Denon Smart-Life S-101: the thinking man's home cinema
Dolby, DTS, THX, 2.1, 5.1, Hi-Fi, Wi-Fi,
MP3 and DVD… ever wanted a system to just make home entertainment into
something a bit more straight forward? Something that can play your music and films
without requiring you to battle to the death with 60 feet of copper plated
wiring, something simple and that sounds good perhaps? With this in mind, Denon
has put together the Smart-Life S-101, designed for those who want sound
quality without the hassle. Although essentially consisting of an amp
integrated with a DVD player, the systems most useful feature is the iPod
connection, also compatible with iPod Mini and Photo. This has got to tip the balance from many
buyers as it makes the system into not just a smart home cinema but a handy
docking station for the renowned MP3 epitome of style. An on-screen virtual
iPod will link into your stored music so that you can use the remote to flick
through your track selection. Smart.
Audiowise, the S-101 has put a lot of
stakes in Virtual Dolby surround, but at least that only means connecting two
speakers and a sub; these draw 50W from the left and right channels and 100W
from the woofer. It also boasts the new Dolby Headphone technology that
simulates the experience of surround sound inside a simple pair of stereo
headphones through some incredible means. In addition, the DVD player supports MP3 and
WMA playback from CD-R format discs.
The S-101 has a retail price of £849.99
which is pretty steep; though it is clear that Denon doesn’t mean for you to
upgrade the system for a good while because of the combination of sound quality
and neat functionality. Good if you’ve a bit of cash to spend on a device that
you won’t upset the neighbours with and are going to hang on to for a while.
