Marantz Plans 15 Fall Products

Marantz unveiled Wednesday a total of 15 new products that it will roll out through October.  The line consists of several entries in the company’s traditional categories – A/V receivers, high-performance audio separates and universal-format Blu-ray players – and will include a new product that moves the company into the network audio player category.
 
Bob Weissburg, president of sales and marketing for Marantz parent D&M Holdings, said the design goal with the new product range was to “keep the legacy alive of building products that continue to be investments and family heirlooms but that have the capability to bring maximum enjoyment to their owners from both analog and digital home entertainment sources.”

The Marantz 2010 market entries, whose front-panel designs will re-incorporate the legacy Marantz “star,” include a new, ‘redefined” A/V receiver line, said Kevin Zarow, vice president of sales and marketing. The flagship Model SR7005 ($1,599; August availability) leads a five-SKU AVR model lineup whose entry-level price is now $399 – for the SR1501, carried over and re-priced from its original MSRP of $599.

It replaces the SR7002, and is the first Marantz AVR to offer a rear network jack – and the first with audio streaming capabilities for services like Pandora, Napster and Rhapsody; it also features photo streaming capability, and, with a later firmware upgrade, will offer app control of its networking functions and also will provide installers the convenience of remote maintenance.

The NA7004 network audio player ($799; September) is the first model in a new category for Marantz. “This bridges the gap between downloaded content playback and the Compact Disc. This is a hub for content,” said Zarow in describing the component, which serves as a D-to-A converter for people who want to listen to computer-stored music through their home audio systems.

Also new in the hi-fi component category are the SA8004 Super Audio CD player ($999; August), the CD5004 CD player at a new entry price of $349 (July), the PM5004 preamp/power amp (July; $449), and the PM8004 integrated amp ($999; August). The 8004 boasts a feature called TriTone Control – named for a legacy Marantz feature. The modern-day version is engineered to improve midrange characteristics in compressed audio files, said Zarow.
     
The new universal playback Blu-ray players, UD7005 ($899; September-October) and UD5005 ($499; August-September), will benefit from a fall firmware upgrade to 3D capability, said Zarow, while citing their significantly improved disc-loading speed.  The 5005 pricing represents a new entry-level price for Blu-ray players for Marantz, he added.

In high-performance separates, the MM7055 power amp ($1,199; September), AV7005 preamplifier ($1,499; October), and MM7025 two-channel amp ($799; September) made their debuts.

The single-component M-CR603 IP-based network CD receiver system, which includes a CD player and an AM/FM radio, also took an inaugural bow. It is a small-footprint system with app control capability, and can access Internet radio stations and stream music services; it has a front-panel USB input for simplified connection of an iPod or iPhone.

The new Marantz line as it now stands does not include front projectors, and Zarow said the company’s decision about remaining in the category will be made known by the time of the CEDIA Expo in late September.

Marantz plans to back the introductions with what Vaishali N. Benner, director of strategic marketing for D&M, termed “a revitalized Web environment” whose overhaul will be completed by Q3.  Its design, she added, will support a consistent Marantz brand image across all retail channels and tie the product lines back to the company’s music heritage while helping to broaden social marketing efforts across mobile devices and through Facebook and You Tube. 

As part of the marketing effort, all 1,000-plus authorized Marantz dealers will also have access to high-quality product videos and interactive tours. Benner also announced a summertime New York-area concert series sponsorship in conjunction with local FM station Q104.3 and featuring the artists Rush, Tom Petty and Crosby, Stills & Nash.