Occupying the top of Marantz’s 2024 range, the new Marantz Cinema 30 AV receiver is cut out for the most demanding installations. With 11 amplifier channels, 4 subwoofer outputs and a remarkable 140 watts per channel, it’s ready to take on any challenge!
Included accessories
The Marantz Cinema 30 AV receiver comes with a backlit remote control, power cable, quick installation guide and microphone for acoustic calibration. The latter is accompanied by a cardboard tripod that you can assemble to position the microphone precisely at ear level.
Presentation of the Marantz Cinema 30
High-quality design
The Marantz Cinema 30 audio-video receiver replaces the current Marantz SR-8015 as the brand’s new flagship model. This latest-generation model boasts 11 channels of amplification and carefully selected components. It all starts with a power supply entrusted to a powerful toroidal transformer, usually reserved for the most prestigious hi-fi electronics. The latter is located in the center of the device, inside a metal enclosure to limit interference. This protection also features a reinforced, copper-plated chassis.
The audio circuits are combined with feedback current technology to detect and suppress disturbances. The power stages are polarized in class AB and use HDAM SA-2 (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) modules. This exclusive technology has been tried-and-tested on the brand’s hi-fi models, including the Marantz Model 30 amp. It allows higher electrical voltages and improves soundstage coherence. This makes the Marantz AV receiver equally suitable for music and home theater listening. The unit delivers a very comfortable 140 watts of power in hi-fi conditions, i.e. in stereo with very low distortion. It is therefore able to maintain a very high volume throughout a film.
With its amplification 11.4 channels (13.4 channels in pre-out), the Marantz receiver can control the most complete home theater installations. Compatible with the various Dolby and DTS formats, including Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and DTS:X Pro, it can reproduce these tracks over 7.4.4 or 9.4.4 channels when combined with an external power amp. The Auro 3D format is also supported. This Marantz 2024 AV receiver is therefore ideally suited to setting up a home theater installation incorporating a vertical dimension (immersive 3D sound). What’s more, support for the Dolby Atmos Music protocol makes it ideal for bringing a new dimension to music.
Like the other models in the cinema range, the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver has the advantage of being equipped with four separate LFE outputs. This makes it possible to connect as many subwoofers as needed. As a result, it is possible to increase the power of the low frequencies and thus the impact of action scenes in films. Each subwoofer can be configured independently during acoustic calibration or from the receiver’s parameters.
HD streaming
Thanks to its hi-fi components, the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver is just as well suited to film screenings as it is to music listening sessions. To this end, it can play PCM files at up to 24-bit/192kHz and 5.6 MHz DSD from its USB input or through the network. MDAX2 (Marantz Digital Audio Expander 2) technology then optimizes compressed audio signals by recreating the lost frequency range.
For streaming, the Cinema 30 still relies on the Heos ecosystem, shared by all Marantz and Denon connected equipment. It provides access to a wide range of services, including Deezer, Spotify, Amazon Music and Tidal. These are managed directly from the HEOS app for iOS and Android. It’s a shame, though, that Qobuz is still absent! What’s more, Heos lets you add the Marantz Cinema 30 to a compatible multi-room group. So you can listen to online music services or enjoy sources connected to the receiver on other compatible amps or speakers. It’s a shame, however, that Marantz still doesn’t allow the use of Heos multi-room speakers for surround effects reproduction, as Yamaha does with its MusicCast ecosystem.
The Marantz Cinema 30 AV receiver can also stream music via AirPlay 2 or Bluetooth. Note that this receiver’s Bluetooth controller is bi-directional, enabling it to diffuse sound from TVs and other sources to Bluetooth headphones. Handy for late-night movie sessions!
UHD 8K and HDR 4K
As is now standard on recent AV receivers, the Marantz Cinema 30 adopts HDMI 2.1 inputs and outputs. All HDMI inputs are compatible with video streams up to 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz. The HDR10+, Dynamic HDR and Dolby Vision standards are also included to ensure proper display of high dynamic range programs.
While 8K sources are few and far between for the time being, HDMI 2.1 offers major advantages for gamers. The latter are treated to sharper, more precise movement display thanks to the very high responsiveness offered by 4K at 120 fps and variable refresh rate (VRR). Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Quick Frame Transport (QFT) are also available, allowing the TV to adapt the display frequency in real time. These technologies reduce lag and therefore optimize player performance.
Ultra-comprehensive connectivity
All sources connected to the seven HDMI 2.1 inputs of the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver can be streamed to the two main HDMI outputs, which are also 8K compatible. A Zone 2 output is also included, with a maximum resolution of 4K. What’s more, the HDMI 1 port supports HDMI eARC and ARC standards for retrieving sound from the TV, whether from VOD services or wired sources. For ease of control, CEC compatibility enables the receiver to be switched on automatically when the TV is turned on, and its volume to be adjusted using the TV’s remote control.
