Denon has moved to take on Sonos in the wireless streaming market, the Japanese audio Company will shortly roll out a new brand in Australia called HEOS.
The new range will consist of the HEOS 3, HEOS 5, and HEOS 7 wireless speakers that will stream music from a local source or cloud sources, such as Google Play Music, Spotify or JB Hi Fi Now.
The new speakers can be easily integrated into an existing home WI-Fi dual-band 802.11n network, with the potential for synchronized playback across every zone.
Alternatively, each speaker can play something different. There’s also MaxxAudio by Waves baked in, for what Denon claims will be better sound enhancement than most DSP systems.
Control is via iOS and Android apps or users without a Wi Fi network can buy an optional HEOS Extender which will act as a bridge. Denon said that when the system is officially launched they will announce their music streaming partners.
The largest of the three units is the HEOS 7, which has five class D amplifiers, two custom tweeters and mid-woofers, a sub-woofer, and two radiators. There’s also both USB and aux-in inputs, for hooking up legacy analogue sources or a USB drive full of tracks.
The mid-range speaker is the HEOS 5 it comes with four class D amps, two tweeters, mid-woofers, and a passive radiator. It also has the same inputs. Finally, the HEOS 3 is the smallest of the three, with a 2-channel digital amp, dual full-range woofers, and the same inputs.
There is also the HEOS 3 speakers that can be paired together to make a wireless stereo system. The units can be wall-mounted as well placed either horizontal or vertical on a shelf.
The HEOS range will be priced in Australia between $300 and $699 depending on model, with each speaker offered in either black or silver-white and in stores from late June.
After the HEOS 3, 5, and 7, there’ll be pre-amp and amplifier units added to the line-up, Denon says, for those who want to hook up an existing stereo.
