Denon DHT-S517 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Soundbar Comparison

Denon DHT-S517 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Denon DHT-S517

3.1.2-channel | $499

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Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

3.0-channel | $499

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Denon DHT-S517 vs Sonos Beam (Gen 2): the short answer

We can compare 13 features from the published specs. The Denon DHT-S517 is ahead on 5, the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) on 4, and 4 are ties. The biggest difference for movies is height: the Denon DHT-S517 has 2 ceiling-firing channels and the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) has none. Only the Denon DHT-S517 comes with a subwoofer, which matters when comparing the prices.

Reasons to choose Denon DHT-S517 over Sonos Beam (Gen 2)

Channel layout: 3.1.2 vs 3.0
Height channels: 2 vs 0
HDMI inputs: 1 vs 0
Subwoofer: Included vs Optional
Height: 2.31 in vs 2.75 in

Reasons to choose Sonos Beam (Gen 2) over Denon DHT-S517

Rear speakers: Optional vs None
Room correction: Yes vs No
Streaming: Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect vs Bluetooth only
Voice assistant: Alexa & Google Assistant built-in vs No

Side-by-Side Comparison

	Denon DHT-S517	Sonos Beam (Gen 2)
Channel layout Counts speaker channels the bar actually has. More ear-level and height channels means a wider, taller sound field.	3.1.2	3.0
Height channels Drivers aimed at the ceiling, which is what makes Dolby Atmos sound overhead rather than just wide.	2	0
Dolby Atmos	Yes	Yes
DTS:X	No	No
HDMI to the TV eARC carries lossless Dolby TrueHD and Atmos from the TV; plain ARC compresses them.	eARC	eARC
HDMI inputs A spare HDMI port for a games console or disc player.	1	0
Video pass-through	4K	—
Subwoofer Included beats optional beats none: a separate subwoofer is where deep bass comes from.	Included	Optional
Rear speakers Real rear speakers put effects behind you; without them surround is simulated from the front.	None	Optional
Room correction	No	Yes
Streaming	Bluetooth only	Wi-Fi + AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect
Voice assistant Built in, rather than through a separate smart speaker.	No	Alexa & Google Assistant built-in
Dialogue enhancement	Yes	Yes
Height Lower is less likely to block the bottom of the TV picture.	2.31 in	2.75 in
Width / suits TVs from Neither is better: match the bar to your TV. See the size simulator below.	41.31 in / 50-inch	25.63 in / 32-inch
Drivers in the bar	7	5
Power (total, as published) Makers rate soundbar power differently, so the totals are not a like-for-like comparison.	50 W	—
Weight	5.5 lbs	6.2 lbs
List price	$499	$499

Green marks the better figure where one is better. Dashes are specs the maker does not publish.

Size: Both Soundbars in Front of a TV

Drawn to scale. The solid bar is the Denon DHT-S517, the dashed outline the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). Pick your TV size and how it stands to see whether either would cover the picture.

Full Specifications

Denon DHT-S517 Specifications

Sound
Channels	3.1.2
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: 1" Dome (3); Midrange: 2.625" Up-Firing (2); Woofers: 4.75"x1.625" Cone (2); Subwoofer: 5.25" Cone; Enclosure: Sealed (bar),Ported (sub)
Power (bar, total)	50 watts
Power (subwoofer)	100 watts
Subwoofer	Included
Rear speakers	None
Virtual surround	Movie Mode
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	No
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	1
Video pass-through	4K
HDMI version	2.0b
Optical inputs	Yes
Analogue input	3.5mm
USB	USB-A
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	No
Bluetooth	Yes
Voice control	No
Remote included	Yes
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	41.31 x 2.31 x 3.81 in / 1049 x 59 x 97 mm
Weight	5.5 lbs / 2.49 kg
Subwoofer size	6.75 x 14.56 x 12.94 in (W x H x D), 9.5 lbs
Wall mounting	Yes (no bracket supplied)
Warranty	2 Years parts, 2 Years labour
List price	$499

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

Sonos Beam (Gen 2) Specifications

Sound
Channels	3.0
Dolby Atmos	Yes
DTS:X	No
Drivers	Tweeters: Dome tweeter (1); Midrange: Full-range cones (4); Woofers: Passive Radiators (3); Enclosure: Passive Radiator
Subwoofer	Optional
Rear speakers	Optional
Virtual surround	Surround mode
Dialogue enhancement	Yes
Night mode	Yes
Room correction	Yes
Connections
HDMI to TV	eARC
HDMI inputs	0
Optical inputs	No
Analogue input	No
USB	No
Subwoofer output	Wireless
HDMI CEC	Yes
Streaming and Control
Wi-Fi	802.11n
Bluetooth	No
Streaming	AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn, Apple Music
Voice control	Alexa & Google Assistant built-in
App	Mobile, Web, Computer
Learns TV remote	Yes
Physical
Dimensions (W x H x D)	25.63 x 2.75 x 4 in / 651 x 70 x 102 mm
Weight	6.2 lbs / 2.81 kg
Wall mounting	Yes (bracket sold separately)
Warranty	1 Year parts, 1 Year labour
List price	$499

Power is the maker's total across all drivers and is not comparable to an amplifier's per-channel rating.

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