ANALYSIS: HOME CINEMA & AV Home Entertainment
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Best new tech for the ultimate
H
ome cinema is the retail gift that keeps on giving. Movie fans never tire of the experience and even during a cost-of-living crisis, an investment in immersive audio is invariably seen as money well spent. In the world of home entertainment, bigger is always better, and louder is a perennial aspiration. Ultra-short Throw projection, one of the
new trends in home cinema over the past 12 months, certainly shows no signs of slowing down. Legendary lens brand Leica is the latest big name to jump on the bandwagon, with the Cine 1 (pictured below), a high-performance 4K resolution projector.
Developed in collaboration with Hisense,
it’s aimed squarely at the top of the market, utilising a triple-RGB laser, 4K XPR DLP DMD and fixed-size Leica Summicron lens. The Leica Cine 1 has a 3,000 A N S I Lumens output, so it’s bright enough for consumers to use for daylight viewing. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR, as well as HDR10 and HLG.
home cinema experience
From dream screens to high-end audio, home cinema continues to drive big ticket interest in CE. Steve May throws a spotlight on some of the latest star turns…
Smartly designed, the Leica Cine 1 boasts an aluminium housing with automatic dust cover, and has a built-in four channel Dolby Atmos sound system. It’s connected too, built-upon the Hisense
Vidaa 6.0 platform, with integrated streaming services from Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Disney+. Inputs include three HDMIs, a digital optical audio output, two USBs and a triple TV tuner. Wireless support covers Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and Apple AirPlay.
Stereo sound Another notable trend in home cinema that we’re likely to see a lot more of over the next 12 months is a shift to high quality stereo, rather than multichannel, audio. The Marantz Stereo 70S (below right) may look much like any other slim line AV receiver, but it’s actually a two channel amplifier, albeit one with all the accoutrements demanded by home cinema enthusiasts. The retail proposition is
strong: buyers get 2 x 75 watts amplification, with the sonic clarity of a premium AV component, without the complication
of a plethora of loudspeakers and cabling. Unlike traditional AVRs, there’s no auto calibration required either. The Marantz Stereo 70S also has a full complement of HDMI inputs, allowing it to function as a sophisticated system hub. Buyers can connect a streaming box, set
top box,
Blu-ray player and games consoles. Three of its six HDMI inputs are 4K 120Hz compatible. Similar versatility extends to audio. The
receiver supports Apple Airplay 2, and is Roon Tested. In addition to FM/AM radio support, Voice Assistant compliance covers Alexa and Google Assistant. Design wise, the Stereo 70s takes its lead
from the rest of the brand’s cinema line-up, with
distinctive fascia styling and OLED
porthole display. The Marantz is a great option both for those looking to upgrade older AV receivers, as well as those eager to step up from the world of soundbars.
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