Denon/Marantz vs Yamaha vs Anthem Thread

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just saw Gene's new YouTube video about the new Classe, which is now owned by Sound United along with Marantz, Denon, Integra, Onkyo, Pioneer.

One thing that caught my attention was that Classe uses Parametric EQ in their pre-pro (9-band) and preamp (5-band).

Yamaha uses a 7-band Parametric EQ for their AVR and pre-pro.

Marantz/Denon use the sorry Graphic EQ.

But I haven't heard much about what kind of manual EQ Anthem offers.

Does Anthem even offer a manual EQ or just the automatic room EQ?

If Anthem offers a manual EQ, is it a Parametric (like Classe and Yamaha) or a Graphic EQ (like Marantz/Denon)?

 

[Ken32]

I found 2 links that compare the V2085 and the A2080 side by side, all of which are the same.

The only differences it mentioned (aside from warranty) is the V2085 lacks a 5th leg, no AM frequency jack, different colored (standard opposed to premium) speaker terminals. However; the 2085 has an extra zone over the 2080.

I could grab a 2085 from a4l for 799 or a new a2080 off world wide stereo for 1100.

Fry's sold out of the x4400h models at 599. I figured they'd go quick.

I should just say screw getting a new avr and grab another Harley instead

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I could grab a 2085 from a4l for 799 or a new a2080 off world wide stereo for 1100.

I should just say screw getting a new avr and grab another Harley instead

Haha.

Where does it stop and where do we draw the line, right?

New A2080 for $1100 or new A3070 for $1300?

A4L has a refurbished A3070 for about $1K.

Owning a "flagship" does have a certain "pride of ownership".

These prices are pretty close to dealer cost, so pretty sweet deals.

Did you start a poll to see what others would do?

A4L Refurbished A2070 for $800, A3070 for $980.
New A2080 for $1100, new A3070 for $1300.

I would vote for a brand new A3070 for $1300.

When will 8K video and DTSX-Pro be incorporated into AVR?

Should you just get something much cheaper now (Onkyo $399) and later get a new Yamaha flagship (maybe the next models like A3090 or A3100 will have 8K Video and DTSX-Pro .) ?



Why........ perhaps even venture into the audiophile world of separates (Yamaha CX-A pre-pro) after you save some money down the line.

 

[Ken32]

Haha.

Where does it stop and where do we draw the line, right?

.

Exactly!

A nice feature the A80s have is Music-cast surround feature. You can use Yamaha's wireless unit as surrounds, which i find to be pretty cool! and that super nice and pretty back-lit remote that I seem to be obsessed with

I have not started a poll yet. I probably should.

These TV manufacturers are getting ridiculous with this content. 4-8k etc... We're getting to the point of visuals beyond our limits! Better yet, lack of content. IMO there isn't enough 4K content out to be pushing 8k

Also, I did speak with a rep regarding the newer series AVR's and the guy said by the end of this month or early next month, Yamaha will be releasing info on the 2019 line.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Also, I did speak with a rep regarding the newer series AVR's and the guy said by the end of this month or early next month, Yamaha will be releasing info on the 2019 line.

No wonder they reduced the price sheet a little recently.

Right now many people already have 4K everything. So there's no point upgrading if nothing changes.

If everything remains 4K for the next 10 years, I bet sales will be even slower than now.

But if they start making everything 8K, that will probably get people to upgrade from 4K (2160p) to 8K (4320p) and it won't matter if people can tell the difference in resolution or not.

So I hope the next Yamaha series will have HDMI 2.1 and 8K video pass-through.

If you knew the next Yamaha series will have HDMI 2.1 and 8K video, would you wait? I would.

 

[Ken32]

No wonder they reduced the price sheet a little recently.

Right now many people already have 4K everything. So there's no point upgrading if nothing changes.

If everything remains 4K for the next 10 years, I bet sales will be even slower than now.

But if they start making everything 8K, that will probably get people to upgrade from 4K (2160p) to 8K (4320p) and it won't matter if people can tell the difference in resolution or not.

So I hope the next Yamaha series will have HDMI 2.1 and 8K video pass-through.

If you knew the next Yamaha series will have HDMI 2.1 and 8K video, would you wait ?

Honestly, I'd probably wait. 4k has been out for quite some time now and now they're finally implementing it after a super slow start (Blu ray, Netflix, Hulu, Video games etc...) I'd bet when they drop 8K displays, It'll have that same slow start. I'd say 3-5 years in before they'd technically take advantage.

Also, many people like myself have between 55-65 inch TV’s in their living rooms, etc... If there's a visible difference to the human eye between 4 and 8k I don't think we'd benefit unless 1. we sat 2 feet from the TV. 2. Bought a giant set 80 inches or more (projector screens included).

