Denon HEOS HomeCinema HS2 soundbar review: Alexa, play 'Jurassic Park'

Denon has made an extensive update to the HEOS HomeCinema soundbar we reviewed in 2017. The all-new HEOS HomeCinema HS2 doesn't look radically different, but there are lots of features under the hood that render this a significant update. Indeed, Denon pumped a seemingly endless supply of new tech into this product, transforming it into smart speaker in the process via Amazon Alexa. It's a very slick feature, especially if you live in a smart home filled with devices you can control with voice commands using Amazon's digital assistant. Once you've activated the HEOS Home Entertainment Skill on your Alexa account (read here for details on that), you'll be able to say things like "Alexa, play Steely Dan in the living room" or "Alexa, pause the living room" or "Alexa, volume down in the living room," and so on. As fun as all that can be, I found voice commands to be an incomplete substitute for a remote control--which is a little problematic because Denon doesn't provide one for this speaker.