Wednesday, October 23rd 2024
Marantz Reveals the Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon Wireless Speakers, Starting at US$3,500
For over 70 years, Marantz has led the way in high-performance audio products that combine innovative technology and effortless musicality with beautiful, luxurious and intuitive design. Now, the brand is bringing its unique expertise to the wireless speaker category thanks to two radically advanced new models that will transform customer expectations in the market.
Introducing the Marantz Horizon and its larger sibling, the Marantz Grand Horizon; two luxurious new wireless speakers crafted for passionate, discerning listeners who demand both exceptional sound and timeless elegance.
A new statement in audio design
The embodiment of modern luxury statement audio, both Horizon and Grand Horizon elevate and seamlessly integrate the timeless elements of Marantz's design ethos into their design DNA, incorporating instantly recognizable elements such as the brand's iconic circular porthole motif. Here, the porthole is reimagined as the core element of each speaker's unique circular form.
Combined with carefully arranged lighting and elevated trim materials that highlight Marantz's characteristic architectural symmetry, the result is a tactile audio experience you can see, hear, and feel.
Wrapped in style
Both Horizon and Grand Horizon use thoughtfully conceived materials throughout. Each model is wrapped in Marantz Radiance 360o Seamless Ecofiber, a bespoke, sustainable fabric made from recycled ocean plastics. The three-color fabrics have a glowing, luxurious feel thanks to embedded gold lurex elements, further enhancing the unique warmth of Marantz's design and sound.
Three finishes are available: classically dark Midnight Sky, subtly bright Moon Ray and iconically warm Marantz Champagne. Each is complemented by a beautifully finished natural marble base that is color-matched to accentuate the elegance of each design. For users who prefer alternative solutions to incorporating wireless speakers into their home, Marantz also offers a beautifully
finished American walnut tripod floor stand as an optional accessory for Horizon, while wall brackets will also be available for both models if desired. Even the unboxing experience has been carefully considered, including an elegant protective case that cocoons each product in its box.
The new shape of sound
Both Horizon and Grand Horizon are powerful single-speaker wireless solutions able to fill even substantial rooms with full-range sound. Each model is designed around a unique configuration of high-frequency and midrange drive units that radiate outwardly from a single central subwoofer, ensuring a spacious listening experience.
Key to this powerful sound is proprietary Marantz Rise amplification, based around highly responsive and thermally efficient GaN FET technology and offering a prodigious 310 W of output in Horizon and 370 W in Grand Horizon (FTC power output rating). This muscular core 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. At the heart of Horizon is a 165 mm (6.5 in) subwoofer, which is complemented by two 25 mm (1 in) silk-dome tweeters and three 50 mm (2 in) full range drive units. Grand Horizon, as the larger speaker in the line-up, scales that to a 200 mm (8 in) subwoofer, three 25 mm (1 in) tweeters and four 76 mm (3 in) midrange drive units.
Uniquely, the sonic characteristics of this sophisticated acoustic platform can be optimised to suit both your mood and your music using the powerful on-board Marantz Mirage DSP. Accessible via the HEOS app, the Mirage digital signal processing allows for a customisable listening experience, with selectable options that can tailor the clarity, spaciousness and warmth of the sound to each user's tastes. There's even the option to select Sound Master mode, allowing listeners the chance to experience the sound of Horizon or Grand Horizon exactly as Yoshinori Ogata, the Marantz Sound Master, intended it to be heard.
Magical and intuitive user experience
Horizon and Grand Horizon have both been designed to reward the senses in more ways than one. Simply approach either product and its unique on-board proximity sensors will magically bring the speaker to life. Marantz AuraControl user interaction combines 100 carefully concealed LEDs with proximity and ambient light sensors to create a seamless symphony of light and sound. Just touch the illuminated ring around the central subwoofer to indicate your preferred volume and AuraControl will instantly bring the speaker up to the point you have chosen, clearly indicating the volume level with markings that reference the classic Marantz Star logo.
Fully featured, completely connected
Both Horizon and Grand Horizon have been designed as contemporary and completely connected wireless speakers able to meet the needs of every modern luxury consumer. Built around Marantz's HEOS wireless music platform, they can access music content from a wide range of supported streaming providers including Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify and TIDAL, with more services planned to follow. For added convenience with mobile devices, Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth are also included, and even physical connected sources are well catered for. Horizon and Grand Horizon include analog, optical and even HDMI inputs, and can also access music from locally connected USB-C music drives. Onboard Dolby decoding ensures full compatibility with Dolby Atmos supplied via HDMI, too.
