Essential Install | Multi-Room Music Systems
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Denon HEOS
technology is
finding its way onto
more of Denon’s
other products
including AVRs
Multiple Choice
One of the cornerstones of the smart home industry, multi-room
audio continues to evolve and offer installers a range of choices.
Daniel J Sait listens to some of the latest.
AWE offers options here with key a partnership being
forged with the Denon brand. As the concept of what
constitutes a multi-room music system becomes more
fluid, Denon offers two ways to come at this, the first
being its HEOS concept, the other, its more ‘traditional’
AVR lines. Designed to offer a high-quality approach
specifically created for the sector, the HEOS concept has
some recent additions including the HomeCinema, a
wireless soundbar and subwoofer that offers an AV boost
to TVs of course, but also adds some extra muscle to the
system overall. Featuring Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus
and DTS decoding, the set-up also offers music and movie
modes to suit the job the product is being asked to do.
Denon’s proprietary DSP technology is also on-board to
offer accurate performance.
To add to its ability in adding an extra zone to a HEOS
system, the soundbar supports music streaming services
such as Deezer, Spotify and Tidal and has a USB port,
allowing content to be played back from other sources.
This new offering joins the rest of the HEOS speaker
family (HEOS 1, HEOS 3, HEOS 5 and HEOS 7) which
offers a choice of wired or wireless drivers. Denon has
also tried to keep the system flexible, adding the ability
to work with existing AV equipment. Installers can add a
zone via the HEOS link product driven from the end-user’s
existing amp and installers can also utilise speakers from
outside the HEOS range by using HEOS Amp.
Taking this approach to its logical conclusion, Denon
has begun to include HEOS compatibility across its own
wider family of products with the X Series of AV Receivers
offering integrated HEOS network technology. The AVRX6300H and AVR-X4300H both have HEOS technology
delivering access to music streaming services and of
course the ability to act a central hub for multi-room audio.
The AVR-X4300H can deliver Dolby Atmos, Auro 3D or
DTS:X cinema via its nine amplifier stages, each rated at
200W, but can also drive second or third zones delivering
the same content as the main zone, or different. Whatever
the set-up, all the audio signals are handled by Denon
D.D.S.C-HD (Dynamic Discrete Surround Circuit High
Definition) and AL24 Processing Plus to maintain quality.
With 11.2 channel processing, 11 speaker terminals
and 11.2ch pre-out connections, the AVR-X4300H
offers a decent level of flexibility in multiroom and amp
assignment options. The AVR-X4300H is available with
built-in Airplay and Bluetooth for music streaming from
a smartphone and Wi-Fi to connect to a home network.
Once connected, the HEOS technology comes into its
HEOS Drive
NETWORKED MULTI-ROOM AMPLIFIER:
WHOLE HOME AUDIO IN A SINGLE CHASSIS.
Distributed in the UK by AWE Europe Ltd
TM
[email protected]
+44 (0)1372 729 995
www.awe-europe.com
54 | November 2016
Multi-Room Music.indd 54
21/11/2016 09:56