Marantz has launched the Melody X hi-fi system, which comes with a number of features including CD playback, a DAB tuner, music streaming services, voice control and thanks to HEOS technology, multiroom streaming.
The Melody X is a stylish hi-fi system with a small footprint that allows it to fit in any room. It features four channels of high-efficiency, low-distortion digital audio amplification that can be configured to drive two pairs of loudspeakers with an independent volume control for each.
It’s also able to drive a single pair of speakers in bi-amping mode or its unique PBTL Mode (60W at 2 ch) at double the output power.
The built-in HEOS technology allows users access to a number of music streaming services that include Spotify, TuneIn Internet Radio, SoundCloud, Tidal, Napster, Deezer or playback of local music files, all of which can be controlled via an app.
The inclusion of HEOS also means the Melody X is capable of multiroom functionality with other HEOS speakers or HEOS-capable receivers. If you don’t have any HEOS devices, you can also stream audio from any iOS device via AirPlay 2. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are both built in.
The versatility of the Melody X extends to TV. You can hook up a digital TV/set-top box or a Blu-ray/DVD player to either of the two digital audio inputs to enjoy digital audio playback. The Melody X automatically wakes when it senses an audio signal from the TV and can work with the remote to control volume and source selection.
The Melody X comes with a choice of Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri voice assistants for hands-free operation of the unit. You can ask the Melody X to play your music, change the volume, skip tracks, switch inputs and more with just your voice.
The front fascia has an OLED display dead centre, which also allows text on it to be viewed from wide angles, making operation and control of the unit from afar easier.
High-resolution audio playback is supported for network and USB with WAV, FLAC, ALAC formats up to 192kHz/24bit, DSD 2.8/5.6MHz and gapless playback (WAV, FLAC, ALAC, DSD).
It’s available from today (April 9th), in two finishes (elegant black or classic silver and gold) and sells for £629, €699 and $699.
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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.
