Marantz has announced that it has bolstered its amp line with the release of the NR1609 and NR1509, equipped to support Alexa and HEOS streaming.
The half-height the NR1609 and NR1509 receivers replace Marantz’s predecessors, the NR1608 and NR1607, offer voice, HEOS and turntable support, as well as being ideal for those short on rack room.
The 50W NR1609 receiver can support 7.2 channels and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, in addition to a 5.2.2 speaker set-up. DTS Virtual:X technology is furthermore supported to “virtually” create a 7.1.4 surround set up from a 5.1 or 7.1 speaker configuration.
The amp offers eight HDMI outputs with support for HDCP 2.2 and BT.2020, as well as HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG). Steaming options are also plentiful through the HEOS platform, with Bluetooth and AirPlay supported too. Alexa is on hand to allow users to pause much, adjust volume and change inputs with only their voice whilst playing music via HEOS.
The NR1509 matches the above the specs, only with less channels (5.2) and inputs (6), with Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding rather than the full Dolby or DTS experience.
Both the Marantz NR1609 ($749) and NR1509 ($549) are currently available in the US, with details on a European release expected next month.