We talk a lot about Denon receivers. However, the company’s latest product is a Denon amplifier—and it’s part of the HEOS lineup.
Denon’s HEOS wireless multiroom sound system just added the HEOS Drive, a new networked multiroom amplifier. This Denon amplifier can deliver eight channels in up to four zones. As part of the HEOS lineup, the Drive is designed to put music anywhere and everywhere around the house.
The single 2U (3.5-inch-tall) rack mountable chassis is also perfect for the custom installation market. Other features include 70WPC (20Hz-20kHz, .05% THD), rack mount ears, active cooling, two Ethernet inputs, four-way binding posts, four USB inputs, two fiber optic inputs, two digital coax inputs, and four analog inputs (matrix switching). It even has four 12-volt trigger outputs and is compatible with third-party control.
Of course, it also has support for the HEOS app for iOS, Android and Kindle Fire devices. That way, users can explore, browse and play music stored on portable and networked devices, streaming services, and web radio. (At last peek, HEOS could support Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, and SiriusXM. Tidal is supposed to be coming soon, though.)
“HEOS Drive was specially created by the custom installer for the custom installer,” said Brendon Stead, Denon’s vice president of product development. “The market has been asking for a single chassis, multizone, streaming amplifier for years. This is it!”
The HEOS Drive is the latest in Denon’s HEOS wireless music lineup. Just last month, the company debuted the Denon HEOS 1 wireless speaker and the $99 HEOS 1 Go Pack, an optional add-on for Bluetooth and up to 6 hours of on-the-go music.
In addition to the HEOS 1 ($199), the HEOS by Denon Series includes the HEOS 3 ($299), the HEOS 5 ($399), and the HEOS 7 ($599) wireless multizone music players, as well as the HEOS Extend WiFi range extender ($99), the HEOS Link ($349), and the HEOS Amp ($499).
The HEOS Drive Denon amplifier is expected to ship in July. The company has listed the MSRP for the product at $2,499.
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