Sound United’s high-performance home theater brand Marantz introduced two new units to its 2019 SR network AV receiver line Thursday, including the SR5014 and SR6014, both with advanced video connectivity and HEOS wireless multi-room music distribution.

The new high-power models, which are scheduled to hit custom and specialty retailers July 15th, each have eight HDMI inputs supporting some of the most sought-after features in the new HDMI 2.1 connection specification. Some of these included in the AVRs are pass-through of Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) for easy linking to the latest Xbox video game consoles and Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) offering improved lip-sync and greater bandwidth to pass bandwidth-encompassing lossless surround sound codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio, along with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X enhancements, respectively.

Other supported HDMI features include: 4K Ultra HD 60Hz video, 4:4:4 Pure Color sub-sampling, Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR), Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) HDR, HDR10 static base-level HDR, 21:9 video, 3D, BT.2020 pass-through and support for the new HDCP 2.3 copy protection version.

New to the 2019 models is the ability to assign different music sources to the same HDMI input. This level of flexibility enables users to watch a sports event, for example, and easily switch between music playback and commentators.

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In addition to decoding the latest 3D surround sound formats including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (up to 7.1.4 channels for the SR6014 with an external 2-ch amplifier) , each receiver will support DTS: Virtual X and Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology to give users the sensation of overhead effects from an object-based listening experience without the need for dedicated height or surround speakers. Listeners can configure up to seven channels for a 7.1 setup with virtual height-channel effects, Marantz said.

The company said the receivers were engineered and meticulously tuned for high-powered audiophile-quality music and theatrical sound reproduction, and provide features friendly to custom integrators. This includes support for remote monitoring and management capabilities via Domotz Pro, ihiji Invision and OvrC, as well as RS232C and IP control capabilities.

Both models have dual subwoofer outputs. The Marantz SR5014 ($999 suggested retail) is a 7.2-channel, 100 watt-per-channel AVR while the SR6014 ($1,499) is a 9.2-channel, 110 watt version with pre-amp processing to support up to 11.2 channels. Both have discrete dedicated power amplification.

Marantz also adds its proprietary Hyper Dynamic Amplification Module (HDAM) circuitry to produce optimal fidelity and maximum dynamic range of high-resolution files. Further, the low impedance driver capability in the SR6014 model provides operational stability with a wide range of speakers for clarity and balance.

For home theater applications, the SR6014 supports an array of multi-dimensional audio formats, including the IMAX Enhanced AV system to reproduce as closely as possible the big-screen, big-sound dynamics of IMAX movie theaters.

Through the HEOS wireless multi-room audio technology, both SR models will work with popular voice control agents—Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and high-end smart home automation assistant, Josh.ai. By using a compatible smart speaker or mobile phone, users can use spoken commands to have the system stream stream music directly to the SR-series.

In addition, when linked with HEOS speakers or other Sound United electronics HEOS built-in, listeners can play music in one room or multiple rooms. Other voice commands include the ability to switch between connected components, adjust volume, pause, mute, play a previous or next track.

To ensure the best surround sound experience for any given listening enviroment or speaker layout, Marantz includes Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room calibration, with user-guided seamless setup. A supplied measurement microphone, enables MultEQ XT32 to fine tune the sound output from connected speakers at up to eight measurement locations. This employs precision digital filters to optimize each channel for the correct frequency and time domain response.

Audyssey Dynamic Volume also smooths out jumps in volume (such as TV commercials), letting listeners enjoy lower output levels while still enjoying clear dialogue and overall performance, while Audyssey Dynamic EQ provides full-range clarity at any listening level. Audyssey Low Frequency Containment uses advanced psychoacoustic algorithms to deliver more full-range balance, including deep bass, without disturbing neighbors or people in other rooms of the home.

Audyssey Sub EQ HT provides individual DSP tailoring of each subwoofer in a dual subwoofer setup for deeper bass with improved definition. Plus, the Audyssey MultEQ Editor app, users can view and adjust settings for detailed tuning.

Fans of high-resolution audio formats will find the receivers will decode up to 24-bit/192-kHz ALAC, FLAC and WAV lossless files as well as DSD 2.8MHz and 5.6MHz tracks, aficionados of analog vinyl music will find a phono input and advanced phono state with HDAM (for better clarity than op-amp solutions) on both models.

By Greg Tarr

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