By Kymberly Martin
With its first promotion attached to Heos speakers.
QualiFi has unveiled its 2017 range of Denon, Marantz and Heos products. To cater to continuing demand for wireless multi-room sounds systems, Bluetooth accessibility has been added to Heos speakers giving consumers the choice of utilising either Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth to play music through their Heos system, all controlled from a free app.
QualiFi is also running its first national consumer promotion offering a 90-day money back guarantee on Heos speakers that began on November 1 through selected Harvey Norman stores. “This is the first time we have launched a campaign like this for Heos and is parallel to what was done in Europe to introduce the brand to new users,” general manager, Phil Hawkins told AR. “The promotion is intended to give the brand a higher profile to both retailers and consumers.”
QualiFi general manager Phil Hawkins and marketing manager Ralph Grundl, at the Sydney launch
As well, the company is extending the wireless capabilities of its Heos technology into selected Marantz and Denon models.
“The upgrade to the Heos platform brings high resolution audio playback, built-in Bluetooth and a significant increase in processing power to intensify performance,” marketing manager, Ralph Grundl said.
“Heos was standalone brand but is going through a transition where Heos technology of wireless streaming is now integrated not just into Denon products but Marantz traditional products starting with AV receivers,” he said. “For the first time someone who is a traditional Denon and Marantz owner can integrate with HEOS streaming,” Grundl said.
The refreshed Heos HS2 range comprises four new speakers, the HS1, HS3, HS5 and HS7, priced from $379 to $999 RRP, which is unchanged from existing models. There is also a new wireless amplifier and pre-amplifier that turns any speaker into a wireless zone. The new models are expected to be available for Christmas.
Marantz has updated its premium AV receiver range with the SR7011 AV receiver and AV7703 AV processor. The SR7011 combines all the features needed for the latest audio and video formats, from 4K to Auro 3D capability, while the AV7703 packs in all the features for the home theatre experience. Both will be released in December.
Denon has also extended its AV receivers – the X Series – the first with Heos network technology integration for extended access to music streaming services and multi-room audio distribution. The company said these newcomers are the most complete home cinema centres from Denon. The top-of-the line AVR-X6300H with 11 channels of amplification built-in delivers the full home theatre experience without the need for additional external power amplifiers. Also available in December it carries a $4,699 RRP.