
- Marantz has now surprised us with two new wireless speakers, the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon systems.
The aim is nothing less than to set new standards in the field of wireless speakers. The Japanese brand Marantz is now confidently dedicating itself to a product group for the first time that has plenty of outstanding solutions from established HiFi manufacturers and loudspeaker specialists to show for itself. In a word, it is actually quite well positioned. To meet this high standard, the new Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions are designed to incorporate all the innovative technologies that characterise the Marantz brand.
The Marantz brand has been a pioneer in the development of high-performance solutions in the field of premium consumer electronics for over 70 years. All this expertise has now been applied to the development of the new Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon. These wireless speakers offer exceptional sound, high performance and timeless elegance.
Luxurious design and high-quality materials
The manufacturer cites the design as one of the outstanding features of the two new solutions, Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon. Interestingly, this unique, luxurious design is based on a typical Marantz design element, the so-called porthole display.
This design element, which is almost a characteristic feature of Marantz, is used here as a central concept and thus forms the basis of the round design of the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon systems.
The two wireless speakers are presented in the shape of a sphere, enthroned on a slim marble stand. A special stand, a tripod made of American walnut, is also available as an alternative. The manufacturer also plans to offer wall mounts for the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions.
During the development, emphasis was placed on using only high-quality materials. In addition to a solid frame that forms the base, the so-called Marantz Radiance 360° Seamless EcoFiber stands out, a specially developed fabric made from recycled plastic, which draws on waste from the oceans.
The manufacturer describes it as a shimmering, three-tone fabric interwoven with gold-coloured Lurex yarn, which is said to give the two wireless speakers a particularly elegant shine and outstanding grace.
The Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions are available in three colour variants, namely Midnight Sky, Moon Ray and Champagne, the latter being a design variant that is almost typical of Marantz.
Powerful and high-performance thanks to Marantz Rise GaN FET amplifier topology
When it comes to signal processing, this product group naturally relies on a DSP-based solution, which uses the so-called Marantz Mirage Algorithm, as the manufacturer explains.
Another important technology is the Marantz Rise Amplifier Concept, which is based on particularly responsive, highly efficient amplifier modules based on GaN-FET technology and already provides 310 watts of power for the Marantz Horizon and as much as 370 watts of power for the Marantz Grand Horizon.
This powers a range of chassis in the Marantz Gravity, with a 165 mm subwoofer in the centre, flanked by two 25 mm silk dome tweeters and three broadband drivers with a diameter of 50 mm each.
The Marantz Gravity Horizon features a 200 mm subwoofer combined with three 25 mm tweeter drivers and no fewer than four 76 mm midrange drivers.
Streaming based on HEOS Built-in
How could it be otherwise, the new wireless speakers Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon are of course based on the company’s long-standing, proven technology platform, HEOS Built-in.
This technology not only allows you to access your own content on the network via UPnP, but also makes it easier to use a wide range of streaming services, as providers such as Spotify, Deezer, TIDAL, Amazon Music, as well as Internet radio and podcasts, are available directly via the corresponding app, the HEOS app for Apple iOS, Google Android and Amazon Kindle FireOS.
Furthermore, HEOS Built-in also ensures that technology platforms such as Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect are supported and that integration with smart home solutions including voice control is supported. It is also possible to integrate HEOS Built-in into professional control solutions such as Crestron, Control4 and AMX.
The HEOS app is also the central interface for controlling the sound characteristics of the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions, because the aforementioned DSP-based signal processing offers many exciting features in this regard. Such as the special Marantz Sound Master mode, developed by Marantz sound master Yoshinori Ogata.
The integration into the network is done either via an RJ45 Ethernet interface or the integrated WiFi module according to IEEE 802.11ax.
From Bluetooth to HDMI
It should also be mentioned that Bluetooth is also available, whereby the Bluetooth module of the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions, according to the data sheet, corresponds to the latest Bluetooth 5.4 standard.
Digital sources can be integrated via an optical S/PDIF interface, and a USB-C port is also available for corresponding storage media. A TV set can also be connected directly to the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions via HDMI, whereby an eARC is offered and central control via HDMI CEC is possible.
And of course, no system would be complete without analogue inputs, which the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon provide in the form of a pair of RCA sockets.
Hi-res Audio and Dolby Atmos
When streaming via HEOS Built-in, the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon systems support Hi-res Audio in Linear PCM at up to 24 bits and 192 kHz, as well as DSD up to DSD128.
It is particularly exciting that the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions also support content encoded in surround sound, namely Dolby Digital, Dolby TrueHD and even Dolby Atmos. The manufacturer states that multi-channel with up to 7.1 channels and 24 bits and 192 kHz can be processed.
Marantz AuraControl
A very special type of control is offered by the new Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon Marantz AuraControl solutions, whereby a control ring, located centrally at the front, offers a seamless symphony of light and sound with 100 LEDs and a proximity and ambient light sensor, as the manufacturer himself puts it.
The technical specifications of the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon
The new Marantz Horizon measures 364 x 210 x 387,5 mm and weighs 12,5 kg. The Marantz Grand Horizon measures 493 x 255 x 529,2 mm and weighs an impressive 21,3 kg.
Prices and availability
The new Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon solutions should be available from specialist retailers soon. The Marantz Horizon will cost € 3.800,- and the Marantz Grand Horizon will cost € 6.000,-. The Marantz Horizon tripod stand will cost € 750,-.
Getting to the point
It is quite a surprise that the Japanese HiFi manufacturer Marantz has now decided to bring solutions in the field of so-called wireless speakers to market. What is less surprising, and more self-evident, is that they are focusing on solutions that can clearly be assigned to the premium segment. What is somewhat surprising, however, is that Marantz, in view of the presentation of the new systems Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon, is even talking about products that are supposed to set new standards in the wireless speaker sector. At least the prices are quite ambitious, getting to the point…
PRODUCT | Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon |
---|---|
Price | Marantz Horizon € 3.800,- Marantz Grand Horizon € 6.000,- Marantz Horizon Three-legged stand € 750,- |
BRAND | MARANTZ |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Masimo Consumer |
Distribution Austria | Marantz Deutschland D&M Germany GmbH |
Distribution Germany | Marantz Deutschland D&M Germany GmbH |
Distribution Switzerland | B&W Group Schweiz GmbH |
More about this manufacturer at HIFI BLOG |