Receivers up to $800. Marantz or Yamaha?

[PaulJunior]

Hey,

I've decided to buy the B&W 683 Theatre speaker set but still haven't decided on the amplifier. I primarily chose the Yamaha RX-V765 since it is inexpensive and packs a lot of technology, but lately my dealer advised me to get the Marantz SR5004 instead. He told me that it sound a lot better than the Yamaha (even the v1065). I've only heard the Marantz so far but I'm not sure If I can't get a better bang for the buck at this price range, or at least similar for less. I've also read reviews that the Marantz SR5004 is disappointing. Please help me make up my mind

Thanks, Paul

P.S. Does the Marantz come with easy mic. calibration like the Yamaha?

[callas01]

Originally Posted by PaulJunior

Hey,

I've decided to buy the B&W 683 Theatre speaker set but still haven't decided on the amplifier. I primarily chose the Yamaha RX-V765 since it is inexpensive and packs a lot of technology, but lately my dealer advised me to get the Marantz SR5004 instead. He told me that it sound a lot better than the Yamaha (even the v1065). I've only heard the Marantz so far but I'm not sure If I can't get a better bang for the buck at this price range, or at least similar for less. I've also read reviews that the Marantz SR5004 is disappointing. Please help me make up my mind

Thanks, Paul

P.S. Does the Marantz come with easy mic. calibration like the Yamaha?

You dealer is right, the Marantz will be a better receiver, it will drive your speakers better because the power ratings on it are far more accurate then the yamaha. When the specs on the marantz says, 90 watts x 7 channels, it will give you 87.8 watts to each channel. The yamaha says 95x7 but it will probably be closer to 50 watts when all 7 channels are driven.

The marantz will be more musical sounding and IMO would tame a little of the brighter sound that the B&W 600 series has, and open them up a little more. All receivers have the auto cal feature now, I think...

Sounds like your dealer is giving you sound advise.

[PaulJunior]

Originally Posted by callas01

You dealer is right, the Marantz will be a better receiver, it will drive your speakers better because the power ratings on it are far more accurate then the yamaha. When the specs on the marantz says, 90 watts x 7 channels, it will give you 87.8 watts to each channel. The yamaha says 95x7 but it will probably be closer to 50 watts when all 7 channels are driven.

The marantz will be more musical sounding and IMO would tame a little of the brighter sound that the B&W 600 series has, and open them up a little more. All receivers have the auto cal feature now, I think...

Sounds like your dealer is giving you sound advise.

Thank you Callas. So the Marantz will be the best choice in this price range? (there are many more to chose from, like Denon, H/K )

[Steve]

When I bought my receiver the only brands I ended up considering seriously were Pioneer Elite and Marantz. If your choice is between Marantz and Yamaha I would go with the Marantz in a second and never look back.

[bkbluray]

Originally Posted by fireman325

When I bought my receiver the only brands I ended up considering seriously were Pioneer Elite and Marantz. If your choice is between Marantz and Yamaha I would go with the Marantz in a second and never look back.

+1 Marantz is definitely a cut above. Just got my 5003 delivered today from Accessories4less.com. Can't wait to hook it up this weekend!

I love Marantz

BTW, if you don't mind refurbished (with 1 year warranty), you can get the 5004 from them for $579.99 plus shipping. (They are sold out of the 5003) Nothing but great reviews for this site!

[PaulJunior]

Thanks, I think I'll go with the Marantz. I just don't get why it only has HDMI 1.3a, and what's the difference between the current 1.3b and 1.3c?

[CasualKiller]

Marantz is your best bet, and here's a quote from HDMI.org:

Q. What is the difference between HDMI 1.3 and HDMI 1.3a, or 1.3b?

For consumers, there is no difference between HDMI version 1.3 and 1.3a or 1.3b. These minor revisions to the specification typically relate to manufacturing or testing issues and do not impact features or functionality. In addition, HDMI Licensing, LLC is actively working with manufacturers to reduce confusion for consumers by de-emphasizing version numbers and focusing instead on product features and functionality.

For Adopters, the latest HDMI Specification is v1.3a and the latest HDMI Compliance Test Specification (CTS) is 1.3c.

[lucv13]

+1 Marantz all the way

[Kratos3]

Marantz. Defninitely.

