Denon Unveils Its First HEOS AV Receiver
Denon(April 6, 2017) Denon has announced a new addition to its HEOS ecosystem of products, designed specifically for users adverse to complicated interfaces and wires. The HEOS AVR is Denon’s first receiver designed specifically to deliver a 5.1 surround sound experience without the clutter of cables.
The exterior of the HEOS AVR shines with a refreshingly stylized aluminum chassis and a sleek slimline profile. The front side looks nothing like a conventional receiver, sporting a faceless front panel with one knob. The backside offers a simple array of input and output connections, including speaker posts for five channels, four HDMI 2.x inputs (one output), Ethernet, two analog inputs, single optical and coaxial inputs, and one USB audio port.
The HEOS AVR is loaded with 4K friendly technologies, including compatibility with 4K and 3D video, in addition to HDCP 2.2 encoded content. It’s slightly less capable on the movie audio front, only offering onboard decoding of DTS HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby and ProLogic II. It does, however, offer gapless playback of lossless formats such as WMA, AAC, FLAC /FLAC HD 192/24, WAV 192/24, ALAC 96/24, and DSD (up to DSD 5.6), and Wi-Fi access to TuneIn internet radio and streaming services such as Spotify Connect, Tidal, Deezer and more. Users can also link Bluetooth devices for music streaming from portable devices.
While Denon designed the HEOS AVR to be a simple wireless receiver, it does carry five discrete Class D amplifier sections (50 Watts, 8 ohms per channel) for wired applications. The true power, however, resides in the receiver’s ability to control HEOS capable wireless speakers and subwoofers. Owners can deploy configurations ranging from 2.0 channels to full 5.1 surround packages; speakers can be placed in any room in the home and controlled individually or as one unit. The receiver can even stream Hi-Res sound, ensuring quality playback.
Keeping in line with the lifestyle theme, setup and operation are designed to be simple and foolproof. New owners can use the HEOS app to guide instantaneous setup and system control, and the AVR is capable of displaying an easy-to-follow setup screen on a connected television.
This new receiver joins an ever-growing class of HEOS products, including a variety of wireless soundbars (priced $799 to $899 MSRP), a subwoofer ($599), three Wi-Fi modules ($299 to $599), and a single battery powered portable Wi-Fi speaker ($199). The company also offers a range of accessory units including distribution systems, a Wi-Fi amp for adding wired speakers, a pre-amp unit, and a HEOS system signal extender.
The HEOS AVR is expected to begin shipping in April 2017 for $999 MSRP. For more information, visit Denon on the web by clicking here.
Select HEOS AVR Specifications:
- Weight: 13.23 lbs
- Dimension in inches: (W x H x D): 17 1/8” x 3 5/8” x 11”
- Channels: 5
- Power Output: 50 W (8 ohm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.05% 2ch Drive)
- HDMI: 4 in/1 out
- Analog Inputs: 2
- Digital Inputs: 1 Optical/1 Coaxial
- Subwoofer Output: Yes
- USB Audio: Yes
- Hi-Res Audio: DSD (2.4, 5.6 MHz), FLAC, WAV, ALAC (192 / 24), MP3, WMA, AAC File Playback
- Wireless Connectivity: Works with standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac networks on 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
- Package Contents: AC power cable, Audio setup cable (mini pin), HDMI cable x1, Digital Optical cable x1, Ethernet cable x1, Remote control x1, battery for remote (CR2025 button type cell) x1, Quick Start Guide and documents.
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