Sound United announced this week an expansion of IMAX Enhanced Certified home theater audio video components under its Denon and Marantz advance home theater component brands.
The company said that in addition to the Denon AVR-X8500H and Marantz AV8805 receivers, the following products will also be IMAX Enhanced following a forthcoming firmware update.
These models include the following:
• Denon AVR-X6500H 11.2 ch AVR
• Denon AVR-X4500H 9.2-ch AVR
• Marantz SR8012 11.2-ch AVR
• Marantz SR7013 9.2-ch AVR
• Marantz SR6013 9.2-ch AVR
• Marantz AV7705 11.2-ch Pre-Amp
Sound United said the firmware updates bringing IMAX Enhanced capability begin pushing to connected qualifying equipment this week.
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According to a company statement announcing the updates: “Denon and Marantz home theater products continue to be the only IMAX Enhanced audio solutions currently available to consumers. These devices deliver superior cinematic performance, featuring IMAX digitally re-mastered 4K HDR content and DTS audio technology to consumers. IMAX is also working with its global studio and content partners to make a steady stream of IMAX Enhanced versions of blockbuster movies and additional programming available to watchers.”
The IMAX Enhanced program was introduced last fall at the 2018 CEDIA Expo in San Diego. The new certification and licensing program was developed through a partnership between IMAX and Xperi’s DTS. IMAX Enhanced leverages specially engineered high-end audio and video products, like the Sound United audio products, Sony Master Series Ultra HDTVs and 4K Bravia SXRD video and others along with special digitally remastered 4K HDR content produced to replicate as closely as possible the IMAX theatrical experience in the home.
Sony and Paramount were the first studios to commit to producing some of the first IMAX Enhanced titles.
The program is restricted to high-end products with the capabilities of achieving the demanding performance criteria required by IMAX and DTS.
The updated Sound United Denon and Marantz products will be compatible with DTS Enhanced using a variant of DTS:X developed for the IMAX Enhanced program. IMAX Enhanced products will have an “IMAX Mode” to optimize specially produced IMAX Enhanced content to the standards originally intended by the filmmaker.
“IMAX Enhanced has been building impressive momentum since its introduction in late 2018,” stated Brendon Stead, senior vice president of product development and engineering at Sound United. “Additional A/V partners, content and distribution are all the traditional signs the format is being enthusiastically adopted. The great news for early adopters is Denon and Marantz, the only home theater supplier to do so to-date, already offer fantastic AVRs that deliver the IMAX Enhanced experience. So, if you want the magic of the IMAX experience in your home theater today, you’ll need either Denon or Marantz gear. However, making the technology available on only flagships isn’t what we’re all about. We know enthusiasts want this technology available to them as early as possible, which is why we promised to expand the IMAX Enhanced product lineup. Today, I’m happy to say we executed on that promise, and owners of several more premium Denon and Marantz products are now IMAX Enhanced.”
To receive the update, customers with qualifying products should have their device powered on and connected to the internet.
For more information visit www.soundunited.com.
By Greg Tarr
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