Denon, Marantz, and Classé have announced the next evolution of HEOS, the wireless audio platform now called “Powered by HEOS,” with a refreshed identity, redesigned app, and expanded whole-home audio features. Before diving into the new updates, our comprehensive guide to all things HEOS remains the essential primer—and the perfect starting point for anyone looking to understand the platform’s history and future.
Wireless multi-room audio isn’t some parlor trick anymore—it’s a legitimate way to blanket your house in music without tripping over cables. The usual players are in the mix—Sonos, Yamaha MusicCast, DTS Play-Fi, Amazon Alexa, and Bluesound—plus Apple doing its walled-garden thing and newcomers like WiiM trying to crash the party. HEOS, meanwhile, shows up everywhere on Denon, Classé, and Marantz gear—receivers, speakers, processors—and while it doesn’t shout the loudest, it’s been steadily building a real following.
HEOS at 10: From Bold Idea to 5 Million Devices—and Still Evolving
Back in 2014, Denon and Marantz asked a simple question: why can’t you fill your house with great sound without tripping over wires or fumbling through setup menus that look like they were coded in 1998? That question birthed HEOS. Unlike some “tech-first” brands that discovered audio as an afterthought, HEOS was built by an audio company that actually cared about sound quality. The goal was clear: make whole-home audio simple without dumbing it down. Play music anywhere in the house, no messy installs, no buggy apps, no sonic compromises.
HEOS didn’t stay small. Over the past decade, it’s grown into one of the most trusted multi-room audio ecosystems on the planet, powering over five million products—from AVRs to soundbars to wireless speakers. If it’s stamped with Denon or Marantz, chances are it’s “Powered by HEOS.”
Of course, any platform that’s been around this long has had to evolve. Case in point: HEOS 3.0 in late 2023, which ditched the creaky old codebase in favor of something faster, more stable, and—miracle of miracles—an app experience that didn’t make you want to throw your phone across the room. Since then, HEOS has picked up new tricks like hi-res streaming (Qobuz Connect, check), Roon Ready certification, and smarter app features like home screen customization, room grouping presets, and centralized search.
Now, in 2025, HEOS is getting even more personal. The latest updates lean into how people actually listen—making the platform more powerful, more customizable, and more in tune with the modern listener. Ten years in, HEOS isn’t just still around—it’s finally looking like it’s having some fun.
From HEOS Built-in to Powered by HEOS: A New Identity with Bigger Freedom
HEOS has always been about making multi-room audio sound better and feel simpler, but the branding didn’t exactly help. “HEOS Built-in” sounded like a feature checkbox buried halfway down a spec sheet. The new identity—Powered by HEOS—finally tells you what it is from the start: the wireless engine inside Denon, Marantz, and now Classé gear. Not a walled garden, not another “ecosystem” to lock you in—just the signal that your product can actually handle whole-home audio without flinching.
With more than 50 products already Powered by HEOS, the scope is huge. You can start small with a single speaker or go full Bond villain with 64 devices across 32 zones. Either way, the sound doesn’t get watered down, and the flexibility is baked in.
The new logo leans into this idea. Its wave-inspired shape nods to wireless freedom, while its directional design reflects how HEOS ties it all together—streaming services, personal libraries, home theater setups—into one seamless listening experience. The updated app icon doubles down on that promise: one platform, clean and intuitive, with your music always at the center.
But HEOS in 2025 isn’t just about playing a track in the kitchen while your movie blasts in the living room. It’s about powering your entire daily soundtrack—whether that’s a podcast at your desk, vinyl in the evening, or a binge-watch session in the theater. One platform, connected everywhere.
That’s the HEOS Music Experience—a promise that your music will always sound like it should, be easy to control, and stay effortless every time you hit Play. Ten years in, with a sharper identity and continued refinements, HEOS is finally being recognized for what it always was: the real deal in wireless audio.
Lingering Questions: Spotify Connect, Lossless Support, and Roon Ready?
Even with a decade under its belt, HEOS still leaves a few questions lingering. First up: is HEOS 4.0 dropping? Nope. No shiny new version, no fireworks—just the usual always-on firmware updates that keep the platform humming and prove Denon and Marantz are actually serious about investing in this ecosystem.
So what’s actually new? The “most wanted” features from the 10+ year slide made the cut: Qobuz streaming, longer playback queues, room group presets, custom URLs for internet radio stations, and home screen customizations, to name a few. Nothing earth-shattering, but all nice additions for anyone who’s been living in the HEOS ecosystem for years.
Then there’s the big one: Spotify Connect with Lossless. When? Eventually. HEOS devices will support it once Spotify finishes rolling it out across more than 50 markets (October is the target). Some lucky users in Japan are already enjoying it. One caveat: if you’re still rocking the first-gen HEOS HS1 from 2014–2016, don’t get your hopes up—this feature won’t reach those units.
Finally, we asked about Roon Ready: any secret sauce that HEOS has over other Roon Ready devices? Not really. Roon Ready is all about guaranteeing flawless, high-res playback across certified devices. The only cool bit? HEOS has retroactively certified a huge number of existing products, meaning older gear suddenly got a little more valuable for audiophiles who like their music meticulously managed.
The Bottom Line
HEOS isn’t flashy, but it’s reliable—and after a decade of quiet evolution, that’s exactly the point. Pros: seamless multi-room audio across Denon, Marantz, and Classé gear, solid high-resolution support, retroactive Roon Ready certification, and now a refreshed app and identity that finally make the platform feel modern. Upcoming Spotify Connect Lossless support is the cherry on top. Cons: first-gen HEOS gear misses out on some features, the interface still isn’t as sexy as some competitors, and HEOS isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—it’s just trying to make it roll flawlessly.
In short: if you want whole-home audio that actually works without drama, HEOS has you covered. If you’re chasing gimmicks, flashing lights, or a cult following, look elsewhere. Long live the rebellion.
For more information: HEOS
Related Reading:
- Spotify Premium Finally Goes Lossless, Unlocking Higher Quality Music Streaming To Millions
- Denon Home 150 Wireless Speaker Review: Small Speaker, Big HEOS Dreams, And Enough Features To Make Sonos Nervous?
- WTF Is HEOS & Should Sonos Be Worried?
- Qobuz Connect Comes To HEOS: Denon And Marantz Users Get A Real Hi-Res Streaming Option
- Which Denon AVR Should You Buy? Our Guide To The Best Denon X-Series A/V Receivers In 2025
- Samsung’s HARMAN to Acquire Sound United from Masimo
Asa
September 17, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Thanks for publishing this, Ian. Reliability in the app/wireless space is underrated. They just put out an app update yesterday with the new branding and some bug fixes. Being a Qobuz user, I’m happy about that expansion. HEOS was a bit clunky at first, but it seems they have a decent handle on it now.
These are all the HEOS-powered devices:
https://www.denon.com/en-us/category/heos/
It appears they’re also encouraging folks to buy directly from them trying to match other etailers (Crutchfield beats them on the return time 60 vs 30 days).