Yamaha RX-A820 Vs. Marantz SR5007

Inspector 24

I've narrowed down my choices between the exact amps the OP was looking at, the Yammy RX-A820 and Marantz SR-5007. Looking at the spec sheets and reading through the manuals they both have all the important features and settings that I either lack or don't like on my current SR7002.

Of course what I don't know is how they sound, or how they are to use everyday. It only has to power the rear three channels, fronts are powered by Parasound, so amplifier section isn't important, pre-amp quality is. Ergonomics are second. Almost nothing else matters.

Music quality is tantamount to movie sound. I've tried a few receivers and all are very close for movies, but seem to vary quite a bit for critical 2ch listening. (Though if money was no issue I'd have a separate 2ch rig )

So, what say the Polkies?

TIA!
Ryan

Inspector 24

Do'h! Forgot to add one major nuisance with the SR7002 is the inability to apply any EQ settings including Audessy to DTSHD and Dolby HD BluRay sources which it defaults to when the sound source is HDMI. As such I'm using optical cable for sound and running standard DTS/Dolby Digital because it sounds better to my ear.

So the ability to apply the EQ to ALL sources including the lossless BluRay tracks is also VERY important.

tonyb

I'm confused, you say regular DTS sounds better to you with EQ applied over DTSMA ? If so, why is that ability important to you ? If I'm reading this correctly...

Inspector 24

It turns off the EQ when Playing DTS MA/HD Dolby HD which it defaults to and cannot be changed when using HDMI.

As such standard DTS/DD sounds better so I use optical cord.

Inspector 24

So, any thoughts or experience with musical sound quality of these two...or even similar units?

mantis

In general Marantz and Yamaha sound very different.

Marantz is a warmer subtle sounding unit with nice dynamic range and calm movie experince. They are a bit quirky and do have a history of failure rates a bit higher then average. I personally don't care for them.

Yamaha is a brighter more forward sounding unit with excellent dynamic range and explosive movie experience. They really know how to bring a system to life. Musically they are very good and even better with movies. Yamaha has a excellent track record with little to no failure rates. Very impressive from all angles. I have owned Yamaha in the past , Installed them for many years and never once had any issues. Sometimes depending on room and speaker package they can be a bit bright. But with YPAO you can calm some of that down. YPAO is probably their weakest link. Not as good as MCACC or Audyssey IMO but they might have made some improvements on the last few years models as I have not Installed one in a few years.
Whats nice about Yamaha is the higher you go in the line , the better they get by a lot.

I think Yamaha is the right choice over the Marantz.

cnh

I'm going to have to disagree with Dan here. Only the Aventage Yamahas are worth anything. Is that ONE? And if "music" is your primary concern, the Yammie cannot compete with the Marantz in that area. This just adds fuel to the fire in terms of "DIFFERENT" takes and tastes. I would never choose something that was not "warm" over something that was, Dan? Are our ears "that different"? I know some of the speakers you like are too "bright" for me and some that I think are great you feel are not "detailed" enough for you!

What a conundrum! To OP. Did you like the SR 70002, because sound-wise, that was a very nice unit in its day. If so, stay with Marantz and just get a good warranty.

Don't believe me? Ask FACE. I believe he is now running a Marantz in his AV system?

cnh

pearsall001

I've only ever heard a Marantz for a very brief time so I really didn't form any opinion in that short timeframe. I did however have a few NAD AVR's throughout the years & I always loved their performance for both 2 channel & movies. NAD is known for their "warm" house sound. I looked into them for my latest purchase but I went out on a limb & went with the Yammie RX-A3010 which was their "flagship" AVR. To say the least I am overly impressed with it's sound quality for both 2 channel & movies to the point where I don't miss the NAD in the least. I am now wondering what took me so long to give Yamaha a try.

The Yamaha RX-A820 is the entry into the Aventage series. How it stacks up to the other xxx20 series I can't say. As far as the Marantz I don't know where it stands in the Marantz pecking order.

Inspector 24

They're both the lowest level unit that offers pre-outs, reading the specs/features they all appear to be very similar but for extra features I don't care for, or more watts/channel, which does me no good.

CNH and Mantis, thank you for your input. My experience with the Yamaha HTR-5990 vs SR7002 was similar to what you both described. Audessy does seem superior to YPAO, but the Yamaha I had was a generation older than the Marantz, so I wonder if that's more a technological gap than anything? The Yamaha did seem a bit livlier for movies, but the Marantz has proven to be warmer and more enveloping for music, which I do give a bit more weight to.