Of course, as part of the HEOS ecosystem, Horizon and Grand Horizon can join other HEOS-enabled products to create an extensive whole-home multiroom music system. Listeners can also choose to pair Horizons and Grand Horizons together to create a substantial two-speaker system for the ultimate music-listening experience in very large spaces.
The Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon will be available from January 14th 2025. Experience the iconic design and transformative sound of the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon from select retailers and Marantz.com.
Marantz Horizon - Wireless streaming speaker - $3500 | £3250 | €3800
310 W amplification (FTC Power Output Rating), 745 W peak (This rating was not tested under the FTC standard)
2x 25 mm (1 in) tweeters, 3x 50 mm (2 in) full-range drivers, 1x 165 mm (6.5 in) subwoofer
Stereo RCA in x1, Optical in x1, HDMI eARC x1, USB-C x1
HEOS Built-in including Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and support for numerous streaming services
364 x 210 x 5 mm, 14.33 x 8.27 x 15.26 in (H x W x D)
Marantz Grand Horizon - Wireless streaming speaker - $5500 | £5250 | €6000
370 W amplification (FTC Power Output Rating), 860 W peak (This rating was not tested under the FTC standard)
3x 25 mm (1 in) tweeters, 4x 76 mm (3 in) full-range drivers, 1x 200 mm (8 in) subwoofer
Stereo RCA in x1, Optical in x1, HDMI eARC x1, USB-C x1
HEOS Built-in including Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and support for numerous streaming services
493 x 255 x 2 mm, 19.41 x 10.04 x 20.83 in (H x W x D)
Source:
Marantz
Introducing the Marantz Horizon and its larger sibling, the Marantz Grand Horizon; two luxurious new wireless speakers crafted for passionate, discerning listeners who demand both exceptional sound and timeless elegance.
The embodiment of modern luxury statement audio, both Horizon and Grand Horizon elevate and seamlessly integrate the timeless elements of Marantz's design ethos into their design DNA, incorporating instantly recognizable elements such as the brand's iconic circular porthole motif. Here, the porthole is reimagined as the core element of each speaker's unique circular form.
Combined with carefully arranged lighting and elevated trim materials that highlight Marantz's characteristic architectural symmetry, the result is a tactile audio experience you can see, hear, and feel.
Wrapped in style
Both Horizon and Grand Horizon use thoughtfully conceived materials throughout. Each model is wrapped in Marantz Radiance 360o Seamless Ecofiber, a bespoke, sustainable fabric made from recycled ocean plastics. The three-color fabrics have a glowing, luxurious feel thanks to embedded gold lurex elements, further enhancing the unique warmth of Marantz's design and sound.
Three finishes are available: classically dark Midnight Sky, subtly bright Moon Ray and iconically warm Marantz Champagne. Each is complemented by a beautifully finished natural marble base that is color-matched to accentuate the elegance of each design. For users who prefer alternative solutions to incorporating wireless speakers into their home, Marantz also offers a beautifully
finished American walnut tripod floor stand as an optional accessory for Horizon, while wall brackets will also be available for both models if desired. Even the unboxing experience has been carefully considered, including an elegant protective case that cocoons each product in its box.
The new shape of sound
Both Horizon and Grand Horizon are powerful single-speaker wireless solutions able to fill even substantial rooms with full-range sound. Each model is designed around a unique configuration of high-frequency and midrange drive units that radiate outwardly from a single central subwoofer, ensuring a spacious listening experience.
Key to this powerful sound is proprietary Marantz Rise amplification, based around highly responsive and thermally efficient GaN FET technology and offering a prodigious 310 W of output in Horizon and 370 W in Grand Horizon (FTC power output rating). This muscular core 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. At the heart of Horizon is a 165 mm (6.5 in) subwoofer, which is complemented by two 25 mm (1 in) silk-dome tweeters and three 50 mm (2 in) full range drive units. Grand Horizon, as the larger speaker in the line-up, scales that to a 200 mm (8 in) subwoofer, three 25 mm (1 in) tweeters and four 76 mm (3 in) midrange drive units.
Uniquely, the sonic characteristics of this sophisticated acoustic platform can be optimised to suit both your mood and your music using the powerful on-board Marantz Mirage DSP. Accessible via the HEOS app, the Mirage digital signal processing allows for a customisable listening experience, with selectable options that can tailor the clarity, spaciousness and warmth of the sound to each user's tastes. There's even the option to select Sound Master mode, allowing listeners the chance to experience the sound of Horizon or Grand Horizon exactly as Yoshinori Ogata, the Marantz Sound Master, intended it to be heard.
