Soundbar Showdown: True 5.1 Surround vs Smart Height Effects

If your TV's built-in speakers sound thin and lifeless—and let's be honest, they almost always do—you're probably considering a soundbar upgrade. But with dozens of options ranging from simple stereo bars to complex multi-speaker systems, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Today we're comparing two fundamentally different approaches to better home audio: the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus 5.1 Channel System, which goes all-in on true surround sound with physical speakers around your room, and the Denon DHT-S517 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer, which uses clever engineering to create height effects without the complexity.

Both products launched in the early 2020s, during a period when soundbar technology was rapidly evolving. The streaming boom had everyone watching more content at home, and manufacturers responded with increasingly sophisticated audio processing, better wireless connectivity, and more affordable ways to get cinema-quality sound in your living room.

Understanding What You're Actually Buying

Before diving into specifics, it's worth understanding what separates these two products at a fundamental level. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus is a true 5.1 channel system, meaning it uses five discrete speakers (left, center, right, left surround, right surround) plus one subwoofer (the ".1" in 5.1) for low-frequency effects. This mirrors how movie theaters and professional studios mix audio, with sounds placed in specific locations around the listener.

The Denon DHT-S517, meanwhile, uses a 3.1.2 configuration. That means three main channels across the front (left, center, right), one subwoofer, and two height channels that fire sound upward to bounce off your ceiling. This creates what's called "virtualized surround"—your brain perceives sounds coming from behind you, even though all the speakers are in front.

Think of it like the difference between having actual spotlights positioned around a stage versus using mirrors to reflect light from front-mounted sources. Both can illuminate the entire space, but they achieve it through completely different methods.

The Case for True Surround: Amazon's Physical Approach

When the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus 5.1 arrived in 2023, it represented Amazon's most ambitious soundbar project to date. The company had learned from their earlier, simpler Fire TV soundbar and decided to tackle the challenge of affordable true surround sound head-on.

The system's strength lies in its uncompromising approach to channel separation. Those rear satellite speakers, each measuring about 5 inches square, create genuine surround effects that virtual processing simply cannot match. When a helicopter flies overhead in a movie, or when rain starts falling in a video game, the sound moves through physical space around you rather than being processed by algorithms.

During our research into user experiences, the consensus was clear: for pure surround immersion, nothing beats having actual speakers behind your listening position. The Amazon system delivers this with wireless rear speakers that pair automatically out of the box—no complex setup or running cables across your room.

The main soundbar itself is substantial, measuring 37 inches wide and housing an impressive seven-driver array. This includes dedicated tweeters for high frequencies (the crisp details in dialogue and sound effects), midrange drivers for vocals and most musical content, and a center channel specifically tuned for movie dialogue clarity. The dialogue enhancement feature works independently of overall volume, letting you boost speech clarity during loud action scenes without blasting everything else.

The wireless subwoofer adds the low-end punch that smaller speakers can't deliver. This isn't just about making explosions louder—good bass response adds weight and realism to everything from footsteps to musical instruments. The Amazon system's subwoofer uses a downward-firing 7.25-inch driver, which helps distribute bass more evenly throughout the room while reducing the boomy, one-note quality that plagues many budget subwoofers.

However, this physical approach comes with trade-offs. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus requires thoughtful placement of four separate components. Those rear speakers need to be positioned behind your seating area, ideally at ear level or slightly above, and while they're wireless, they still need power outlets. This makes the system better suited to dedicated home theater spaces or living rooms where you can commit to a permanent setup.

The Engineering Excellence Route: Denon's Refined Approach

Denon's DHT-S517 represents a completely different philosophy. Rather than surrounding you with speakers, it uses precision engineering to create an immersive soundfield from a more manageable two-piece setup. Released around the same timeframe as Amazon's system, it arrived during Denon's push to bring their decades of audio expertise to more accessible price points.

