Denon HEOS LINK: Wireless Preamp with High-Res Audio Support

Representing the legendary Japanese quality, the HEOS Link offers both wired and wireless connectivity, allows for multi-room audio streaming, and gives access to different audio sources. You can connect your speaker system, amplifier, and receiver to this multi-room stereo preamplifier and seamlessly control the playback of audio content.

Design

The device has a plastic cover that combines black and silver color accents. There is a LED indicator that blinks with blue and orange colors to signal the unit's operating status. The volume and mute control buttons can be found on the right panel. The buttons for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connection are located on the back. The item is 2.91 inches high, 6.14 inches wide, and 5.83 inches long.

Features

The full control over the functionality of the preamp is available via the HEOS app. It's also possible to manage the Denon HEOS Link by voice if you pair it with the Amazon Alexa smart device. The unit itself comes without a remote.

The HEOS app has a clean, intuitive interface, making it easy to switch between the tracks, create and delete playlists from different sources, access streaming services (i.e. Pandora, Spotify, TuneIn, etc.) or your own music library, and view a history of the recently played songs. Besides, you can name each of the connected devices for your convenience.

Using this device, you can wirelessly control all the connected audio components, located in different rooms. Its multi-room capability is limited to 32 devices.

In order to provide a trouble-free network connection, the unit is equipped with dual-band wireless technology.

This model also features an inbuilt digital-to-analog converter.

Performance

This preamplifier allows you to easily control the music reproduction in two or more rooms. You can either play different songs in different rooms or listen to the same song all over the house in the Party mode. It's worth noting that the Party mode ensures the perfect music synchronization in all the rooms.

However, remember that the item requires a fast internet connection to provide flawless work and timely firmware updates.

After testing the device for this Denon HEOS Link review, I can't report any noticeable delays in playback

Sound Quality

The HEOS Link HS2 is able to reproduce the high-res audio (24-bit/192kHz). It's compatible with formats such as AAC, Apple lossless, FLAC, MP3, WAV, and WMA. The preamp is able to deliver a precise, detailed, and full-range sound with highs, mids, and lows clearly separated from each other.

Connectivity

In terms of wireless connection, the unit supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In addition to this, it has a full range of wired connectors on its back. There, you will see the coaxial and optical outputs, USB, analog pre-out, and subwoofer connectors, AUX and line inputs. Besides, the model features the RJ-45 Ethernet input as well, so you can connect the device to your router using the LAN cable that comes in the kit.

Setup

The preamp offers a plug and play solution and can be installed in just a few easy steps:

1. Connect the unit to your amp using the included RCA cables and then plug the HEOS Link into the wall outlet.
2. Perform a connection of your wired devices if you need it.
3. Download the free HEOS app to your smartphone or tablet and create an account.
4. Connect the unit to your home network.

The HEOS Link manual recommends placing the Link next to the amplifier.

Conclusion

This wireless preamplifier allows selecting the room where you want to play the music, offers convenient control through a mobile app, supports all the major streaming services, and is capable of reproducing high-res audio. Except for supporting both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, it also incorporates analog, digital, coaxial, and optical ports providing you with flexible connectivity possibilities.