<p>Marantz&nbsp;has revamped its NR slimline flagship&nbsp;AVR&nbsp;to impressive effect. Steve May watches his weight</p>

- Steve May

WITH DOLBY ATMOS spreading from BD to mainstream entertainment, interest in immersive 3D audio looks set to explode. Even those who have long resisted the charms of an AV receiver might well find themselves tempted by this next generation of surround.

This is exactly where the core appeal of Marantz’s half-height NR range lies. Unlike traditional AVR heavyweights, its NR models are relatively easy to accommodate in the average living room, and come with a raft of convenience features, including Bluetooth streaming and HEOS multiroom functionality.

We’ve seen HEOS interoperability on Denon AVRs before, but it’s novel to find it on Marantz hardware too. And HEOS isn’t just about streaming content to and from connected compatible speakers (although that’s a key attraction), it also throws open the door to streaming audio services such as Spotify, Tidal and Deezer, via the free HEOS app.

The NR1608 has eight HDMI inputs, all of which support 4K/60 video with HDCP 2.2. Unfortunately, it still has only a single HDMI output, which is a frustration for those who want to run a projector alongside their flatscreen, or feed a second zone with video. I moaned about this same shortfall with the previous NR1607, so I'm thrilled that no one at Marantz has listened to me.

Build quality and design are top-notch. The characteristic M

This story is from the January 2018 edition of Home Cinema Choice.

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