In the world of high-end home theater, there are two brands that dominate the AV receiver market – Denon and Marantz – so when either launches a new flagship product, home theater enthusiasts tend to stand up and listen.
This week it’s Marantz with the new Cinema 30, which is packed with all the latest features you’d expect from an elite home cinema, such as support for 8K video, surround sound formats like Dolby Atmos and Wi-Fi. Fi for watching the best streaming services.
The news comes hot on the heels of the launch of Denon’s new 8K AV receiver with Dolby Atmos, another seriously impressive model that we thought at the time was the pinnacle of elite home theater gear. But now that the Cinema 30 is here, we might have to rethink it.
How does the Marantz Cinema 30 compare to Denon’s AVC-X6800H?
Marantz and Denon are both owned by the same conglomerate called Masimo (the companies had merged in 2002 before being sold), but have a long history before that.
Although their respective series of AV receivers appear very similar at first glance, when placed side by side, there are some terribly subtle design features that make them slightly different. The largest is the iconic Marantz porthole, which is further emphasized by the fold-down panel that hides a display and controls.
In terms of connectivity, the Cinema 30 is just as impressive on paper as the AVC-X6800H, with 8K support for seven HDMI inputs, three HDMI outputs and 11 channels of amplification that Marantz says can be expanded to 13.4 channels in the preamp mode. if you want to add an external amplifier. There’s also HEOS, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth built-in.
The Cinema 30 is also well equipped to handle the latest spatial audio formats, including Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, DTS:X Pro and Auro 3D, with 140 watts per channel. It runs on a Sharc Dual DSP chipset with a 32-bit ESS Saber DAC, meaning it can decode anything you throw at it.
Of the brand’s 2024 flagship models, it’s too early to say which one has the edge over the other, but in terms of specs, they’re both vying to outdo each other. Denon currently dominates our best AV receivers guide, but that may not last for long.
The Marantz Cinema 30 is on sale now (January 30) for the premium price tag of $4,500 in the US and £3,900 in the UK.