If-by-then, the upgrade would be worth it. If i bought the 2080 now, it'd be time to upgrade an AVR anyhow after decent 8k implementation. Who knows what any of them will bring to the table that far out.... JMO

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Honestly, I'd probably wait. 4k has been out for quite some time now and now they're finally implementing it after a super slow start (Blu ray, Netflix, Hulu, Video games etc...) I'd bet when they drop 8K displays, It'll have that same slow start. I'd say 3-5 years in before they'd technically take advantage.

Also, many people like myself have between 55-65 inch TV’s in their living rooms, etc... If there's a visible difference to the human eye between 4 and 8k I don't think we'd benefit unless 1. we sat 2 feet from the TV. 2. Bought a giant set 80 inches or more (projector screens included).

If-by-then, the upgrade would be worth it. If i bought the 2080 now, it'd be time to upgrade an AVR anyhow after decent 8k implementation. Who knows what any of them will bring to the table that far out.... JMO

Hate to say that time flies - because it sucks so bad - but next thing you know October will be here - although @Phase 2 might welcome October.

The other shoe is going to drop and HDMI 2.1/ 8K will be here.

Always good to have something to look forward or a wish-list. Native 8K JVC Projector please.

 

[Ken32]

Well I literally just pulled the trigger on a new Yamaha A1080. Fry's had 2 left at their Georgia location. Needless to say, I snagged it with their 4th of July promotion for 698 and free shipping.

For what I'll be using it for, I should be more than satisfied. I'm excited to give Yamaha a shot. @snakeeyes @AcuDefTechGuy

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well I literally just pulled the trigger on a new Yamaha A1080. Fry's had 2 left at their Georgia location. Needless to say, I snagged it with their 4th of July promotion for 698 and free shipping.

For what I'll be using it for, I should be more than satisfied. I'm excited to give Yamaha a shot. @snakeeyes @AcuDefTechGuy

Wow. Brand new Yamaha RX-A1080 plus free shipping for $698.

A4L has a REFURBISHED RX-A1080 for $750 + another probably another $20 shipping.

Another prime example of how Brand New price can be so much better than Refurbished.

You should be good for another 20 years.

 

[KEW]

You should be good for another 20 years.

Let's keep this realistic! If it were simply a power amp, then 20 years seems on the low side to me, but I am pretty sure that @M Code said all of the AVR manufacturers started designing/cost-cutting for a ~8-10 year life with newer models.
Hopefully he can confirm or deny my statement and elaborate!
I admit that I am sketchy on the details.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Let's keep this realistic! If it were simply a power amp, then 20 years seems on the low side to me, but I am pretty sure that @M Code said all of the AVR manufacturers started designing/cost-cutting for a ~8-10 year life with newer models.
Hopefully he can confirm or deny my statement and elaborate!
I admit that I am sketchy on the details.

Maybe it’s not realistic anymore like it was in the days of 2Ch and 5Ch AVR, but a person can hope for 20YR on a Yamaha AVR, especially one with 7Ch, not 13CH Amps.

Of course, we’ve seen reports of high-end 5Ch amps needing repairs within the 5YR warranty period. So anything is possible.

M Code did say Yamaha is rank #1 in reliability. So a person can hope.

But 10YR would still pretty good for AVR. Anything over that is a bonus.

 

[KEW]

Yeah, I hate seeing the shift to planned obsolescence for AVR's, but it does make sense for the industry. The feature changes over ten years are pretty compelling, such that many are swapping out their perfectly fine AVR's.
For me, recent features that were important were the addition of HDMI connections and the new D&M Audyssey app,
For many others (and maybe me, once I try it),atmos was an important feature.
I'm sure many upgraded (or want to upgrade) to 4K, though I am perfectly happy with 1080 since I only have a 70" screen viewed from 12' away.
Then there is stuff like HEOS, Alexa/Google, and Musicast which may or may not be a draw.
I suspect there are other recent features which many HT-centric users find important that I am not familiar with!

 

[PENG]

Yeah, I hate seeing the shift to planned obsolescence for AVR's, but it does make sense for the industry. The feature changes over ten years are pretty compelling, such that many are swapping out their perfectly fine AVR's.
For me, recent features that were important were the addition of HDMI connections and the new D&M Audyssey app,
For many others (and maybe me, once I try it),atmos was an important feature.
I'm sure many upgraded (or want to upgrade) to 4K, though I am perfectly happy with 1080 since I only have a 70" screen viewed from 12' away.
Then there is stuff like HEOS, Alexa/Google, and Musicast which may or may not be a draw.
I suspect there are other recent features which many HT-centric users find important that I am not familiar with!

I like eARC a lot. I don't use it as often now that someone gave me an Amazon Fire stick but it could be very useful for people who use smart TV for things like Amazon video, Netflix etc.

