Marantz vs Yamaha Recievers. Which to buy

[vintage dj]

Hello,

I am considering a Marantz sr 7011 or a Yamaha rx-a3060. The receiver will be used mainly for music listening. Front speakers are Cerwin Vega CLC-215. 4 ohm, 500 watt rms max., 97db sensitivity.
Thx for any help.

 

[3db]

Either AVR one will easily push your speakers to ear bleeding levels without breaking a sweat. It comes down to personal choice.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

With 97dB/w/m sensitivity speakers, pretty much any AVR will work in terms of power.

Some people are able to buy the Denon X3400 for $550 brand new:
https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/denon-avr-x3400h-549-w-free-shipping.110587/#post-1240564

My family room is 22' x 20' x 13' ceiling. Speakers are 4-ohm with sensitivity of 93dB/w/m. The Denon X3100 is able to rock the house during very loud karaoke parties for 6 hours straight.

Other than power, the difference between Yamaha vs Marantz/Denon is the EQ software.

I don't use Audyssey Room Correction, but I do use Audyssey Dynamic EQ for the bass.

Yamaha has their own proprietary EQ software.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yamaha does have a similar feature to Audyssey Dynamic EQ fwiw, called YPAO Volume. Don't know how they particularly compare, tho. Personally haven't owned a Yamaha, and not a Marantz receiver since the 70s/early 80s, currently have a few Denons (Marantz' sister brand) so I'd also include a Denon model like the 3400/4400.

Have you used an spl calculator before? Try this http://myhometheater.homestead.com/splcalculator.html
Keep in mind the sensitivity figure could be a bit overstated, too.

 

[j_garcia]

Both are solid. I'd go with Marantz simply for Audessey.

 

[speakerman39]

I also would go for the Marantz. However, Denon usually offers more for less money. But then again, there is no denying Yamaha's reliability over the long haul. As mentioned, both are fully capable.


Cheers,

Phil

 

[Mikado463]

I vote Marantz as well, only because I had two Yammies go south on me. One did so under warranty, fixed, lasted less than a year and out again.

 

[vintage dj]

Thanks for the replies. Was leaning towards the Marantz.Then I called Accessories4less and talked with guy there. Shared with him music listening was main goal and that I like ability to turn it up loud without amp kicking off. He recommended a Pioneer elite sc-ls801 saying it class d amp is more efficient and responds better at high volume without cutout. Thought Marantz had class d also? More confused now than earlier. A web search shows Pioneer was bought out by Onkyo? Read Onkyo has reliability issues these days.

I did find a comparison of the Marantz vs Yamaha and it seems that Marantz has less power drop over multiple channels of amplification. I notice the Marantz sr 7012 states 200w per channel over the 7011 125w per channel. Has anyone tested this to be true or is it a skewing of numbers for marketing.

Lovinthehd I did check out the denon as you suggested. Seem very nice. Was leaning toward the Marantz because of my good luck with my last one which finally quit after 30+ years. Also thanks for the speaker spl chart. That explains why hearing is not so good.

Dean

 

[lovinthehd]

I had a Pioneer a few years ago that crapped out after two years (just after warranty expired). Onkyo had a few years of hdmi/network board issues (I have such an older Onkyo and it had the issue but they fixed it with an extended warranty); they've resolved the board issues, current units seem to be more reliable but Onkyo dropped Audyssey in favor of their own AccuEQ and that's mostly why I don't really consider them (and I prefer Audyssey over Pioneer's MCACC just a little bit, MCACC tho is fine too).

The Marantz ratings are likely just two ch driven, look at the details in the spec section on their site or in the manuals. They all do some skewing to an extent when it comes to all channels driven ratings, look for bench test reports for that info. I wouldn't worry particularly about the all channel driven ratings either, even on the Yamaha, tho. Denon and Marantz share a bit under the hood since they've been under same ownership for the last several versions of the company (D+M Holdings then D+M Group and now part of Sound United).

Modern avrs I'd think about external help with cooling for longer life...

 

[3db]

I would recommend Yamaha on their longevity alone. Both my Yamahas are still operating without a hickup and driving all channels full bandwidth with speakers that dip into 4 ohms. Both my AVRs are hitting 10 years or older. I bought a used RX-V1500 4 to 5 years ago and just recently replaced it with a used RX-V1900 only because I needed HDMI. The RX-V1500 is boxed up in its original packaging . It still works great even though it was produced in 2004, 14 years ago.

