The Denon S-301

The Denon Smart Life series, which has attracted a fair bit of interest on our forums, has spawned its second offering, the S-301. Following the path laid by its predecessor, the S-101, the S-301 is essentially an advanced 'out of the box' AV system and features HDMI connectivity, High-Definition scaling and SACD/DVD-A playback. It appears Denon is targeting those who have a good screen and are looking to add some sophisticated audio options without the complications of separates.

The system uses Dolby's Virtual Speaker technology to create a surround effect from only two speakers and also employs Dolby Headphone which we reported on last month. Another standout feature is the dedicated iPod connectivity, which includes an iPod interface on the S-301 itself. This is becoming an increasingly prevalent feature on higher-end audio products leading some to cry out in despair, lamenting the high-end acceptance of compressed non-audiophile music formats.