The Marantz "Cinema Series" "2022-2023" AV Pre-Launch Thread

[Epsonfan]

I see Marantz bad but Denon good.

 

[PENG]

-New Target Markets
-New design step-up by price point, but all materials are premium
-Across the board improvements in audio performance (all models)




With the higher pricing, promises of improvements in audio performance and possibly aiming to compete with premium companies has anyone got reply from Marantz that they are really using the same mediocre TI dac chip in new models like Denons? @PENG mentioned the TI dac being used in some cheap 600$ receiver and now 3500$ Cinema 40 too? We saw the drop in performance with X3800H for higher price which is not good.

Cinema 50 is going to measure worse than X3800H with same TI dac as only the Cinema 40 model have improved HDAM SA2 version like in the 8015. Add the slow dac filtering making a big mess and we possibly get even much worse measurements than SR6014/7015 had with AKM4458 dac. With the price tag of 2500$!

I understand sharing parts with Denon is effective, but if these models suppose to be the more luxury version with better audio performance then it would made sense to use some better spec ESS dac chip 9026 Pro or similar which has potential for better objective peformance if they implement it the right way. Marantz could have marketed the better dac like few company does to boost sales further, "New Cinema serie comes with audiophile level XX dac." Two Denon models already using ESS dacs so they could have easily got some good deal buying boat load of them.

Ironically, Denon is the one that had used the excellent, TI's best DAC PCM1792 in their ex real flagship AVR and the also excellent PCM1796 in their $7,500 AV preamp processor. The PCM1792 is a real "reference class" dac, that can still (after so many years) compete with ESS's top 2 or 3 models in terms of SINAD.

That Denon was also the only fully differential end to end preamp/processor that I know of at the time. Even now, I don't think there are more than may be a few preamp/processor that offers the "fully differential/balanced feature and I am assuming Trinnov is one but not really sure.

Have you seen any implementation like this? I know ADTG was pissed because his failed not long after the warranty and Denon Panugy could not repair the thing for some reasons.

 

[Audiguy3]

I just got word my AV10 is shipping. Due next week. I am waiting on word about my AMP10

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just got word my AV10 is shipping. Due next week. I am waiting on word about my AMP10

Exciting! Early Christmas for you.

 

[Epsonfan]

I got my Cinema 50 receiver replaced MarantzSR6015

 

[natra84]

Hi guys how can a 20 year old Onkyo receiver beat the newer Marantz AV receiver I made a video there you can see my system and I just bought the new Anthem amplifier that I just bought and I tried it against my Onkyo receiver and they are use the Marantz as a preamplifier I also use the Onkyo as a preamplifier.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hi guys how can a 20 year old Onkyo receiver beat the newer Marantz AV receiver I made a video there you can see my system and I just bought the new Anthem amplifier that I just bought and I tried it against my Onkyo receiver and they are use the Marantz as a preamplifier I also use the Onkyo as a preamplifier.

What speaker system do you have? Little Orb satellite speakers on the wall?

Speakers and room acoustics are the salient factors in sound quality, not AVR or amps.

 

[natra84]

What speaker system do you have? Just 2 little speakers on the wall ?

Speakers and room acoustics are the salient factor in sound quality, not AVR or amps.

I will make a new video in there. I can show my speakers and talk about what the differences are.

 

[natra84]

I will make a new video in there. I can show my speakers and talk about what the differences are.

I have 5.2 system.

 

[PENG]

I will make a new video in there. I can show my speakers and talk about what the differences are.

I watched the video but it didn't seem complete, just stopped without any audio clips or description of the perceived difference.

Regardless, it is hard to judge from any home recorded sound clips anyway as that's not the same as what you heard in your room. Also, unless you did the comparison following a tightly controlled protocol and listened without knowing which one is playing, the difference you perceived would not mean much. To you the old Onkyo beat the new Marantz, to many others it may be the opposite, even if the difference was real.

 

[natra84]

I watched the video but it didn't seem complete, just stopped without any audio clips or description of the perceived difference.

