We haven't even started scarfing down Christmas cookies (okay, we have), and AV manufacturers are starting to crank out info about 2015's hot products. The latest news comes from Marantz, who plans to start shipping their AV8802 flagship AV preamplifier early next year.
The 11.2-channel AV component is made for surround sound. It packs in both Dolby Atmos and AURO-3D (via a paid upgrade), which are designed for those of you wanting a truly immersive listening experience -- the kind that comes from having additional speakers in the mix. To handle those 3D formats, the AV8802 has four DSP (Digital Sound Processing) engines, which can also support 11.2 channels of Audyssey DSX and DTS Neo:X 11.1. It even has 13.2-channel pre-out capability (13.2ch XLR, 13.2ch RCA) and a 2-channel XLR input.
Marantz says that its own HDAM (Hyper Dynamic Amplifier Module) in Current Feedback topology can handle all of the signals before being passed on to XLR outputs and the separate power amp. This boasts low noise wideband performance no matter what the configuration, as well as the best from today's high-res audio formats.
Other features include 32-bit/192kHz DA-Converters and a power supply with 4x 10.000µF capacitors, as well as support for 4K Ultra HD high resolution video, 4K 50/60Hz pass-through, and 4:4:4 Pure Color full color resolution sub-sampling. It can even upscale 1080p content to 4K and transcode HD and SD analog video sources.
Also worth noting is that the AV8802 has a build that includes a toroidal transformer, a three-piece top cover layout, and a heavy copper-plated chassis.
Designed to be the cornerstore of any home theater, the AV8802 features eight HDMI inputs, three HDMI outputs, a USB port, a phono MM input, options for a second zone, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Audyssey MultEQ XT32 (Pro ready) room correction. The company also plans to add HDCP 2.2 support in the future (although it will require a hardware modification).
All of the above options are easy to navigate through using the included remote or the Marantz Remot App for iOS and Android devices.
Marantz will start shipping the AV8802 in February 2015, with an MSRP of $3,999.
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