Denon HEOS 3 HS2, review of this versatile wireless speaker

Denon's HEOS system is one of the best-rated wireless speaker systems on the market. A system that has received several awards from specialized media and is made up of a large family of all types of speakers. The smallest of the family is the Denon HEOS 1 , a speaker that we had the opportunity to test last year. However, the HEOS 1 has several older brothers. Next in size is the HEOS 3 . A wireless speaker intended for small to medium-sized rooms, which has received an update including Bluetooth connectivity and Hi-Res Audio support . Some changes that make youone of the most versatile wireless speakers on the market . That is why we wanted to analyze in depth what the Denon HEOS 3 HS2 speaker offers us .

Versatile design

The Denon HEOS 3 HS2 offers a somewhat particular design, since it is neither round nor square. We could say that it offers an "irregular" design . This design allows the speaker to be positioned both horizontally and vertically . On top of the speaker (vertically positioned) are  three physical buttons . These buttons are used to lower and raise the volume and to mute the speaker at any time.

At the bottom, the speaker incorporates a light that will help us to know the status of the device. The front is covered in acoustic fabric and shows off the HEOS logo in one of the corners. The full dimensions of the HEOS 3 HS2 are 130 x 272 x 165 mm , with a weight of 1.9 kg . The speaker is available in black or white .

Good sound for a compact size

Denon has applied its extensive industry experience to achieve great sound in a very compact speaker. The Denon HEOS 3 HS2 features  two specifically designed full-range speakers and a Class D two-channel amplifier , all driven by advanced digital signal processing developed in a recording studio.

If we want stereo sound, we can buy two HEOS 3 HS2 speakers to achieve it. The company claims that the HEOS speaker sync system offers perfect synchronization in a matter of microseconds.

Great news for more audiophile users is that the company has updated HEOS speakers to be compatible with Hi-Res audio files . The files can be played both via the network and the USB port. The system supports uncompressed music files in WAV (PCM), ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) and FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) formats up to 24 bit / 192 kHz. In a future update, it will also support DSD (DSD is the audio encoding format used by SACD) and AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) audio tracks.

Music from any source

As we mentioned at the beginning, one of the strengths of the Denon HEOS 3 HS2 speaker is its versatility. This versatility is also found when it comes to playing content. Initially, the HEOS speakers are thought as home wireless systems, ie, to connect to the WiFi network. However, the current high demand for Bluetooth speakers has led the company to include this system as well.

Thus, the Denon HEOS 3 HS2 offers dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11n WiFi connectivity . We also have the aforementioned Bluetooth connectivity , with which we can send you music directly from our smartphone, tablet or PC. And, although it is a speaker designed for wireless connection, the company has also included an Ethernet connection , an auxiliary input connector and a USB port .

To control the playback, come from the source that comes, we will have to use Denon's dedicated application , available for both Android and iPhone . This application has a very neat interface, with a main screen that shows the different services or sources from which to load the music. For example, we have the option to load the music that we have stored in the mobile with the box "This phone". Or, access a music streaming service like Spotify, TuneIn, Deezer, Napster, SoundCloud, or Tidal .

Once we have selected what we want to reproduce, we have another panel that shows the current playback. From here we will see the information of the song and we can stop the playback, switch between songs or repeat the playlist in a loop .

Another option we will see in the application will  "Heos Player" . This screen will allow us to control the speakers scattered around the house. And we must not forget that the HEOS system is a "Multiroom" system . That is, we can deploy several speakers around the house and control them all from a single application. This will allow us to send the same song to all the rooms or play a different song in each of them.

Conclusions

The Denon HEOS 3 HS2 is a great option for those looking for a “do it all” speaker . Of course, the sound it achieves does not reach the level of other high-end wireless speakers, such as the Sonos Play: 5 , or its own big brother, the HEOS 7 . However, we must bear in mind that it is a speaker that we can use both at home and abroad. The incorporation of Bluetooth connectivity by Denon seems like a success.

Its compact size will allow us to take it anywhere and, if we have several of the same devices at home, the HEOS application will allow us to control them all from one place.

In short, the Denon HEOS 3 HS2 achieves great sound with the same versatility that other lower quality speakers offer us.

The Denon HEOS 3 HS2 is for sale in specialized stores with a price of around 350 euros .

Denon HEOS 3 HS2

Design 

characteristics 

Connectivity 

+ info

Denon HEOS 3 HS2 Price: 350