New Denon and Marantz AVR's

mantis
mantis Posts: 17,031
Hello everyone,
Anyone checking out the new lines? It seems Marantz had a pretty big price jump from last years offerings and Denon stayed pretty close to the same for the new model replacement .
I think after Christmas , I might grab one if what I decide on is available. I like both companies a lot but the new style of the Marantz models is super sexy. Just that alone might be enough to pull more coins out of my pocket to get a Marantz over a Denon sister model. Honestly they are so damn close in performance , it's really a pick which one you like better decision. We carry them and I have not been let down by either offering.
I'm sticking with a max of 5.2.4 Atmos setup so a 9 channel model is going to be all I need. The feature sets are damn identical and start earlier in the lines for my needs. If and when I change my speakers, my room doesn't need more power then probably 100 watts max so this will be the first time in many decades I may not go flagship.
I currently have a Sony ES STRZA-5000es flagship receiver from a few years ago and it has served me well. It does everything I need it to do and has enough power to blow my pant legs. I'll probably offer it here for anyone who needs a 4k 9 channel AVR.

What are your guys thoughts on the new models?
Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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Comments

  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    The four discrete subwoofer outputs on some of the new models is a mind blowing leap from what was most common just a few years ago to have a single output.

    :)

  • polrbehr
    polrbehr Posts: 2,825
    It seems they've made some major improvements since I got my last Denon 3312ci, but since my speakers have not changed (nor are they likely to), I can't see spending money on upgrading right now.

    And is 8K even relevant yet? It seems that train went off the rails awhile ago. Not being snarky here, honestly haven't seen any news about it for quite some time.
    So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?


    http://audiomilitia.proboards.com/
  • I have a X3800H and the GUI updated is long overdue. So far i haven't had any issues and its been great.
  • stangman67
    stangman67 Posts: 2,179
    The new Marantz stuff certainly looks good! I’m sure it sounds excellent to boot. I have always been happy with my Marantz HT gear
    2 Channel in my home attic/bar/man cave

    2 Channel Focal Kanta 3 I Modwright SWL9.0 Anniversary Pre I Modwright PH9.0X I Modwright KWA-150SE I VPI Prime Signature w/ Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC I Lumin U2 Mini I North Star Designs Intenso DAC I Audience OHNO ICs/Audience Furutech FP-S55N and FP-S032N Power Cables/Acoustic Zen Satori I Isotek Sirius
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 4,981
    Denon & Marantz are excellent A/V receivers... but I have to throw into the mix the Yamaha Avantage series. I bought their flagship A3010 model back in June of 2012 & it's still going strong & sounds superb for HT duties. Yamaha has always had a great reputation for quality products that last.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,031
    Denon & Marantz are excellent A/V receivers... but I have to throw into the mix the Yamaha Avantage series. I bought their flagship A3010 model back in June of 2012 & it's still going strong & sounds superb for HT duties. Yamaha has always had a great reputation for quality products that last.
    it's been a very long time since I setup and installed a Yamaha receiver. Since Tweeter went out of business late 2008, I really got away from them.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • Milito
    Milito Posts: 1,907
    My 2070 Yamaha Advantage has been trouble free so far.

    I looked at the other two brands, but heard people were having HDMI board issues with them so I bought a Yamaha again and haven't felt like I made the wrong decision on my choice.
    Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 4,981
    mantis wrote: »
    Denon & Marantz are excellent A/V receivers... but I have to throw into the mix the Yamaha Avantage series. I bought their flagship A3010 model back in June of 2012 & it's still going strong & sounds superb for HT duties. Yamaha has always had a great reputation for quality products that last.
    it's been a very long time since I setup and installed a Yamaha receiver. Since Tweeter went out of business late 2008, I really got away from them.

    Man I miss Tweeter. You just might want to revisit Yamaha's A/V product line. Definitely worth a look.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,031
    mantis wrote: »
    Denon & Marantz are excellent A/V receivers... but I have to throw into the mix the Yamaha Avantage series. I bought their flagship A3010 model back in June of 2012 & it's still going strong & sounds superb for HT duties. Yamaha has always had a great reputation for quality products that last.
    it's been a very long time since I setup and installed a Yamaha receiver. Since Tweeter went out of business late 2008, I really got away from them.