Functionally the 7002 took me a bit to warm up to, I didn't like a lot about it like no 40hz sub crossover which works well in my setup, can't apply EQ settings to DTS/Dolby HD Tracks and a couple other small things, and neither unit seemed capable of maintaining video quality when the signal was going through the amp, so I've been running direct from the Blu Ray to the Projector. I'm hoping that a newer receiver capable of passing/upscaling 4k video will be able to pass standard 1080p video without video degredation. And a friend wants to buy the 7002 so good time to upgrade!

The Yamaha RX-A820 is the entry into the Aventage series. How it stacks up to the other xxx20 series I can't say. As far as the Marantz I don't know where it stands in the Marantz pecking order.

Considering I'm using separate amps, so long as the pre-amp/processing section and video pass through section is the same, I should see identical performance....right?

wayne3burk

wouldn't it be nice if you could find a local retailer that sells both, and would let you take both home for a 2 week test drive. Seems that would solve your dilemma.

I did a quick interweb search and found a site that reviews both (if that helps).

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.hdfever.fr/2012/09/21/test-amplificateurs-yamaha-rx-a820-et-marantz-sr5007-sur-avcesar/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dyamaha%2Brx-a820%2Band%2Bmarantz%2Bsr-5007%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS362US362%26prmd%3Dimvns&sa=X&ei=C8hhULLDFISp0AGX74C4Dg&ved=0CDgQ7gEwAg

I'm not sure the google translate from french to engrish is great. I read the Marantz review, haven't got to the yammiehammer one yet.

P.S. - if your speakers are bright - then go with the marantz - if your speakers are warm - go with the Yammie.

I have a pair of Magnaplaner MG-Is hanging off a Yamaha HTR 5790 and i get nothing but warmth.

Good luck with the upgrade, I'm sure you'll be pleased no matter which way you go.

Wayne

badchad

I'm very happy with my RX-A2010 but won't comment further as I've only had it a few weeks.

This may be a dumb observation, but I have only dialed in my AVR in using the "onscreen"/television setup. I'm sure you can do it without a TV, but setup may be more difficult without a monitor. Might be something to consider if you plan on 2 channel and aren't using a TV with it.

mantis

cnh wrote: »

I'm going to have to disagree with Dan here. Only the Aventage Yamahas are worth anything. Is that ONE? And if "music" is your primary concern, the Yammie cannot compete with the Marantz in that area. This just adds fuel to the fire in terms of "DIFFERENT" takes and tastes. I would never choose something that was not "warm" over something that was, Dan? Are our ears "that different"? I know some of the speakers you like are too "bright" for me and some that I think are great you feel are not "detailed" enough for you!

What a conundrum! To OP. Did you like the SR 70002, because sound-wise, that was a very nice unit in its day. If so, stay with Marantz and just get a good warranty.

Don't believe me? Ask FACE. I believe he is now running a Marantz in his AV system?

cnh

It is funny how we really have different opinions on speakers , gear , etc. But thats what makes it great.
Warm is good for music thats calm and easy listening. Warm is very good for a lot of things except movies. When selecting a double duty unit , I find warm to be very boring and un involving for movie sound tracks. I've said it many times , I believe it's difficult to put together a very good performing system for double duty. It always seems to perform better in one area or another. I've struggled with this for many years and then decided what was most important at the time of purchase and went in that direction.

Marantz makes fine products if you like the sound , like the features and can get past it's quirky setup menus and design.
Yamaha I feel is a better all around performer for both duties. When you move up their lines, you get one hell of a performing monster. Entry level you get alot of punch for your money. I don't think many receivers compare well against Yamaha. Only Pioneer Elite I feel has more of a double duty value over Yamaha for me anyway as it does have a warm but more dynamic sound then most NO all other warm receivers IMO. Dynamic's flagship to flagship Pioneer Elite Loses to Yamaha as they have an uncanny ability to reserve power and explode it out when you need it. It's something they have always been very good at , probably the best in the business in this area.

So it really comes down to personal opinion on what is the right choice. They are both good it's just really about what you want.

Inspector 24

Well, I'm not getting the 5007. I'm getting the 7005!

Turns out they've got a bunch of 7005's they're clearing out for cheap, so for another $230 over the 5007 I get 125wpc vs 100wpc, not that I need it with the Parasounds, but it does have a Phono input (yay!) and a flip down face to expose a larger display, much better than the tiny porthole display. :razz:

The current 7002 is already sold to a friend, new receiver should be here middle of next week! I'll post back with some impressions once I get it going. Thanks everybody for the feedback!!