Marantz has pushed out the Cinema Series 2 range. Cinema 50, Cinema 60 and Cinema 70s, on sale August 15, spanning $1,500 to $3,000. The spec people will argue about first is channel count. The 50 is nine channels at 110W, the 60 is seven at 100W, the 70s is seven at 50W. Nine on the flagship in 2026, while rivals have been pushing eleven channel boxes for a while now.
The more interesting change is underneath. Every model gets a new 32-bit eight-channel DAC and now processes all channels simultaneously instead of sequentially, which Marantz says cuts timing errors. There is also a Channel Level Monitoring feature that gives a real-time readout of what each speaker is doing. That is an installer feature and I mean it as a compliment, because working out which surround got wired out of phase normally costs you an entire evening and a torch.
Dirac Live being available across all three is the headline everywhere, but look at the wording. Available, not included. It is still a paid unlock, and only the Cinema 50 supports the full Dirac ecosystem, so the 70s buyer is getting the entry tier of an optional extra on a $1,500 box. Marantz says bundling it would push every price up, which is at least a straight answer.
Gaming side gets 1440p/120Hz pass-through and AMD FreeSync. Bluetooth LE Audio and a HEOS refresh are both promised in future updates, and I have learned to value promised firmware at zero until it actually ships.
If you already run the original Cinema 50 on Audyssey with no Dirac plans, is there a single thing in this list that would move you?
The more interesting change is underneath. Every model gets a new 32-bit eight-channel DAC and now processes all channels simultaneously instead of sequentially, which Marantz says cuts timing errors. There is also a Channel Level Monitoring feature that gives a real-time readout of what each speaker is doing. That is an installer feature and I mean it as a compliment, because working out which surround got wired out of phase normally costs you an entire evening and a torch.
Dirac Live being available across all three is the headline everywhere, but look at the wording. Available, not included. It is still a paid unlock, and only the Cinema 50 supports the full Dirac ecosystem, so the 70s buyer is getting the entry tier of an optional extra on a $1,500 box. Marantz says bundling it would push every price up, which is at least a straight answer.
Gaming side gets 1440p/120Hz pass-through and AMD FreeSync. Bluetooth LE Audio and a HEOS refresh are both promised in future updates, and I have learned to value promised firmware at zero until it actually ships.
If you already run the original Cinema 50 on Audyssey with no Dirac plans, is there a single thing in this list that would move you?
