In one of the least shocking announcements of 2018, Marantz unveiled its SRx013 range of receivers -- months after they were outed by Apple.

The SR5013, SR6013 and SR7013 were included as part of a "compatible with Apple AirPlay 2" list after the launch of Apple's new multi-room system. So, at least you know these receivers can do that.

The $999 SR5013 is the "baby" in the range and includes a bunch of other features including:

• 7.2 channel discrete power amplifier, 100W per channel
• 8 HDMI inputs with 4K/60Hz video (HDR, Dolby Vision and HLG)
• Marantz proprietary HDAM circuit boards
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (AirPlay, HEOS)
• Amazon Alexa voice control
• Audyssey MultEQ, Dynamic Volume and Dynamic EQ calibration
• Marantz 2016 AVR smartphone remote app

Marantz will release a firmware update unlocking HDMI 2.1 specification featuring eARC and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) which attempts to reduce lag for gamers, in addition to an AirPlay 2 update in "summer 2018".

Like the earlier NR1609 and NR1509 the SR5103 also offers a phono input for hooking up a turntable.

Why is AirPlay 2 important? It's one of only a handful of "open" multi-room systems which work across multiple brands. That means you can have one brand's speaker in the bathroom, another in the bedroom and a name-brand receiver in the living room. And they all work together playing your music.

Stepping up to the SR6013 adds more channels (9.2) with 110 watts of power, plus Marantz's HDAM circuit and three HDMI outputs. The new SR7013 brings even more power (125 watts) plus the Hybrid PLL Clock Jitter Reducer.

The SR6013 ($1,499, £1250) and SR5013 ($999, £849) are available in August while the Marantz SR7013 ($2,199, £1,749) will be available in September.