    Man I miss Tweeter. You just might want to revisit Yamaha's A/V product line. Definitely worth a look.
    I'd like to but we don't sell it just about never. We have access to it and fall into Denon, Marantz and Sony the most. We also have higher end stuff and Yamaha never really comes up.
    As far as Tweeter goes, I miss it with all my soul. It was a time in my life that was great. We where not the highest end store in the world but we had a hell of a good staff of Audio and videophiles who loved this hobby. We had fun stores and good stuff. We carried Polk and I was able to play with everything that came out.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 27,964
    I have had my Yamaha 3070 a while... Has to be atleast 5 years, been a very solid unit, knock on wood.

    I checked on the price of the newer ones and man prices have skyrocketed... Top of the line is 3500 versus 2000... Big difference!

    Marantz and denon are both owned by sound united so I imagine they will be similar.

    Best to try both in home if you can!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    edited December 2022
    Higher end Denon and Marantz products are deliberately voiced differently by different design teams to keep the brands recognizably separate. They may become more similar over time though and there may not be much room in the budgets to have the lower end gear much different. I am not sure if Yamaha Aventage are more similar to Denon or Marantz.
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,031
    Emlyn wrote: »
    Higher end Denon and Marantz products are deliberately voiced differently by different design teams to keep the brands recognizably separate. They may become more similar over time though and there may not be much room in the budgets to have the lower end gear much different. I am not sure if Yamaha Aventage are more similar to Denon or Marantz.

    They have a lot of the same exact parts inside them . Both companies to me are fantastic at what they do. Marantz 100% looks way better especially the new one. Denon still looks like they did 25 year ago. Hardly no difference at all. From glance they look exactly the same.

    I plan on upgrading to either Denon or Marantz , walking away from higher end offerings like NAD, Audiocontrol, Arcam, Anthem etc. I have access to everything but honeslty I'm tired of the stupid menu systems, hard to setup, crappy control that the other companies bring to the table with little to no better sonic performance vs Denon and Marantz. Dollar for dollar I think the Denon and Marantz models are superior to everything on the market I touch.

    Now I'd also like to see Integra and Pioneer Elite make a huge comeback. Both brands have fallen way off over the years and it's a shame as both brands bring a lot to the table. I use to be a huge Pioneer Elite fan but nothing they have been lately or at all has excited me in any way. Onkyo, the lower end level models , are trying to make a nice comeback and basically are the same minus some custom features to the Integra brand , are looking strong.

    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    Now that things have settled down, I have to say I am in love with my Arcam. Two channel is superb, and sounds better than it did with the Pass Labs in the mix.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,350
    edited December 2022
    Earlier this year replaced an older Marantz pre/pro with a Marantz SR6015. Using as pre only, a five channel amp powers the polk inwall/ceiling. Easy menus to follow. I like it.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,050
    I am VERY happy with my move from a Pioneer Elite SC67 to a Marantz pre/pro. The Atmos experience is phenomenal and it shines with easy Audyssey setup and low-end punch from the subs that I had not experienced previously. My only experience with a Denon was with a lower end unit and I wasn't impressed with the SQ. Will be interesting to hear your thoughts once you pick one and get it set up.
    ____________________________________________________________ polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS SVS PB13 Ultra x 2Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400, ADCOM 7807, Panasonic UB420, Sony SCD-C333ES, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    My local Best Buy has an open box Arcam AVR20 for sale @ $2800.00… I have compared the Arcam to the Denon and Marantz upper tier AVR’s and they don’t come close, especially for two channel.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    My local Best Buy has an open box Arcam AVR20 for sale @ $2800.00… I have compared the Arcam to the Denon and Marantz upper tier AVR’s and they don’t come close, especially for two channel.

    I LOVE my Arcam SR250, which is essentially the two channel version of what John has. And Dirac live makes a significant difference in my large open room…
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    mantis wrote: »
    I'm sticking with a max of 5.2.4 Atmos setup so a 9 channel model is going to be all I need.

    What are your guys thoughts on the new models?

    Are you planning on using 4 subs?

    I don't know how the newest Marantz AVR's sound compared to my SR5012, I assume the 33xx series are likely better.