Four digital inputs (2 optical and 2 coaxial), as well as 6 assignable RCA inputs, an RCA tuner input and an MM-compatible phono port for turntables complete the connectors. 13.4-channel pre-outputs allow you to combine one or more power amps to extend possibilities. Finally, Zone 2 and Zone 3 pre-outs enable the creation of several distinct, independent listening areas.
Modern design
Like the Japanese manufacturer’s recent range of AV receivers and hi-fi amplifiers, the Marantz Cinema 30 adopts a design inspired by the prestigious Marantz Model 40N and Marantz Model 30 hi-fi models, themselves influenced by Marantz electronics from the 50s to the 70s. The edges of the front panels feature plates with recesses resembling those on a golf ball. The texture is highlighted by a LED strip hidden on either side of the center plate. Marantz’s distinctive porthole-shaped screen is complemented by a larger display concealed behind the tilting front pannel. It displays a wealth of information during playback, and facilitates receiver configuration when no projector or TV is connected.
Installing the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver
For our test of the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver, we paired it with a Dolby Atmos 5.2.4 set comprising Focal 300 ICLCR5 in-wall speakers and Focal 100 ICW6 Atmos speakers. After, we used a Dali architectural system consisting of Dali Phantom M-250, Dali Phantom H60 and Dali Phantom E60 speakers. Each installation was associated with two Rel and Dali subwoofers. The source used was the Panasonic DP-UB9000 EG1 4K UHD Blu-ray player. Finally, the main HDMI output was used to connect an Epson EH-TW-9400 projector, followed by the Samsung The Premiere SP-LSP9TFA ultra-short-throw projector.
When the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver is switched on for the first time, you are prompted to set the menu language, and then to specify the speaker configuration used. The Cinema 30 then proposes Audyssey MultEQ XT32 acoustic calibration. This involves connecting the supplied microphone and placing it in the listening position, at ear level. It will have to be moved to different positions during calibration. The sounds, their volume and their reverberation in the room are then measured and analyzed to produce an acoustic correction based on the properties of each speaker and/or the listening room. It should be noted that a fee-based update enables this calibration to be carried out using Dirac Live technology.
Listening impressions
The expertise of the Japanese manufacturer in the design of hi-fi electronics was brilliantly embodied in this Marantz Cinema 30 AV receiver, whose slight roundness offered a reproduction of rare refinement in home theater. The sound message was delivered without an ounce of aggressiveness, even at high volumes. It was smooth, refined and warm, reproducing every nuance of the soundtrack with great naturalness, without limiting dynamics when the film demanded it. All the channels in the system were supplied with a seemingly unshakeable power.
The extreme delicacy offered by this Marantz Cinema 30 receiver contributed to the meticulous placement of the sound effects. On the film Spider-Man: No Way Home, the spatial imaging was striking, with a well-controlled distribution of details across the different channels. We were placed at the heart of a genuine sound bubble, in which effects flowed seamlessly from all around us. The Cinema 30 effectively conveyed the subtlest nuances of the soundtrack, from the whisper of a gentle breeze to the thunderous explosion of an action scene.
Dialogue stood out perfectly against the background sound, even in the most hectic scenes. Voices were reproduced with clarity and legibility, ensuring that we heard every intonation and nuance. They had a remarkable presence, giving us the impression of being part of the conversion and the narration. Every exchange became a window onto the characters’ emotions.
Marantz Cinema 30 vs Denon AVC-X6800H
Launched simultaneously with the Marantz Cinema 30, the Denon AVC-X6800H also features 11.4 amplified channels and a 13.4 preamplifier section. It shines with its striking dynamic range and clearer, more transparent reproduction. However, the Marantz Cinema 30 is more musical, with greater respect for different nuances and a softer sound.
Who is the Marantz Cinema 30 designed for?
The Marantz Cinema 30 is the ideal choice for immersing yourself in films, TV series and video games, without compromising on musical quality. Its richer, more nuanced sound reproduction than traditional AV receivers makes this model remarkably versatile. Its high current capacity means it can efficiently power numerous speakers without the need for one or more external power amplifiers. It therefore forms an excellent compromise between the dynamism of modern soundtracks and the subtlety of musical recordings. Its extensive connectivity and numerous streaming options confirm this versatility.
Conclusion
With the Marantz Cinema 30 receiver, the manufacturer delivers a highly versatile model to enjoy three-dimensional sound in a private home theater, as well as at the heart of a stereo music system. Its round, warm sound signature reproduces all the nuances and harmonics of recordings with finesse. Added to this is a unique expertise for meticulous sound effect placement, ensuring that the listener is immersed in the universe of the program they’re watching. Last but not least, its high power output means it can be used to power a large number of speakers, whether in the family living room or in a private home theater.
We liked:
- The amount of amplified channels
- The round, warm signature
- Its hi-fi and home theater versatility
- The DSPs and sound virtualization systems
- The amplification power
We would have liked:
- The option of adding wireless surround speakers
- Qobuz integrated with Heos
