Marantz’s New Amplifiers Are Primed for Serious Home Theater Systems

Most people who want better TV sound get a soundbar. It’s a plug-and-play one-box solution that’s easy to set up and fairly affordable. Plus, because many of today’s soundbars work in wireless systems, you still have the option of adding more speakers and turning it into a surround sound system.

For home theater enthusiasts, a traditional AVR system may be a preferred option. It’s more complicated to set up, but it offers significantly more flexibility, allowing you to choose your speakers and build out the system as you desire. It can typically be a larger and higher-quality surround sound system, too.

For serious home theater enthusiasts with seriously deep pockets, there are systems that use AV separates, where the amplification and AV processing are split between two components. These are generally reserved for the most elite home theater systems.

That’s where Marantz’s latest home theater components fall.

Marantz AV 20 and AMP 20 Home Theater System

Marantz

Meet the separates

Marantz’s new AV 20 and AMP 20 are reference-quality home theater separates. The AV 20 is the preamplifier and processor, while the AMP 20 is the power amplifier.

Together, the modular components can deliver a 13.4-channel surround system that’s capable of delivering 200 watts per channel (for 12 channels). The amp can also be used in bridged mode to deliver 400 watts to six channels.

The system is designed as a middle ground between the Marantz Cinema 30 ($4,500), the brand’s all-in-one AV receiver, and its flagship AV 10 ($7,000) and AMP 10 ($7,000), which support up to a 15.4-channel system.

Like its other premium components, the Marantz AV 20 and AMP 20 both feature Marantz’s porthole display and high-end industrial design. They also can work separately, allowing you to pair the AV 20 with Marantz’s higher-end AMP 10, say if you need to support more channels.

Marantz

High-end technologies

The Marantz AV 20, which handles everything except amplification, is packed with most of the modern technologies you’d want in an elite home theater system.

It features built-in Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room-calibration technology and is also compatible with Dirac Live, although the service must be purchased separately. It also supports the latest surround sound formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, Auro-3D and IMAX Enhanced.

As you might expect, the AV 20 has enough connections to handle most sources and TVs you want to use it with. It has seven HDMI 2.1 inputs, which are perfect for today’s gaming consoles and media players. It also features three HDMI outputs that support 4K (120Hz) or 8K (60Hz) TVs.

The AV 20 is a HEOS multi-room streamer, but also supports most popular streaming services over Wi-FI, including AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and Tidal Connect. It supports Bluetooth streaming, too.

Marantz

Price and availability

The Marantz AV 20 and AMP 20 can be purchased separately for $6,000 each. However, if you buy the pair together, you get them for a combined $11,000 — saving you a grand in the process.

They are now available on the company’s website and through authorized online dealers.

Marantz

Marantz AV 20

• $6,000 at Marantz

Marantz

Marantz AMP 20

• $6,000 at Marantz

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