitted the Dwelling 200 with AirPlay, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity for wi-fi streaming. Each audio system even have a microphone change to disconnect the built-in microphones, if privateness is your concern.
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Nonetheless, the Dwelling 200 options two separate ports for 3.5mm line-in and USB-C connectivity, permitting you to attach analog gadgets, and you’ll hardwire the Dwelling 200 by way of the USB-C port with an Ethernet adapter. You possibly can management the Dwelling 200’s bass, treble, and width on a 10-point scale, and the HEOS app permits you to toggle between “Auto” balanced sound and “Pure” sound, which reduces digital processing.
Jada Jones/ZDNET
On the sound entrance, the Dwelling 200 delivers an exceptionally spacious soundstage for its small stature. Earlier than tweaking any EQ settings, the Dwelling 200’s tweeters are emphasised, delivering element in vocals and harmonies, with very clear imaging and instrumental separation.
Denon says the Dwelling 200 helps Dolby Atmos, however I wasn’t capable of entry it by way of AirPlay on Apple Music; I assume that with a Dwelling 200 stereo setup related to a Denon soundbar, or with one other music streaming subscription, you may entry it.
Nonetheless, I’ve listened to Charli xcx’s “Sympathy is a Knife” in Dolby Atmos a number of occasions on a Sonos 5.1 encompass sound setup, and all of the digitized harmonies layered within the refrain I often hear in encompass sound come via the Denon Dwelling 200 speaker.
As compared, Sonos’ alternative of a midwoofer within the Period 100 delivers a bassier sound with far more emphasis on fundamental vocals and higher bass, which most individuals get pleasure from, particularly in a film or TV-watching context.
What’s new with Denon Dwelling 400
Denon’s Dwelling 400 speaker is a behemoth of a center sibling throughout the Dwelling speaker lineup, that includes six Class-D amplifiers, two tweeters, and two upfiring midrange drivers. This speaker succeeds the Dwelling 350 and debuts with a contemporary, fashionable look.
This speaker is most much like Sonos’ Period 300, which additionally contains a two-tweeter, two midrange driver, and two-woofer acoustic construction. Denon’s Dwelling 400 swapped the earlier technology’s DTS:X spatial audio for the extra accessible Dolby Atmos, consists of Bluetooth and AirPlay, and contains a 3.5mm line-in port together with a USB-C port for exterior gadgets or hardwiring.
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Like its youthful sibling, the Dwelling 400’s sound may be very detailed and clear, with noticeable element and depth, although the smaller Dwelling 200 delivers a extra spacious soundstage. Its bass response is tight and current with out muddying the remainder of the sound.
HEOS vs. Sonos
My main quest was to find out which whole-home ecosystem and why. The reply to that query closely is determined by what sort of particular person you might be and what objectives you want to obtain. To begin, Denon at the moment has one HEOS-compatible soundbar, so that you’re restricted to at least one mannequin should you’re anchoring your system to a TV. As compared, Sonos’ S2 working system helps seven soundbars, spanning a number of worth factors and sizes.
Denon’s HEOS works simply in addition to Sonos’ S2 for transferring from room to room; Sonos simply affords extra merchandise inside its ecosystem. For streaming, Sonos affords Apple Music in its app, making it one of many few third-party providers to take action, permitting you to entry Dolby Atmos from a single speaker.
The Denon Dwelling 400 in Charcoal.
Jada Jones/ZDNET
HEOS would not help Apple Music, however Denon’s audio system help AirPlay. Nonetheless, HEOS helps TuneIn entry with no subscription, which is superior for individuals who like native, speak, music, sports activities, or information radio stations.
Sonos has extra music streaming providers, however a number of of them (other than the necessities: Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, and many others) are for business use, equivalent to gyms, spas, company workplaces, retail shops, or resorts, so that you doubtless will not use them — until you are into that type of factor.
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All in all, Sonos and Denon obtain very related outcomes inside their respective whole-home audio ecosystems, however there are main variations in every firm’s {hardware}. Sonos merchandise have a a lot stronger midrange, decrease mids, and bass, making them primed for motion pictures, TV reveals, podcasts, and entertaining visitors.
Denon merchandise emphasize mids and better frequencies, characteristic a extra balanced tone, help connection to analog gadgets, and help higher-quality playback, making them primed for extra vital listening.
Primarily, it is best to select Sonos if you wish to begin with a house theater, then increase to different rooms; it is best to select Denon if you need hi-fi sensible audio system all through your own home and plan to deal with your own home theater down the road.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Denon Dwelling 200 and Dwelling 400 audio system are a superb comeback for the corporate, proving {that a} five-year hiatus yields tangible upgrades. They make great tabletop centerpieces on your residence whereas doubling as high-fidelity sensible audio system.
Denon’s new residence audio system can double as rear audio system on your HEOS-powered residence theater, although the corporate solely affords one soundbar to anchor them to. Nonetheless, Denon affords a number of AV receivers, amps, and community audio gamers powered by HEOS to complement the shortage of soundbars.
