Japanese electronics company Denon reportedly has an affordable new Chromecast-enabled soundbar for those with limited space to work with. Dubbed the Denon DHT-S416, the soundbar is small enough to suit just about any space and can be wall-mounted. It measures in at just 2.2-inches in height. But it’s also build to offer-better than expected audio.
In fact, Denon packed its DHT-S416 Chromecast-enhanced soundbar with 2 oval drivers measuring 1.25 x 4.4-inches those are hi-res, full-range drivers. And those are accompanied by two 1-inch tweeters to fill out any frequency gaps. That allows, according to the company, “crisp yet rhythmical mid-range and treble.”
Supplementing for the lower end of the sound spectrum is a wireless, 5.25-inch driver-fueled subwoofer packed into a ported enclosure. Denon claims that extends bass tones to “phenomenal low-end levels.”
So what’s the big deal with this affordable Denon soundbar?
Now, this soundbar doesn’t feature some of the most bleeding-edge technologies on the market. It isn’t going to deliver the most dynamic multi-channel sound around, as a result. But it does, according to Denon, support “advanced acoustics” that have been precision tuned to “realistically simulate” higher-end systems. Specifically to emulate “a multi-channel soundtrack played on a home theater surround sound system.”
That includes three different presets for equalization, alongside three separate Dialogue Enhancer modes. Denon incorporated the speaker with the latter feature for adjusting speech and vocals for clearer playback. The former encompasses more traditional equalizer modes dubbed “Move, Music, and Night.”
Pure Mode, meanwhile, eliminates of surround sound processing altogether. So the audio should come through just as it’s intended to upon recording. Or at least close to it.
Conversely, connections are the other major feature for Denon DHT-S416. The soundbar is the first from the company to feature Chromecast support. So this IoT-ready speaker can be grouped with others and audio can be played from any castable source. But connections extend well beyond that too. HDMI ARC connection to the source TV means that users can control playback with their TV remote.
An optical cable connection is also available, for those who don’t want to go the other route. And Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections are possible as well.
How much does it cost?
Now, all of that equates to a relatively feature-rich smart home-ready speaker from a company known for its audio prowess. But Denon drives that home further with its pricing. Particularly since the Chromecast-ready Denon DHT-S416 soundbar is incredibly affordable at just £299. That’s approximately $380, making this one of most high-value offerings — at least on paper — for the cost.
