TechAudioI tried Marantz’s new £5K speaker – it’ll blow people’s minds and bank accountsThe Marantz Horizon range is a big deal from the high-end audio brand – with a big asking priceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechAudioI tried Marantz’s new £5K speaker – it’ll blow people’s minds and bank accountsThe Marantz Horizon range is a big deal from the high-end audio brand – with a big asking priceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The Marantz Horizon range is a big deal from the high-end audio brand – with a big asking price
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Marantz)
(Image credit: Marantz)
Marantz is a brand name that’s synonymous with high-end audio. But as many audiophiles will already know: the company’s well-regarded amplifiers and CD players (yes, it still makes those) cost a pretty penny. And those markets are, let’s face it, inevitably shrinking.
Far from being comparable to one ofthe best portable Bluetooth speakers, indeed to call the Marantz Horizon series comparable to many ofthe best multi-room options currently availablewould be a stretch, given its asking price.
That’s because the Grand Horizon costs a cool £5,250 ($5,500 for US readers, €6,000 for our continental friends). It may come almost as a relief, therefore, that the smaller Horizon model is priced at a more modest £3250/$3500/€3800. Fancy the tripod stand? That’s an extra £650/$700/€750 for the smaller Horizon model only.
Iconic design
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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Yes, that’s a lot of clobber for a speaker. But Marantz, in typical Marantz fashion, really isn’t mucking about when it comes to design, materials and finish in the Horizon series. I’ve prodded and poked the pre-release models – and very nice they are too.
There are staples to Marantz’s design: symmetry, a central ‘porthole’-style visual, the tactility of materials, and the typically centralised logo. The Horizon and Grand Horizon tick all of those boxes, naturally, with a very circular front-on design that makes for an eye-catching centrepiece.
Available in Midnight Sky or Moon Ray finishes – or what I and, I suspect, you will refer to as ‘black’ and ‘white’ respectively – the attention to detail is what gives the Horizon range’s design that “which art gallery is that on loan from?” visual style.
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Predictably that marble block makes this a heavy bit of kit: the 39cm diameter Marantz Horizon is circa 20kgs, I’m told, while the 53cm diameter Marantz Horizon Grand is “upwards of 25kg” given its larger scale and differing speaker arrangement. It’s the latter that I got to listen to all those months ago and, just like its marble base, this speaker delivers audio with just as much weightiness.
Amazing audio
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(Image credit: Marantz)
(Image credit: Marantz)
That’s down to the audio components and structure, with the brand utilising a central ‘Gravity Driver’ at the heart of the product. It’s so-named as it’s like a black hole and, again, weighs rather a lot: “around 6kgs”, my Marantz representative muses.
Tactile controls
Image1of3(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The Marantz Horizon can be controlled in two distinct ways: there’s the Heos app, where you can take charge; or there’s a proximity activation when within a metre of the speaker, which enables you to press on the central ring section to select your desired volume.
The LED lamps will be auto-brightness adjusting and the app ought to enable deactivation/locking – although, at the time I tried out the Grand Horizon, this feature wasn’t yet baked in. Some other things will be absent on shipping day one, too: Tidal and Amazon Music integration are on the books, but will take a little longer to implement (via an over-the-air update at “a later date”).
An eye-watering asking price
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
What certainly can’t hide anywhere, however, is the asking price. There’ll certainly be a market for a £5K+ wireless speakers, no doubt – and, with anHDMI eARCyou can plug it into your (probably cheaper) telly to act as a not-at-all-practical soundbar – but it’s not exactly going to be abigmarket, is it?
Drop down a pricing gear and you’ll find the likes of theNaim Mu-so 2– granted, it’s looking a little dated now, especially compared to the Marantz Grand Horizon’s almost futuristic sci-fi aesthetic – or even theBowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Wirelessfor much less, so that pricing contrast only becomes more stark.
But, hey, that’s the nature of high-end audio. And I’ve got to say: what I’ve heard from the Marantz Grand Horizon I adored. That it’s so niche only goes to make it more special, ultimately. So I’m already jealous of those who’ll be able to buy one as a centrepiece to any given room in their home. Both models go on sale in January 2025.
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