The very first thing you wonder when you look at the Denon DHT-S217 is how a soundbar with 2.1 channels can even support Dolby Atmos. There is a straightforward solution. The soundbar employs virtual technology to imitate the overhead activity of the Atmos tracks as precisely as possible rather than using upward-firing Atmos drivers, as many high-end releases do.

You may additionally be confused about how it has 2.1 channels without a subwoofer. But, again, the solution is that Denon built two subwoofer drivers inside the speaker itself.

Connectivity Denon DHT-S217

Many low-end soundbars include the Denon’s two HDMI ports, one of which is an input and the other an output, allowing it to go through the signal.

If HDMI is not available, there’s also a Digital Optical input and a 3.5mm AUX micro jack. But remember that you will not get Dolby Atmos audio with these two connections.

There is also a USB port, even though it is simply used for maintenance as there isn’t any music playback. Last but not least, there’s a subwoofer output in case you want to enhance the bass performance of the soundbar.

The device has Bluetooth 5.0 wireless capabilities, allowing you to stream music from your smartphone to the speaker. Unfortunately, Bluetooth is simply valid for music because only the SBC codec is supported; anything will undoubtedly cause audio sync issues. Since WiFi is not accessible and the DHT-S517 was also without it, it isn’t surprising that we are also without it here.

It controls the options

The DHT-S217 and DHT-S517 operate the device in exactly the same ways. As a result, the control options are quite restricted compared to competitors. Although we previously mentioned the integrated buttons that are present and supply some basic functionality, the remote still serves as the primary method of control of this device.

Finally, the DHT-S217 lets you program your IR (infrared) remote to manage volume, mute, and other soundbar features (source selection or bass level). Again, the manual has comprehensive directions for doing this that are easy to follow.

Music

You have two options for playing music with the DHT-S217. When using the TV or video player as the source, you can connect via Bluetooth or the HDMI connector. We decided to stream music over HDMI from our TV to get the best sound quality for our evaluation.

In the past we have compared the Denon soundbars with numerous Polk Audio products, notably the Sigma series, and we have at all times pointed out that, in our opinion, the Denon soundbars have a slight advantage in that they’ve a Pure mode, and this is also the case. here.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, the Denon DHT-S217 succeeds in some aspects over its predecessor and undoubtedly has its advantages. There is a sizeable market for soundbars that are easy to operate and fit neatly into that category.

So without a doubt it should be on your list of things to consider if you’re attempting to find a cheap and cheap device that is simple to install and even operate.