6 of the Best Flagship AV Receivers Compared for 2018!

[lovinthehd]

Well, that sounds very vague, which is not surprising.

The main words I'm hearing are "Loudness" and "Dynamic Range", the 2 words I don't want to hear.

I don't want to increase the perceived loudness or decrease the dynamic range to make that happen. This is what Audyssey Dynamic VOLUME and YPAO Adaptive Dynamic Range Control are doing. And this is what I most definitely turn OFF!

So if that's what Dolby Volume Modeler/Leveler is about, then I'm not looking forward to it.

Oh no, I want to boost the perceived bass where it counts and when it counts. That's the salient thing I feel I'm getting most from Audyssey Dynamic EQ.

But DEQ does work with loudness perception....

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Didn't play with master volume trim but the default ypao volume works very well for my room. Bass is not boomy and that is with +5db to what ypao calibration tells me. I previously had +6-8db but with ypao volume it is too much.

I know many people say ypao volume makes bass boomy. But i guess it depends a lot on the room.

What i like is that now i can listen at lower levels, speak to someone and still feel the bass while sitting on my sofa.

Yeah, I heard from one person that YPAO Volume boosts the bass generally more than Audyssey DEQ, so I may not need to tweak the Trim Levels like with Denon.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

But DEQ does work with loudness perception....

That's what Audyssey and Yamaha say in their definitions also, which are just as vague. But I just want to hear about the bass. Will I get fuller, more dynamic, "fast" chest-pounding bass or not?

@PENG showed plots of Audyssey Dynamic EQ on and off. And the salient difference I see is the boost in the bass region and smaller boost in the treble. I don't perceive the boost in the treble as much, but I sure perceive the boost in the bass in my setup.

 

[PENG]

I can confirm the MultiEQ app does allow one to limit the frequency range for each speaker "pair" (front, surrrounds, subs, etc.). I use this feature on my Denon X4400H. This week, I have it limiting the "correction" for the font L/R speakers to 400Hz and below with great results. The app makes it simple and fast to try different cutoffs. I've tried various cutoffs, 200Hz, 300Hz, 600Hz, etc. Just takes about 1 minute to re-upload the corrections to the AVR. I switch back and forth between full band correction, limited to xxxHz and below and custom curve edit. The "flat" curve is always available on the AVR as is L/R bypass and off.

Would you mind telling me which device you used? I have a Nexus 6P phone and a Samsung Galaxy tablet but can also borrow an iPad. Just wondering if the app works better with iOS or Android.

 

[panteragstk]

Would you mind telling me which device you used? I have a Nexus 6P phone and a Samsung Galaxy tablet but can also borrow an iPad. Just wondering if the app works better with iOS or Android.

I can tell you that the app didn't work at all on my OnePlus 5. It kept losing connection to the receiver after a few min. Got a refund and am hoping that they've fixed the issues. I know that @Pogre had tons of issues with the app so if you are having success it may be time for me to try it again.

 

[DubPlate]

The AV7703 has been pretty good for the most part. The only problems I have with it are certain pieces of hardware don't get along that well. I have a JVC RS420 projector (best investment ever, that one) and my PS4 Pro does not get along too well with it. There is occasional blinking, and the chroma subchannels have to be 4:2:0 in order for it to work properly, which means no HDR. But oddly enough my Xbox One X works perfectly - full 4:4:4 and HDR works as expected.

Also, my NVIDIA GTX 1070 laptop cannot properly output 4k + 4:4:4 chroma through the Marantz. It ticks me off a bit... I can go 4:2:0, and the Xbox works... it's frustrating. The laptop connected directly to the projector works perfectly. All in all, it seems that the video chipset is kinda crappy in the Denon/Marantz line.

Also you cannot ever get proper 4:4:4 chroma working with the on screen display enabled. This is true even at 1080p. So I had to turn it off everywhere.

I have a similar issue with my PS4 and marantz 7702mkii. Hdmi sound and video intermittently disconnect. Got so bad that it totally stop working. Switched to a different hdmi port on the MKii, that seem to work only for a while, then the drops started again. Seem to have something with the PS4 not powering down fully (i.e., rest mode), because when I turn it off fully, I don’t seem to have that problem.

I think it fried the first 7702mkii port that it was connected to.

 

[PENG]

I can tell you that the app didn't work at all on my OnePlus 5. It kept losing connection to the receiver after a few min. Got a refund and am hoping that they've fixed the issues. I know that @Pogre had tons of issues with the app so if you are having success it may be time for me to try it again.

Thanks, if it is refundable then I'll try today.

 

[rom3]

Would you mind telling me which device you used? I have a Nexus 6P phone and a Samsung Galaxy tablet but can also borrow an iPad. Just wondering if the app works better with iOS or Android.

I did the measurements on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. I use that tablet to do most all of my edits and uploads as well. I did test editing files and uploading to the AVR with a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and those work as well. I have not tried to do the measurement part with the phone / Note 5. There have been at least 2 updates in the last month or so. Maybe those that had issues might be able to get it to work now?

