Marantz has whipped the covers off a new range of home cinema receivers. The five-strong range starts at £500 and features HEOS connectivity on every model.
The two most affordable models are NR1508 and NR1608. £500 and £600 respectively, they're both low-rise models and are on sale later this month. The '1508 is a five-channel design... which (along with its HEOS smarts) is about as much as we know about it.
But we're far better informed about its siblings. The NR1608 (pictured above) is a seven-channel model, each channel driven by 90 watts of power, and it's sporting a 32-bit/192kHz DAC. Apple AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Dolby Atmos (5.1.2), DTS:X and DSD (up to 5.6) are all catered for. Wi-fi and Bluetooth are integrated, and Dolby Vision and HLG are suppported via HDCP2.2-compliant HDMI.
MORE: What is Dolby Vision?
MORE: HLG - what is it?
The two full-size receivers in the range are SR6012 and SR7012. Both are 9-channel designs, both support Dolby Atmos in up to 7.1.4 configuration, and both have all of the wi-fi/streaming/32-bit DAC/Dolby Vision/HLG niceties of their more affordable siblings.
Both have eight HDMI 2.0 inputs with 4K 60Hz HDCP2.2, 11.2-channel processing on board and feature integrated Tidal, Deezer and wireless multiroom capability.
The SR6012 (£1100) is packing 185 watts of power per channel, and is on sale from August. The SR7012, on sale in October, will cost £1500. The extra outlay buys 200 watts per channel, Auro 3D audio processing alongside Atmos and DTS:X, a phono stage and 11.2-channel pre-outs.
MORE: Dolby Atmos - what is it?
MORE: DTS:X - what is it?
Topping out the range (at least in terms of price) is the £1900 SR7704. Launching in October, it has the same full suite of functionality as the SR7012 - minus, of course, any power. It gains XLR outputs alongside RCAs and seems custom-made for the custiom-install market.
The addition of HEOS across the entire range means that any of these receivers can be combined with any and all other HEOS devices to create a multi-room system. And the HEOS range is pretty substantial at this point, featuring a number of one-box wireless speakers, a soundbar, and even a dedicated wireless AVR.
Denon and Marantz (Denon's new receivers also have HEOS built-in) see this as a big advantage over the likes of Sonos, which requires the purchase of an extra component (the Connect) if you want to integrate your home cinema amplifier into your multi-room system.