Is Marantz a good brand? Yes. Marantz has made hi-fi since 1953, and its current AV processors are well specified for large home cinemas. This profile also covers Anthem, the Canadian maker whose receivers run several of our rooms. Neither is perfect, and the weaknesses are mostly about amplification, set-up effort and format support.
Last reviewed: 23 October 2026
Where do Marantz and Anthem come from?
Marantz started with one man’s frustration. In 1952 Saul Marantz built a preamplifier, the Audio Consolette, because nothing on sale handled the many record equalisation curves of the day. Orders piled up, so in 1953 he set up the Marantz Company and a factory in Queens, New York, and the Model 1 preamplifier followed in 1954. Since September 2025 Marantz has belonged to HARMAN, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, which bought its parent business, Sound United, from Masimo along with Denon and Bowers & Wilkins.
Anthem is younger and Canadian. Its roots go back to Sonic Frontiers in the 1990s; in 1998 Paradigm bought that business, and the Anthem brand grew from the deal. Anthem launched its own room correction, ARC, in 2006 and says its engineering is done in Ottawa. In 2019 Paradigm co-founder Scott Bagby bought Paradigm, Anthem and MartinLogan from a private equity owner, and the three are now owned by PML Sound International.
This article is a fair look at both brands. For how we specify their processors in a room, see our Anthem and Marantz home cinema page.
What are Marantz and Anthem known for?
In home cinema, Marantz is best known for its big separates. Its UK site lists the AV 10, AV 20 and AV 30 processors and the AMP 10, AMP 20 and AMP 30 power amplifiers among its current AV separates (checked 14 October 2026). The AV 10 handles 15.4 channels and decodes Auro-3D as well as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X Pro, with Audyssey MultEQ XT32 and Dirac Live upgradability.
Anthem is known for room correction. ARC Genesis uses a supplied microphone and software on a laptop, and Home Cinema Choice found it easy enough to run without specialist acoustics knowledge. Anthem’s current range is three MRX receivers, the 540, 740 and 1140, plus two AVM processors, the 70 and the 90 (checked 14 October 2026). Home Cinema Choice gave the AVM 70 five out of five in 2022.
Why do clients choose them?
Mostly because they work, night after night. In Fetcham, the owners had lived with systems that never worked consistently, so dependable operation was the whole brief; an Anthem MRX740 runs that room. Anthem also sits behind the Walton-on-Thames media room, the Roehampton Gate basement cinema and the Epsom media room, from a 5.1 system around an 85 inch TV up to a 9.4 Dolby Atmos room.
Marantz came in where the brief called for separates. In Esher, Marantz handles processing and amplification for a 5.2.2 THX speaker set from KEF, in an open-plan room that also has a bar and a pool table. Both brands give us good calibration tools, so the system can be tuned to the room it is in rather than left on factory settings.
What are the pros and cons of Marantz and Anthem?
Pros
- Marantz’s AV 10 has four independent subwoofer outputs and balanced outputs on every channel.
- Marantz covers Auro-3D, IMAX Enhanced and HEOS streaming on the AV 10.
- Anthem’s ARC Genesis can correct across the whole 20 Hz to 20 kHz band, with up to four measurement sets stored.
- Both list Control4 support: Anthem for its MRX receivers over IP, Marantz on the AV 10.
- The AVM 70 8K supports AirPlay and Google Cast streaming and an app over Wi-Fi (checked 14 October 2026).
Cons
- Separates need amplifiers. The AV 10 is a preamplifier and processor, and Marantz’s own guide suggests adding a power amplifier, so budget for rack space and heat.
- Receivers run out of power channels. The MRX 740 processes 11.2 channels but amplifies seven, so a larger Atmos layout needs an external amplifier.
- No Auro-3D on Anthem. Home Cinema Choice found no Auro-3D on the AVM 70 in 2022, and Anthem’s current AVM 70 8K and MRX 740 8K pages list Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced but not Auro-3D (checked 14 October 2026).
- Set-up takes care. ARC Genesis needs a Windows or Mac laptop and the speaker distances measured first, and good results come from patience rather than one quick run.
- Plain displays. Home Cinema Choice found the AVM 70’s front display basic, giving simple information with no colour or images.
Who suits Marantz or Anthem, and who does not?
These brands suit someone building a proper cinema or media room who wants proven, well-supported electronics rather than an exotic name. Marantz suits large separates systems and people who like the idea of streaming music through the same processor. Anthem suits clients who want the room tuned carefully. Our home cinema design service starts with the speaker layout before choosing either.
They suit less well if all you want is a soundbar-simple TV room, or if you are set on Auro-3D and only an Anthem budget is available. Whoever makes the box, it still needs someone to set it up properly.
How do Marantz and Anthem fit a Control4 and Lutron home?
Without fuss. Control4 appears in the IP control list on Anthem’s MRX 740 page, and among the AV 10’s key technologies on Marantz’s site, which also lists IP and RS-232 control. As a Platinum Control4 dealer, we tie the processor into the room so one press sets the source and sound mode while the lights and blinds follow. In Epsom, one control pad adjusts the LED lighting, runs the AV equipment and operates the QMotion blackout blinds, with Lutron RA2 lighting. In Esher, one press turns the lounge into a cinema: the projector lowers from the ceiling and a 120 inch screen drops in front of the everyday TV.
If your processor was set up years ago and the room has changed since, rerunning the room correction is usually the first thing we try; our takeover and maintenance service covers that. To hear a properly tuned cinema before deciding, book a visit to our Surrey showroom.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Marantz now?
HARMAN International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, completed its purchase of Sound United from Masimo in September 2025. Marantz is one of the Sound United brands, alongside Denon, Bowers & Wilkins and Polk Audio.
Are Marantz and Denon the same company?
They are separate brands with the same owner. Both sit within Sound United, which HARMAN runs as a standalone business unit inside its Lifestyle Division.
Who makes Anthem?
Anthem is a Canadian brand and a sister company of Paradigm. PML Sound International owns Anthem, Paradigm and MartinLogan, and Anthem says its engineering work is done in Ottawa.
Does Anthem support Auro-3D?
Not on the models we checked. Home Cinema Choice found no Auro-3D support on the AVM 70 in 2022, and Anthem’s current AVM 70 8K and MRX 740 8K pages list Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced without it (checked 14 October 2026). If Auro-3D matters to you, Marantz’s AV 10 lists it.
