The new Marantz AV8805A preamplifier has lots of new features including 8K pass-through and 13 ... [+]
Just like its stablemate, the Denon AVC-X8500HA, Marantz has announced its flagship 13.2-channel AV preamplifier. The Marantz AV8805A comes with 8K HDMI 2.1 compatibility and a wide range of support for 3D audio formats.
The AV8805A is an upgrade to the much-revered Marantz AV8805 and now features major updates, including 8K/60Hz upscaling and pass-through, 4K/120Hz pass-through, HDR10+, Dynamic HDR, HDCP 2.3, as well as other technologies that are made possible by HDMI 2.1 and bandwidth support of 40Gbps to avoid any bottlenecks.
Existing owners of the original Marantz AV8805 model can also upgrade the HDMI/Digital board of their AV8805 pre-amplifier to the new AV8805A specifications by contacting an approved Marantz dealer and arranging to have a new circuit board fitted.
The new AV8805A home cinema preamp is bristling with new features and the older version can be ... [+]
Multi-Channel Enhancements
The AV8805A has advanced multi-channel capabilities with support for DTS:X Pro and up to 13 channels of DTS:X decoding for use with speaker configurations such as 7.2.6 or 9.2.4. These same configurations can also be used for viewing the latest IMAX Enhanced movies.
Other 3D audio formats supported by the new version include Dolby Atmos, Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization Technology, DTS:X, DTS Virtual:X, IMAX Enhanced and Auro-3D. Without the need for dedicated height channels, the latest height virtualization technologies can create virtual height effects from a more manageable 7.1, 5.1 or even 2.1 speaker configuration.
The rear of the Marantz AV8805A has balanced XLR output for connection to a power amplifier.
Picture Improvements Through HDMI
A dedicated 8K-compatible HDMI 2.1 input on the AV8805A enables 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video pass-through. Additionally, there’s HDR format support for HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR. Meanwhile, the new model supports Quick Media Switching (QMS) which enables a source to instantly switch frame rates to eliminate screen blackout. Other formats, such as HDR10, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) and Dolby Vision, are all still supported, alongside 4:4:4 Pure Color subsampling and BT.2020 pass-through.
The AV8805A is also capable of upscaling existing HD and 4K content to 8K, breathing fresh life into favorite movies and TV shows. There’s continued support for eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel), which enables lossless and object-based audio transmission such as DTS:X and Dolby Atmos from TV apps or connected devices using just a single HDMI cable.
The internal layout of the Marantz AV8805A is impeccable and older models can be upgraded at an ... [+]
Keen gamers will also get the benefit from the 4K/120Hz pass-through and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) which reduces frame tearing and maintains a precise and crisp picture. Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and Quick Frame Transport (QFT) both reduce lag and will be welcomed by keen gamers.
Pricing and availability: The new Marantz AV8805A costs $4,799 / €4,299 / £3899 and is available next month from authorized Marantz retailers. The upgrade to “A” spec for owners of the previous AV8805 model can be booked by contacting a Marantz dealer directly and will cost $599 / €749 / £679.
More info: www.marantz.com
