On Tuesday of final week, I had the pleasure of visiting Marantz’s seventieth Anniversary Celebration Pop-Up Occasion being hosted from July 10-12 in downtown Manhattan. The occasion, throughout a number of flooring on the Spring Studio in Tribeca, included a number of experiences to have fun the vital milestone in Marantz’s historical past. Along with a really neat assortment of audio tools from all the 70-year historical past of the corporate (together with some demos utilizing classic tools), there are areas devoted to private audio, two channel listening and residential theater, all anchored on Marantz’s present line of merchandise. These experiences spotlight not simply the legacy of the corporate, however how that legacy informs the place Marantz is right now and the place it desires to be in audio for the subsequent 70 years. In case you are within the space and have time for the NYC house, or one of many further pop-ups deliberate globally all year long, a go to is actually warranted.
A number of Experiences All Highlighting Historical past
In case you’ve spent a lot time within the audio / video passion, likelihood is excessive that you simply’ve had a bit of Marantz tools in your system in some unspecified time in the future. That is actually true for me at a number of occasions in my journey as an audioholic. By means of the years, the characteristic set and dedication to high quality made items from Marantz a simple selection in a aggressive market.
It’s that longevity and historical past that was evident to me attending the seventieth anniversary pop-up occasion being hosted presently in Manhattan. The anchor of the primary room is a “museum” devoted to the historical past of Marantz. This space options the primary items to be branded “Marantz”, relationship to the founding of the corporate by Saul Marantz in Forest Hills, New York (not removed from the place this author grew up).
In case your timing is true, you’ll be handled to a tour of assorted items transferring from the early days via the current by the resident Marantz archivist (sure, Marantz has an archivist). It was fascinating to listen to in regards to the development of the enterprise via the eyes of the items being constructed: what these engineers had been attempting to attain and the place had been they making advances. As I discovered about this thought course of, it was evident that the roots of Marantz proceed to tell choices the corporate is making right now with their present lineup. Key attributes like efficiency, craftsmanship, aesthetics – these are evident in 50-year-old items however are clearly informing the present line up from Marantz. It was additionally enjoyable to see firsthand how some very early visible facets proceed to be referenced in items right now.
Whereas on the occasion, I had the possibility to spend a couple of minutes with Gary Dayton, US Advertising Supervisor for Marantz, to be taught just a little extra about this theme and the way he views the corporate from a historic perspective and the significance of heritage in what they’re doing right now. The highlights Gary talked about had been the identical kind of issues we discovered in regards to the first items that Saul Marantz produced – it was excited to see that thread persist via the present line-up.
Elsewhere on the primary ground is an in depth headphone listening space, leveraging fellow Fields model Denon headphones. In case you select to play right here, you’ll have the choice of each analog and digital set-ups. Marantz has stocked this space with a big vinyl library to let customers discover one thing to go well with their listening wants. And that can assist you keep caffeinated whereas listening, you possibly can embrace some particular Intelligentsia Marantz Mix espresso supplied by a full barista bar within the nook. This space is a little bit of a select your individual journey, that includes a number of excessive set-ups for private audio listening. Lean again on the sofa, sip your cappuccino, and luxuriate in.
A presentation stage took up the again half of the primary room – right here Marantz hosted occasions via the weekend with numerous of us, all with an eye fixed in direction of highlighting the historical past of the corporate and its dedication to top-notch audio (on the day I attended I used to be only a tad early to take pleasure in a listening session with Jad Abumrad of Radio Lab fame…very bummed about lacking that one).
Elsewhere within the pop-up is a devoted theater and two channel listening room, each that includes flagship set-ups leveraging Marantz and Bowers & Wilkins (one other Masimo accomplice). Sadly, as a result of time constraints on my go to, I couldn’t take pleasure in these rooms however heard from others in attendance that the demos had been all, as anticipated, wonderful. Total, there was loads to take pleasure in in a multi hour go to.
In case you don’t reside within the space, Marantz intends to host comparable “pop-up” experiences highlighting the seventieth anniversary of the corporate worldwide, so keep watch over the Marantz web site for extra particulars of occasions in your space.