A few tips that may or may not make a difference:

• Ensure your device has at least 2GB of RAM per the specs in the play store (Android).
• Reboot the phone/tablet before taking any measurements, making any edits or uploads. This ensures you have as much memory available as possible and less chance of other apps interfering.
• Do not let the phone/tablet screen lock/go to sleep while measuring or uploading, keep swiping somewhere on the screen to keep it awake. They may have fixed this issue, but it was a big problem on the initial release of the app.

 

[panteragstk]

Thanks, if it is refundable then I'll try today.

I think you get 20 min or something like that. It'll tell you when you install. This is for Android. Not sure on iOS.

 

[rom3]

I can tell you that the app didn't work at all on my OnePlus 5. It kept losing connection to the receiver after a few min. Got a refund and am hoping that they've fixed the issues. I know that @Pogre had tons of issues with the app so if you are having success it may be time for me to try it again.

I would say it is key that you have a stable network connection with the AVR either wired or wireless to use the app. I had a Denon X4100W before my X4400H, and I had problems constantly with keeping it connected having to pull the plug for 10 minutes every week or so. The X4400H has been rock solid for the 4 months or so I've had it. I have not had to reset it once. Same position in the house, same network. No idea why the 4100 had so many issues.

 

[PENG]

I did the measurements on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. I use that tablet to do most all of my edits and uploads as well. I did test editing files and uploading to the AVR with a Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and those work as well. I have not tried to do the measurement part with the phone / Note 5. There have been at least 2 updates in the last month or so. Maybe those that had issues might be able to get it to work now?

A few tips that may or may not make a difference:

• Ensure your device has at least 2GB of RAM per the specs in the play store (Android).
• Reboot the phone/tablet before taking any measurements, making any edits or uploads. This ensures you have as much memory available as possible and less chance of other apps interfering.
• Do not let the phone/tablet screen lock/go to sleep while measuring or uploading, keep swiping somewhere on the screen to keep it awake. They may have fixed this issue, but it was a big problem on the initial release of the app.

Thank you for the good news. That's exactly the tablet I have, aside from the Nexus phone.

 

[panteragstk]

I would say it is key that you have a stable network connection with the AVR either wired or wireless to use the app. I had a Denon X4100W before my X4400H, and I had problems constantly with keeping it connected having to pull the plug for 10 minutes every week or so. The X4400H has been rock solid for the 4 months or so I've had it. I have not had to reset it once. Same position in the house, same network. No idea why the 4100 had so many issues.

4300h stays on the network and it's on ethernet. My wifi AP is about 30 ft from my theater so full signal there too. 8gb of memory on my phone so that's not the issue. I'll have to see if the new version works better. I'll remove power from my receiver since it's always in standby so I can control it via IP.

 

[AtomicRon]

Well written summary with plenty of details. Very well done. I've owned the Denon X3300, X4300 and now Marantz SR8012 which was purchased as a blind buy and thankfully doesn't disappoint. The next move for me would be to more channels (6 Atmos would be nice, or a proper Auro3D wth VOG without having to sacrifice rear surrounds.) The only 2 options would be the Denon 8500 or the Marantz AV8805 + amps which are both too far out of my budget so I'll be sticking with the SR8012 until there is a meaningful reason to move up.

 

[PENG]

4300h stays on the network and it's on ethernet. My wifi AP is about 30 ft from my theater so full signal there too. 8gb of memory on my phone so that's not the issue. I'll have to see if the new version works better. I'll remove power from my receiver since it's always in standby so I can control it via IP.

I tried wifi, it worked flawlessly on my Galaxy Tab S2. Will try the curve editor tomorrow. By the way I am not aware of any phone that has 8GB Ram. Top Samsung model has 4 GB, my has only 3 GB. The App is supposed to work with just 2 GB.

 

[panteragstk]

I tried wifi, it worked flawlessly on my Galaxy Tab S2. Will try the curve editor tomorrow. By the way I am not aware of any phone that has 8GB Ram. Top Samsung model has 4 GB, my has only 3 GB. The App is supposed to work with just 2 GB.

Lat year One plus put 8gb in their 128gb storage model. Quite nice.

One plus 5 specs

 

[PENG]

Lat year One plus put 8gb in their 128gb storage model. Quite nice.

One plus 5 specs

That's incredible!!

 

[Andrein]

I tried wifi, it worked flawlessly on my Galaxy Tab S2. Will try the curve editor tomorrow. By the way I am not aware of any phone that has 8GB Ram. Top Samsung model has 4 GB, my has only 3 GB. The App is supposed to work with just 2 GB.

More Room for developers to write their buggy apps and claim they require more Ram)) So customers ready for the next cycle. Wonder how programs worked on 256mb before. Pretty sure tha most of apps if optimized would require not more than 50-100mb.

 

[panteragstk]

That's incredible!!

I love it. At the price point and tech specs you can't beat one plus. They have their faults, but man do they make good hardware. Their OS is very minimal customization wise. Pretty much just straight up android.

 

[rom3]

I tried wifi, it worked flawlessly on my Galaxy Tab S2. Will try the curve editor tomorrow...

That's great to hear! Check out the "midrange compensation" option. You can switch that on or off for each channel pair. I've got mine all set to off.

 

[Andrein]

Is AV controller the best such app for yamaha? Or there are 3rd party apps too?