The key innovation here is the inclusion of actual upward-firing drivers—small speakers mounted on top of the main soundbar that project sound toward your ceiling. When done correctly, these ceiling reflections create the perception of sound coming from above, delivering genuine Dolby Atmos height effects rather than just simulating them with processing. This is particularly noticeable with content specifically mixed for Atmos, like many Netflix originals and recent blockbuster movies.

The Denon system's seven-driver array shows thoughtful engineering throughout. The center channel uses a dedicated full-range driver optimized for dialogue clarity, while the left and right channels each get both a tweeter for high frequencies and a substantial midrange driver measuring 4.75 by 1.625 inches. These racetrack-shaped drivers can move more air than typical round drivers of similar size, contributing to the system's notably wide soundstage.

Where Denon really differentiates itself is in sound tuning and processing. The dialogue enhancer offers three distinct levels (low, medium, high) rather than a simple on/off switch, letting you fine-tune speech clarity to match your room and hearing preferences. The Pure Mode completely bypasses all sound processing, delivering uncolored audio that's particularly beneficial for music listening—something many movie-focused soundbars handle poorly.

The wireless subwoofer, while smaller than Amazon's, benefits from Denon's decades of speaker design experience. Users consistently report tighter, more controlled bass that integrates seamlessly with the main soundbar rather than calling attention to itself. This matters more than you might think—poorly integrated bass can make dialogue muddy and music fatiguing to listen to over long periods.

Performance Deep Dive: Where Each System Excels

Surround Sound Immersion

This is where the fundamental differences become most apparent. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus creates genuine 360-degree audio placement through its physical rear speakers. When a car drives past in a movie, you hear it move from the front soundbar, past your ears, to the rear speakers, and off into the distance. This effect is particularly impressive with well-mixed content like action movies and video games.

The Denon DHT-S517 achieves immersion through different means. Its virtualized surround processing is sophisticated enough to create convincing rear-channel effects, but the real magic happens with height information. Those upward-firing drivers deliver authentic overhead effects—rain pattering above you, aircraft passing overhead, or the subtle ambience of a cathedral's vaulted ceiling.

For dedicated movie watching, particularly in a properly set up room, the Amazon system provides more enveloping immersion. For general entertainment viewing where you might not always be in the optimal seating position, Denon's approach offers more consistent performance.

Bass Quality and Impact

Both systems include wireless subwoofers, but they serve slightly different purposes. The Amazon system's larger subwoofer prioritizes impact and room-filling capability. It's designed to make action movies feel visceral and provide the foundation that smaller satellite speakers can't deliver on their own.

The Denon's subwoofer focuses on integration and musicality. It's tuned to complement the main soundbar rather than overpower it, resulting in bass that supports the overall sound rather than dominating it. This makes it particularly effective for music listening and dialogue-heavy content.

Based on user feedback patterns, the Amazon system delivers more dramatic bass impact—the kind that makes action scenes feel exciting—while the Denon provides more balanced, natural-sounding low frequencies that work well across all content types.

Dialogue Clarity and Center Channel Performance

Both systems include dedicated center channels, which is crucial for clear dialogue reproduction. The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus uses its dialogue enhancement feature effectively, though some users report it can sound slightly artificial at higher settings. The dedicated center driver handles most speech frequencies well, making it suitable for anyone who struggles with dialogue clarity on their current setup.

The Denon DHT-S517 edges ahead here with its more sophisticated dialogue processing. The three-level enhancement system lets you find the right balance for your room and hearing, while the overall tonal balance seems more natural. Denon's experience in audio engineering shows in how cleanly dialogue cuts through complex soundtracks without sounding processed or harsh.

Dolby Atmos and Height Effects

This represents the biggest performance difference between these systems. The Amazon soundbar supports Dolby Atmos through processing only—it takes the height information in Atmos tracks and tries to create the illusion of overhead sound using the main drivers. This works to some degree, but it's not the same as actual height speakers.

