Marantz Cinema 70s S2 Slimline 7.2ch AV Receiver

A full home cinema that fits under the television

The Marantz Cinema 70s Series 2 is 109mm tall and still has seven amplified channels, six HDMI inputs and full 7.2 channel preamplifier outputs. Series 2 brings the new 32-bit eight channel converter used across the range, adds Dirac Live as a paid upgrade for the first time on this model, and extends the HDMI section with 1440p passthrough and AMD FreeSync. It is the receiver for rooms where a full height chassis was never going to fit.

Why You'll Love It

• It disappears into the furniture. At 109mm tall and 8.7kg it slides into a media unit that will not take a conventional receiver, without dropping to five channels or losing HDMI inputs.
• The Series 2 converter. A new 32-bit eight channel converter processes every channel at the same time, which is the headline change across the whole Cinema Series 2 line.
• Room correction you can grow into. Audyssey MultEQ XT and its microphone are in the box, and Dirac Live can be licensed later if you want to go further.

Under the Hood

• Seven discrete amplifier channels rated at 50W into 8Ω from 20Hz to 20kHz at 0.08% THD with two channels driven, and 70W into 6Ω, with identical power on all seven channels.
• Six HDMI inputs and one output with eARC, three inputs running at 40Gbps for 8K60 and 4K120, with VRR, ALLM, QFT, AMD FreeSync, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG.
• Dolby Atmos with Height Virtualisation and DTS:X decoding, full 7.2 preamplifier outputs with two subwoofer outputs, a moving magnet phono input and Zone 2.

CHT Insider Verdict

Slim receivers usually ask you to give up channels or connectivity, and this one asks for neither. What you actually give up is power, at 50W a channel against 100W from the Cinema 60, and the second HDMI output. Fifty watts is plenty for a normal lounge with sensitive speakers, so the deciding question is usually cabinet height and whether you need to feed a projector and a television at once. As with the 60, seven amplifier channels means 5.2.2 or 7.2, not both.

Pro Tip: Slim chassis and low height means the ventilation slots matter more than usual. Leave real clearance above it, and if it is going in a closed cabinet, plan for a fan kit rather than hoping. Heat is what kills slim receivers, not power.