[bkbluray]

Originally Posted by PaulJunior

Thanks, I think I'll go with the Marantz. I just don't get why it only has HDMI 1.3a, and what's the difference between the current 1.3b and 1.3c?

Just got my Marantz and set it up - all I have to say is WOW! I watched a couple songs from the John Mayer concert, and it was a whole new experience. And this is coming from someone who switched from an Onkyo 605!

I then popped in Prince Caspian and watched the swordfight and the battle scene. Incredible.

You're making the right choice!

[PaulJunior]

Thanks for your help guys Now I'm really confident about my purchase

[sandman6662]

We'll did you get it yet??? i know you went with the Marantz right ? LUK..

Oh buy the way I'd go with the Marantz all the way . I'm on my 4th Marantz / klipsch system and never dissapointed...

[Steve]

Originally Posted by sandman6662

We'll did you get it yet??? i know you went with the Marantz right ? LUK..

Oh buy the way I'd go with the Marantz all the way . I'm on my 4th Marantz / klipsch system and never dissapointed...

How do you like the RC-64 with the RF-82s? Do you feel it blends well with the different tweeter?

[sandman6662]

Originally Posted by fireman325

How do you like the RC-64 with the RF-82s? Do you feel it blends well with the different tweeter?

now it does , with the RC -64 above the TV it sounds alot better than below the TV , as one of the reason's I went with the RC -64 it was the top of the line and I plan on someday moving up to the RF-83's . So this way I don't need to do 3 upgrades at once , the center the surrounds , then the main fronts. Now I have the center it's done for good as is the surrounds I upgraded to the RS-62's .. Now the only thing left is moving up from the RF-82's to the RF-83's in due time. A big jump in price , I found it cheaper to buy the RF-83's out right for $2,230.00 for the pair instead of trading in the RF-82's on them .I will find a buyer for them and make out better..

[Steve]

Originally Posted by bkbluray

Just got my Marantz and set it up - all I have to say is WOW! I watched a couple songs from the John Mayer concert, and it was a whole new experience. And this is coming from someone who switched from an Onkyo 605!

I then popped in Prince Caspian and watched the swordfight and the battle scene. Incredible.

You're making the right choice!

Congrats on the new Marantz. I didn't think you'd be disappointed.

Originally Posted by sandman6662

now it does , with the RC -64 above the TV it sounds alot better than below the TV , as one of the reason's I went with the RC -64 it was the top of the line and I plan on someday moving up to the RF-83's . So this way I don't need to do 3 upgrades at once , the center the surrounds , then the main fronts. Now I have the center it's done for good as is the surrounds I upgraded to the RS-62's .. Now the only thing left is moving up from the RF-82's to the RF-83's in due time. A big jump in price , I found it cheaper to buy the RF-83's out right for $2,230.00 for the pair instead of trading in the RF-82's on them .I will find a buyer for them and make out better..

Thanks for the response. I've toyed off and on with the idea of upgrading my center from a 62 to a 64, but the only place it could go is under my TV, on top of the ET stand.

[Trueno]

I owned a Onkyo in the past and today, i have a Marantz and i really love it.

Is not the big receiver but the quality is huge.

Congrat

[gcchifi]

Between the Marantz and the Yamaha...pick the former. You'll get more actual amp power on the Marantz ALL channels driven. If I didn't have the Onkyo TX-NR805, I would have gone for a Marantz.

[28BlusLater]

Definitely Marantz.
Yamaha used to be a great, well constructed audio company, but imo, it went downhill.
Marantz is a good company with better receivers.

If you want more power, go for Onkyo. Or save up a bit more and get a Pioneer Elite, about $100 more dollars and you can get the Pioneer Elite VSX-21TXH.
Don't buy it from an unauthorized dealer though, because Pioneer won't give you a warranty with the Elite receivers unless you buy it from an authorized dealer. The price on the Pioneer Elite website though is $899.99, I believe. Those are some really great receivers. I had one a while back and really loved it, but had to part with it.

[echoesian]

Why not considering Denon 2310/2311 because the Marantz 5004/6004 cannot apply Audyssey EQ while decoding lossless HD audio, it only can apply Audyssey EQ on non-HD audio. Furthermore, the Marantz cannot set crossover setting on each of the channel independantly...