Everyone can come across a bad unit but if you ask MCODE, another contributor on this site, his experience in installation of home theater systems is that Yamaha has the lowest number of returns over any other AVR manufacturer.

 

[ematthews]

Marantz. Love the sound. Love the reliability.

 

[highfigh]

I also would go for the Marantz. However, Denon usually offers more for less money. But then again, there is no denying Yamaha's reliability over the long haul. As mentioned, both are fully capable.


Cheers,

Phil

In theory and according to anecdotes, yes, but not according to someone I spoke with at a regional service center for most brands, located in Chicago. He said they ALL come in for service, for most of the same reasons. Yamaha may have reacted to the HDMI board problems faster than the others (and certainly faster than Onkyo), but they use a lot of the same parts, from many of the same suppliers.

However, and this is important, he said they see the most failures during seasons when major storms roll through during Spring through Fall- the lightning and associated power surges beat the crap out of a lot of equipment and no, surge protectors can't do much/anything if lightning strikes close to a house and induces current.

 

[ski2xblack]

Soundstage measurements of those speakers indicate actual sensitivity is only 91.5db/w/m, and they present a -45deg phase angle combined with about a 3 ohm load at ~70hz (oof!).

Not sure if this would change anyone recommendations, just seemed worthy of considering in the context of this discussion.

 

[lovinthehd]

He might need to use the pre-outs in that case

 

[vintage dj]

Thank you for the help guys. It has been many years since I went to school for electrical-electronics. It has helped me in my classic car restoration business in many ways. That being said I am rusty on my micro electronics terminology and could use some help understanding Ski's findings in relation to watts and current required to drive the CV's safely with enough headroom. Judging from Loving's post a secondary amp is in my future? It seems that all specs in regards to receiver, amps and speakers are not always accurate these days and appreciate Ski's findings. Really looking at the whole Marantz, Denon and Yamaha crowd for a receiver. I can't seem to find a bench test on Denon's 6300 or 7200? Again thanks for all the help!

 

[speakerman39]

In theory and according to anecdotes, yes, but not according to someone I spoke with at a regional service center for most brands, located in Chicago. He said they ALL come in for service, for most of the same reasons. Yamaha may have reacted to the HDMI board problems faster than the others (and certainly faster than Onkyo), but they use a lot of the same parts, from many of the same suppliers.

However, and this is important, he said they see the most failures during seasons when major storms roll through during Spring through Fall- the lightning and associated power surges beat the crap out of a lot of equipment and no, surge protectors can't do much/anything if lightning strikes close to a house and induces current.

Well then parts is parts eh.......LOL??????


Cheers,

Phil

 

[vintage dj]

One more question to answer please. Would most have confidence in a factory refurbished from Accessories4less or equivalent?

 

[speakerman39]

One more question to answer please. Would most have confidence in a factory refurbished from Accessories4less or equivalent?

I have bought many items from Acc4less all w/o a hitch. The key word is "factory refurbished" and not by some fly by night. They are great people to deal with as well. Extended warranties can also be purchased. Highly recommend!


Cheers,

Phil

 

[lovinthehd]

One more question to answer please. Would most have confidence in a factory refurbished from Accessories4less or equivalent?

Just keep in mind a refurb can have issues. I had two Denons in a row I had to return...ended up buying a new one from them for $100 more because it wasn't worth my time to chance a third reinstall of my backup and replacing the backup....but A4L was fine. Dealing with A4L was better than promised via their policy, they went outside it a bit on the second failure which was just outside of the 30 day window for return. They don't do the refurbing process, some contractor the brand hires does....highly recommend them (and have purchased several other items from them no problem at all).

PS be sure to read policy on refurb returns....

 

[highfigh]

I have bought many items from Acc4less all w/o a hitch. The key word is "factory refurbished" and not by some fly by night. They are great people to deal with as well. Extended warranties can also be purchased. Highly recommend!


Cheers,

Phil

It needs to be stated that "Factory refurbished" doesn't mean it was returned to the factory for the refurb, it means that the unit was sent to a factory-authorized service center for the work to be performed. Unlike years past, these service centers are no longer scattered around the country, with the shop and its technicians being trained and passing the applicable tests- the manufacturers decided that on-site training was no longer cost-effective and later, they decided that even using online training and participant-active webinars wasn't worth the money, so they eliminated most of the authorizations and all of the training for service techs who don't work for the large service centers.