Marantz, part of Sound United, which itself is now part of Harman International Industries, which itself is part of Samsung, announced two new models in what it calls its “reference quality” home theater component series. The all-new AV 30 and AMP 30 are serious, pro-grade audio components that elegantly blend dramatic industrial design with flexible feature sets – with a high-performance-first product design philosophy.
Products like these really warm the heart of this old audio guy!
Learn all about the Marantz AV 30 and AMP 30…
Both of these models were designed and manufactured at Marantz’s Shirakawa Audio Works in Japan, providing some additional validation as to their high-performance audio credentials. As well, both of them feature the ubiquitous porthole display design for which Marantz is famous.
A Cool Industrial Design
But I have to say that, beyond the porthole, the industrial design of this series is an interesting combination of a beefy, solid center section, flanked by a setback section with an interesting eye-catching pattern that is additionally emphasized by indirect lighting. It’s kind of like the visual effect created by those moving skylights that sweep the skies on either side of the theater at movie premieres.
Of course, the quality and beauty of the industrial design is in the eye of the beholder. I would certainly understand if you looked at this and told me all of my taste is in my mouth. But I’ve been involved – in a past life – with brainstorming industrial designs to dress up black boxes of electronics, and let me tell you…it’s not easy. So I appreciate the effort here.
Marantz’s announcement of these models in part said this of the design: “The elegant fascia plates on both models feature selectable side illumination, with a fold-down front panel on the AV 30 to conceal all less-used functions when not in use, creating a clean aesthetic not typically associated with AV components.”
Marantz AV 30: All the Latest Technology, With All the Flexibility You Could Ever Need
The AV 30 is a brute of a preamplifier with 11.4 channels and is designed to be the central control/processor solution for a truly significant home cinema system. The company says it utilizes the most powerful Analog Devices SHARC dual-core DSP chipset coupled to high-quality 32-bit DACs.
This advanced and powerful digital platform, the company says, is meant to “precisely decode and accurately process all forms of incoming audio, from high-resolution stereo to the latest forms of immersive sound, including Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, DTS:X and AURO-3D.
AV 30: Advanced Digital Processing is All for Naught…If Your Room Sucks
Of course, all that advanced digital processing to ensure accurate content decoding and presentation is for naught if your room sucks. And Marantz is not about to let that happen. So built into the AV 30 is the Audyssey MultEQ X32 advanced room optimization circuitry. Also included is the popular Dirac Live, Dirac Bass Control, and Dirac Active Room Treatment (ART) for a deeper level of optimization with extensive theater systems with multiple speakers and up to four independent subwoofers.
As you might suspect, the AV 30 is chock full of connectivity options. The company says that each of its seven HDMI inputs supports up to 8K/60Hz or 4K/120Hz video. There are three HDMI outputs. The high-resolution user interface makes setup and customization simple and intuitive.
AV 30: Can Competently Control a Dizzying Array of System Configurations
There is a vast array of analog and digital inputs coupled to an extensive range of custom-installation-optimized features. This unit can control a dizzying array of system configurations, from intimate media rooms to highly sophisticated dedicated home theaters.
The company’s proprietary Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Modules (HDAM) SA-2 preamplifier stage can drive up to 11.4 channels via either its XLR or RCA outputs.
AV 30: Powered by HEOS
Finally, the AV 30 is also powered by HEOS, which brings users full access to a wide range of streaming service content. The company says that the AV 30’s Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qubuz Connect, AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth all complement HEOS to simplify access to streaming services and mobile devices.
There’s more that could be said about the AV 30, but we must move on to the amplifier the company released in the same component series…the AMP 30.
Marantz AMP 30: Bringing Together Both the Power to Move You and Configuration Flexibility
Don’t let the relatively slim profile of the AMP 30 fool you; this amp has plenty of power to reproduce movie special effects/explosions that will rattle your windows. It is also configurable to provide an extra degree of flexibility not available in many other amplifiers. So let’s dig into it…
The all-new Marantz AMP 30 is a slim design that incorporates the popular Marantz industrial design, including the famous porthole analog meter. Like the AV 30, the industrial design includes soft side lights for a warm glow on the ends of the face panel.
AMP 30: Plenty of Clean Power for Your Theater Installations
This cool-running, 6-channel amplifier offers a robust 200 watts per channel at 8 ohms (400 watts at 4 ohms). Six channels of 200 watts of clean power should handle the vast majority of all theater installations.
Furthermore, the AMP 30 can optionally reconfigure pairs of 200W amp channels into bridged-tied-load (BTL) with a maximum of three channels of 400W available if your system configuration and speaker system requires it. Alternatively, the AMP 30 can be used to bi-amp up to three speakers.
With this amplifier, you have the option of either RCA input connections or, for those seeking reduced input noise, balanced XLR inputs.
Pricing and Availability…
Both the AV 30 and the AMP 30 will be available in January at select Marantz retailers. The Marantz AV 30 has an MSRP of $4,000 | €4000 | £3500. The AMP 30 has an MSRP of $4,000 | €4000 | £3500
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