Marantz has introduced four products that offer Apple AirPlay music streaming capability via an optional firmware upgrade that will be available through the Marantz website next month.
The quartet of AirPlay certified products comprises: the SR7005 A/V receiver, the AV7005 A/V preamplifier, the NA7004 network audio player/tuner and the Melody Media (M-CR603) networked CD receiver.
AirPlay enables the users of these Marantz products to stream iTunes music from their PC or Mac on their home network, as well as access artist information, album art, and elapsed and remaining time. AirPlay has previously only been available on products such as the Apple AirPort Express.
Oliver Kriete, senior manager product marketing Europe at D&M Europe, told IE Residential: “Marantz made a first statement [with regard to] network-capable products with the AV8003, capable of streaming audio and video in 2008. It was [very well-]received. The experience and knowledge we gained influenced our new line-up of network products heavily and makes them very strong.
“Why the new line-up now? Because the trend for non package media is no ‘trend’ any more; it is already big business. Legal music downloads heavily increased over the past years and even overtook illegal once. Music is stored on computers and mainly used to load the mobile players… In addition, the variety of Internet Radio stations is growing daily and online music servers like Napster and last.fm [have changed] the picture completely.
“Marantz has monitored this development carefully and has decided that it is now time to launch product which offers the customer a comfortable access to the digital media stored or available in the cloud, and to reproduce it in high quality via the Marantz Hi-Fi. It doesn’t matter where the music is coming from, but for sure the Marantz statement is still valid … because music matters.”
