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18<br />
An Even Stronger<br />
Marantz In 2008<br />
FOLLOWING ON FROM THE HUGE CRITICAL AND<br />
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF LAST YEAR’S PRODUCT<br />
INTRODUCTIONS, MARANTZ, AMAZINGLY, IS SET<br />
TO UNVEIL AN EVEN STRONGER LINE-UP FOR THE<br />
FORTHCOMING TWELVE MONTHS. 2008 WILL SEE A<br />
VERITABLE DELUGE OF NEW DESIGNS, EACH AIMING<br />
TO SET NEW STANDARDS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE PRICE<br />
POINTS, WITH MANY IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY<br />
FIRST DEVELOPED FOR THE COMPANY’S REVERED<br />
AND RECENTLY INTRODUCED FLAGSHIP LEGENDARY<br />
SYSTEM.<br />
And, as with last year, Marantz has one aim in<br />
mind. The company’s UK managing director,<br />
Jason Dear, says, “Driving business to the retailer is<br />
our absolute priority for the future - they must come first.<br />
Our sole objective with our new introductions is to deliver<br />
the consumer to the store. We then aim to make sure the<br />
dealer has all the tools needed to make the sale.”<br />
Heading the new product charge is the magnificent<br />
SA-11S2 Super Audio CD player. Fundamental to the<br />
SA-11S2’s engineering philosophy was a desire to<br />
incorporate as much of the acclaimed technology of<br />
the iconic SA-7S1 flagship disc spinner as possible and<br />
maintain its high standards of sonic ability. Moreover,<br />
the R&D team has implemented a plethora of new<br />
features and internal components for exceptional<br />
sound quality. The SA-11S2 hopes to rewrite the rules<br />
for £2<strong>50</strong>0 machines.<br />
To compliment the SA-11S2 is the first mid-priced<br />
pre/power amplifier combination from Marantz in<br />
nearly twenty-five years. And the SC-11S1 and SM-<br />
11S1 are well worth the wait. The new models - £<strong>50</strong>00<br />
for the pair - will amply fill the quite significant gap<br />
between Marantz’s flagship amplifier set-up – the<br />
£15,000 Legendary trio – and the next model down<br />
– the more modestly priced £2000 PM-11S1 integrated<br />
design. And again, as much as cost considerations<br />
would allow, the SC-11S1 and SM-11S1 implement<br />
technology found in Marantz’s flagship Legendary<br />
models.<br />
The trio of components hope to continue the good<br />
form shown by other recently introduced Marantz<br />
hi-fi electronics, which have been receiving rapturous<br />
reviews. Products such as the modestly priced CD6002<br />
CD player show that you don’t need to spend a fortune<br />
to enjoy the acclaimed Marantz sound. The former<br />
picked up the coveted Best CD Player Under £300 prize<br />
at the recent What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision Awards. Just<br />
as impressively, together with the matching PM6002,<br />
it recently won What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision’s Best<br />
System Under £1000 award. Unsurprisingly this has<br />
made the budget combo something of a hot potato.<br />
The pairing has become hugely successful, with<br />
incredibly strong sales. And as Jason Dear states, “The<br />
really important thing for us about the 6002 system is not<br />
that it has been selling into stores in such large numbers<br />
but, more significantly, it is that it has been selling out just<br />
as strongly.”<br />
Critical success is one reason the brand’s retailer<br />
partners are very positive about the recent strategy<br />
and products. As Dave Spears, a senior manager at<br />
Practical Hi-Fi, says: ”The Award for the CD6002 is great<br />
news. You always get extra interest from consumers<br />
after such an accolade and its great to see such a strong<br />
product getting the respect it deserves.” He continues: “I<br />
The <strong>BAJ</strong> ISSUE <strong>50</strong> | 2008
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