Regardless, it is hard to judge from any home recorded sound clips anyway as that's not the same as what you heard in your room. Also, unless you did the comparison following a tightly controlled protocol and listened without knowing which one is playing, the difference you perceived would not mean much. To you the old Onkyo beat the new Marantz, to many others it may be the opposite, even if the difference was real.

No trust me on this one you can clearly hear the difference in my new video there I’m going to explain what I heard how I hooked everything up and etc.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I will make a new video in there. I can show my speakers and talk about what the differences are.

No, trust me on this one - you can clearly hear the difference in my new video - I’m going to explain what I heard, how I hooked everything up and etc.

So you audition all your speakers and TVs on YouTube?

 

[natra84]

So you audition all your speakers and TVs on YouTube?

What do you mean?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

What do you mean?

As @PENG says, what you capture on YouTube or any video is NOT the same thing as what we actually HEAR or see in REAL LIFE.

But you're telling us that your YouTube video will reveal that the Onkyo sounds better.

If you heard some Bose speakers sounding better than KEF Blade speakers on some YouTube video, would you truly believe that the Bose sound better?

And we might as well get this out of the way - spending all this money on AVR, AVP and amps, instead of speakers is not what we would do.

What kind of speakers do you have? They look like Orbs satellite speakers.

 

[natra84]

As @PENG says, what you capture on YouTube or any video is NOT the same thing as what we actually HEAR or see in REAL LIFE.

But you're telling us that your YouTube video will reveal that the Onkyo sounds better.

If you heard some Bose speakers sounding better than KEF Blade speakers on some YouTube video, would you truly believe that the Bose sound better?

And we might as well get this out of the way - spending all this money on AVR, AVP and amps, instead of speakers is not what we would do.

What kind of speakers do you have? They look like Orbs satellite speakers.

Wow, my friend I think you’ve gotten a little bit too far here I’m gonna explain what I am hearing not what you are going to hear on the video a quick question are you a Marantz fan.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Wow, my friend I think you’ve gotten a little bit too far here I’m gonna explain what I am hearing not what you are going to hear on the video a quick question are you a Marantz fan.

No. I use Yamaha.

The point is NOT Onkyo vs Marantz or one brand vs another brand.

The point is the YouTube video. I assume you are using your phone or camera to capture the video?

The sound captured on the phone/camera is NOT what anyone will hear in PERSON.

 

[natra84]

No. I use Yamaha.

Great amp

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Great amp

When LEVEL-MATCHED, I don't think Yamaha sounds better than Onkyo, Marantz, Denon, Pioneer, Sony, Anthem, NAD, etc., which is the second point - amps, preamps, AVP in DIRECT MODE should not have a sound signature of their own.

The 3rd point is that SPEAKERS play a much more significant role in sound quality compared to electronics. So don't spend thousands on AVR + Amps and spend little on speakers.

 

[natra84]

When LEVEL-MATCHED, I don't think Yamaha sounds better than Onkyo, Marantz, Denon, Pioneer, Sony, Anthem, NAD, etc., which is the second point - amps, preamps, AVP in DIRECT MODE should not have a sound signature of their own.

The 3rd point is that SPEAKERS play a much more significant role in sound quality compared to electronics.

Yes, that is true speakers make the biggest difference totally agree. My speakers are pretty resolving so you can easily hear the characteristics of an amplifier the speaker that I have are cabasse i02. And I know that some people can not hear difference between amplifiers and that is OK then you should not waste your money and go and buy some expensive amplifier, which will not be to any benefit for you.

 

[EBN]

For Marantz Cinema 40 & 50 Dirac Live 2023 March after firmware update (Phase 1)
- Limited Bandwith 259$
- Full Bandwith 349$

Dirac Live Bass Control - 2024/Q1 - TBD (Phase 2)
- Single sub 349$
- Multisub 499$

All-in-one package - 2024/Q1 - TBD (Phase 2)
- Full correction + single bass control 649$
- Full correction + multi sub bass control 799$

Ti and ESS Dacs. They keeping eye for AKM.

Sound United has put out Marantz information clip about the new products. Also Q&A at the end of video. @PENG might want to listen the part "The most musical sound" and HDAM chip comparison = Cinema 60 graphs showing lower THD and where the HDAM module is placed.