Jack GramenzJapanese audio brand Marantz has announced a new mini hi-fi receiver offering high-resolution audio with a compact footprint.
The Melody M-CR412 stands just 11cm tall, sitting below the previously announced CR-612 but ditching the voice control and built-in streaming services in its older sibling.
The entry-level CR412 does retain the CD player, Bluetooth, DAB+ and FM radio, and two digital optical inputs for connecting to a television or other media player.
Bluetooth input doesn’t inclue the aptX codec, but high-resolution audio is supported via USB, allowing 24-bit DSD, WAV, FLAC and ALAC playback up to 5.6MHz/192kHz.
The USB input also provides enough power for a Chromecast Audio or similar device, so wireless 24-bit/96kHz is able to be added for not much extra.
When connected via digital optical, the CR412 can be set to wake when a television is powered on, and programmed to work with the television remote.
The receiver is rated to power two channels up to 60 watts at 6ohms, with A/B speaker setups providing independent volume control for each pair of speakers.
The CR412 is expected to arrive in Australia towards the end of July.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed but should be around the $1,000 range.
