Want To Replace Denon DHT-FS3 Soundbar

dovecote

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I have had a Denon DHT FS3 Soundbar since it first came out over 10 years ago - it still sounds amazing but its fans are starting to strain a bit so I am thinking I must prepare to to replace it.

But what with?

Has anyone else moved on from the Denon and found something that has proven to be a worthy replacement?

The thing I like most about it is that performs so well with both music and TV/Bluray - and its 'surround sound' feature fills the space so well. I have seen some reviews of more recent soundbars that are good at one thing but not the other - and that has made me cautious about changing. I have also found in the past that listening to something in store - even in a dedicated demo room - can be misleading, and that usually the experience of the crowd is a better guide.

I am hoping that technonolgy has improved suffiently that I can get a better experience for less money - the Denon was expensive at the tme - £700 quid I seem to recall, where as I would like to pay half that now - as I dont have a full home cinema setup.

So, good performance at TV, movies and music, plus 'generated' sound surround.

Any suggestions/experiences welcome.
 
I have had a Denon DHT FS3 Soundbar since it first came out over 10 years ago - it still sounds amazing but its fans are starting to strain a bit so I am thinking I must prepare to to replace it.

But what with?

Has anyone else moved on from the Denon and found something that has proven to be a worthy replacement?

The thing I like most about it is that performs so well with both music and TV/Bluray - and its 'surround sound' feature fills the space so well. I have seen some reviews of more recent soundbars that are good at one thing but not the other - and that has made me cautious about changing. I have also found in the past that listening to something in store - even in a dedicated demo room - can be misleading, and that usually the experience of the crowd is a better guide.

I am hoping that technonolgy has improved suffiently that I can get a better experience for less money - the Denon was expensive at the tme - £700 quid I seem to recall, where as I would like to pay half that now - as I dont have a full home cinema setup.

So, good performance at TV, movies and music, plus 'generated' sound surround.

Any suggestions/experiences welcome.
I have owned bits of denon gear over the years, but not one of there soundbars, there av amps were always for me a little warm.
Anyways I bought recently a beosound stage, great all round soundbar, dozens of great reviews online and on here as well. Superb build and features. Blutooth so you can use it as a high quality music machine as well as atmos capable soundbar.
 
I had the same soundbar for 12 years until some scrote broke in and nicked it a couple of months ago.

I know this post is old but I'm interested to know what you went with?

You see we purchased the Denon S516H and have had no end of problems setting it up.

I guess this is down to the TV (maybe) that we have had 12 years but paid nearly £2K then but obviously, things move on.

Anyway got it to work but I found the sound is CRAP in comparison to Denon's 1st soundbar.

Too tinny and the volume is restricted so you don't get the cinema feel, not like the other soundbar.

Connected Alexa and thought WOW for about 30 seconds then this loud noise like it was going to blow up came from the speaker and then a break in the music. Happens every minute or so!

There's an audio cable which I thought this should get rid of this distortion but nope the same thing.
 
I had the same soundbar for 12 years until some scrote broke in and nicked it a couple of months ago.

I know this post is old but I'm interested to know what you went with?

You see we purchased the Denon S516H and have had no end of problems setting it up.

I guess this is down to the TV (maybe) that we have had 12 years but paid nearly £2K then but obviously, things move on.

Anyway got it to work but I found the sound is CRAP in comparison to Denon's 1st soundbar.

Too tinny and the volume is restricted so you don't get the cinema feel, not like the other soundbar.

Connected Alexa and thought WOW for about 30 seconds then this loud noise like it was going to blow up came from the speaker and then a break in the music. Happens every minute or so!

There's an audio cable which I thought this should get rid of this distortion but nope the same thing.
it sounds faulty , i would have suspected the lead but you have swopped that out.
 
Hi MickWozzy

Well, I havent successfully replaced the FS3 and am still using the it.

I did try an OrbitSound bar - sounded amazing in the shop, not so amazing at home - bass overpowered everything (kept it though as a backup).

So I am still looking - of interest are the Yamaha bars, plus offerings from sony and dali. Dont think I would go down the sonos route though.

The main thing I want is a bar that works well with both TV and music and has good connectivity.

Dovecote
 
Hi MickWozzy

Well, I havent successfully replaced the FS3 and am still using the it.

I did try an OrbitSound bar - sounded amazing in the shop, not so amazing at home - bass overpowered everything (kept it though as a backup).

So I am still looking - of interest are the Yamaha bars, plus offerings from sony and dali. Dont think I would go down the sonos route though.

The main thing I want is a bar that works well with both TV and music and has good connectivity.

Dovecote
Dali for sound quality by far, proper audio brand.
 
Hi MickWozzy

Well, I havent successfully replaced the FS3 and am still using the it.

I did try an OrbitSound bar - sounded amazing in the shop, not so amazing at home - bass overpowered everything (kept it though as a backup).

So I am still looking - of interest are the Yamaha bars, plus offerings from sony and dali. Dont think I would go down the sonos route though.

The main thing I want is a bar that works well with both TV and music and has good connectivity.

Dovecote

Thanks for your reply...Had some success with the Denon 516H, in fact, I tried a few things and now all the problems have gone except for...The volume and mute buttons down the side do absolutely nothing.

The distortion with Alexa I got rid just by moving the Alexa console away from the between the modem and Denon speaker. I was going to but a longer lead but haven't needed to because the TV stand is in the way.

I read many reviews and they all said it was straight forward, well in my case it wasn't.

I thought maybe because the TV is 12 years and has Chromecast might be the problem but obviously not.

With all the issues we were having I was ready to send it back, and because of the issues with the sound, I was slagging the speaker and thought nothing like the original first Denon speaker.

I take that back now and think the speaker is better and it does sound very good.

Just by tweaking the speakers.

You don't get the surround sound like you sort of did with the x-space but for certain action movies turned up you do get a great effect.

Now I just need the manual volume controls to work. Must have missed something.

Anyway great speaker for the money and sounds much better in the house than it did in the shop and worth the money.

Denon has always had a great name when it comes to sound and besides much cheaper than other makes and I think better than most as well.

I don't like the fact that you have to use an app Heos, but hey we'll just have to live with it.

Cheers
Mick
 
I have had a Denon DHT FS3 Soundbar since it first came out over 10 years ago - it still sounds amazing but its fans are starting to strain a bit so I am thinking I must prepare to to replace it.

But what with?

Has anyone else moved on from the Denon and found something that has proven to be a worthy replacement?

The thing I like most about it is that performs so well with both music and TV/Bluray - and its 'surround sound' feature fills the space so well. I have seen some reviews of more recent soundbars that are good at one thing but not the other - and that has made me cautious about changing. I have also found in the past that listening to something in store - even in a dedicated demo room - can be misleading, and that usually the experience of the crowd is a better guide.

I am hoping that technonolgy has improved suffiently that I can get a better experience for less money - the Denon was expensive at the tme - £700 quid I seem to recall, where as I would like to pay half that now - as I dont have a full home cinema setup.

So, good performance at TV, movies and music, plus 'generated' sound surround.

Any suggestions/experiences welcome.
Hello I know you posted this 2 years ago but I am wondering if you still have this. Specifically, I am looking for the cord that connects the soundbar to the subwoofer.
 

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