The new Marantz Horizon and Marantz Grand Horizon take the concept of a wireless speaker and turn it up to the max, adding in high quality materials, a bold, stand out form factor and a serious amount of power. It’s the American company’s attempt to muscle in on a market owned by the likes of Devialet, where form factor is just as important as sound quality, with high quality components and materials pushing the price of a single speaker into the thousands of pounds.
It's also a very tribal market; when it comes to streaming hi-fi, customers tend to stay loyal to a single brand, especially if there’s a signature look and unifying aesthetic to uphold throughout your living space. Saul Marantz’s eponymous company has seventy years’ worth of experience building speakers and separates, far more than start-up era newcomers like Devialet, Sonos and even the established tech giants, all of whom have branched out into (smart) speakers.
From the outset, the two circular Horizon speakers emphasise sound quality through rich materials. The system is available in three different finishes, Midnight Sky, Moon Ray and Marantz Champagne. Taking a leaf from the auto industry, the company has created its own sustainable fabric made from ocean plastics, ‘Marantz Radiance 360-degree Seamless Ecofiber’, which complements the three different finishes with the addition of embedded threads of gold lurex for sparkling, lux aesthetic.
On top of that, external hardware also includes the optional American walnut tripod floor stand (or wall brackets if that’s a more suitable option). The circular devices sit on a base made from natural marble, with different types of stone for each colourway. Overseen by Marantz’s Industrial Design Director, Begüm Tomruk, the Horizon series marks a new aesthetic high for the brand.
And what about the technology itself? The circular form is not only a nod to Marantz’s ‘porthole’ motif but also serves as the core of the subwoofer driver system itself, with interactive lighting around the edge of circle to indicate the volume level, a touch sensitive system that allows you to instantly pick a volume from the dial. The placement of the subwoofer and the midrange units are such that sound flows out from the centre of the device, providing a surround sound experience with a single unit (although two Horizons can also be paired).
The Horizon has a 165mm (6.5in) subwoofer, while the Grand Horizon has a 200mm (8in) unit. Three 50mm (2in) drive units supplement this in the Horizon model, with four 76” midrange units in the larger Grand Horizon. The room-filling capabilities are bolstered by Marantz’s software, controlled via its HEOS app, which gives the listener the ability to tweak the eq to their heart’s content (‘exactly as Yoshinori Ogata, the Marantz Sound Master, intended it to be heard.’)
As is customary these days, HEOS will hook you up with every conceivable music service, including hi-res audio streamers like TIDAL. Bluetooth and AirPlay2 are, naturally, also included, and a full quota of physical connections including HDMI , optical and USB-C means you can plug in CD players, TVs, DVDs, and more.
Marantz Horizon, £3,250, $3,500, €3,800, Marantz Grand Horizon, £5,250, $5,500, €6,000, Marantz.com
