Marantz has always put sound quality first. Founded by Saul Marantz in the 1950s, the brand built its reputation on gear that sounded musical, engaging, and emotionally convincing, not just technically impressive. That philosophy has carried through every era of Marantz products, which is why vintage pieces are still so highly regarded today.

To protect that signature sound, Marantz created the role of the Sound Master. These engineers are trained listeners whose job is to evaluate prototypes, fine-tune circuitry, and make component choices based on how the product actually sounds, not just how it measures. Their influence is a big reason Marantz products tend to sound warm and refined rather than clinical or sterile.

Like the AV 10, AV 20, AMP 10, and AMP 20, the AV 30 and AMP 30 are built in Marantz’s Shirakawa factory in Japan. This facility is fully vertically integrated, meaning everything from design and prototyping to final assembly happens under one roof. That close collaboration allows Marantz to control every step of the process and be extremely meticulous about how these products are designed, built, and tuned.

Products built at Shirakawa also carry a full five-year parts and labor warranty, including the AV 30 and AMP 30. That long-term support matters when you are investing in a serious home theater system.

AV 30 Home Theater Preamplifier

Room correction also comes standard with Audyssey MultEQ XT32. This remains one of the most approachable and effective calibration systems available, especially for users who want strong results without spending hours fine-tuning curves. For those who want deeper control, Dirac Live is available as an optional upgrade, including Dirac Bass Control and Active Room Treatment.

We were really happy to see they kept the 4 independent subwoofer outputs that allow each subwoofer to be calibrated individually. This can make a huge difference in bass smoothness and consistency across multiple seats, especially in larger rooms.

Another nice touch are the balanced XLR outputs for all channels along the normal and RCA outputs. This gives you complete flexibility when choosing power amplifiers. As always, Marantz’s guided on-screen setup makes speaker configuration and calibration straightforward, even for users who are new to higher-channel-count systems.

HDMI, Video, and Streaming Performance

The AV 30 features 7 HDMI inputs and 3 outputs, all supporting HDMI 2.1 with up to 40 Gbps bandwidth. Every input supports 8K video, 4K at 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.

Gaming features like VRR, ALLM, and QFT are included, making the AV 30 a great choice for high-end gaming systems as well as traditional home theaters. HDMI eARC support ensures clean audio return from modern TVs too.

Streaming is fully built in, with HEOS support for all major streaming services and multi-room audio. Bluetooth with retransmit lets you listen on wireless headphones without disturbing others in the house. The AV 30 also works with Tidal and Qobuz Connect, plus it is Roon Ready, which will matter to anyone who spends serious time listening to music as well as watching movies.

AV 30 vs AV 20 vs AV 10

It is clear that the AV 30 has a lot of great features and sonic attributes of its higher-end siblings. We love the fact that it’s designed and manufactured in their Shirakawa factory and has the same 5-year warranty as the other two. It's also been great to see Marantz continue to put out updates for their existing products, like the huge upgrades to HEOS over the last year or so. They could have kept the ecosystem as it was, but added Tidal Connect, Qobuz Connect, Roon, and native integration for universal search. But the AV30 is not simply an AV20 with fewer channels. There are several things you should know if you are considering these.

The AV 30 uses 2 DACs in the ESS High Performance line, while the AV20 and AV10 use multiple stereo DACs from the ESS Reference line. The DACs alone in the AV20 are about 8 times more expensive overall than those in the AV30.

The famous Marantz HDAM boards are also different with 17 HDAM SA3 boards in the AV20 and 19 in the AV10, while the AV30 has a single 15-channel HDAM SA2 board. They use a pretty massive toroidal transformer, but it's even bigger and better in the upper models with OFC wiring and a much larger power supply. And the chassis is copper-plated on the upper two but steel on the AV30. So while the AV30 is smooth and sweet like all Marantz gear, the AV20 and AV10 are on a different level if you are really into the audio side of things. What you will notice in stepping from the AV30 up to the AV20 are just far more small details and nuances that pull you into the film or concert. And the AV10 with its even higher level of components, takes all that another step upward.

But don’t get us wrong, the AV30 is one heck of a good sounding unit and surpasses the AV7706 by a pretty big margin. Marantz learned a lot by creating the flagship AV10, and its sonic benefits are all over the AV30.

