Cinema 30

The Cinema 30 is what Marantz built when they decided to reclaim the high-end AVR market from Denon's X-series. 11.4-channel amplification, 13.4-channel processing, 8K passthrough on every HDMI input, and — crucially — a Dirac Live licence baked into the box (full-bandwidth and bass-management add-ons are still chargeable).

What separates Marantz from Denon at the same price tier is the sound character. Denon AVRs are technically transparent. Marantz units consistently sound a touch warmer, more relaxed, more 'hi-fi' through the front pair — the result of how they implement the HDAM analog stage. For mixed music-and-film systems, that warmth pays off across the board.

Power: 140W per channel into 8Ω with two channels driven, 4Ω stable, rated for use down to 4Ω loads. In practice that means you can run a pair of LS50 Meta or B&W 705 S3 as the front mains without worrying about thermal protection kicking in. Audyssey XT32 is the default room correction; Dirac Live is the upgrade path.

Build is genuinely premium for the segment — porthole display, milled aluminium fascia, copper-plated chassis. You hold it and you can tell where the money went.

The one to pick if you take both music and film equally seriously and aren't willing to compromise either.