Choosing the right soundbar: Sonos and Denon connected soundbars
In this3rd article on soundbars 2022, I'll be talking about an unavoidable trend of our time: music streaming.
Who better to meet the demands of audio enthusiasts than Denon and Sonos, both of whom started out in the field of music reproduction before making the leap into cinema surround sound. The result is a high-performance hybrid product with a user-friendly control application that lets you control the cinema soundtrack, as well as search for easily accessible musical content via multiple playlists.
3 models to choose from all perfectly configurable
First and foremost, it's good to know that although there are fewer manufacturers of connected bars, Sonos and Denon offer a solid reputation as world leaders in electronics. This ensures you get reliable, long-lasting products that will benefit from continuous OTA (over the Internet) updates to keep your investment up to date with what will be selling in stores in the years following your purchase.
Three models are on offer: two from Sonos and one from Denon for the current year.
Sonos offers the "Beam" and Denon the "Sound bar 550", two equivalent formulas. For the discerning enthusiast, the highly reputed "ARC" with its 11 amplifiers (each driving a loudspeaker) will deliver power and precision.
These three units are designed to be configured to the user's taste and budget, offering a subwoofer as well as a choice of rear speakers of different formats and performance as options.
The leitmotiv: DOLBY ATMOS
Dolby Atmos is the latest cinema encoding to map sounds for a three-dimensional effect. With 3D, you'll feel like you're right there with the sound of rain falling on you or the sound of a plane flying overhead! The best products offer this, and the models suggested here are no exception.
What they have in common:
1. A complete residential music network
Choosing Denon or Sonos means opting for the infinite prospect of music sources for every room in the house. You'll be able to bring together TVs, record players and Web music projected by stand-alone speakers or via a conventional stereo system. Some people are even integrating these sets into ceiling and wall distribution, as connected amplification devices are available from our two manufacturers (AMP and HÉOS).
2. An online application
To get the most out of your connected product, the application is essential and enables you to do the following:
- Link internet radio and streaming services such as Deezer and Spotify
- Add additional speakers and select the content to be played through them
- Add a traditional sound system (Denon)
- Analyze and adjust room sound automatically (Sonos via Trueplay)
- Select the type of surround effect up to Dolby Atmos
- Adjust bass and treble as well as back and sub-bass levels as required
- Program customizable playlists
- Update your products (can be activated automatically).
The differences: each model
To learn more about surround sound possibilities in general, I'd refer you to a previous article entitled "Technologies: how to find your way around". Let's take a look at the three models I've reviewed:
SONOS BEAM (Gen2)
The second-generation Beam is an accomplished product. Offered for the first time in 2017, it features a compact unit with four mid- and low-frequency drivers and a treble driven by 5 specialized amplifiers. The sound is crisp and clean, and much improved over the first generation.
You can control the Beam by voice using Google Assistant or Alexa, depending on your preference. This comes in handy when you're looking for music content by genre or artist: ask and you shall receive!
To make listening more enjoyable in cinema, a voice enhancement function is available, as well as a night mode to enhance sound effects at low volume. In either case, if you need to reduce the overall volume, your Beam will enhance what's less audible without altering the overall level, which is perfect for avoiding disturbance.
Sonos SUB subwoofer and ONE rear speakers can be added, with or without voice control.
DENON HOME SOUND BAR 550
Here, we add high musical resolution, as Denon products are all compatible with high bit-rate music files such as FLAC 24 bits - 192 kHz as well as DSD 2.8/5.6 MHz.
To distribute everything evenly, an ingenious configuration of 4 midrange and woofers, coupled with 2 passive radiators and 2 tweeters, ensures authentic high fidelity.
To control your Bar 550, you can choose between Alexa, your app on mobile devices or the backlit motion-sensing touch controls, but also a good old "joystick" included with it!
To access content, connect via 2 HDMI ports or fiber optics. For music listening, you'll be able to stream from a wide range of sources, including a USB socket for listening to your personal library of high-resolution FLAC or DSD tracks.
Finally, in addition to a host of stand-alone loudspeakers in their "Home" series, DENON offers traditional audio system amplifiers that can transfer even more content from your turntable, for example.
SONOS ARC
The Sonos ARC enjoys a reputation for sought-after performance. It's ideal for large TVs 55" and larger. It's beautiful, slim and powerful, with a clarity of sound that's unmistakable. Whether you're listening to music or watching a movie, what strikes you most is how "airy" and easily audible everything sounds-no closed-in sound here...
The stereo soundstage seems wider than the bar itself, thanks to the side speakers that reflect sound from the walls to the listener. Focusing is also very good, and you can easily identify the source of resounding objects in the acoustic scene. Listening to a rock concert is as fascinating as it sounds...
However, on the "minus" side, all this clarity comes at the expense of bass, which fortunately can be compensated for by the addition of the wireless "SUB" subwoofer. In this "ARC + SUB" configuration, you get the most "musical" bar ever. Add rear speakers to perfect its immersive 3D Atmos cinema performance and get the best of both worlds: cinema and audiophile!
What's more, you can link music services via the Sonos app, play them straight from the bar, and access a range of features including a wake-up alarm! The Sonos app also lets you configure the performance in your room by analyzing it via built-in microphones. Unfortunately, this function is only available on Apple iOS, and not on Android.
Although Sonos can't reproduce very high-resolution DSD-encoded signals, it is now possible to play FLAC encoded in 24-bit for a more nuanced resolution. To do this, users will need to use the new S2 app, replacing the original S1 version.
On the cinema side, all types of content are covered: Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital Plus, Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, multi-channel Dolby PCM, etc.
The final word
In this final word, allow me to sum up.
If you're looking for an all-in-one solution without the need for a subwoofer, look no further than the Beam or DENON 550.
For total versatility of musical content, the 550 will take precedence over the BEAM. If you're looking for a traditional remote control, you'll opt for the 550, as the other two can only be controlled by app.
In each case, a bass speaker and rear speakers can be added for "surround cinema" effects.
The top of the range will be the "ARC", but to really enjoy it, you'll need to add the "SUB" because it's still bass-deficient, but what a sound!
Incidentally, I invite you to read my 4 articles, including this one, to find the ideal type of soundbar for you. Lhe last two years have seen an increase in television sales, and manufacturers have chosen to focus on this complementary product. We're in an age of quality and performance, and a sound bar is now a must-have addition to modern high-performance TVs.
Stay tuned!
