While CES 2021 is now over, the product announcements are still in our inbox. Even with CES going virtual, it’s impossible to cover every single announced device. So we try and go through our inbox at the end of the week to maybe find some interesting nuggets like the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and HEOS.
At CES, Denon announced the Home Sound Bar 550 a high-performance compact soundbar that comes with some premium features. With the ability to deliver Dolby Atmos and DTS:X 3D surround sound from a six-driver array, the soundbar should make your movies and music sound huge.
Listeners can also stream high-resolution music from their favorite music services or local music libraries directly to the soundbar leveraging HEOS Built-in. Additionally, listeners who already invested in the HEOS ecosystem, including other Denon Home products, can add the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 as a separate wireless zone without pulling a single wire.
Here’s what the Denon press release had to say about the 550:
The Sound Bar 550 can be used as a standalone sound bar or expanded with other wireless Denon Home speakers, including the Denon Home 150, 250 and 350, which can all be implemented as rear-channel surrounds. Listeners who want more impactful bass performance can add the DSW-1H wireless subwoofer separately for an even more realistic theater experience.
“Denon has developed a well-deserved reputation as a leader in high-fidelity music and home theater reproduction throughout its 110-year history. Our goal with the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 was to create a great-sounding, easy-to-use sound bar that gives music and movie lovers everything they expect from Denon without the complexity of a component-based system,” said Michael McCole, senior product marketing manager at Sound United. “As with all other Denon products, the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 is Master-tuned and tirelessly designed to provide a simple user experience. It rounds out the Denon Home speaker series by providing a powerful solution that allows listeners to experience top-notch audio for their favorite tunes, movies and TV shows from the heart of their TV room.”
The Denon Home Sound Bar 550 is built to deliver best-in-class audio quality. With advanced acoustic hardware, expertly tuned digital signal processing and premium drivers, this sound bar offers everything a home entertainment enthusiast needs for great 3D surround sound without taking up too much space under the TV. Thanks to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing along with 4K video compatibility, the Sound Bar 550 creates a lifelike 3D cinematic experience.
For added convenience, the sound bar’s control panel lights up automatically as an outstretched hand approaches, enabling easy fingertip control of features like volume adjustment, play/pause and the ability to skip or restart songs without using the app or remote control. Further, the remote control and HEOS app are equipped with three Quick Select buttons. With Quick Select, listeners can store their preferred source with listening modes, or Internet radio stations to enjoy them whenever they want with a single button press.
The Denon Home Sound Bar 550 is easy to set up and can be controlled with the included remote and most TV remotes, the HEOS app or the on-board illuminated control panel, allowing users to manipulate the sound bar however they want. With eARC connectivity (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), the Sound Bar 550 delivers superior sound quality via a single HDMI connection to the TV.
In addition, the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 is Roku TV Ready and was verified by Roku to work seamlessly with Roku TV products. It is also compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 to easily stream from Apple devices. To ensure effortless integration with popular smart home ecosystems, the Sound Bar 550 is the first Denon sound bar to include onboard software drivers for Control4, Crestron, URC, Elan, and more.
The Sound Bar 550 joins the existing Denon Home lineup, which is comprised of three wireless multiroom speakers, each expertly tuned by Denon’s sound masters to provide optimized, balanced performance while blending seamlessly into any décor. All Denon Home models, including the Sound Bar 550 provide effortless access to streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, TIDAL, and more, as well as high-resolution files stored on phones or network via Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth.
HEOS Built-in functionality gives users access to millions of songs, including thousands of high-resolution digital audio tracks all effortlessly controlled from a single app. Listeners can play different music in each room or group all HEOS Built-in and Denon Home devices together to stream the same music in Party Mode throughout the home or office.
In Spring 2021, Denon Home 550 and Denon Home wireless speaker owners will be able to activate voice capabilities using Amazon Alexa. All Denon Home products feature built-in microphones, which can be enabled via a firmware update, and will allow for Alexa capability. If a user chooses to enable Alexa and link their account, Denon Home customers can use Alexa as they normally would on any other Alexa enabled device. This will conveniently and discreetly add voice capabilities to the home theater, giving users the ability to utter voice requests to adjust features like the sound bar’s volume, select inputs, and bass and treble levels. The microphones will not be enabled without explicit user permission.
Denon Home Sound Bar 550 pricing and availability
The Denon Home Sound Bar 550 will be available in February 2021 for $599 from authorized Denon Retailers. For more information, visit www.denon.com.
- Driver Size:
- Tweeter x 2 – 3/4” (19mm)
- Full-range Driver x 4 – 2” (55mm)
- Passive Radiator x 3 – 50mm x 90mm
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 25.95” x 3” x 4.72”
- Price: US$599
What do you think about the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and HEOS? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter or Facebook. You can also comment on our MeWe page by joining the MeWe social network.
Last Updated on February 3, 2021.
