Specifications of Denon DHT-S316

It's not without its shortcomings, but the Denon DHT-S316 is nevertheless a powerful and reasonable way to get worthwhile sound quality from your TV without spending an arm or leg.

Key features

HDMI ARC links to connect it to a TV

Dialogue features a denon dialogue optimizer for improved clarity

Audio supports Dolby and DTS audio

Introduction

Everyone knows that the majority of new TVs look very bad – that's why we're always happy to find one that looks good.

But if you bought a TV at a reasonable price that looks good but looks sad (and almost all of them), what would you do? Well, our suggestion would be to buy affordable speakers to match it.

Something like a Denon DHT-S316, maybe? Let's find out...

In United Kingdom, the Denon DHT-S316 is priced no more than £279. US customers will have to give up $299 or so, while in Australia, the prevailing price is approximately $495 Australia.

By Denon standards, this is close to entry level - but this does not mean that without meaningful competition. We're a big fan of Wharfedale's Vista 200S, for example – which is more expensive than Denon.

And everyone from JBL and Sonos to Sony and Yamaha is happy to separate similar money from you for similar speakers, sometimes with a subwoofer thrown in as well. In other words, Denon does not have the domain quite clear.

design

Speakers: 55×900×82mm (H×W ×D), 1.8kg

Subwoofer: 342×170×318mm (W×W ×D), 5.2kg

Keyhole wall fasteners

Given how expensive they are, it should come as no surprise to learn that the design did not happen here in any meaningful way. The speaker itself is made of unremarkable plastic, with the front and front half of its upper surface covered with an equally unremarkable acoustic cloth. On the back, there are rudimentary fixing points for the keyhole in case you want to hang the speaker on the wall instead of placing it on a shelf.

In the meantime, the subwoofer is made of vinyl-coated chipboard. The front part is covered with more acoustic fabric, and there is an exposed bass reflection port at the bottom - finished in the same glossy plastic that forms the final covers of the speaker.

The build quality is quite suitable, and the way the physical controls on top of the speakers divide the cross between plastic and acoustic cloth, looks quite pleasant. But in terms of design, it's safe to say that this is your lot.

All speakers, by definition, are designed with function in mind rather than shape (unless Bang & Olufsen of course) – and the DHT-S316 is as functional as it comes. Its dimensions mean it's a pleasure to accompany small 43-inch TVs without looking silly, even though it's easy to use – and it's compact enough to sit under all but the lowest screens without being hindered.

Thanks to its wireless connection, the subwoofer can be more or less placed anywhere you imagine - as long as it is able to access the power of the mains, obviously.

Attributes

Configuration 2.1 channel

HDMI ARC

Bluetooth 4.2

This is not the first time that the products are so inferior as for this matter, Denon is not made exactly with specification details. So what did Denon say about this tape?

Well, this is a 2.1 channel system. The speakers feature 25mm speakers, pushed towards the ends of the front surface, with a 32×112mm mid-range racing racket on the inside of each. The ".1" is cared for by the subwoofer, which features a 140mm bass subwoofer placed above the forward-facing reflection port. But in terms of the amount of energy available to drive this lineup, well, Denon doesn't say.

The physical connection extends to the HDMI ARC jack, a digital optical input, a 3.5mm analog input - all three in a small rest period at the rear of the speaker. They're tightly grouped together, but they're a far cry from the number eight connection – so cable management is less straightforward than it might be otherwise.

The subwoofer needs only a main power supply, and its socket is close to the wireless pairing button that can be pressed in case the speaker and subwoofer do not introduce themselves automatically.

The speaker can handle PCM, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 tracks – although the latter two have of course been minimized to fit the Denon 2.1 configuration. The speaker also features Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connectivity, with SBC coding compatibility.

Control is available through the shortcut selection of physical buttons at the top of the volume bar - where you can handle volume up/down, on/off, Bluetooth pairing, and input selection. The remote control repeats these functions, adding independent control of the subwoofer volume, a mute button and three equalizers (movie, music and night, the last of which retracts the bass, flattens the dynamic response and pushes the midrange slightly forward). There is also an optimizer for three-stage dialogue.

There are four LEDs in the middle of the front of the speaker, which light up in different colors and/or numbers to indicate what is related to the input level and volume level. Once you muster the energy to memorize what the collections mean, it becomes a reasonably useful interface.

Sound quality

Good integration between speakers and sub

Range and dynamics beyond the power of a regular TV

Can lose low composure in size

As far as it comes to bringing your TV intro sound closer to aligning image quality, it's hard to find fault with the Denon DHT-S316. It's a completely bigger, more coherent, dynamic and more assertive listening than the majority of mainstream TVs can dream of.

Keep in mind that finding the bug is a big part of why I'm here. So while the DHT-S316 experience is positive in many ways, it's not exactly perfect. So we may also start with what can easily be described as shortcomings.

As far as speakers are concerned, the only realistic criticisms have to do with their triple reproduction. The upper limb is slightly rolling and tied up here – so when things go well, Denon can't fully express that broken glass or bullet shells that ring on the floor during any recent action movie you're interested in mentioning.

Of course, this is preferred to triples that become sharp or stiff, but there is always a balance to be achieved - the DHT-S316 misses the side of caution.

However, the rest of the news regarding the speakers is very good. It is a very broad and well-defined listening, capable of making a convincing impression of the acoustic staging and generating a fair amount of presentation as it plays.

Its reproduction in the medium term is well detailed, the projects are good and keeps the dialogue distinct even if everything is messy on both sides. The dynamic variations she was asked to deal with during Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are handled without warnings, and retain her composure even when asked to perform at a high volume level.

And he, it is safe to say, more than can be said about the subwoofer. In its defense, the subpart integrates seamlessly with the speakers despite the lack of crossover modulation, and the low-frequency objects they generate are very well shaped, properly controlled and decently straight-edged.

It deals with the attack and decay of specific information with confidence, and even when it turns out correctly, it stays on course and doesn't mess up the intermediate information above it. Or, at least, it happens if you're listening at realistic levels. If you decide to turn up the volume in the name of night excitement, the subwoofer can lose its flow very quickly - the discipline it displays at the lower levels deviates, so some of its definition.

It's undeniable that the DHT-S316 is happier dealing with music that is part of an audio clip of a movie than dealing with a wireless SBC Bluetooth stream. In the first case, the system is quite stable, reasonably detailed and expresses the rhythms well (with warnings regarding the relationship of the subwoofer to large volumes that are still strongly valid).

In the second case, though, the rhythms can sound a little lumpy and a lot of the definition of the speakers is cleared as well. So Denon is best thought of as a casual music system, at best.