 

[snakeeyes]

I like eARC a lot. I don't use it as often now that someone gave me an Amazon Fire stick but it could be very useful for people who use smart TV for things like Amazon video, Netflix etc.

So eARC allows more than DD+ such as 7.1 Dolby TrueHD from the TV.

Not sure what TV has any App with Dolby TrueHD or DTSHD MA. Do you know any?

Does eARC have other advantages over regular ARC?

I think my RXA770 is getting eARC in an update this year, but not my RXA2060 or RXV681.

 

[little wing]

I like eARC a lot. I don't use it as often now that someone gave me an Amazon Fire stick but it could be very useful for people who use smart TV for things like Amazon video, Netflix etc.

Since I got the Roku ultra, I haven't turned on ARC in my AVR, especially since Netflix on the Sony TV kept flaking out on me. No need to use
TV apps anymore.

 

[Ken32]

So, Fry's is a joke. I had to file a BBB complaint on them. They tried to run my card several times for one transaction and it completely froze my account (flagged as fraud). They called and said my order was on hold saying my card was declined.

I called my bank and took care of the issue (unlocked my account) and called Fry's back. The rep told me they had to cancel the existing order and replace it with another. No big deal, right? I placed another order for the same product my time 8:16PM EST. Mind you, this is still in the allotted time frame for the sale of that Yamaha unit.

I asked the rep on the phone if all was well. He told me "Yes, everything went through just fine." I received a UPS confirmation number for shipping along with an EMAIL invoice.

This morning I decided to call to double check the status and make sure again that it was alright.
The rep this time, a woman, tells me that my order has "Expired" and that i would have to place another order! At this point I'm extremely irritated. I comply and say alright (figuring one last shot before i move on) I proceed and then ask her about the price.....

I said "will you still honor the price of 698 from yesterday?" She has to ask a manager and puts me on hold. After she returns she informs me they cannot (will not?) let me have that price even though i was locked in with an order last night with emails and invoices to prove it. That I'd have to pay 1199 for the same unit.

I said forget it. I'll take my business elsewhere and filed a complaint to the BBB.

That is nonsense and bad business if you ask me. So, it looks like I'm back to shopping yet again

 

[lovinthehd]

So, Fry's is a joke. I had to file a BBB complaint on them. They tried to run my card several times for one transaction and it completely froze my account (flagged as fraud). They called and said my order was on hold saying my card was declined.

I called my bank and took care of the issue (unlocked my account) and called Fry's back. The rep told me they had to cancel the existing order and replace it with another. No big deal, right? I placed another order for the same product my time 8:16PM EST. Mind you, this is still in the allotted time frame for the sale of that Yamaha unit.

I asked the rep on the phone if all was well. He told me "Yes, everything went through just fine." I received a UPS confirmation number for shipping along with an EMAIL invoice.

This morning I decided to call to double check the status and make sure again that it was alright.
The rep this time, a woman, tells me that my order has "Expired" and that i would have to place another order! At this point I'm extremely irritated. I comply and say alright (figuring one last shot before i move on) I proceed and then ask her about the price.....

I said "will you still honor the price of 698 from yesterday?" She has to ask a manager and puts me on hold. After she returns she informs me they cannot (will not?) let me have that price even though i was locked in with an order last night with emails and invoices to prove it. That I'd have to pay 1199 for the same unit.

I said forget it. I'll take my business elsewhere and filed a complaint to the BBB.

That is nonsense and bad business if you ask me. So, it looks like I'm back to shopping yet again

Seems they keep busy with BBB https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/sacramento/profile/electronic-equipment-dealers/frys-electronics-1156-36000395

 

[little wing]

Seems they keep busy with BBB https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/sacramento/profile/electronic-equipment-dealers/frys-electronics-1156-36000395

Wow, why would anybody EVER do business with them after reading that

 

[Ken32]

Wow, why would anybody EVER do business with them after reading that

I'll never do business with FRY's ever again.


On a side note, I went on A4L and purchased a Marantz 6013 for 799, free shipping and full 3 year warrany.

I was going to save some money on the 6012 but by the time I paid for shipping and additional warranty to cover 3 years I'd be at around the price i paid for the 6013. I wanted to spend around 800 on an upgrade which i believe is more than enough for an AVR (for myself anyway.)

Wouldn't you know it, I paid via PayPal and the transaction came straight out of my account. No issues whatsoever.

The unit has everything I'll ever need. I along with my wife love the way it looks. Internals including heat sinks look very hefty and high quality which seems like a good thing.

We'll see how it holds up. If it doesn't I've got 3 years to cover me, so no worries there.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I hate seeing the shift to planned obsolescence for AVR's

The question is, is this on purpose or as a adverse effect of the growing complexity (features) and number of Channels (5Ch vs 9 vs 13)?

Too bad there’s not any stats on reliability vs number of Channels.