Denon’s ‘Plonk & Play’ Surround Bar July 09, 2007

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Last month, I covered the arrival of the Philips AmbiSound HTS8100 SoundBar and now we have Denon wanting a little bit of that single-speaker surround sound action.

Meet the Denon DHT-FS3 X-SPACE surround bar, giving people the option of having a classy-looking pseudo-surround option to the traditional 5.1 surround sound speakers and the cabling that comes with it. It has an unusually slim subwoofer for low-end rumbles and boasts an overall output of 150W.

Like the AmbiSound, it purports to deliver a enveloping sound from just one speaker. The bar sports seven digital amplifiers, several DSP chips and six speaker drivers but does not rely on bouncing the sound around your walls for the surround effect [unlike the original and great YSP single-speaker systems from Yamaha].

This is similar to how the Philips offering works but it does lack the in-built, upscaling DVD player of the AmbiSound. Considering Denon wants the same money for it - around £700 – this could be an oversight. Due out next month.-Martin Lynch

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