I continue to be impressed with the stream of new Marantz products coming from the Sound United team, which doesn’t appear to have skipped a beat since it was acquired one year ago by Harman International Industries, a division of Samsung Electronics. This week, the company announced the launch of a new music system called the MCR 60n. A compact combination component designed to appeal to music lovers everywhere, the 60n looks to hit the sweet spot of high-quality build, audio engineering excellence, technology features contemporary with today’s market, and an above-average ease of use that enhances the listening experience.
Learn more about the new Marantz MCR 60n…
As most audio insiders know, Marantz is the higher-quality/higher-performance big brother to the Denon line, both of which are united under the Sound United business unit. Marantz has a long – 70-year – and enviable history as a manufacturer of high-performance audio gear. It has often served to bridge the gap between mainstream audio components and the high-end. To play in that game, the company built a first-class engineering team that could better interpret the vision of product planners and designers.
Audio is undergoing some fundamental changes these days, and it sure looks to me like Marantz is able to build upon its historical positioning…without being constrained by it. Perhaps the MCR 60n is a good example of that – a compact music system with a preamplifier, power amplifier, and even a CD player built in. The formal announcement calls it “…a new generation of compact all-in-one hi-fi system designed for listeners who demand exceptional sound, modern connectivity and effortless everyday enjoyment.”
Marantz Made an Interesting Design Decision
Before I dig into the details of the MCR 60n, let me take a moment to note that the company made an interesting design decision that I think helps to set them apart from others offering products of this nature. Marantz remains committed to including support for physical media, including vinyl with a moving-magnet phono input, and CD built right into the unit. I separately reported that both of these music media categories – vinyl and compact disc – are experiencing surging growth rates and are particularly embraced by music lovers and audiophiles.
It is smart to embrace media meaningful to the two communities that the MCR 60n seeks to appeal to, and I suspect this was not a tough decision for the company’s product planning team.
An All-Around Player
So in this one unit, users get an all-around player – with network streaming, CD playback, turntable connectivity, HDMI eARC (for integration with most modern televisions, enabling high-quality playback of TV sound with remote control), and a robust playback platform. The unit also offers Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus decoding.
For a large majority of end-users, this is all that they need.
Turn it Up
The MCR 60n features a new power supply design that delivers greater current capability with increased headroom for noticeably improved dynamic performance, the company says. This is an improvement that you can hear with effortless, robust bass and greater control across a wide pantheon of speaker designs.
The unit is rated at 65 watts/channel (@4Ω), plenty of power for most modern speaker designs today. And by the way, the MCR 60n comes with four channels of amplification, itself offering tremendous flexibility. This enables Bi-Amp capabilities, Parallel Bridge-Tied Load (BTL), and dual speaker outputs. This expands the range of speaker choices for users and even offers dual-zone capability from one compact system.
High-Resolution Streaming
Of course, music streaming is the media of choice for most consumers today, and the MCR 60n offers more for them as well. The company says that this system supports PCM up to 384kHz/32-bit and DSD up to 11.2MHz.
All of this is powered by the company’s popular HEOS networking platform.
HEOS Makes Everything A Little Smarter and Easier
Over the years, the company has revised, upgraded, and expanded its highly regarded HEOS networking solution. The MCR 60n includes the latest iteration of HEOS which delivers a faster and more intuitive setup experience for users.
HEOS also offers seamless access to streaming services, internet radio, and whole-home multi-room audio. Also supported are Spotify, TIDAL, and Qobuz Connect, as well as AirPlay2 and Roon Ready. Thanks to HEOS, users could acquire the MCR 60n as a single-room solution that goes on to serve as the first step or building block to a full whole-home wireless entertainment system.
I Could Go On…
I could go on, as there is plenty more to talk about with the MCR 60n. For example, there’s the fact that it comes with bi-directional Bluetooth capability (say, to send content from your phone to the MCR 60n, and to listen to the unit through wireless headphones when you have to watch your favorite horror movie at night); four customizable Smart Select presets that offer one-button recall of a user’s favorite source, listening mode, and volume setting; configurable subwoofer output w/adjustable crossover setting; optional upgrade to Dirac Live Room Correction to optimize the system to any room; and more…
Yes, there is more, but I think you get the idea. This is a clever system that seems to be a solid upgrade over entry systems, but remains more affordable than a high-end separate component system. In other words, it sits in the market right where a large component of the consumer base is centered.
Price and Availability
North America – The Marantz MCR 60n will be available in a Matte Black finish (U.S.) in North America on September 15, 2026, and is expected to sell for an MSRP of $1,000 at Marantz authorized retailers and Marantz.com.
Europe – The Marantz MCR 60n DAB (Europe-only model) will be available in a Champagne Gold finish (again, only in Europe) on September 15, 2026, and is expected to sell for €900 | £800 at authorized Marantz retailers and Marantz.com.
For more information, be sure to visit marantz.com.
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