Slim down your home theater system with Marantz’s strapping NR1605

By Ryan Waniata Published June 12, 2014

So, you’re looking for the power and convenience of a state-of-the-art audio receiver, but you don’t want to rearrange the furniture? Marantz has you covered with its all new, ultra-slim NR1605 AV receiver, which brings along Wi-Fi, hi-res music playback, 4K upscaling, and a host of other features, all in a frame that will easily fit into any slot in your home entertainment cabinet.

The NR1605 may look like a CD player (for those who remember what those look like), but it packs a wallop of features on board. The engine that drives this train pushes 7 channels of surround sound, with a claimed 100 watts per channel from its discrete amplifier. It can also handle just about any audio you throw at it, including Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio for Blu-ray playback, as well as hosting compatibility with multiple audio file types, from MP3s to hi-res DSD, FLAC, and ALAC files.

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Wireless networking for the NR1605 is top notch as well, hosting Bluetooth for connection to mobile devices, as well as built-in Wi-Fi streaming, which allows for HD streaming of your highest-resolution files – up to 192kHz/24-bit – without a local area network. The system also hosts Airplay for Mac and iOS devices, DLNA for Android and NAS storage devices, as well as Internet radio, and on-board streaming apps like Spotify. And the Marantz Remote App allows for wireless control and setup from both Android and iOS devices as well.

As for your current and future video needs, 4K and 3D passthrough are standard, as is 4K upscaling for lower-resolution content, and support of the latest codecs for 60Hz 4K streaming. The unit boasts plenty of HDMI 2.0 inputs as well, including seven in back and one up front, as well as an ARC HDMI output for connection to your flat screen.

Finally, the system offers multi-zone audio playback to send your favorite tracks to a separate room, and setup assistance with Audyssey MultEQ room calibration to get your surround system locked in.

In short, the new receiver provides virtually everything you need to power a modern 7.1 home theater system, in a chassis that barely makes a dent on the mantel. And at $700, it won’t syphon your whole home theater budget, either. The new NR1605 will be available from authorized Marantz dealers in July.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Waniata is a multi-year veteran of the digital media industry, a lover of all things tech, audio, and TV, and a…

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