Marantz has introduced the latest addition to its home cinema offerings, the AV7704 preamp, which is positioned to replace the AV7703 and sit below its flagship AV8802.
The 11.2-channel AV preamplifier sees the manufacturer add Auro-3D audio decoding into the mix (with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support already on offer).
The AV7704 receiver requires external amplification, unlike the 200W Marantz SR7012, yet does pack in full 4K support. All eight of the preamp’s inputs support 4K passthrough, with Dolby Vision HDR and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) support on the horizon via an update.
The manufacturer also states that eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) is also on the horizon, offering support of immersive audio formats from apps (such as Netflix) via HDMI connection. In total, the AV7704 has three HDMI outputs – comprising of two main zone outputs for running two displays simultaneously, and another for a second zone.
The correctional Bass Sync feature previously reserved only for flagship Marantz and Denon AV amps additionally is incorporated into the preamp.
Streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal and Deezer can be accessed via the HEOS’ multiroom network system.
The AV7704 supports DSD (2.8/5.6MHz) and FLAC, ALAC and WAV (up to 24bit/192kHz) playback, in addition to Bluetooth and AirPlay for offline listening.
The Marantz AV7704 will be released in October 2017, priced at £1,900 in the UK.