The Denon system includes real upward-firing drivers that physically project sound toward your ceiling. With proper ceiling height and material (hard surfaces work best), this creates convincing overhead effects. The difference is particularly noticeable in well-mixed Atmos content—you'll actually hear helicopters passing over your head rather than just a slightly more spacious version of surround sound.

Smart Features and Integration: Where Expectations Meet Reality

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus carries "Fire TV" in its name, which might suggest extensive smart features. In reality, the smart integration is limited to on-screen menu control when connected to Fire TV devices via HDMI. There's no built-in Wi-Fi, no Alexa voice control, and no companion app for smartphone control. All adjustments happen through the included remote or Fire TV interface.

This isn't necessarily a weakness—many users prefer dedicated audio devices that don't become obsolete when smart TV platforms change. The system focuses on audio performance rather than trying to be a smart speaker that also happens to improve TV sound.

The Denon DHT-S517 takes a similarly focused approach, offering traditional remote control with well-organized sound modes. The Movie, Music, and Night presets are thoughtfully tuned rather than generic, and the Pure Mode is genuinely useful for critical music listening. Like the Amazon system, there's no app control, but the physical remote provides access to all meaningful adjustments.

Both systems support Bluetooth for music streaming from phones and tablets, which covers most users' wireless needs without the complexity and potential obsolescence of proprietary smart features.

Setup and Living With These Systems

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus requires more planning but rewards careful placement. The rear speakers need appropriate positioning—too close and you lose the surround effect, too far and they become disconnected from the front soundbar. The system works best in rectangular rooms where you can position speakers behind a primary seating area.

Once properly set up, the four-component system provides consistently impressive performance. Users report that guests often comment on the immersive audio, and the system handles everything from quiet dialogue scenes to explosive action sequences with equal competence.

The Denon DHT-S517 offers more flexibility in room placement and future changes. The two-piece setup adapts to different room layouts, and the upward-firing Atmos effects work across a wider seating area than traditional surround speakers. This makes it more suitable for multipurpose rooms or situations where your seating arrangement might change.

Making the Right Choice for Your Situation

Choose the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus 5.1 if:

You have a dedicated home theater space or large living room where rear speaker placement won't be an issue. The system excels when you can commit to proper setup and primarily use it for movie and TV watching. It's also the better choice if you prioritize maximum immersion and don't mind the complexity of a four-component system.

The Amazon system works particularly well for households that do most of their viewing from a primary seating position—a couch facing the TV where everyone sits in roughly the same spots. The true surround effects are most convincing from the optimal listening position.

Choose the Denon DHT-S517 if:

You want genuine Dolby Atmos height effects without the complexity of rear speakers. This system adapts better to different room layouts and provides more consistent performance across various seating positions. It's also the stronger choice for music listening, thanks to Denon's audio engineering heritage and the Pure Mode processing bypass.

The Denon system suits multipurpose rooms where audio is important but not the primary focus. It provides impressive performance improvement over TV speakers while maintaining the flexibility to rearrange furniture or adapt to different usage patterns.

The Bottom Line

At the time of writing, both systems offer strong value in their respective approaches, though the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus commands a higher price for its additional components and true surround capability. The question isn't which system is objectively better, but which approach better matches your space, priorities, and viewing habits.

For pure home theater immersion in an appropriate room, the Amazon system's physical surround speakers provide an experience that processing alone cannot match. For most living situations, where flexibility and consistent performance across different content types matter more than maximum immersion, the Denon's refined engineering and genuine Atmos capability make it the more practical choice.

Both represent significant upgrades over built-in TV audio, and either will transform your viewing experience. The decision comes down to whether you value the ultimate surround immersion of true 5.1 speakers or prefer the sophisticated engineering and practical advantages of Denon's height-enabled approach.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus 5.1 Channel System Deals and Prices

Denon DHT-S517 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer Deals and Prices