Marantz Cinema 70s

PLEASE NOTE: I use capitals for headings and emphasis, not yelling ok? I don't have all the usual formatting options here on Product Review, so I do that to make reading this easier. IS MARANTZ ANY GOOD? (MY HUMBLE OPINION) I used to work for a Hi-Fi store during my younger days, and since then, I've owned a lot of Hi-Fi gear over the years. My first Marantz amp was bought just over 22 years ago. It died over the 2025 Christmas break in a possum-related incident, not "wear and tear". To say that I know the "Marantz sound" pretty well and respect the brand is an understatement. That said, I can say that each brand of Hi-Fi gear has it's niche, and their pros and cons.

SO WHY DID I STICK WITH MARANTZ THIS TIME?

The Cinema 70s that I replaced the older, more powerful 5.1 ch Marantz amp with, might seem an odd choice considering that it's the cheapest, smallest modern series AV receiver in Marantz's entire lineup. It only has 7.2 channels at a nominal 50W per channel (but that's more likely to be closer to 35-40W on each channel with ALL channels driven). On paper that doesn't seem like much, but honestly, for many people that's more than enough for those who run a few bookshelf speakers with a sub in an apartment. With some decent (and efficient) speakers, you'll blow away ANY TV speaker or "sound bar" in clarity and enjoyable sound with this Cinema 70S... Of course, that's assuming that you listen to things at respectable-but-modest levels with this AV receiver as is. Even 50W per channel can only go so far. However, it goes further than you might think!

Without going into too-many-details about the pros and cons of every Hi-Fi brand, Marantz's "sound" might not be the absolute best at movies, or some genres of music, but for people who enjoy movies, TV shows, music, and games... Marantz consistently sounds very good. Honestly, I'm hard-pressed to find an AV receiver brand that has a sound that's as "generally good at everything while being easy to use", ESPECIALLY at this sub $2000 price point. It has ALL the latest processor capabilities like 8K, Dolby Atmos, 6 HDMI inputs (3 ports can only do 4K, while the other 3 ports are 8K capable), eARC, both wired and Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth, Helios, the usual Audyssey microphone setup and one of THE most intuitive setup menus you'll ever see.

BUT THAT'S NOT THE BEST PART:

Marantz has added the perfect mix of "likely suspects" to the input section. Aside from the HDMI ports mentioned above.... You've got three stereo RCA analogue inputs, a single optical (Toslink) input, a Coax (digital) input, a dedicated Phono input (for you vinyl junkies out there).. so with 8K HDMI, it's "future proof" yet surprisingly "backwards compatible", all are assignable to specific inputs and all of this fits in a surprisingly stylish and tiny package that's little bigger than most quality Bluray players like the Cambridge Audio 752, or the Oppo UDP-203. I stack my Cinema 70 under my Oppo UDP-203, and the entire stack takes about the same space as a non-slimline A/V receiver.

HOWEVER, WHY STOP THERE?!

Let's talk about the outputs. Aside from the expected speaker terminals, and single HDMI out, if you decide that 50W per channel isn't enough.... This little AV receiver, can have EVERY channel upgraded "sometime in the future" by connecting a separately-sold power amplifier. That's right, every channel has a pre-amplified output socket. At this price point, that's pretty rare!

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

For those just starting their hi-fi journey.... you can buy a high-quality, easy to use receiver, then if you find you want to upgrade to something more powerful, you can keep using the Cinema 70S, and simply add the power amplifier when you're ready to do so. Then you can run pretty much ANY speaker you like, to whatever volume you like (just match the power amp to your speakers to avoid damage). When a power amp does all the heavy lifting, this receiver can be turned into a versatile processor... for considerably less money than most 7 channel processors sold on the market.... even second hand. Yes, most processors have more channels like 9, 11, or even more channels.. but most people don't have that much space/money/wife approval to run that many speakers.

SO HOW DO I PERSONALLY USE MY CINEMA 70S?

Honestly, it's in my home office/teleconference/listening room, connected to an M2 Mac Mini, my Bluray player, a Nintendo Switch, and a projector. The room is 4m x 5.4m, and I am using some older bookshelf speakers in a 6.1 setup.

It may not sound important, but I do a LOT of my office administration work, CAD/multimedia contract work, while listening to music. My teleconferences and recordings for my presentations are clear, and when I'm not working at home, I'm playing games through the Switch or Mac Mini, or movies via streaming/Bluray player. All of it helps to maintain enjoyment, focus, and clear communication.

WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?

The Cinema 70S, (as sold) is best suited to smaller rooms and more intimate listening experiences with it's power level. Yes, in my bookshelf speaker setup, it definitely has the limitations that bookshelves+sub usually have (balancing the bass of the sub with the rest of the speakers for one) but for acoustics/vocal/jazz the music has a decent sound stage, it's not bright or overly muddy anywhere, dialogue is very clear and rich, and depending on the recording, it can sound laid back on some details... while a little "forward" (certain transient noises like the actual pluck/slide of fingers on a guitar string, are emphasized, giving the impression that the performers are closer to the audience, thus "more forward") on others. I won't say it's totally neutral, there's a little warmth (emphasis in the low and mid range frequencies/harmonics that make the sound seem "fuller" which many find pleasing), and definitely some hints of Marantz's signature "smoothness" there, (smoothness to me, is a slight volume reduction in upper-midranges and lower-treble frequencies that can make the transients in this range sound a little less like popping plosives/tinkling broken glass, without that "smoothness" sometimes those harsher details distract the listener from the lower and higher ranges) but please keep in mind that that minor reduction of certain frequencies is nothing that's going to cause issues with anyone I can think of. In that regard, Marantz's sound is more about perceived enjoyment of the sound, rather than extremely accurate/analytical reproduction of sound.

When using the Cinema 70S alone for the amplification... The bassier side of things definitely improve with a powered subwoofer, movies become much "punchier", and I become more comfortable recommending this setup to bassier music/movie fans.... but if you like loud, and giving the speakers enough juice to really let them sing is your goal... then adding a power amp is really your best option. Similarly, if you prefer the sound of some of the less-efficient speaker brands/models then you'll need a power amp.

WHO DOES THIS SUIT?

Apartment dwellers, those starting out who want to slowly add to their setup over time. Perhaps you're looking for a cheap modern amp that's suitable for a small room, office, or secondary living area.

This also suits anyone who's a little less technical, and wants a fantastically intuitive menu screen, complete with images and descriptions to clarify what's going on. Also, I have to say, that if you're tired of the boxy rectangular plastic-fronted amps, or need approval from your better half by matching the décor..

Now I should probably mention that the 70S comes in a standard black, and silver variant. Although the silver is not available in all countries. If you have silver-toned equipment, then the silver will probably look better and show less dust build-up. However, the black doesn't draw much attention to itself and is better if the other gear is black as well, or in darker cinema environments. Either way, the Marantz Cinema series is definitely preferred by my partner.

WHO DOESN'T THIS CINEMA 70S SUIT?

There are definitely better receivers out there if your budget allows and you need much more power, and/or more channels (like the lower numbered Cinema models in this series). There's a lot of brands that definitely have better room correction than Audyssey (That used to include Yamaha's YPAO system, but I've heard that's fallen behind these days. Please confirm that for yourself... I can say from experience that I do think Anthem's Room Correction, Dirac, Sony's Cinema Calibration with 360 degree spatial sound mapping are particularly good in their niches) so if your room needs all the audio help it can get... then Audyssey probably won't be quite as good as some of the others. If you're a power user and want to delve into the deep arcane rituals and menu systems to do manual calibrations with 3rd party laboratory-grade testing tools... then this isn't the receiver for you either.

That said, if you've read this far, and any of those situations sound like you.. then you already know that. :~)

CONCLUSION:

After weeks of testing nearly it 16 hours a day... the Cinema 70S has been a joy to use. For an aesthetically pleasing, space-saving, cost-effective, surprisingly adaptable, and future-proof setup I can't fault the 70s at all, particularly if you either don't need a subwoofer, or intend to get one. It is quieter than my old Marantz but the sonic signature is familiar, despite the new "bells and whistles". Movies are clear and enjoyable, music likewise. It just works with everything I've connected it to, and even the apps work (Tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music, HEOS) on my work Android phone, and my personal iPhone/iPad. The Bluetooth does limit the quality of the music a bit, but the convenience is more than enough to offset that for most people. For everything else, there's Airplay, Wi-Fi and wired connections to whatever sources you use.

I just can't find anything to complain about it, ESPECIALLY at this price point.

All the best in your Hi-Fi journey!