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

Product Information

Our Installation Service only includes connecting to existing points and fixings. This does not include installing or moving plumbing, connection points or electrics. Installing new points or moving existing points is the customer’s responsibility we can recommend local tradesmen however this will be at the customer’s expense and we not accept any liability for their work. 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. I also hate them precisely because they are not discrete multispeaker systems and, despite the increasingly clever and effective digital signal processing used in the best soundbars, they cannot fully compete with such. There’s no Wi-Fi, which means no HEOS for music streaming, but users will be able to stream from a mobile device through the soundbar’s Bluetooth connection. Physical ports include HDMI eARC for passing Atmos sound to the soundbar, along with a HDMI input (for plugging any source directly into the bar), digital optical out, a subwoofer output (in case you do want to add more bass) and an analogue input.

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 unit is labeled as a 2.1 sound bar with Bluetooth and integrated down-firing subwoofers so at least Denon has labeled it for what it is. 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. One reason that soundbars have become so popular is their ease of setup. The DHT-S217 should connect to most TVs using the supplied HDMI or Optical cables. The new Denon soundbar does come with 4K HDMI connectivity along with eARC which we are seeing in most new soundbars. This should allow you to control your volume using your TV remote instead of having multiple remotes for both the TV and the soundbar.After hooking up the S217 to our TV’s HDMI ARC connection, it was just a matter of confirming that HDMI CEC was toggled on, and we were up and running. Better yet, thanks to CEC, the S217 was automatically powered when we fired up our TV, and shut down when we turned off the set (although we have a bit more to say about this below). If this is your budget, and you want to make sure you're getting as much from streaming Dolby Atmos movies online as possible, the Denon DHT-S217 is hard to beat. But if you can stretch to a higher budget, you'll get more from your sound.

Any extended warranties offered by Peter Tyson are free. We do not include any form of insurance terms such as accidental damage or loan equipment cover. While the DHT-S217 can’t be upgraded with wireless surround speakers or a wireless sub, it can get a boost from a wired subwoofer thanks to the unit’s analog subwoofer output. That’s a huge plus, given that you can add any wired subwoofer with a wired RCA connection, rather than being tied to the wireless (and often expensive) sub offered by the manufacturer. Per Denon, there are four different sound modes available on this soundbar: Movie, Night, Music, and Pure. Pure mode offers the option to bypass all surround processing as well as any other alterations, for the listeners who desire unaltered sound. This Soundbar offers 4K HDMI connectivity including support for eARC, which supports high-quality audio from the built-in apps on smart TVs. DHT-S217 remote 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. 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).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. 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). 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.

With two built-in down firing subwoofers, dual mid-range drivers and tweeters, you will enjoy an amazing movie and TV show audio experience when you upgrade to Denon premium-quality sound. Although the DHT-S217 doesn’t come with a manual equalizer, it does offer a choice of four sound modes (Movie, Night, Music, and Pure). The Pure Mode bypasses all surround processing and other adjusted characteristics for, as Denon puts it, “the most audiophile listening experience”. 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.Working for Audioholics for the last 16 years has given me an opportunity to see some amazing products. I’ve had very good experiences with Denon receivers and always look forward to their new releases. In 2020, Denon released the industry’s first 8K-ready line of AV receivers including the AVR-X3700H. Based on the successes over their 110+ year span, Denon expanded their offerings to include items like soundbars, like the Denon HEOS soundbar, noise cancelling wireless earbuds, and wireless HEOS speakers. Now, Denon has introduced the Dolby Atmos Enabled DHT-S217 Soundbar with built in subwoofers. 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.Denon specifies Dolby Atmos compatibility, though there are no up-firing “height” speakers, nor a dedicated center-channel speaker. Available sound modes include Movies, Music, and a dynamic range-compressing Night, while a three-level Dialog Enhancement feature accentuates voices in the sound mix. A follow-up to its well received DHT-S216H all-in-one soundbar, Denon’s upgraded DHT-S217 keeps the same design as the older model but swaps out DTS Virtual:X support for Dolby Atmos. Since so much 4K streaming content now comes with Dolby Atmos sound, the DHT-S217 should appeal to users who get most of their home entertainment from a Roku player or Apple TV.