Audio visual company Marantz is refreshing its lineup of Cinema Series AV receivers just in time for them to be paired with the latest premium televisions from Samsung, LG, Sony and other brands that have gone on sale recently.
The new series includes four models - though two of them are dedicated to specific regions – including the flagship Cinema 50 Series 2, the Cinema 60 Series 2 (for the U.S. and Asia-Pacific), Cinema 60/DAB Series 2 (for Europe only) and the Cinema 70s Series 2.
Marantz debuted its first generation of Cinema Series AV receivers back in 2022, and they were acclaimed for their combination of great looks, fantastic audio and ultra-reliable connectivity, and the new models aim to continue in that vein.
AV Receivers are an essential piece of kit for any serious home theatre enthusiast. They act as a kind of centralised command center that powers the surround sound speakers, decodes high-definition audio formats such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, and manage multiple video sources, such as a streaming box, Blu-ray player and games console, before forwarding the signal to the TV.
The biggest change in the 2026 models is that they get a brand new 32-bit 8-channel Digital-to-Analog Converter or DAC, which the company says is designed to ensure “greater precision, improved imaging, enhanced dynamic expression and more coherent sound performance through any listening environment.”
Marantz said that each of the new AVRs has been tuned by Sound Master to provide a truly immersive and “emotionally engaging entertainment experience.” Other new features include Bluetooth LE Audio, which delivers higher-fidelity sound at lower bitrates and will be enabled through an upcoming firmware upgrade. There’s also improved gaming support and Dirac room correction capabilities available on all four models.
As with the original Cinema Series AVRs, Marantz has made sure they absolutely look the part, with a shiny, metallic casing and minimalist style that should ensure most owners are only too proud to display them on a shelf or TV stand instead of hiding them away.
Marantz also mentioned support for 1440p video passthrough via AMD FreeSync for gaming, and new Web Control 2.0 configuration and HDMI Diagnostics 2.0 applications, which will help installation and troubleshooting, respectively.
The devices also feature a way to see how each channel is being pushed by whatever media is playing, which can be interesting for anyone who wants to know how different movies and songs make the most of their system. Marantz engineers have previously explained that they use the movie Gravity as a kind of “torture test” to see how different AVRs can handle stress during development, so if you happen to own that movie, it should be interesting to check out what it does to those numbers.
The Marantz Cinema 50 Series 2 AVR is the most premium model in the lineup, and so of course it gets a few capabilities that the others don’t. One of those is the Dolby Atmos Channel Expander, which makes sure that all available speakers are used when a Dolby Atmos movie or show is being played, no matter how it may have been encoded by the creator. This helps with creating additional height channels, Marantz said, enhancing the overall atmospheric effects of surround sound. There’s also a new Centre Bi-Amp Mode that helps to enhance the clarity of dialogue.
You’ll be getting a total of nine channels with the Cinema 50 Series 2 that put out 110-watts each, meaning it’s possible to connect a total of nine external speakers. The Cinema 60/DAB Series 2 and Cinema 60 Series 2 both get seven channels at 100-watts, while the Cinema 70s Series 2 delivers seven channels at 50-watts.
Just remember that all of those extra channels and sound output comes at a cost. The Cinema 50 Series 2 is priced at £1,850, while the Cinema 60 DAB Series 2 costs £1,250. The Cinema 60 Series 2, available in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific only, will cost $2,000, while the Cinema 70s Series 2 meanwhile, is priced at £950, Marantz said.
