(Marantz Horizon in Moon Ray)
Marantz is cranking up its audiophile image with the brand’s first foray into the wireless speaker market, courtesy of the Marantz Horizon and the larger Marantz Grand Horizon. The circular speakers make a visual statement with stylish looks inspired by the brand’s signature rounded porthole design motif, particularly when perched on an optional walnut tripod floor stand.
Each model is wrapped in Marantz Radiance 360o Seamless Ecofiber, a sustainable fabric made from recycled ocean plastics, and pops thanks to embedded gold lurex elements. Three finishes are available: Midnight Sky, Moon Ray and Champagne. Each is complemented by a luxe-looking natural marble base that’s color-matched to elevate the elegance of the design.
(Marantz Grand Horizon in Midnight Sky)
Designed to produce a deep, rich sound that can fill large rooms, both models use a configuration of high-frequency and midrange drive units that radiate outwardly from a single central subwoofer. Key to the speakers’ sound is proprietary Marantz Rise amplification, based around GaN FET technology and offering 310W of output in Horizon and 370W in Grand Horizon (FTC power output rating).
This propels an array of high-quality Marantz Gravity drive units, each of which employs powerful neodymium magnets for “the ultimate combination of accuracy, responsiveness and low distortion,” according to the brand. At the heart of Horizon is a 165mm (6.5-inch) subwoofer, complemented by two 25mm (1-inch) silk-dome tweeters and three 50mm (2-inch) full range drive units. Grand Horizon, as the larger speaker in the line-up, upgrades that tech to a 200mm (8-inch) subwoofer, three 25mm (1-inch) tweeters and four 76mm (3-inch) midrange drive units.
(Marantz Grand Horizon in Moon Ray)
Horizon and Grand Horizon also feature unique, on-board proximity sensors that can bring the speaker to life when a user approaches. Marantz AuraControl user interaction combines 100 concealed LEDs with motion and ambient light sensors. Just touch the illuminated ring around the central subwoofer to indicate your preferred volume and AuraControl will instantly bring the speaker up to the level you’ve chosen.
Built around Marantz’s HEOS wireless music platform, the speakers can access music content from a wide range of streaming services including Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and TIDAL. Apple AirPlay2 and Bluetooth are also included and both Horizon and Grand Horizon include analog, optical and HDMI inputs, and can access music from USB-C music drives. Onboard Dolby decoding ensures full compatibility with Dolby Atmos supplied via HDM. The Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon will be available beginning in January 2025 for $3,500 and $5,500, respectively.
