Marantz releases five 2015 home cinema amps, upgrades preamps

More news from the annual Denon & Marantz product showcase comes in the form of new home cinema amplifiers from Marantz. Seven in total, prices start at £449 and go right up to £3349.

All seven-channel and above amplifiers support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (with an upgrade), while some top-end models will also support Auro 3D. HDCP 2.2 and HDMI 2.0a are on board ensuring the AV amps are ready for 4K Ultra HD video.

Elsewhere there's a continued focus on stereo and multi-channel music performance, a new remote app and set up assistant, plus "class-leading" support for 3rd party control for the custom install market.

Marantz NR1506

Marantz NR1506

First up are two new slim network AV receivers, the NR1506 and NR1606. Both are due in August and will cost £449 and £559 respectively.

The amps feature WiFi, AirPlay, Bluetooth and Spotify Connect, plus gapless HD audio, DSD and AIFF music streaming. There's also an Apple-compatible USB input on the front.

Both feature a "retuned sound", plus the updates to the app and set up process.

MORE: Best home cinema amplifiers 2015

Marantz NR1606

Marantz NR1606

The NR1506 has a 5.1-channel setup and outputs 50W of power per channel (8ohm, 2ch driven). There are six HDMI inputs (5 rear/1 front).

The NR1606 is a 7.1-channel, 50W-per-channel amp, with eight HDMI 2.0 inputs (7/1). The '1606 also supports Atmos 5.1.2 and DTS:X, and uses a new Quad Core DSP.

Marantz SR5010

Marantz SR5010

If you like something a little more imposing on your AV rack, then there are three network AV receivers in the SR range. All feature the same wireless streaming functionality as the amps above.

The SR5010 is due in August, priced at £749, the SR6010 is due in September, priced £899, while the SR7010, also coming in September, will cost £1399.

The step-ups here come in the form of audio channels, feature support for the next-gen audio formats, upgrades to the internal audio components and external design changes.

The '5010 is a 7.1-channel amp, pumping out 100W per channel (8ohm, 2ch driven). It supports Atmos 5.1.2 and DTS:X, has a new Quad Core DSP and a retuned sound. There are eight HDMI inputs (7/1) and two outputs.

Marantz SR6010

Marantz SR6010

Next is the '6010, a 9.2-channel amp capable of 110W per channel. Atmos 5.1.4 is supported here, as well as DTS:X and Neural:X 9.1.

As well as the same number of HDMI inputs and outputs and support for a Zone 2, there are 13.2-channel preouts and a 7.1-channel external input. There's also Audyssey MultEQ calibration.

The Marantz NR6010 also has a 'trapdoor design' and aluminium front.

Marantz SR7010

Marantz SR7010

Lastly, the '7010 is a nine-channel, 125W amp with 11.2 signal processing. It ups the ante with Atmos 7.1.4 support, DTS:X, Neural:X 11.1 and Auro 3D.

There's an extra HDMI output on the '7010, plus a new 32bit/192kHz DAC and an ECO mode.

MORE: Marantz reveals M-CR611 and M-CR511 network systems

Also new are upgraded versions of two high-end preamps. The new models are the AV7702mkII and the AV8802A.

The AV8802A gets full HDCP 2.2 support, necessary for 4K video (there's an upgrade for existing AV8802 amps, too). The new model is due this month and will cost £3349.

The Marantz AV7702mkII is due on sale in October and will cost £1699. It supports Atmos 7.1.4 and DTS:X, and will also get support for Neural:X 11.1 and Auro 3D via an update. It has the new 32bit/192kHz DAC, retuned sound, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2.

MORE: Denon unveils five AV receivers for 2015

See all our home cinema amplifier reviews

Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).