Marantz,
a
70-year-old
brand
best
known
for
high-end
audio
gear
like
amplifiers
and
receivers,
announced
its
first
speakers
this
week.
The
Marantz
Horizon
and
Grand
Horizon
both
pair
an
array
of
drivers
with
a
central
subwoofer
and
feature
robust
wireless
connectivity
with
direct
access
to
streaming
services.
Both
speakers
will
be
available
starting
on
January
14th,
2025,
in
three
different
colorways:
midnight
sky,
moon
ray,
and
champagne.
The
Marantz
Horizon
will
sell
for
$3,500,
while
the
larger
Grand
Horizon
will
be
$5,500.
Marantz
will
also
sell
a
matching
tripod
made
from
American
walnut
wood
for
$700.
The
larger
Marantz
Grand
Horizon
offers
a
little
extra
power
and
includes
two
more
drivers
than
the
smaller
Horizon
speaker.Image:
Marantz
Marantz’s
products
have
traditionally
been
designed
as
components
that
are
part
of
a
larger
hi-fi
audio
system,
but
its
first
speakers
are
all-in-one
solutions
that
don’t
need
to
be
paired
with
amplifiers
or
other
hardware.
They
each
feature
a
spherical
design
wrapped
in
fabric
made
from
recycled
ocean
plastics
that
pushes
sound
in
all
directions
to
completely
fill
a
room.
On
the
front
of
each
speaker
is
a
ring
of
100
LEDs
that
illuminate
as
you
approach
that
can
also
be
used
to
adjust
the
volume
when
touched.
The
two
speakers
are
differentiated
by
their
size
and
the
number
of
drivers
they
include.
The
smaller
Marantz
Horizon
features
six
in
total
including
a
6.5-inch
subwoofer,
a
pair
of
one-inch
silk-dome
tweeters,
and
a
trio
of
two-inch
full-range
drivers
powered
by
a
310W
amp.
The
larger
Marantz
Grand
Horizon
pushes
that
to
eight
with
an
eight-inch
sub,
three
one-inch
silk-dome
tweeters,
and
four
three-inch
full-range
drivers
powered
by
a
370W
amplifier.
Wireless
connectivity
includes
Bluetooth
5.4,
Wi-Fi,
and
support
for
AirPlay
2
and
Spotify
Connect.
Both
speakers
run
on
Denon’s
Heos
platform
(both
Marantz
and
Denon
are
now
owned
by
Masimo,
the
company
behind
the
Apple
Watch
bans
and
patent
dispute)
which
supports
streaming
services
like
Tidal,
Spotify,
Pandora,
Deezer,
and
Amazon
Music,
including
high
res
audio
options.
Heos
also
allows
the
speakers
to
be
used
as
part
of
a
multiroom
sound
system,
or
two
to
be
paired
for
stereo
sound
when
used
in
the
same
space.
Both
the
Horizon
and
Grand
Horizon
offer
wired
connectivity,
too,
including
RCA,
an
optical
TOSLINK
port,
HDMI
eARC
for
those
wanting
to
use
them
as
TV
speakers,
and
a
USB-C
port
that
can
play
MP3,
AAC,
and
even
FLAC
files
from
an
external
drive.
(Originally posted by Andrew Liszewski)
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