Skip to main content

Marantz’s NR1607 receiver packs big features in a small package

Generally when you’re looking at an A/V receiver, you can opt for a slim, sleek model that offers only the essentials, or a hulking, feature-packed model that dominates your living room. Marantz’s Slim Design Receivers have aimed to combine the best of both worlds and have done a great job so far — and the latest member of the family looks like it could be the best yet.

On Wednesday, the company announced the first model of its 2016 home theater line-up with the NR1607, a follow-up to last year’s NR1606. This 7.2-channel network A/V receiver claims 50 watts of power per channel, packed into a chassis that is just a little over four inches tall.

Recommended Videos

Related: Samson’s Z55 studio headphones offer pro sound for less

The NR1607 features a total of 8 HDMI inputs including one on the front, all of which support the latest technologies to bring you the best sound and picture available on the market. That includes 4K/60Hz video with 4:4:4 color as well as HDR, and Wide Color Gamut compatibility to match up with the latest and greatest 4K Ultra HD TVs. On the off chance your 4K TV doesn’t feature upscaling, the NR1607 even offers a built-in scaler.

In addition to standard 7.1 or 5.1 setups, the NR1607 also supports 3D surround sound via Dolby Atmos, and a firmware update planned for September will bring support for DTS:X as well. Dolby TrueHD lossless decoding is supported, as are high-resolution audio files in FLAC, AIFF, WAV and DSD (2.8/5.6MHz) formats.

Connectivity comes in the form of 2.4GHz/5GHz dual band Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth. Local music can be streamed from NAS devices or by using AirPlay, while Spotify Connect and Pandora streaming and both internet radio and SiriusXM radio are supported as well.

All the features in the world don’t count for much if you can’t get the receiver set up in the first place, and Marantz has gone a long way toward making that process easy for users with a graphical user interface, setup assistant, and Audyssey MultEQ room calibration. The company is also offering a remote app for iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire devices, so there’s no need to sweat if you’ve temporarily lost the remote in the couch.

The Marantz NR1607 will retail for $700, and the company expects it to be available starting next month.

A version of this post first appeared on our “brother site” Digital Trends.

Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
The first teaser for Wednesday season 2 is gearing us up for an August premiere
The show had a three-year gap between seasons.
Jenna Ortega in Wednesdaey

When Wednesday first debuted in 2022, it almost immediately became one of the biggest shows in the history of Netflix. Now, after three years, fans are finally getting the show's second season. Based on the trailer, it looks like the vibes that fans loved from the first season are back in full force, as is Jenna Ortega's central performance.

Like many of Netflix's biggest shows, Wednesday season 2 will actually have two premiere dates, with the first half of the season debuting on Aug. 6 and the second half a month later on Sept. 3. Those premiere dates will give all the Wednesday fans in your lifetime to prepare their Halloween costumes for the year.

Read more
The best sci-fi shows you can watch now on Apple TV+
From Silo to Severance, these are the best sci-fi series on Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ Silo Episode 1 Photo of Rashida Jones and David Oyelowo

Because it's still a relatively new streaming service, and because it didn't come into existence with a back catalog, Apple TV+'s library is thinner than most. Even so, the streamer has managed to build a subscriber base in part by investing heavily in quality shows, and specifically in quality shows with a sci-fi twist.

Severance is one of the best shows on television, and it seems like a guarantee that it will be heavily awarded at the next Emmy ceremony. Severance is one of my favorite shows, too, but it's far from the only sci-fi series on Apple. We've pulled together a list of the best shows available over there if you're looking for great science fiction:"

Read more
Predator: Badlands is giving Predator fans the movie they’ve always wanted
The movie is set to hit theaters in November, years after the debut of Prey.
Elle Fanning in Predator Badlands

After the success of Prey, there's some new energy in the Predator franchise. What's even better for Predator fans, though, is that the next installment seems designed to give them something they've always wanted. Namely, a movie that follows a predator's POV.

In the first trailer for Predator: Badlands, a predator named Dek is exiled from his clan, only to meet a humanoid-looking life-form played by Elle Fanning. The two of them team up to take on something that "can't be killed," and a long the way, we get some pretty incredible looks at the homeworld of the predators.

Read more