Magical and intuitive user experience
Horizon and Grand Horizon have both been designed to reward the senses in more ways than one. Simply approach either product and its unique on-board proximity sensors will magically bring the speaker to life. Marantz AuraControl user interaction combines 100 carefully concealed LEDs with proximity and ambient light sensors to create a seamless symphony of light and sound. Just touch the illuminated ring around the central subwoofer to indicate your preferred volume and AuraControl will instantly bring the speaker up to the point you have chosen, clearly indicating the volume level with markings that reference the classic Marantz Star logo.
Fully featured, completely connected
Both Horizon and Grand Horizon have been designed as contemporary and completely connected wireless speakers able to meet the needs of every modern luxury consumer. Built around Marantz's HEOS wireless music platform, they can access music content from a wide range of supported streaming providers including Amazon Music, Deezer, Spotify and TIDAL, with more services planned to follow. For added convenience with mobile devices, Apple AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth are also included, and even physical connected sources are well catered for. Horizon and Grand Horizon include analog, optical and even HDMI inputs, and can also access music from locally connected USB-C music drives. Onboard Dolby decoding ensures full compatibility with Dolby Atmos supplied via HDMI, too.
Of course, as part of the HEOS ecosystem, Horizon and Grand Horizon can join other HEOS-enabled products to create an extensive whole-home multiroom music system. Listeners can also choose to pair Horizons and Grand Horizons together to create a substantial two-speaker system for the ultimate music-listening experience in very large spaces.
The Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon will be available from January 14th 2025. Experience the iconic design and transformative sound of the Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon from select retailers and Marantz.com.
Marantz Horizon - Wireless streaming speaker - $3500 | £3250 | €3800
310 W amplification (FTC Power Output Rating), 745 W peak (This rating was not tested under the FTC standard)
2x 25 mm (1 in) tweeters, 3x 50 mm (2 in) full-range drivers, 1x 165 mm (6.5 in) subwoofer
Stereo RCA in x1, Optical in x1, HDMI eARC x1, USB-C x1
HEOS Built-in including Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and support for numerous streaming services
364 x 210 x 5 mm, 14.33 x 8.27 x 15.26 in (H x W x D)
Marantz Grand Horizon - Wireless streaming speaker - $5500 | £5250 | €6000
370 W amplification (FTC Power Output Rating), 860 W peak (This rating was not tested under the FTC standard)
3x 25 mm (1 in) tweeters, 4x 76 mm (3 in) full-range drivers, 1x 200 mm (8 in) subwoofer
Stereo RCA in x1, Optical in x1, HDMI eARC x1, USB-C x1
HEOS Built-in including Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and support for numerous streaming services
493 x 255 x 2 mm, 19.41 x 10.04 x 20.83 in (H x W x D)
23 Comments on Marantz Reveals the Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon Wireless Speakers, Starting at US$3,500
They look like barstools.
Speakers have always been high margin given the materials involved, but $3000.00+ and $5000.00+??
Who are these speakers made for?
They are incredibly ugly things, Mesh has been done to death, the color palette's they have chosen feel like they are from the 1980's. Even the stands are dated looking and the wireless tech is based on wi-fi or Bluetooth, both technologies that are well established and don't justify these prices, Full range drivers, yuck, where is the innovation or value here? where does the value proposition to justify the pricing?
The one core detail that seems to be missing here is frequency response, its been omitted for a reason.
You would be much better off to invest in a pair of JBL Boombox 3's, they are solid performers and are portable to boot, and on sale, would cost perhaps $700.00 for the pair!
They wont have the same power level as these new systems but in most cases they are more than adequate for larger spaces.
Does Marantz provide them with lifetime warranties for that price, ouch.
The design is derivative at best, the mesh is taken from apple home Pods with touches of Ubiquiti Hi-Fi Access Points.
I expect they are attempting to appeal to the audiophile crowd but the integrated Amplifiers and full range drivers will be torn to pieces by those folks, they are very discerning.
This is not to say I buy into the snake oil that is enthusiast audio, but there is quality and then there is form over function, this is that, a lot of that.
Some will find it well placed, some overpriced and some cheap ...
Found the design pretty good, on par with the Marantz line toi be honest
Maybe you are not ready yet for hi fi ! (joking :laugh:)
it looks like a large plate ready to serve dinner on :P.:)
Yeah, ironically I do have a Marantz low profile surround receiver , we use it for our spare room, its a nice unit and does a great job with surround sound.
