Marantz upgrades its Cinema AV receivers for 2026

Marantz is refreshing its home-theater lineup with the Cinema Series 2, a three-model range of Dolby Atmos AV receivers built around a new 32-bit, eight-channel DAC. The 2026 models also add more detailed system monitoring, improved HDMI 2.1 gaming support, and optional Dirac room correction across the range.

The lineup includes the flagship Cinema 50 Series 2, the seven-channel Cinema 60/DAB Series 2, and the entry-level Cinema 70s Series 2. Marantz says the new DAC brings “greater precision, improved imaging, enhanced dynamic expression and more coherent surround performance throughout the listening environment.” That is a company claim rather than an independently verified performance result, but it is the central audio change from the first-generation Cinema range, which launched in 2002.

All three receivers retain the Cinema family’s design while adding support for 1440p video passthrough with AMD FreeSync. That gives gaming-focused buyers a feature beyond standard 4K/120Hz HDMI 2.1 support, although the source does not specify how many HDMI inputs or outputs support each mode.

“greater precision, improved imaging, enhanced dynamic expression and more coherent surround performance throughout the listening environment.”

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Cinema Series 2 features and diagnostics

A new Web Control 2.0 app lets owners configure the receivers from a phone or computer. Marantz is also adding HDMI Diagnostics 2.0, designed to speed up installation and troubleshooting, particularly in custom-installation environments. The diagnostics can show how each channel is being driven by the content currently playing, giving users a way to inspect how a movie or game is using the system’s available power.

Bluetooth LE Audio is planned through a future firmware update, so it will not be available immediately. All three receivers also support optional Dirac room correction, allowing owners to calibrate the system to the acoustics of their room rather than relying only on the receiver’s default tuning.

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The Cinema 50 Series 2 gets two features not listed for the other models. Its new Dolby Atmos Channel Expander uses all available speakers when playing Dolby Atmos content, regardless of how that content was originally encoded. That could be particularly useful in systems with extra height channels, where the receiver can make fuller use of the installed speaker layout. It also adds a Center Bi-Amp Mode intended to improve dialog quality.

The expanded Atmos processing is aimed at the same demand for height-based audio that has made Dolby Atmos a key feature for home-theater buyers. Our Dolby Atmos soundbar guide covers the simpler soundbar route; Marantz’s receivers target buyers prepared to build a more complex speaker system around separate components.

Power, channels and pricing

The models differ substantially in amplification and processing capacity:

• Cinema 50 Series 2: nine channels at 110W per channel, with 11.4 channels of processing and optional Dirac support.
• Cinema 60 Series 2: seven channels at 100W per channel. It is listed for the APAC and US markets.
• Cinema 60 DAB Series 2: the Europe-only version, priced in pounds in the supplied information.
• Cinema 70s Series 2: seven channels at 50W per channel.

Pricing varies by model and region. The Cinema 50 Series 2 costs $3,000 / £1,850—about AU$3,533—while the Cinema 60 Series 2 is $2,000, or about AU$2,839. In Europe, the Cinema 60 DAB Series 2 costs £1,250. The Cinema 70s Series 2 is priced at $1,500 / £950, or about AU$1,815.

The regional split matters for US and European buyers: the standard Cinema 60 is identified as an APAC-and-US model, while the DAB variant is Europe-only. Marantz has not provided a release date in the supplied information, and the source does not say whether the listed prices include Dirac room correction or when the Bluetooth LE Audio firmware will arrive.

The new receivers are therefore more than a cosmetic refresh, but the biggest changes are concentrated in software, diagnostics, and the flagship’s speaker-utilization features. At $3,000, the Cinema 50 Series 2 is positioned as a premium enthusiast receiver; the $1,500 Cinema 70s Series 2 is the clearer entry point for buyers who want Marantz’s new platform without paying for the flagship’s nine-channel amplification.