Denon and Marantz AV Receivers Updated With AirPlay 2 Support

Audio accessories from Denon and Marantz are gaining support for AirPlay 2 through firmware updates that are being distributed starting today.

With the AirPlay 2 update, compatible Denon and Marantz devices offer support for multi-room audio and are able to work with other AirPlay 2 devices such as the HomePod, the Apple TV, and Sonos speakers.

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Both companies offer multiple AirPlay 2-compatible receiver options that are being updated with AirPlay 2 support.

Apple maintains a list of AirPlay 2-compatible speakers, both released and upcoming, on its HomeKit website, but its listings for Denon and Marantz are not complete. A full list of the AirPlay 2-compatible devices the two companies are said to be offering was shared in May by Poor Audiophile.

Both the Marantz and Denon brands are owned by Sound United, which also owns the Polk brand. Polk is not listed on Apple's HomeKit site, but it is a partner on the main AirPlay website. It's not clear when Polk devices will receive AirPlay 2 updates, but it does not appear that new firmware is rolling out as of yet. The same goes for Definitive Technology, another Sound United brand that is expected to get AirPlay 2 support at some point.

Denon and Marantz join Sonos in offering AirPlay 2-compatible devices, but many other brands are working on AirPlay 2 support as well, including Beoplay, Devialet, Libratone, Naim, Bowers & Wilkins, McIntosh, Bose, and others.

Top Rated Comments

Velin Avatar
63 months ago
This thing look archaic!
Uh, Marantz and Denon make great receivers, rock-solid boxes that will last many years, maybe even decades if the dust is cleaned and vents are unobstructed. Unlike the Macbook Pro, their receivers don't skimp on size or components for "looks." It takes watts and sinks to power 7 or more channels, and you need a big-ass I/O panel to accommodate all kinds of AV equipment, lots of speakers, many different connections, etc.

(https://ibb.co/fHWgi9)
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
osaga Avatar
63 months ago
Solved this years ago with a wonderful product called Apple Airport Express and my 1978 Marantz 1060b
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Aston441 Avatar
63 months ago
Uh, Marantz and Denon make great receivers, rock-solid boxes that will last many years, maybe even decades if the dust is cleaned and vents are unobstructed. Unlike the Macbook Pro, their receivers don't skimp on size or components for "looks." It takes watts and sinks to power 7 or more channels, and you need a big-ass I/O panel to accommodate all kinds of AV equipment, lots of speakers, many different connections, etc.

('https://ibb.co/fHWgi9')
So... they're an audio company focused on sounding great rather than looking great?


How archaic.


That's against everything Apple stands for in the audio portion of their business. I'll bet Jony could school them on a thing or two.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbobmccoy Avatar
63 months ago
I don’t doubt the quality i’m just saying this thing looks like the surround sound system of the early 2000’s.
Speaker plugs haven’t changed that much. There’s not really any competitive reason to do so.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KeepCalmPeople Avatar
63 months ago
Speaker plugs haven’t changed that much. There’s not really any competitive reason to do so.
You know if Apple made a receiver, they’d have made all the speaker outputs some proprietary format, or bluetooth, by now.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iFanaddic Avatar
63 months ago
This thing look archaic!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)