I really do like their receivers, but but these speakers are just silly.
"Magical and intuitive user experience"
Even their marketing was borrowed from apple...
ugh...
It is not for everyone..
Luxury items of all kinds have their respective markets,
I cant say I have spent 10k for a pair of speakers in my life, I have spent perhaps 2k for a pair, and they were amazing compared to the speakers I started with. But there in lies the trap. Once I got the 2k Speakers, they needed a much more powerful amp to push them to where they were able to perform "well" Polk Audio RTI-A9 speakers are big, heavy and terribly inefficient when it comes to the power required to make them sing.
You really need about 500 watts per channel to wake them up. I had a really nice Integra 11.2 surround receiver I was pushing them with at 150 Watts per channel and found they weren't performing well, I broke out the main channels to a 1000 Watt dedicated AMP and wow did they wake up, its more complicated to balance things out now but all my surround channels are fine with the integra, the mains now work well and the sub has 1000 watts all its own.
Generally Its now far louder than I will ever need but its fun to watch an epic movie that really shines with the 11.2 , now that is the ongoing challenge, finding good content to let the system shine.
And of course up to date Audio gear that supports the latest audio standards is a moving target.
Folks could argue that I spent way to much money building that system, "and they would be right" but that was my choice to make, I wouldn't presume to tell anybody else that is the right system or the right components for them , but these silly speakers sometimes drive me crazy, I just realized that the prices listed for for "A" speaker, so while I wouldn't ever consider 5K chump change, no matter what was being purchased.
That's quite a bit for a single internally amplified, 370 Watt speaker.
I've got Focals at home. It was 11,000 for the pair. Stupid but their top end is 280,000 for a pair. These will last a life time as will the other parts of the system (well, I'll have to replace turntable motors and needles at times) so I'm down for splurging. But I wouldn't pay 100 bucks for a single wireless speaker let alone 5k.
If you want to LOLOLOL WTF IS THAT
I wonder how good the stereo effect is done on this ?
It would be nice but I would need to buy a whole new massive house to put those refrigerator size speakers in :).
Here is a story of how far this bad habit can go :
hometheater/comments/195r6hw
Enjoy..
If you wanted to go wireless for some god forsaken reason and are going to insist on housing the AMP and DAC into the unit you're still going to get a better result from something like KEF www.crutchfield.com/S-umhRlsmaiDs/p_991LS60WBL/KEF-LS60-Wireless-Royal-Blue.html?XVINQ=GZ0&XVVer=1ECK&awcr=628620814032&awdv=c&awnw=g&awug=9007528&awkw=pla-1655719173546&awmt=&awat=pla&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwveK4BhD4ARIsAKy6pMJEmgGrbPEEj3cXFpPnVZqX5BXqQ-PyX8v1OAA3q_psV7dA4WvxW7UaAjGIEALw_wcB which also come in snob designs.
If you are dead set on a single speaker there are mono systems that are really good at mono up to audiophile quality that are going to sound better than trying to smash everything into a tiny enclosure and fake it. In many cases mono is superior to stereo especially if you are trying to vomit stereo or surround out of a single unit.
Nothing about this makes sense at any price point. And the brand Marantz while not exactly high end is high end enough that people who value the name are going to take one look at this and rip it to shreds.
Just don't expect more than is reasonable.
Even with a capacity of 370 Watts from a few full range speakers in a single enclosure is not going to produce a major field of sound regardless.
you really do need at least 2 separate speakers to do stereo with any kind of separation to create a decent stereo image etc.
You can get solid sound from a single speaker, but it wont give you a sense of placement within the sound field , i.e. certain instruments or vocals wont give you a sense of where they are coming from.
Single speakers just cant accomplish that well.
There's another issue. For a residential area in wall speakers lower the property value. If you have to sell it you will either have to pay to remove them and fix the walls/ceiling and take them with you/trash them. Or you will have to cut tens of thousands off the price to offset the cost to person who's buying it so they don't have to pay to remove it. Hence even on newer buildings the condo management bans installing them and you will get fined through the teeth and forced out if you install them. Even if you are on a house with a multi acre lot there is a good chance installing them is banned by home owners association so there aren't houses that can't be sold stuck there.
In wall/ceiling is pretty much a commericial item only outside of extremely rare edge cases. My brother has five acres and a multi million dollar house in rich land. If he installed ceiling and wall speakers he'd get sued into the ground by the HOA on top of paying massive fines. If I did it the apartment management would sue me and if I fought it I'd lose my condo.