Marantz add Amazon Alexa and Apple AirPlay 2 to 2018 AV receivers – prices and dates
Marantz plans to include Amazon Alexa voice control and Apple AirPlay 2 support to a number of its AV receivers for 2018. The manufacturer will also add a new pre-amp and a brace of slimline AV receivers to its line-up for this year.
Marantz will add Alexa voice control to its NR1609 Slimline 7-channel AV receiver and SR7013 9-channel AV receiver via a firmware update later this month. These two AV receivers already support the HEOS multiroom system, and Marantz plan to add AirPlay 2 via a firmware update in August. Along with stablemate Denon, Marantz’s AV receivers will be the first in the world to support AirPlay 2.
Marantz launched its flagship AV8805 multichannel AV pre amp back in March, and since this 13-channel processor already supports HEOS, it will also receive the Alexa and AirPlay 2 updates. The AV8805 costs an eye-watering £3599, so Marantz are releasing the AV7705 and that will set you back a slightly more reasonable £1899. This 11-channel AV pre amp includes many of the same features as its more expensive sibling, such as support for HEOS, eARC, Alexa and AirPlay 2.
Marantz will also be releasing two new slimline AV receivers in June, the NR1509 and the NR1609. These slimline receivers are less imposing than traditional receivers and the 7-channel NR1609 is particularly interesting, with support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X, HEOS, eARC, Alexa and AirPlay 2. It will also pass Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR10.
In terms of other new features, the highlights are:
- eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) added in August to the NR1609, SR6013 and above
- Auro-3D support included out of the box on the SR7013 and above
- Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support on the NR1609 and above
- Dolby Vision, HLG and HDR10 video support on all receivers and pre amps
Here’s a full list of all the Marantz models with prices and release dates.
Marantz AV7705 Pre Amp – 11 channels, £1899.00, available in black, out October 2018
Marantz SR7013 AV Receiver – 9 channels, £1749.00, available in black or silver/gold, out October 2018
Marantz SR6013 AV Receiver – 9 channels, £1249.00, available in black and silver/gold, out in August 2018
Marantz SR5013 AV Receiver – 7 channels, £849.00, available in black or silver/gold, out in August 2018
Marantz NR1609 AV Receiver – 7 channels, £649.00, available in black or silver/gold, out in June 2018
Marantz NR1509 AV Receiver – 5 channels, £499.00, available in black or silver/gold, out in June 2018
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.