AMP 30 Six-Channel Power Amplifier

In addition, balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs are included, along with Marantz’s HDAM and Current Feedback amplification topology. The front panel also features the classic Marantz porthole with an analog level meter, along with subtle side lighting that matches the rest of the reference lineup.

AMP 30 vs AMP 20 vs AMP 10

The AMP 20 delivers 12 channels of amplification in a single chassis, making it a strong all-in-one solution for larger surround systems. The AMP 10 takes that concept even further with 16 channels, aimed squarely at very large and complex home theaters where everything can live in one massive amplifier.

The AMP 30 takes a different approach. With six channels of amplification, it is designed specifically for modular systems. Instead of committing to one oversized amplifier, the AMP 30 is meant to be combined with additional AMP 30 units or mixed with AMP 20 and AMP 10 models. This gives you far more flexibility to allocate power where it matters most, such as dedicating higher output to the front stage while using higher-channel-count amps for surrounds and height speakers.

Beyond channel count, the AMP 30 has a very real practical advantage in physical design. All three amplifiers share the same 17.4-inch width and depth, but the AMP 10 and AMP 20 stand about 7.5 inches tall, while the AMP 30 is significantly slimmer at just 4.4 inches tall. That reduced height makes the AMP 30 much easier to integrate into existing media furniture or crowded equipment racks where vertical space is limited.

Real-World System Configurations

For a sleek, high-performance stack, pair the AV 30 with two AMP 30 amplifiers. Because of their slimline profile, this entire three-box stack takes up roughly the same vertical space as a single massive flagship receiver, yet gives you 12 channels of fully isolated, reference-grade power. You could then bridge two channels to give you a massive 400 watts of power for the all important center channel speaker.

Another strong option is pairing the AV 30 with an AMP 20 and an AMP 30, using the AMP 30 to power the front stage and the AMP 20 for surrounds and height channels.

For users who already own an AMP 10 or AMP 20, adding an AMP 30 is a smart way to upgrade power for critical speakers without replacing the entire system.

Performance

We spent a lot of time with early samples of the AV 30 and AMP 30 from Marantz, and put them through various listening tests with music and movies. We started out with a classic track: Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. The first thing we noticed was that signature Marantz “warmth.” Stevie Nicks’ vocals locked dead center with a full-bodied presence, and the rhythm section had that engaging, toe tapping quality that makes Marantz gear so musical. Like all of Marantz’s gear, it just makes you want to keep listening.

Switching over to a movie, we tried another classic, Top Gun: Maverick. The combo of the AV 30 and AMP 30 together powering front LCRs and two surrounds proved they can handle some serious dynamics. During the Mach 10 Darkstar sequence, the separation between the roar of the jet engines and the dialogue was top notch. The panning of jets passing by and overhead was spot on and was never harsh or fatiguing.

However, as we explained earlier, the AV 20 and AV 10 just simply have some higher end components and design to them. And if you have a revealing system, you’ll probably hear the difference right away. With the flagship models, you seem to get a bit more “air” around the instruments in songs like Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, and slightly more details in the cockpit sounds in movies like Top Gun. So, while the AV 30 is excellent, we feel the AV 20 and AV 10 just dug a little deeper. The AV 30 still delivers a satisfying sound for its price point, but if you want the best sound possible, stepping up to one of the flagship models might be a better choice.

Final Thoughts

Marantz has done a great job rounding out its reference home theater lineup. The AV 30 and AMP 30 do not replace existing models. Instead, they give enthusiasts smarter options for building systems that fit their room, listening habits, and budget. What we really like is the fact that if you crave the incredible sonic character of the AV10 or AV20 but do not need the high channel count, the AV30 gives you an incredible option for that great sound with enough channels for most home theater systems.

If you’re upgrading from older Marantz processors like the AV8805 or 7706, the AV 30 offers a meaningful step forward in HDMI capability, bass management, room correction options, and overall sound quality. If your amplifier setup feels pieced together, the AMP 30 offers a clean, powerful, and flexible solution that can grow with your system.

If you have questions about which Marantz components are right for your home theater or media room, our experts are available by chat, phone, or email. You can also visit one of our world-class showrooms to experience these products in person.

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