    With that being said, I been through a few Denons, still have a couple, as well as the Marantz, they have their own sound...however.....with my recent acquisition of an older Anthem MRX-510, I'm pretty hooked on the SQ. I would love to get ears on the 540 and it might be something to consider.

    Here's a link.

    https://www.anthemav.com/products-current/type=av-receiver/model=mrx-540-8k/page=overview
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    gmcman wrote: »
    mantis wrote: »
    I'm sticking with a max of 5.2.4 Atmos setup so a 9 channel model is going to be all I need.

    What are your guys thoughts on the new models?

    Are you planning on using 4 subs?

    I think you're mistaken what Dan said.
    5.2.4 the 4 is the overhead atmos speakers. The 2 is his subs.
  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,739
    edited January 2023
    pitdogg2 wrote: »

    I think you're mistaken what Dan said.
    5.2.4 the 4 is the overhead atmos speakers. The 2 is his subs.

    Ahh, yes, sorry. It's been awhile since I sourced an AVR with more than one decimal... :smiley:
  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,050
    edited January 2023
    I have done very little in terms of comparing the Marantz in 2 channel vs the Pass Labs X1 pre but what little Ive heard makes me believe the Marantz will not replace the Pass Labs. It is not nearly as musical and honestly sounds a tad cold to me. A lot of your decision may be based on what your intended use is. If primarily Home Theater, either will likely be a good choice. Personally I'd give the nod to the Marantz over Denon for music. I like the easy install and configuration that the Marantz offers. Plug it in, press a few buttons and within 10 minutes I'm enjoying 7.2.4 Atmos at a level I dont feel needs improvement. It works for me because I dont have the time to deal with software bugs or complex room correction configurations that some other brands involve. That's not to say that the Marantz is better or that I couldnt acheive an even better end result going another route but the extra time, money and potential frustrations related to complicated setup or dealing with operational issues make the Marantz the easy choice.
    ____________________________________________________________ polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS SVS PB13 Ultra x 2Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400, ADCOM 7807, Panasonic UB420, Sony SCD-C333ES, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,031
    We have a Cinema 50 in stock, which I will be installing next week to one of my clients systems. He already has the older last years model 8015 in his basement system. The 50 is for a smaller system and I'm using outboard Bryston amps to power some Snell speakers.
    I'm waiting on getting a few Marantz and Denon models in so I can compare them. I was told others that they sound almost exactly the same especially after a Calibration. I'll be the judge of that. The Marantz is dead sexy, the 50 is so damn nice looking , even if they sound exactly the same, I might get a new Marantz Cinema 40 over the Denon just on sheer sexy alone. The Denon's look exactly the same from 20 years ago, which is fine, they look very nice just dated.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,557
    I agree the Marantz facelift is nice, and the Cinema 50 is visually appealing. However, I still think Marantz engineers should be able to eek out more performance from these new AVRs and processors.

    Their performance specifications measurements/numbers just aren't where they should be for the year 2023 and the price being asked, IMO. But people are still buying them so they probably see little incentive to dedicate a lot of resources towards improvement.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    Looks like the Cinema 50 is the replacement model for the SR6015 except it now has 8K HDMI inputs all around and four subwoofer pre-outs and a few hundred dollars on the price tag. I suspect the Cinema lineup still sounds the same as my Marantz SR7011 which I've had in service for a few years now. They don't appear to be clearing out the SRXX15 models to make room for the new lineup.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    Where is all this 8K stuff? With the exception of my oppo 205 spinning 4K disc's I don't get any 4K stuff through my Dish box with the exception of the super bowl or something like that.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    I'm not so sure the 8K displays are flying off the shelves either. They may actually die. I've heard there are concerns about meeting power consumption regs in the European Union which may filter out around the rest of the world. The 8K screens apparently increase consumption by 50 percent or more on some models compared to 4K.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,474
    edited January 2023
    The point being that broadcasters are not even trying at this point to broadcast content in 4k to their subscribers. One must wonder if the infrastructure is even capable to broadcast these higher definitions en masse yet or are we still a decade away?
  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,050
    The Marantz definitely beats the Denon in looks.
    ____________________________________________________________ polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS SVS PB13 Ultra x 2Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400, ADCOM 7807, Panasonic UB420, Sony SCD-C333ES, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,033
    Arcam wins in both looks and performance…
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson