Looking for a compact soundbar to level up your TV's sound? Denon has just unveiled the Home Sound Bar 550, a compact 'bar that promises to do just that as the newest member of the company's Home family of multi-room products.
With a six-driver array and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround sound support, the 550 should have both the hardware and software to do movie soundtracks proud. But you can also stream high-resolution music from your favourite music services or local music libraries directly using the built-in HEOS wireless platform, too.
If you've already invested in the HEOS ecosystem, which includes the rest of the Denon Home range as well as many other Denon and Marantz products, you can add the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 as a separate wireless zone without connecting a single cable.
The Sound Bar 550 can be used as a standalone soundbar or in conjunction with other wireless Denon Home speakers, such as the Home 150, 250 and 350, implemented as rear-channel surrounds. The Denon DSW-1H wireless subwoofer can also be added to form a complete wireless 5.1 system.
The complete Denon Home range will also receive built-in Alexa voice assistant functionality via a firmware update, coming this spring.
Through its own built-in microphones, the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 functions as a standalone Alexa controller (think Amazon Echo or Echo Dot), so you can use voice commands to control the soundbar’s volume, inputs, or audio modes (Music, Movie and Pure).
The soundbar’s control panel lights up automatically as an outstretched hand approaches, to enable easy fingertip control. The remote control and HEOS app are equipped with three Quick Select buttons for storing your preferred go-to sources, too.
The Home Sound Bar 550 is also compatible with Apple AirPlay 2 for easy streaming from Apple devices, and to promote effortless integration with other smart home ecosystems, the Sound Bar 550 is the first Denon soundbar to include onboard software drivers for Control4, Crestron, URC, Elan, and more.
The Denon Home Sound Bar 550 is priced at £599 (€649, $599) and will be available by mid-February.
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